Safety equipment on board: what the law requires and what you should carry

Short answer

An ordinary leisure boat in Sweden has no long list of mandatory equipment. The requirements mostly come from the collision regulations. The boat must be able to show the correct navigation lights in darkness and poor visibility, and you must be able to give a sound signal. Life jackets, fire extinguishers, an anchor and a bilge pump are recommendations from Transportstyrelsen. But that equipment is what decides how things go if something happens.

What the law requires

• Navigation lights: under the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG), the boat must show the prescribed lights between sunset and sunrise and in restricted visibility. Which lights depends on length and on whether you are under power or sail.
• Sound signal: under 12 metres, anything that gives a clear sound signal is enough. From 12 metres a whistle (horn) is required, and from 20 metres a bell as well.
• Qualifications: for boats larger than 12 × 4 metres, Transportstyrelsen requires a skipper's certificate, coastal skipper's certificate or equivalent. Smaller boats require no certificate.
• The Swedish Maritime Traffic Ordinance has additional Swedish rules, including speed limits and local traffic regulations.

Checklist: recommended equipment

The lifejacket matters most

Transportstyrelsen compares the lifejacket to a seatbelt. It only helps when you wear it. The lifejacket must be CE marked and suit the wearer's weight. Read more in the guide to lifejackets.

Equipment by type of trip

The further from land and the colder the water, the more you need. Here is a starting point:

• Day trip in the archipelago: life jackets, phone in a waterproof case, bilge pump, anchor, paddle and first aid kit. Tell someone ashore where you are going.
• Evening trips or longer passages: working navigation lights, a torch, paper charts as backup for the plotter, VHF radio and extra fuel.
• Open water and overnight trips: jacklines and attachment points on deck, a boarding ladder that can be lowered from the water, a fire blanket in the galley, a gas alarm and engine spares: impeller, filters and belts.

The equipment has to be within reach. A fire extinguisher at the back of a locker under the fenders is no help when there is a fire. Mount the extinguisher near the exit and the engine compartment. Show everyone on board where the life jackets, distress flares and first aid kit are before you cast off. Practise recovering someone who has fallen overboard. It is harder than you think, especially in a boat with high freeboard.

Before the season

1. Test the navigation lights and horn.
2. Check that the fire extinguisher has the right pressure and is securely mounted.
3. Replace the firing cartridge on inflatable life jackets at the interval the manufacturer specifies.
4. Test the bilge pump and float switch.
5. Go through your engine spares. Look up your engine under Engines & manuals and see spare parts.

Also work through the spring commissioning checklist before launch.

Frequently asked questions