What do you bring for a day on the water? What are the boat essentials when you are heading out for some summer fun?
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This past May ‘2-4’, or Victoria Day weekend as some call it, we went out on the boat. It was the first time putting the boat in the water and we were excited to just get out on the water. In fact, we were so excited we just grabbed our life jackets and hit the water. Only once we were out in the middle of the lake did we realize we hadn’t brought anything we needed!
Once we got back, I set about gathering everything we needed for the summer on the water. Below is my boating checklist of everything you should keep on your boat.
I keep it all in a water-proof boating bag like this one.
This waterproof bag is different than a regular backpack, since it uses water-proof technology and keeps your items dry… even if it falls into the water!
Lifejackets/PFDs
Ensure you have an appropriate-sized, good condition, Canadian-approved PFD or lifejacket for each passenger. My preference is to use a kayak or paddling life jacket. I really like how it gives you a greater range of movement with your arms.
Don’t forget dog life jackets for the pups too. For us, it’s not so much for flotation, but more about having an easy handle to pick them up and put them back into the boat. It also helps that they are bright for other boats to see them in the water.
Boater’s License or Operator Card
This may seem not necessary, but you wouldn’t drive a car or motorbike without a license, so why a boat? Depending where you are you may get stopped and many docks, locks and canals require them in order to use their services. Generally, it’s fairly inexpensive and only takes a few hours to study for and take the test. Check your local area, requirements vary from province to province and state to state.
Warm, Waterproof Clothing
The temperature often dips when you get outside the sheltered bays and the wind changes or a fog bank roll sin. Or if your on a lake and swimming you won’t want to be hit by the wind on your way home. Waterproof clothing is great if you are out on the ocean and far from shore where weather can change quickly. For us, we usually have extra towels and a blanket from Mexico in our waterproof bag. The blanket is great to keep warm and dries super quick!
Sunscreen & Sunglasses
The sun’s rays are extra powerful on the water, as you get the direct exposure plus the rays that reflect off the ocean. Check the area you are, you may want to make sure your sunscreen will not pollute and affect the water.
Lately we’ve been liking these waterproof FLOATING sunglasses… so even if you drop them, you’ll be able to find them floating on the water.
Waterproof phone case
A waterproof phone is an important boat essential… especially if you have kids or play your music off your phone like we do. We learned our lesson the hard way after we dropped sunglasses, rings, keys and more in the water. We all got waterproof phone cases for our phones and keys too! Mine is an older model and doesn’t have the neck string, but my kids do and it is useful.
We soon realized that they are heavy enough they will sink, so we also got floating key chains for our cases too. Depending on the size of your phone it may take 2-3 key chains, but it’s worth it to not lose your phone to the bottom of a lake, bay or ocean!
Water & Snacks
This one depends on where you are going and for how long. It’s surprising how thirsty being on the water (especially if your swimming too) will make you. We tend to spend our summer at a sandbar, so we always make sure we have water and snacks for everyone.
Small Trash Bags
On a boat you are working with limited space. We have had it happen where a wrapper has gone flying off a seat or dash and into the water. After that I usually grab a plastic grocery bag to pack up the trash in. Since most stores don’t offer them anymore you can get some like these rolls of bags used for dog poop. An added bonus is they are small and compact.
Buoyant Heaving Line/Life Line
This is a life saving device to throw to someone in crisis in the water. To be honest we usually use it to moor our boat to others or docks. Either way having a life line is useful. Make sure it’s at least 15 metres in length and there are some cool ones out there that you can keep in a bag so it takes up little space.
Oars/Paddles
In case of a breakdown, you’ll still be able to maneuveur. We have a small oar that collapses, so it’s easier for storage. We mostly stay on a lake rather than the ocean, but these can come in handy when you drop something in the water and don’t want to jump in too!
Watertight Flashlight or Distress Flares/Whistle
In case of a breakdown or other emergency, these items will alert others. I learned the importance of this item when we were visiting friends and had to come back after dark. We were VERY happy to have a flashlight to let other boats on the water know we were there.
The ones we got for the kids have a whistle built-in. They love them. We just sometimes need to take it away if they get a little too happy with the whistle!
Bailer/Manual Water Pump
Taking on water? These will help keep you afloat. For the smaller lake we go on it isn’t that big of a deal, but if your going out in the ocean or larger bodies of water you will want to make sure you have this item! You can make them out of a javex bottle or if you aren’t crafty you can buy one online.
Are there any boat essentials we missed? Let us know in the comments below.
