Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

Gearing Up for Safety
In This Chapter
◆ Determining your boat’s class
◆ Choosing a personal flotation device (PFD)
◆ Distinguishing between extinguishers
◆ A look at other safety gear that’s good to have
17
Chapter
Before you leave the docks for the first time, you have to equip your boat with a
set of federally-required gear that experience has proven to be essential for basic
safety afloat, whether you’re boating in a 10-foot jon boat or a 60-foot yacht.
This may not be the most fascinating topic, but it’s stuff you have to understand
well enough to gear up, so persevere.
In this chapter, you’ll learn the types of life preservers, the most basic piece of
gear aboard any boat, as well as a bit about all the other equipment that may
someday come in handy in an emergency. (Okay, maybe you’ll be lucky and never
have an emergency, but you’ll need all the stuff in this chapter anyway when the
Marine Patrol comes calling—they’ll send you back to the docks and maybe give
you a citation if you fail to have the required gear aboard.)