1. Establish the applicable rules before the list
For boats within the relevant French framework, Division 240 is a starting point for equipment and operating requirements. The ministry page consulted links to a version amended in May 2026, so an older printed checklist may be out of date.
Make an inventory with four columns: applicable requirement, equipment actually carried, location and evidence of inspection. Record the flag, intended use and date the rule was checked. Do not infer compliance from a simple distance in miles printed on a checklist: the legal meaning of shelter, boat type and use need to be assessed in their regulatory context.
References for this section : Ministère chargé de la mer — Divisions sécurité plaisance, mise à jour 2026
2. Prepare each person, not just the jackets
The RNLI stresses that a lifejacket must be suitable and worn, and that a long tether can allow someone to fall over the side. Being dragged through the water on a tether is extremely dangerous; prevention starts with staying aboard.
During the briefing, each crew member finds their own equipment and checks the fit against its instructions. Identify permitted routes, intended attachment points and areas to avoid during manoeuvres. For a child or a person with limited mobility, do not assume the standard adult arrangement will work: plan a specific arrangement and try it with the equipment actually worn. Discuss it before leaving sheltered conditions.
References for this section : RNLI — Lifejackets and buoyancy aids
3. Plan recovery all the way back aboard
The RNLI includes person-overboard procedures and emergency-equipment locations in a crew briefing. Finding someone in the water does not, by itself, solve the problem of bringing them aboard.
Plan an exercise with an instructor using a suitable object, never a crew member put overboard to test an improvised arrangement. The debrief should establish who raises the alarm, who maintains visual contact, who controls the boat and how recovery works with the people remaining aboard. Consider especially the case where the skipper is the casualty. Record what this boat and crew can actually accomplish rather than assuming a diagram proves it.
References for this section : RNLI — Enjoy the sea trouble free
4. Make a call for help understandable
Where coverage is available, VHF can alert rescue services and nearby boats; the French maritime ministry identifies channel 16 for emergencies at sea. A mobile phone does not provide the same local broadcast function.
Keep a card beside the radio with boat name, call sign, assigned MMSI if applicable, instructions for reading position and the information to report. Practise speaking the message without transmitting on distress channels. Check the DSC procedure for the installed set, its power supply and position data. In real danger, raise the alarm before the crew exhausts every possible solution. Training should make the controls familiar before an incident occurs.
References for this section : Ministère chargé de la mer — La radio VHF, un outil pour améliorer sa sécurité
5. Understand the beacon’s role
A maritime EPIRB and a personal PLB have different intended uses within the 406 MHz system. Coding and registration must match the equipment and responsible country; buying a used beacon also means checking the associated registration details.
In France, the CNES register distinguishes personal beacons from those coded with a vessel’s MMSI, which it directs to ANFR. In your inventory, record the authority, identifier, expiry dates, emergency contacts and permitted test procedure. Test only as instructed: an improvised distress-mode trial can initiate a real alert. No device guarantees when rescuers will reach you, so communications equipment complements preparation rather than replacing it.
References for this section : NOAA SARSAT — Emergency 406 MHz distress beacons · CNES — Registre français des balises 406 MHz
6. Prevent fire, smoke and carbon monoxide
British public guidance links fire prevention, detection and escape arrangements. MAIB accident lessons also highlight carbon monoxide accumulating aboard; any combustion equipment requires particular attention.
Walk from every berth to the exits without pretending that bags blocking the route have already been moved. Locate shutdown controls, detectors and extinguishers. Check instructions and maintenance requirements. If smoke or an alarm occurs, protecting people and raising the alarm take priority; do not improvise entry into a hazardous compartment. Practical training is needed to understand the limits of an attempted first response. Keep the route usable under normal onboard living conditions.
References for this section : GOV.UK — Fire safety on boats · MAIB — Safety lessons: carbon monoxide accumulating on your boat
7. Keep the briefing alive
The proposed preparation card links each situation to a responsible person and a backup, accessible equipment, an initial action and a way to call for assistance. Someone who did not write it should still be able to understand it. Ask a newly joined crew member to review it.
Before departure, ask concrete questions: “Where do you read the position?”, “Which lifejacket is yours?”, “Who takes decisions if I am unavailable?”. Hesitation identifies something to revisit. Record the corrections and repeat after a crew change, equipment alteration or different passage plan. Rehearsal is more valuable than a document signed once and then forgotten in a folder.
References for this section : RNLI — Enjoy the sea trouble free
Safety depends on suitable equipment, clear responsibilities and exercises that match the actual boat and crew.
Your practical checklist
Sources & documents
- Ministère chargé de la mer — Divisions sécurité plaisance, mise à jour 2026
Accessed 2026-11-02 - RNLI — Lifejackets and buoyancy aids
Accessed 2026-11-02 - RNLI — Enjoy the sea trouble free
Accessed 2026-11-02 - Ministère chargé de la mer — La radio VHF, un outil pour améliorer sa sécurité
Accessed 2026-11-02 - NOAA SARSAT — Emergency 406 MHz distress beacons
Accessed 2026-11-02 - CNES — Registre français des balises 406 MHz
Accessed 2026-11-02 - GOV.UK — Fire safety on boats
Accessed 2026-11-02 - MAIB — Safety lessons: carbon monoxide accumulating on your boat
Accessed 2026-11-02
