Safety Equipment

Marine Matters UK will use industry contacts to source your safety equipment to ensure that you get what you need at a competitive price. Once purchased, we can professionally fit the equipment to your vessel giving you the peace of mind that you justifiably demand where safety is concerned.

Legal Requirements

We have studied the Maritime Coastguard Agencies (MCA) requirements for pleasure vessels safety equipment and fire fighting appliances and précised these below for your convenience. We have also differentiated between legal requirements and recommendations.

Pleasure craft can be considered to be vessels that carry no more than 12 passengers, are used for sport or recreational purposes only, and do not operate for any financial gain to the owner. For commercial operators contact us with details of the type of work you engage in and we will send you a quote. Alternatively if you wish to have your boat coded use this link for our Coding quote form.

The MCA are the government body that upholds the lawful requirements although they do use a number of agencies to help them enforce these laws, including the local harbour authorities.

The pleasure Categories are:

  • Vessel less than 13.7m (45') in length
  • Vessels of 13.7m (45') in length or over

A vessel under oars/tender is expected to carry an all round white light or a torch as a minimum safety item under the collision regulation. Lifejackets and flares are prudent additional items.

All boat users, to ensure that they comply with the all other requirements that are not covered by the safety equipment and fire fighting précis below, should study SOLAS V.

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Vessel less than 13.7m (45') in length

Pleasure craft of less than 13.7 metres in length are not covered by any statutory requirements as far as life saving or fire fighting equipment is concerned, but must comply with SOLAS V regulations

SOLAS V regulation V/19 states that all vessels under 15m must carry the largest radar reflector practicable.

SOLAS V regulation V/29 requires you to have access to an illustrated table of the recognised life saving signals. These signals may be contained in an almanac or any other publication or may be obtained free from the MCA.

Recommended Additional Minimum Safety Equipment:

  1. flare packLifejackets for all aboard (for operation at night lifejacket lights should also be fitted)
  2. 1 harness line
  3. 1 Flare pack adequate for your type of cruising
  4. 1 VHF portable radio if not fitted to boat
  5. 1 Foghorn
  6. 1 Horseshoe buoy
  7. 1 Buoyant quick line (to aid MOB recovery)
  8. vhf portable radio1 Basic first aid kit
  9. 1 Set of soft wooden bungs
  10. 1 Fire blanket
  11. Smoke alarms in all cabin
  12. 1 ABC 1KG fire extinguisher for each enclosed space
  13.  Adequate Automatic fire extinguishers in engine bay

We have not listed liferaft due to the expense, type of craft, and cruising area. Ideally, if fitting is practical a liferaft should be carried on all vessels. If operating in shelters waters a tender may suffice.

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Vessels of 13.7m (45') in length or over

The information below does not refer to vessel of 24m or more or vessels that will operate over 150NM from the coast. For information on large vessels and ocean voyaging contact us with details of your vessel.

These pleasure vessels are obliged to comply with the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances for ships other than ships of Classes III to VI (A)) Regulations 1999 and the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Small Ships) Regulations 1998 respectively. These vessels are classified as being Class XII in these Regulations. There are exemptions in place, which we have accounted for in the information below.

  1. liferaftLiferaft place for all people on board.

    A valise packed raft must be stowed in a designated weathertight locker, opening directly to the weather deck. A Container packed raft must be located on the weather deck and be fitted with a hydrostatic release system to ensure automatic operation.

    One of the following options must be complied with on a vessel of 13.7m or more but less than 24m that does not operate more than 150NM from the coast:

    • Liferaft should be a SOLAS B pack.
    • ISAF liferaft or equivalent ISO Standard may be used in conjunction with a grab bag to make up the integral contents of the raft to SOLAS B level
    • RORC liferaft with a grab bag to make up the liferaft equipment to SOLAS B level is also acceptable on liferaft manufactured prior to 1st July 2003.

    One of the following options may be complied with on a vessel of 13.7m or more but less than 24m that does not operate more than 20NM from the coast instead of the options above.

    • Liferaft built to the ISO Inshore Liferaft Standard requirements is acceptable
    • An equivalent capacity CE marked Category C rigid or inflated inflatable dinghy ready for immediate use

    A vessel that does not operate more than 3NM from the coast does not have to carry a liferaft or inflatable boat instead of the options above.

  2. lifejacketTwo lifebuoys, one of which shall be fitted with a self-igniting light
  3. One buoyant lifeline (quick line) at least 18 metres in length
  4. A lifejacket suitable for a person weighing 32 kg or more for each such person on board
  5. A lifejacket suitable for a person weighing less than 32 kg for each such person on board
  6. Lifejacket lights for each lifejacket
  7. 4 red parachute rockets, 4 red handheld flares, 4 white handheld flares and 2 orange smoke flares. (For vessel operating less than 3NM from the coast no parachute rockets are required.)
  8. A training or instruction manual containing instructions and information on the life-saving appliances provided in the vessel and their maintenance
  9. A copy of the table "Life-Saving Signals and Rescue Methods, SOLAS No. 2"
  10. A maritime VHF radio capable of transmitting and receiving, appropriate to the area of operation
  11. fire extinguishersRadar reflector. As big a practicable for vessels less than 15m in length; and a radar reflector of 10m2 for vessel over 15m in line with IMO standards. There are a variety of options including active radar reflectors, instead of the large Echomax 230
  12. 4 ABC fire extinguishers each with minimum fire rating of 13A/113B (or smaller extinguishers giving the equivalent fire rating). Only two such extinguishers are required if a fire pump is employed as well, the cheapest being a hand powered portable fire pump with a throw over sea suction and hose connection
  13. Two fire buckets with lanyards, fit for purpose

For vessels of 13.7m or more every inflatable liferaft, compressed gas inflatable lifejacket and hydrostatic release unit must be serviced by an approved service station, at the manufacturers recommended intervals. Marine Matters UK can organise this for you, simply contact us with details of the vessels location and we will assume responsibility to have the equipment collected, serviced and replaced back on the vessel.

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Recommended Additional Minimum Safety Equipment

The compulsory list is comprehensive but we feel these inexpensive extras would be of benefit to any Skipper:

  1. Set of soft wooden bungs
  2. 1 harness line
  3. 1 Foghorn
  4. 1 Basic first aid kit
  5. 1 pair of 7x 50 binoculars
  6. 1 fire blanket
  7. Smoke alarms in all cabins

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Fitting service

Now that you have had the opportunity to view our comprehensive listings, and are ready to order your equipment we can offer you one final service. Many of our customers are too busy to spend time fitting safety equipment to their boats. They certainly don't want to be doing jobs on the weekend when they should be enjoying the boat not working on it. Our fitting service will ensure that your equipment is fitted correctly and sited in the most convenient places without turning your boat into something out of the HSE showroom.

ITEM

FITTING COST (£)

Per item

Fitting of Liferaft Cradle and mounting of raft

50.00

Fitting of HRU and lashing straps

18.00

Horseshoe Buoy

9.50

Passive radar reflector

6.50

Fire extinguishers (all size)

4.50

Smoke alarm

4.50

Fire Blanket

3.50

Fitting of lifejacket lights to lifejackets

2.50

Fitting of safety notices

1.50

Fitting of wooden bungs to seacocks

1.00

Securing anchor and chain together and fitting to boat

10.00
  1. Fitting is only completed on the mainland areas surrounding The Solent. We will advice as best possible for those requiring the service outside of that area.
  2. Fitting attracts a minimum charge of £35.00, this includes free delivery and professional fitting of equipment

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