Life Jackets and Buoyancy Aids: The Non-Negotiables

On most inland waterways the water is rarely deep and the bank is usually only a few strides away, which is exactly why so many boaters leave the life jackets in a locker. That confidence is misplaced. A fall into cold canal water in November can take your breath away in seconds, and a narrowboat hull offers precious little to grab hold of. Treat buoyancy as the one item you never compromise on.

For adults cruising rivers, estuaries and any waterway with a noticeable flow, choose a 150N life jacket to EN ISO 12402-3. It will turn an unconscious wearer face-up, which a 50N foam buoyancy aid simply will not do. Buoyancy aids are fine for confident swimmers on sheltered canals in summer, but they are a compromise. Children should be in a proper life jacket with a crotch strap, a grab handle and a whistle, sized to their weight rather than their age.

Fit matters more than price. Put the jacket on, tighten the waist and chest straps, then have someone lift the shoulders firmly. If it rides up towards the ears, it is too loose. Do this every time, and repeat the check if anyone has changed layers or put on a waterproof coat. If a life jacket has an automatic inflation mechanism, note the expiry date on the gas cylinder and the water-soluble bobbin. A cylinder that has been fired, corroded or left past its date is decoration, not safety equipment.

Throw Lines, Rescue Slings and Reaching Aids

A throw line is the most useful piece of rescue kit on a narrowboat, and it costs less than a decent meal out. Buy a buoyant line of around 18 to 20 metres, stored in a bag that will actually open when you need it. Practise throwing it — underarm, aiming beyond the casualty so the line lands across them, not short of them.

• Keep one throw line at the stern and one within reach of the helm.
• Add a telescopic reaching pole or boat hook for close-quarters recoveries.
• Carry a spare line and a rescue sling if you cruise rivers or tidal sections.
• Never rely on a rope that is stiff, knotted or coiled tightly in its bag.

Remember the order of priority: talk, throw, row, go. Shout clear instructions, throw something buoyant, use the dinghy or boat if it is safe, and only enter the water as an absolute last resort. A boat is a poor swimming platform for a cold, panicking person, and two casualties are far worse than one.

Torches, Head Lamps and Lighting You Can Trust

A working torch is not optional. Inland waterways are unlit for much of their length, and the moment you need a light is usually the moment you are standing on a wet gunwale in the dark. Keep a bright, waterproof head torch in a known place near the stern, plus a handheld torch in the cabin and one in the cratch or bow locker.

Check batteries monthly and carry spares in the original packaging, because loose cells rattle flat in a drawer. A rechargeable torch is convenient, but keep a battery-powered backup — a USB charger is useless during a power cut at a remote mooring. If you cruise at dusk or dawn, make sure your navigation lights work, particularly on rivers where powered craft and anglers share the water.

Fire, Gas and Carbon Monoxide: The Quiet Risks

Fire aboard a boat is fast and frightening, and most inland craft are required to carry extinguishers under the Boat Safety Scheme. Fit at least one 2kg dry powder or foam extinguisher near the main exit, a second near the engine space, and a fire blanket within arm's reach of the galley hob. Powder makes a mess but it works on most classes of fire; foam is gentler and better for fuel and electrical risks in the cabin.

Carbon monoxide is the invisible one. Fit an audible CO alarm to BS EN 50291 in the sleeping area, and another near any solid-fuel stove, gas water heater or engine exhaust outlet. Test it weekly with the button. Check that gas lockers drain overboard, that hoses are free of cracks, and that you can smell the difference between a gas leak and a bilge full of old diesel.

First Aid, Tools and the Little Things That Save a Day

Build a first aid kit for the sort of injuries a boat actually produces: cuts from lock gates, burns from kettles, sprains from slipping on wet steel. Include sterile dressings, a burns gel, blister plasters, tweezers, painkillers and any personal medication. Add a spare pair of glasses if you need them.

• A sharp knife or line cutter, kept where you can reach it while seated at the helm.
• Work gloves and a spare pair of mooring gloves.
• A boathook, spare mooring pins and a lump hammer.
• A waterproof phone pouch and a written list of emergency numbers.

Storage, Expiry Dates and a Monthly Check

Equipment you cannot reach is equipment you do not have. Store life jackets by the exit, not under the bed; throw lines at both ends of the boat; torches on hooks by the doors. Anything stored in a bow locker that floods, or in a stern locker full of wet ropes, is going to let you down.

Once a month, do a ten-minute walk-through. Squeeze the life jacket cylinders, check the expiry dates on inflatables, extinguishers and CO alarm batteries, and pull the throw line out of its bag to confirm it still opens cleanly. Write the dates in your log or diary. It takes minutes, and it means that when the moment comes, everything works the first time.