Safety on board: what the boat must carry and what you should know

What the rules require

In Spain, safety and pollution-prevention equipment for recreational boats is governed by Royal Decree 339/2021. The key thing to understand is that required equipment is set by the navigation zone the boat is authorised for, not by its length: the further from shore, the more equipment.

For a charter day around Ibiza or Formentera, always close to shore, the kit is simpler than for an offshore passage. But "simpler" does not mean optional.

What must always be there

This is the short list we run through before every departure, beyond whatever the boat’s specific certificate requires.

Lifejackets

One per person on board, accessible and in good condition. If children are coming, child sizes: an adult jacket on a child does not work.

Lifebuoy and man-overboard recovery

With a line and, where fitted, a light. And someone on board who knows where it is without looking.

Extinguishers and firefighting kit

With a current service date. The date gets checked, not assumed.

Distress signals

Flares and smoke signals within their expiry date, kept dry and findable.

First aid kit

Suited to the navigation zone, checked, with no expired medication.

VHF radio

Working, with channel 16 accessible. That is the real emergency channel at sea, not a mobile phone.

The five-minute briefing

Before casting off we spend a few minutes explaining four things: where the lifejackets are, how to call for help on the radio, what to do if someone goes overboard, and where to get on and off the boat. It frightens nobody and completely changes the response if something happens.

We also cover the everyday things, which cause most incidents: mind the wet bathing ladder, no jumping in without telling the skipper, and the engine always stopped when there are people in the water.

What you can ask

Before booking, it is entirely reasonable to ask whether the boat’s safety equipment is up to date, whether there are child lifejackets, and what licence the skipper holds. We volunteer all of it, but if somewhere answers evasively, that is an answer in itself.