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Yacht sailing and motorboating
Whether you race or cruise, every day afloat is an adventure. Even on the shortest trips you can get caught out, so it pays to be prepared, including carrying the right boat safety kit. Here are our tips to get you to your destination safely.
Get ready to go afloat
If you are heading out on the water yachting or motorboating, you need to know how to keep you and all those onboard safe. Get the essential safety advice and all you need to know to stay safe and have fun on the water by visiting our boating safety campaign page.
Useless unless worn
The sea is an amazing environment, but it’s a challenging one. Accidents happen and you, or your crew, can end up in the water unexpectedly. Our lifeboat crews will respond immediately. But we’re not always close by.
Wearing a lifejacket will buy you precious time until help arrives. Correctly fitted and maintained, a lifejacket will help you to float even if you’re unconscious. It dramatically increases your chances of survival if you fall into the water. If you’re in the sea and you’re wearing a lifejacket, you’re four times more likely to survive*. Read our handy guide Choose it wear it: the RNLI guide to lifejackets and buoyancy aids (PDF - 3.48MB).
Take care of your lifejacket
Look after your lifejacket and it will look after you. It could save your life. As our video explains, simple regular checks and a professional annual service will ensure your lifejacket stays in working order.
Lifejacket lockers
We recommend you wear your lifejacket unless it's safe to take it off. This includes accessing boats from dinghies, tenders or even pontoons. To help you, we’ve installed lockers at convenient coastal locations, which you’re free to use at any time. There’s no booking – the lockers operate on a first come-first served basis. You’ll just need a small refundable deposit to use them.
Calling for help at sea
Life-threatening incidents can happen at any time. Even in crowded waters close to the shore they can go unnoticed. So it’s important that you always carry a means of calling for help, and that everyone onboard knows how to use it.
There’s a range of different devices for calling for help on the market. Whichever you choose – and we recommend you use more than one – you must be able to reach it easily in an emergency. Don’t rely on a single method of calling for help.
Download our leaflet Calling for help (PDF 659KB).
Training
Many accidents at sea happen because people try to do too much before they’re ready. So be honest with yourself about your sailing knowledge and ability.
The best places to look for suitable courses and qualifications for recreational boating are the governing bodies – the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) in the UK and the ISA (Irish Sailing Association) in Ireland. You’ll find full details on their websites or you can read our top sailing tips for beginners.
In the UK, more than 240,000 people complete RYA training courses every year. They range from absolute beginners to those looking to extend their sailing knowledge. Courses such as these can prepare you for anything, whether it’s for taking your first trip out of the marina, living onboard, coastal cruising or venturing further offshore.
Weather and tides
Don’t let the weather spoil your day. Always check the weather forecast and sea conditions before you set off. Get regular updates if you’re planning to be out for any length of time. And be prepared to change your plans or cancel the trip if the forecast is unfavourable.
Check the weather
Met Office - inshore waters forecast
As well as providing an inshore waters forecast, the RYA SafeTrx app tracks your voyages and alerts emergency contacts if you fail to return home on time.
Check the tides
Admiralty EasyTide – the UK government’s tidal prediction service.
Check your engine
Mechanical failure is the single biggest cause of rescue call outs to sailing and motor cruisers, accounting for nearly 20% of all our lifeboat launches. Knowing your boat, carrying spares and being able to fit them could make the difference between having to call for help and being able to help yourself.
Download our free checklist for inboard and outdrive engines (PDF 104KB) or checklist for outboard engines (PDF 116KB).
The RYA’s diesel engine maintenance course is designed to help you to look after your engine and avoid problems when you’re at sea.
For extra peace of mind, consider taking out marine breakdown cover using a paid service such as Sea Start.
Safety checklist
- Always wear an appropriate lifejacket.
- Always carry a means of calling and signalling for help.
- Ensure there is an emergency action plan in place and everybody has an onboard briefing (in particular on the location and use of the safety equipment, including the spare kill cord for powerboats).
- Get the right level of training for your craft.
- Always check the weather and tide times.
- Make sure someone ashore knows where you are going and who to call if you don't return on time.
- Always drive your boat at a speed that is appropriate to the weather conditions and to the environment you are operating in.
Emily's Code
The RNLI supports Emily’s Code, which honours the memory of 14-year-old Emily Gardner, and aims to prevent accidents at sea by highlighting key safety messages.
Launches in 2022
1,393 lifeboat launches to powered boats in 2022
864 Lifeboat launches to sailing vessels in 2022
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