Boat safety equipment 2025, what’s changing

We went to dig up, in the new Regulations implementing the Recreational Code what has changed since Oct. 21 for safety equipment on Italian-flagged boats.

On-board safety equipment, the whole truth

Fewer flares, hand flares and smoke buoys, the ability to land the raft if sailing within 12 miles of the coast and to use the inshore raft if staying within the limits of our Sar (Search and Rescue) zone. And then obligation to identify life jackets and equip them with an automatically activated light, to have a sounder on board, a table of visual day and night signals, a seat belt, and also the arrival of a number of “recommended” equipment, which in reality is a little more than that. The new Regulations implementing the Recreational Code, published in the Official Gazette last Sept. 21 and in force since Oct. 21, has brought a flurry of news to the industry that touches almost every area of boating(we told you here everything you need to know about the new boating license achievable from age 16). Including life-saving equipment and the “minimum” safety equipment you need to have on board based on the distance of navigation from the coast. In many cases the new provisions come into effect immediately, in others there is a one-year period to comply. So let’s see what changes from before and how to get in compliance before raising sails to avoid nasty surprises.

• Above is the table of mandatory safety equipment to be carried on board. For more, here is the text of the decree, with requirements and equivalencies.

Life jackets

First, there is a small lexical revolution for these individual life-saving means. What the old regulations called “life belts” become “life jackets,” ending possible misunderstandings. For these also comes mandatory identification, indicating (by writing? applying a tag?) the boat’s initials and registration number or its identification number registered in the Central Telematic Archive of Recreational Craft (ATCN). It then becomes more complicated to move them from one unit to another. – The new regulations require that life jackets must be “always worn” when sailing at night or solo: watch out for checks at sea. It must also be worn (minimum class 50), regardless of the distance from the coast, by those sailing dinghies, as well as, as before, by those using sailboards, kitesurfers, jet skis and similar units (including those being carried).

Lifebuoy ring

The requirement to carry a ring lifebuoy with line moves to sailings beyond 1 mile from the coast; previously it was required from 300 meters from the coast.

Safety equipment – Life raft

Units navigating beyond 12 miles from the coast and within the limits of the Sar zone, the national search and rescue area (image below), if equipped with electronic geolocation tools (e.g., a gps) can take on board instead of the traditional raft the “coastal” raft, which is intended for navigation within 12 miles from the coast. It is smaller in size, lighter, and cheaper, but also offers less protection. – Inflatable boats (in the regulations “pneumatic units”), including those with rigid hulls, are exempt from the requirement to take the inshore raft if they sail within 12 miles of the coast and have on board the survival kit provided in the reference raft as well as an additional fire extinguisher to those provided. What is meant by a survival kit? The standard ones, for rafts within 12 miles, usually include inflation bellows; fixed-blade knife with floating handle; waterproof flashlight equipped with suitable electric batteries stored separately in a waterproof bag; repair kit (a set of patches of various sizes and mastic); 2 paddles, 2 sponges, a whistle, container of water (0.250 liters per person). Inflatable rafts must still be CE marked category A, B or C and conform to UNI EN ISO 6185 standards (parts 3 and 4). – The coastal raft for navigation within 12 miles of the coast may be substituted by a CE-marked tender (in the regulations “inflatable boat”) (complying with UNI EN ISO 6185 standards), provided it is ready for use, has a boarding device, has a survival kit as provided for the reference raft, and is capable of taking on board the number of people on board including the crew.

Hand fires

Decreases the number of red-light hand fires to be kept on board. Three instead of 4 for “no limit” sailing and 2 instead of 3 for sailing “within 50 miles” of the coast. There is also an option to replace hand fires with a Solas Med-compliant LED device in accordance with Imo standards.

Smoke vials

One less smoke buoy (2 instead of 3) is provided for “no-limit” sailing.

Rockets

Red light flares also decrease: 3 instead of 4 for “no limit” sailing and 2 instead of 3 for sailing “within 50 miles” of the coast.

Clock

The requirement to have a watch on board is extended to those sailing beyond 6 miles from the coast. Until now it was required from beyond 12 miles from the coast.

Safety equipment – Black balloon

Entering the table of equipment in the regulations is the black balloon to be displayed when at anchor. It was actually already mandatory under the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (Colreg), but was often “forgotten”; this way it becomes organic with the other equipment. The obligation to have it concerns units exceeding 7 meters in length for navigation beyond 300 meters from the coast.

Whistle and bell

“Sound signaling equipment” disappears from the new safety equipment and is replaced by “whistle and bell (for units over 12 meters in length).” They are mandatory for navigation from more than 1 mile from the coast.
The bell may be replaced by a portable sound device.

Radio-positioning tools

Among the geolocation tools, the now-defunct Loran is no longer indicated; only Gps remains.

Safety Equipment – EPIRB

The satellite radioboa must be of the dual operating frequency type (406 and 121.5 MHz). The Epirb can now also be replaced by a satellite phone as long as it has a device to send distress messages to the Imrcc (the Coast Guard’s national sea rescue center) as well as complying with a set of standards indicated in the equipment table.

Compass

The traditional magnetic compass may be replaced with an electronic compass. It is stipulated that tables of boat compass deviations need to be updated only in case of changes in equipment or structures that may produce electromagnetic differentials.

Automatically activated light

The automatically activated light to be installed on life jackets enters the table of equipment. The obligation in this case goes into effect one year after the publication of the Regulations (21/10/2025).

Sounding board

Also new is the sounder, which can be electronic or manual; in the latter case it must reach a depth of 20 meters. The requirement goes into effect one year after publication of the Regulations (21/10/2025).

Table of signals

Among the new mandatory equipment is the International Regulations to Prevent Collisions at Sea (Colreg) table of visual day and night signals. The obligation goes into effect one year after the publication of the Regulations (21/10/2025).

Safety harness

This new equipment is suitable only for sailing units. It provides for a harness with umbilical safety tape (safety line) attached. Mandatory to have one for sailing beyond 6 miles from the coast and 2 for sailing beyond 12 miles. The harness must be CE marked in accordance with ISO standards and may be supplemented with a life jacket or other certified protective device. Again, the requirement comes into effect one year after publication of the Regulations (21/10/2025).

Safety Equipment – Deadlines and Checks.

In addition to complying with any deadlines prescribed by the standards, the new decree stipulates that for safety equipment, the boater must comply with the manufacturer’s recommendations stated in the accompanying documentation or stamped on the product.

• Above is the list of recommended safety equipment. At this link the text of the decree

Additional safety equipment

For the first time, in addition to the mandatory minimum equipment, the regulation indicates additional “recommended” equipment for all boats and vessels (see attached table on the previous double page) with in addition some specific equipment for sailing units (spare Vhf antenna, shears, banzigo, sail repair set, floating anchor). Thus, these are not materials to be compulsorily carried on board, but neither are they to be considered lightly. In fact, it should be considered that the decree modifies the article in the regulations where the responsibility of the master is mentioned. The one that specifies to “provide the unit with the additional means and safety and seafaring equipment necessary in relation to the weather and sea conditions and the distance from safe ports for the navigation he intends to undertake,” to which is added “also making use of the recommended equipment.” Thus, it is not excluded that the skipper may be called upon to justify choices not made (for example, in the event of an accident).

Fabrizio Coccia