Imagine you just retired and are now the proud new owner of the sailboat of your dreams. The list of sailing and cruising gear you will need for your new sailboat will be valuable for your protection and enjoyment.

Personal Safety Equipment

Experts in the nautical field recommend inflatable offshore life vests. When this sailing gear is integrated with harnesses, you have the most important piece of "on deck" safety equipment available.

Many skippers make the wearing of harnesses while on deck mandatory. Crew members need a three pack of meteor flares, a strobe light, a waterproof flashlight, and a waterproof pouch to keep the gear in. This gear must be worn on the harness to be effective.

Vessel Safety Equipment

Offshore life rafts are a mandatory piece of sailing gear. A boat with a four-person crew should carry a six-person life raft. The life raft should be stored on deck in a cradle with a hydrostatic release to ensure that, if the situation arises, it can be launched successfully to save lives. In addition, a 406 MHz EPIRB with built in GPS is recommended so that your position is virtually instantaneously transmitted to rescue agencies.

Medical Safety Equipment

A medical kit is a great idea and may include things like bandages, painkillers, sunscreen, tweezers, and iodine.

Personal Comfort

Deck shoes, hats, gloves, foul weather gear, long underwear, and a bible will ensure your personal and spiritual comfort while on board.

Communication Electronics

VHF marine radios are the core communication device in all sailing gear. They will communicate up to sixty miles. If you lose your mast, you will need a spare antenna.

.

Navigation Electronics

Reliable weather reports are critical to enjoyable and safe sailing. Most sailboats now use Xaxero software on a laptop computer along with an SW receiver.

A depth sounder is one of the basic navigational items on board. Due to the variations in charts, it should read in all units (feet, meters, fathoms), and should be capable of 600-1000 foot depths.

Entertainment Electronics

Remember that the broadcast standards used in the USA are used in very few other countries, so forget about watching local TV at sea. An underwater video camcorder will allow you to make movies to show to your friends when you get home. Take DVDs to watch on board.

Dinghies And Engines

Dinghies are one of the most important accessories you can put on your sailboat. An outboard motor might save your life one day.

This is just some of the sailing gear you are going to need to start enjoying your retirement on the high seas. Bon Voyage!