So, you’ve just invested in an amazing boat, and you’re ready to hop on the water to start your new life as a sailor. You’ve gotten your boating license, tossed a couple of pieces of basic safety gear onboard, and you’re all set, right?

Wrong.

A lot of new sailors are so eager to get out on the water that they don’t head out fully equipped.

Today, we want to cover four things every sailor needs to have on them at all times.

1: Sailing Base Layers

Your sailing base layers are your first and last line of defense against threats such as hypothermia, sunburn, and various other weather-related nuisances. It’s simply not enough to toss on some comfortable street clothes and set sail.

Make sure you pick up a good set, too. They’re important enough to warrant a good investment.

2: Blunt-Tip Knife

A knife is far more useful on a boat than you might think. Whether you’re cutting a fishing line, slashing a net, or cutting yourself out of a bind during an emergency, a knife can save your life. Not to mention, it makes opening things a lot easier even in mundane situations. Also, wood bolts or 316 Stainless Steel Machine Screws are essential parts of any boat, and should you need to screw or unscrew them, a blunt-tip knife would also make for a worthy replacement for a screwdriver.

Of course, there is also the concern of the boat rocking for you to consider. You do not want to have a pointy knife bobbing all over the place as you struggle to stand steady in the middle of some large waves. That’s a good way to end up hurting yourself on accident.

That’s why we highly recommend having a blunt-tipped knife.

These aren’t entirely safe. You can still slash yourself pretty badly. However, if it comes down to a decent slash or jamming the entire blade into your body by accident, the slash is less likely to cause serious harm. Even in the worst circumstances, if you know how to visually estimate how much blood a victim lost and what kind of emergency aid they need to be administered, any permanent harm should be avoidable. So it goes without saying that you should always have a trauma kit and a first aid kit on board.

3: Survival Food

You never want to get lost in the ocean, but if you do, you certainly want enough food and fresh water to survive until someone hopefully finds you. The ocean is a big place, and even with GPS tracking, it might take a while to get the help you need.

Luckily, survival food specifically meant to be stored on boats for years at a time is common, and freshwater is easy to buy at practically any store. Stock up at least a week’s worth to make sure you can wait for help.

4: Sunglasses

You probably won’t think of sunglasses as a necessity until you get out on the water, the sun smacks right off of it, and you are suddenly blinded for several moments. Then, the point will drive itself home.

Your visibility is key on a boat. You don’t want to start stumbling about, and if you’re moving, you don’t want to hit anything. You’re pretty isolated out there, and you need to have a complete understanding of your surroundings.

Sunglasses will help protect you from the constant reflection of bright light hitting your eyes, and you’ll be able to sail safely.

Get Equipped and Sail Safely

All of these suggestions have an impact on your safety, and they’re no laughing matter. If you’re missing any of these, pick some up before you get on your boat.

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Lorem Ipsum has been the industrys standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown prmontserrat took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.

Lorem Ipsum has been the industrys standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown prmontserrat took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged.

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