Boat Safety Briefing for Guests

A boat safety briefing for guests should cover life jacket location and fit, how to use the VHF radio in an emergency, man-overboard procedures, fire extinguisher locations, and basic rules for moving around the boat safely. It takes about 10 minutes and it could save a life.

Every time we had guests aboard, the briefing was one of the first things we did as we brought them aboard. Some guests were experienced sailors. Some had never been on a boat before. The list was never exactly the same — but the core checklist was.

The goal isn’t to scare anyone. It’s to make sure that if something goes wrong, the people aboard know what to do and where to find what they need. A guest who freezes in a real emergency because they didn’t know where the life jackets were is a problem you could have prevented in 60 seconds at the dock.

What to Include in a Boat Safety Briefing

The list below is a starting point. You’ll add or skip items based on how long your guests will be aboard, how experienced they are, and what kind of boat you have. For overnight or multi-day trips, plan for a separate “systems” briefing once they’re settled in.

One thing I’ve learned: don’t try to cover everything at once. If you overwhelm guests with information, they won’t remember any of it when it counts.

Critical Safety Items

These are the non-negotiables. Cover these on every trip, with every guest, no exceptions.

• Captain is in charge — especially in an emergency. Tell them who the alternate is if the captain becomes incapacitated.
• Life jackets — where they are, how to put them on, and your policy on when to wear them. Make sure every guest can locate and fit their own.
• VHF radio — where it is and how to make an emergency call. The Handy VHF Reference is a laminated waterproof card that lives right at the radio and walks anyone through making an emergency call step by step — worth having for exactly this situation.
• Life raft — location and how to deploy it.
• Ditch bag — where it is and that it goes with you if you have to abandon ship.
• EPIRB and personal locator beacons — location and basic operation.
• First aid kit — location. (More on medical info below.)
• Fire extinguishers and fire blankets — where they are.
• Engine on/off — how to start and stop it.
• Autopilot off — how to disengage it quickly.
• No lines in the water — ever, while underway.
• MOB equipment and rescue procedure — what to do and where the throwable is.
• Speak up if anything seems wrong — water on the floor, fuel or smoke smell, anything that looks or sounds off. Tell the captain immediately.
• “Hang on” — if they hear that yell, they hold on now and ask questions later.
• Don’t use unfamiliar equipment — ask first.

General Safety on Board

• Stay on the boat. One hand for the boat at all times when moving around.
• Sailboats: watch the boom. Explain what “ready about,” “hard alee,” and “jibe ho” mean and what guests should do when they hear each one.
• Sailboats: winches. How they work and how to keep hands clear.
• Hatches stay closed unless the captain says otherwise.
• Where not to walk — any deck areas that can’t take weight or aren’t safe to stand on.
• What not to grab — anything that looks like a handhold but isn’t one.
• Getting on and off the boat safely. Walk them through it before you leave.
• Steps and companionways. Always face the ladder going down.
• Lockers — close them immediately when you’re done. An open locker on a moving boat means everything inside ends up on the floor.
• Anchoring, mooring, and docking — what each person’s job is and when to do it.
• Propane — don’t touch anything propane-related without instruction.

Medical

• Medical summary form — where it is. Every person aboard should have basic medical info accessible, including allergies and conditions. (Emergency Info has a simple, practical system for this that’s worth setting up before you have guests aboard.)
• Sun protection and hydration — or hypothermia precautions, depending on conditions.
• Speak up if you feel sick or injured. Don’t tough it out.

Life Jackets — A Word

It’s worth spending an extra minute here. A lot of guests have outdated ideas about what a life jacket looks and feels like — they’re picturing the bulky foam vests from childhood. Modern inflatables are nothing like that. They’re comfortable enough to wear all day. (If yours aren’t, take a look at our TeamO PFDs.)

Show every guest how to put theirs on. Show them how the inflation works. If your policy is to wear them in certain conditions, say so clearly — and say why. Most people are completely receptive once they understand the reasoning.

Questions to Ask Your Guests

A good safety briefing is a two-way conversation, not a lecture. These questions help you calibrate what to cover and surface things you need to know before you leave the dock.

• Can you swim?
• Have you been on a boat like this before?
• Are you prone to seasickness? Did you take anything for it?
• Is there anything about being on the water that makes you nervous — heeling, being out of sight of land, anything like that?
• Do you have any medical conditions I should know about?
• Any allergies, particularly to food or insect stings?

That last one matters more than people think. An allergic reaction offshore with no EpiPen aboard is a genuine emergency.

For Overnight and Multi-Day Guests

A day-trip briefing covers the basics. But if guests are staying aboard for more than a few hours, plan a second “systems” briefing once they’re settled in. Cover the head, the galley stove, fresh water conservation, and whatever else they’ll need to operate independently while you’re asleep or off the boat.

The longer someone is aboard, the more they need to know — and the more you’ll appreciate having taken the time.

Keep It From Being Overwhelming

Ten minutes at the dock covers the core briefing. The trick is to present it matter-of-factly, not grimly. You’re not trying to scare anyone — you’re giving them the information they need to enjoy the trip and handle anything that comes up.

Finish with something reassuring. Something like: we’ve never had to use any of this in a real emergency — but now you know where everything is, and that’s what matters.

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