Boating Equipment Must-Haves
List of essential equipment for sailing the world.
You might remember Kim and Barry from Jadean who have been sailing the world with their children.
With their help, we have put together a list of boating equipment must-haves for blue water and long term sailing ventures.


Finding the right boat
Boating equipment is irrelevant if you don’t even have a boat so before getting started let’s talk about finding the right catamaran for you.
Here are Kim’s tips for deciding what boat is best for you and how they came to the decision to buy 45ft Lagoon Catamaran.
- a balance between living space and speed – “the majority of the time will be spent at anchor”
- brand – which brand will be good for resale
- size – family of four, toys, storage and how we manage
Big options & after-market necessities
Here are some of the big boating equipment must-haves that were important to have aboard (for Kim and Barry)… These may not be essential for everyone but this is what makes their time living aboard that bit more comfortable.
- washing machine
- solar
- inverter
- dive compressor
- water maker
- air-con
- freezer
- ice machine
- drinks fridge
- oh and a damn good coffee machine and sound system
- large generous tender boat with a plaining motor




But first, SAFETY
Boat safety equipment is by far the most essential boating equipment so it is always important that you check local guidelines and maritime frameworks to not only keep yourself and your crew safe but keep within regulations. Here are the necessities onboard Jadean…
- PLB and MOB per crew
- Epirb
- 2 x 6 man life rafts
- High guard rails
- Kid nets
- SOS Danbuoy
- 2 x life rings
Navigation and communication
On the theme of keeping safe, it is essential to have the best navigation and communication equipment possible, especially when crossing oceans.
-
Navionics
- B&G Chart Plotter
- Predict Wind
- Paper Charts
- Cruising guides
- Iridium Go – Unlimited
- XGate platform for easy mail access on your Mac or PC
- Local sim cards wherever you are
-
VHF Radio


Maintenance
Things are bound to need repairs, make sure you are prepared…
- spare everything
- tools
- suppliers manuals, schedules and contact details
Sails
People are always asking us what sails they need, really this is up to the skipper but here is what’s onboard Jadean.
- Reacher (99m2)
- Asymmetrical
- Symmetrical
- Genoa
- Square top main
Medical/Health
-
International Medical and Travel Insurance
-
Good first aid kit
-
Medication for most eventualities
-
Oxygen
-
Defribulator
-
First Aid and Ships captains’ medical courses
Provisioning
- Count your meals
- Shop for number of meals
- Vacuum pack meat for meals and freeze
- Shop the markets


What equipment you need to bring (in your mind)
It is clear that to cross oceans you should be able to sail, however, Kim says the ability to plan is the most important. You must understand how to plan a route, investigate the places you are visiting and understand the seasons and what that means. Kim also suggests that some courses may give you more confidence to take on the open waters.
“Having sailed my whole life, the kids and I were not going to do the Atlantic Crossing and then Barry asked me “what will it take”. I said I needed a piece of paper to show that I could do it. So I did my Yacht Master Offshore. I felt a tremendous amount of confidence after that.”
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