Today we wish to remind all boaters who moor and will moor in our berths in Genoa that the time has come to check the onboard equipment for 2026: the check-up of the boat’s safety equipment should be performed every year, preferably at the end of winter storage, to ensure that everything is present and that every accessory is perfectly functional.
In view of the new nautical season, however, attention in checking the boat’s emergency kits must be doubled: as is well known, the onboard equipment for 2026 differs from what was mandatory in 2025, due to the new Implementing Regulation of the Recreational Boating Code. Since October 21 of last year, all amendments have indeed come into force, making the upcoming summer the “first” of this new course.
We want all boaters who use our mooring in Liguria to be up to date, so as not to face potentially heavy fines: we therefore provide below all the lists of onboard equipment for 2026, and will conclude by highlighting the most important changes.
List of onboard equipment for 2026 for navigation within 3 miles
- 1 category 100 (or higher) life jacket for each person on board
- 1 lifebuoy with line
- 1 buoyant smoke signal
- 2 red hand flares
- regulatory lights
- 1 black anchor ball (for vessels over 7 meters)
- whistle and bell (for vessels over 12 meters)
- 1 pump (or other bilge pumping tool)
List of mandatory safety equipment on board within 6 miles
- 1 category 100 (or higher) life jacket for each person on board
- 1 lifebuoy with line
- 1 lifebuoy light
- 2 buoyant smoke signals
- 2 red hand flares
- 2 red parachute flares
- regulatory lights
- 1 black anchor ball (for vessels over 7 meters)
- whistle and bell (for vessels over 12 meters)
- 1 pump (or other bilge pumping tool)
All onboard equipment for 2026 within 12 miles
- 1 coastal life raft (certified to accommodate all persons on board, with the exceptions noted below)
- 1 category 150 (or higher) life jacket for each person on board, complete with automatic activation light
- 1 lifebuoy with line
- 1 lifebuoy light
- 2 buoyant smoke signals
- 2 red hand flares
- 2 red parachute flares
- 1 compass
- deviation tables
- 1 clock
- table of day and night visual signals
- regulatory lights
- 1 black anchor ball (for vessels over 7 meters)
- whistle and bell (for vessels over 12 meters)
- 1 pump (or other bilge pumping tool)
- VHF radio
- 1 deck safety harness (for sailing boats only)
Mandatory onboard equipment for boats beyond 12 miles and without limits
- 1 oceanic life raft (certified to accommodate all persons on board, with the exceptions noted below)
- 1 category 150 (or higher) life jacket for each person on board, complete with automatic activation light
- 1 lifebuoy with line
- 1 lifebuoy light
- 2 buoyant smoke signals
- 2 red hand flares (3 for unlimited navigation)
- 2 red parachute flares (3 for unlimited navigation)
- 1 compass
- deviation tables
- 1 clock
- table of day and night visual signals
- regulatory lights
- 1 black anchor ball (for vessels over 7 meters)
- whistle and bell (for vessels over 12 meters)
- 1 pump (or other bilge pumping tool)
- Barometer
- binoculars
- echo sounder (electronic or manual, for depths up to 20 meters)
- VHF radio
- first aid kit
- nautical charts of the navigation area
- charting instruments
- EPIRB
- radar reflector
- 1 deck safety harness (for sailing boats only)
Life raft in 2026: when is it required?
The general rule is simple: those navigating beyond 6 miles are required to have a coastal life raft on board, while those exceeding 12 miles from the coast must possess an oceanic model. However, with the amendments to the Nautical Code, certain exceptions have been introduced, which also affect a significant number of boaters who have a berth in Genoa here at Marina Porto Antico.
One of the biggest changes concerns inflatable boats (RIBs), which, when navigating within 12 miles, can do without the coastal raft, provided they have a survival kit and an additional fire extinguisher on board.
Another “simplification” concerns recreational units navigating beyond 12 miles from the coast, but within the limits of the SAR zone: in these cases, the coastal raft, which is lighter and more economical, can replace the oceanic model.
Finally, the third innovation regarding the life raft is the possibility of replacing it with a tender, solely and exclusively for navigation within 12 miles, and provided a survival kit is on board. The service boat must also be kept inflated and ready for use, and be large enough to carry all persons on board.
The life jacket: light and inspection
The onboard equipment for 2026 also includes the life jacket equipped with an automatic activation light, mandatory for navigation beyond 6 miles from the coast. In addition to attaching any light device to the jackets, boaters on registered vessels are required to make the jackets identifiable by marking them with the registration code and number of the recreational unit. Finally, a mandatory inspection for self-inflating life jackets has been introduced.
And you, have you already checked the onboard equipment for 2026? If the answer is yes, all that remains is to plan your summer routes and book the moorings for your Mediterranean cruises!