REQUIRED EQUIPMENT. Has a nice ring to it, right? But when you think about it, required safety equipment is short for “minimum required equipment”—the bare necessities. Consider flares. Sure, the required three flares are better than none, but they provide just six minutes of attention-getting fire. And, of course, those Type II and III PFDs meet regulations, but wouldn’t you rather be strapped into a Type I device if you found yourself overboard offshore? That’s why experienced boaters don’t stop with the required Coast Guard package. They beef up their boats with extra defenses. So besides more flares and upgraded PFDs, what should you bring aboard? Find a place to stow these seven smart safety upgrades. [Read more...]