Before you even consider taking your new boat out for a ride on the water, it is in your own best interest to take a boat safety course and take a boat safety inspection to check for mandatory safety equipment. The US Coast Guard can provide you with a list of mandatory as well as suggested safety equipment for boating safety.
Life jackets, or personal floating devices as they are officially called, must be readily available to every passenger on board. They should also be adjusted to the size of the person who intends to wear them in an emergency. It should be in good working order with all straps and clips in place and in working order. It is a good idea to have them fitted to people so that they can be worn if needed without further adjustment. Some states have a minimum age that a life jacket must be worn at all times.
As a big part of boating safety there should also be a recently checked fire extinguisher on board. It must be clearly marked so that a person can detect it if necessary and get to it in time. There are different types of fire extinguishers, and they are designed to put out different types of fires. For boating safety it is advised to have a Type B or C fire extinguisher, these are designed to deal with fires created or fueled by oil, grease, gas or electrical fires.
Drainage plays its role in boating safety
If your vessel is a certain size, most states will require some type of sanitation device as part of boat safety as well as for sanitary purposes. Make sure they are Coast Guard approved and specifically designed for use on a ship.
Flare guns or visual distress signals are another thing that most states require as part of their boating safety equipment. In an emergency, these signals can send a bright signal into the sky to alert rescue forces to your location. A flare gun should be easily accessible for quick use, but on the other hand, it should be stored safely and out of reach of children, as it can cause a lot of damage when used incorrectly.
As a final part of boating safety, especially for boats with petrol engines and specifically when the engine is mounted in the vessel, good ventilation is key. Not only to avoid any build-up of carbon monoxide, which endangers the crew with poisoning, but also to prevent gasoline fumes from building up and becoming a serious fire hazard.