Safety Certifications & Registrations - Required by law or just good to have?

Update
Going to replace the Epirb

Going to keep the liferraft uncertified. BUT going rent a fully compliant raft for the few weeks per year we are in the Bahamas.

Remember when we woukd have gone 100 miles offshore fishing in old wooden boats without an epirb, raft or DSC radio?

As much as I'd like to deny it I did things like that 40 years ago.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boatsb

Remember when we woukd have gone 100 miles offshore fishing in old wooden boats without an epirb, raft or DSC radior.

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I do remember taking my 1963, 31' wooden lapstrake "Pembroke". With a single engine 30 miles off Montauk to go fishing. No gps - heck not even a Loran back then. Compass and a stopwatch Was all I had for navigation.. My high tech item was an ancient depth chart plotter that drew the bottom contour on a roll of thermal paper.

Remember those?

Don’t forget the radio direction finder, great piece of nav equipment. John

I remember carving a piece of charcoal because I couldnt find a replacement for the paper chart plotter

I had 2 RDF units years ago. bakelite top that was rotated to the beacon. Cool thing in those days.

I did once run up to fire Island on dead reconning and ask people in the surf where the inlet was once. We were about 2 miles off after a 100 plus mile round trip with nothing but a compass.

Did ya'll boat uphill both ways in the relentless snow, too?