Yachts are a dream come true for many people. They look great, and sailing them is a lot of fun, both when steering and enjoying the beautiful views.
When it comes to boat accessories, an important question is whether they are chosen by the owner or by the person who wants to go on a yacht for a weekend, for example. Therefore, it is worthwhile to take a closer look at what the differences between these two types of users are
A charter operator is someone who rents his or her boat to other people or shares the boat’s space for financial gain, for instance by organizing sightseeing tours or acting as a helmsman for transporting passengers. He or she usually also employs a crew and a captain, who are civilly liable for the obligations arising from the operation of the vessel
A person who is a shipowner is also obliged to make sure that the vessel he owns is registered with the relevant authority – in this case, the administrative register of Polish inland navigation vessels
The shipowner is also obliged to ensure that his unit meets all safety guidelines. Only then can the yacht obtain documents authorizing it to sail, such as a survey certificate. The characteristics of a shipowner are quite similar to those of an inland waterway carrier, however they differ significantly in matters of legal liability, not all of them must have professional skills, i.e. knowledge in areas including, but not limited to, navigational safety, technical standards of vessels and standards of behavior in an aquatic environment
A yachtsman can be defined as any person holding the lowest of the three sailing certificates required by law in Poland. The main requirements to obtain this certificate are that you must be at least fourteen years old and have enough knowledge to pass an exam on how to steer a yacht and on all other factors that affect yacht navigation
The certificate of yachtsman entitles a person to operate sailing yachts, with or without auxiliary mechanical propulsion, on inland waters, as well as to operate sailing yachts without or with auxiliary mechanical propulsion with a hull length of up to 12 meters on inland marine waters, as well as other areas of this range within a zone of 2 Mm from the shore during daylight hours
In addition to the owner and the yachtsman, there is also a third group that benefits from the capabilities of yachts, these are the passengers. And they need specific pieces of equipment to enjoy the pleasures of sailing comfortably and above all safely. It is difficult to choose only four yachting accessories, but some of them seem to be kind of the basis of sailing.
The first of these is the petty officer’s box. The contents of this product vary depending on the manufacturer that distributes this type of equipment. However, it is possible to identify the basic items that should be inside
These are certainly open-ended wrenches in sizes from 6 to 19 mm. In addition, there should be 2 to 3 Phillips screwdrivers in different sizes in the box. The boatswain’s box should also contain an adjustable wrench, pliers, and a corset wrench. With these items, you will be able to make it significantly easier to repair typical and more challenging damages on board your yacht
The second item is spare ropes. They should be of varying thickness – from a diameter of several millimeters to thin ones in the range of 5 to 6 millimeters. These items of equipment should concern the permanent rigging, i.e. ordinary ropes, rods or profiles fixing the masts and bowsprit. The set should also be completed with running rigging – a group of ropes used to operate the rigging.
The third accessory necessary for safe sailing is a vest. This should be an inflatable vest, equipped with a crotch strap. This will minimize the risk that a passenger or crew member will be left unprotected after falling into the water because the vest will slip over their head
The last item that is worth having on board the yacht are airtight bags. With these you can easily protect important items, such as documents or a phone, from moisture and direct contact with water.
