What must a rental craft carry in United Kingdom?
The required safety equipment for a rental SUP, kayak, jet ski, motorboat and sailboat — every line with the section of the act and a link to it. Then what to tell customers at check-out.
Law SI 1996/75 + MSN 1781 (COLREG), SI 2020/673 (Safety of Navigation), and for UK pleasure vessels of 13.7 m or more SI 2020/501 + MSN 1676 and SI 1998/1011, or the MCA General Exemptions of 23 October 2024 (MGN 599 (M) Amendment 1)
Authority: Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)
UK-wide merchant shipping law. Pleasure vessels under 13.7 m have no statutory life-saving or fire-fighting list: only the collision regulations (lights, sound signals), a radar reflector if practicable, the table of life-saving signals and the duty to plan the passage apply. Jet skis are covered by the collision regulations only. UK pleasure vessels of 13.7 m or more (Class XII: registered in the UK, or unregistered and wholly British-owned) have a statutory life-saving list, and the fire-fighting list also applies to foreign ones in UK waters; the Kit Finder follows the MCA General Exemption tables, the usual route (the alternative is the full MSN 1676 list, which adds rocket parachute flares among other things).
Under 13.7 m the MCA points owners to RYA and British Marine guidance; harbour byelaws and inland navigation authorities (for example through the Boat Safety Scheme) may add their own rules, which the Kit Finder does not cover. If you carry a 406 MHz EPIRB or PLB on a UK boat or a jet ski, it must be registered with the UK Beacon Registry (SI 2026/306, MGN 665 Amendment 1); for kayaks, canoes and paddle boards registration is not required, but the MCA encourages it.
Read the official text ↗ · Rules checked 15 October 2026
What our research found about rentals and commercial use:
- A “pleasure vessel” is used only for the sport or pleasure of the owner, family or friends, without payment beyond running costs. Craft used commercially fall outside these rules — the small commercial vessel codes apply, which are not summarised here. SI 2020/501 reg. 2 · source · Rules checked 15 October 2026
General guidance: the lists below are the equipment rules for recreational craft. Hiring craft out is a business, and some countries add rules for rental or commercial craft, or ask for a permit. Before the season, check with Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) or the local harbour master which rules apply to your fleet.
SUP board rental
Worked out for One paddler on a SUP board, no engine, by day.
Required 0
No UK statute lists equipment for paddle boards, sailboards, kite or wing boards. The Kit Finder lists only good practice for them.
No statutory equipment for this craft in the waters checked.
Also required if…
Lines that join the list when your rental differs from the one above.
Paid or commercial use (in some countries this includes hire — see above)!
Not covered: A boat used for paid trips is not a “pleasure vessel”: the small commercial vessel codes apply instead, which the Kit Finder does not cover. The collision regulations still apply.
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Fit the buoyancy aid and say whether wearing it is required here (see “Licence, lifejacket and charter rules”).
- Show the leash: coiled ankle leash on flat water, quick-release waist leash on rivers and in current.
- Point out the area they may use, the swimming zones and the boat traffic, on a map.
- Offshore wind: kneel or lie on the board, paddle across the wind towards the nearest shore — not back to base.
- Agree the return time and how you will contact them.
- How to call for help: phone in a waterproof pouch, the rescue number below, stay with the board.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Quick-release waist leashMoving water demands a quick-release waist leash — an ankle leash in current is a hazard, not a safety device.
- Coiled ankle leashFlatwater. Your board is your biggest flotation device; stay attached to it.
- Buoyancy aid, 50 N (CE)A belt-pack inflatable is unobtrusive enough that people actually wear it.
- Floating waterproof phone pouchFloating, on you, not strapped to the board.
- Drysuit or thick wetsuitCold shock off a paddleboard is the classic early-season incident.
- Whistle on the vestCosts nothing, carries far.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Kayak / canoe rental
Worked out for One paddler in a kayak or canoe, no engine, by day.
Required 0
No statutory equipment for this craft in the waters checked.
Also required if…
Lines that join the list when your rental differs from the one above.
Out after sunset or in poor visibility1
- Waterproof torch + spare batteries
A vessel under oars at night must have a torch or lantern showing a white light ready at hand, shown in time to prevent a collision.
SI 1996/75, MSN 1781, COLREG Rule 25(d)(ii) · source
Paid or commercial use (in some countries this includes hire — see above)!
Not covered: A boat used for paid trips is not a “pleasure vessel”: the small commercial vessel codes apply instead, which the Kit Finder does not cover. The collision regulations still apply.
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Fit the buoyancy aid; check the spraydeck release loop is outside and they can pull it.
- Capsize: stay with the kayak, hold on, swim it to shore or wait for help; show the paddle float if you supply one.
- Point out the area, the weirs, current or shipping lanes, and where they may land.
- Groups stay together; the strongest paddler last.
- Agree the return time and how you will contact them.
- How to call for help: phone in a waterproof pouch, the rescue number below.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Buoyancy aid, 50 N (CE)Worn the whole time. A buoyancy aid in the day hatch has saved nobody.
- Paddle float + hand pumpWith a hand pump, this is the actual self-rescue kit — practise before you need it.
- SpraydeckA swamped cockpit ends the trip.
- Buoyancy bagsKeeps the boat recoverable after a capsize.
- Handheld VHF, floatingSea kayaking: waterproof handheld, on your person.
- Personal strobe / vest lightYou sit very low. Being seen is the whole problem.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Jet ski / PWC rental
Worked out for A jet ski with a rider and a passenger, by day. Jet skis count as faster than 20 knots.
Required 1
- Sound signal (horn or other)
Under 12 m: some other means of making an efficient sound signal.
SI 1996/75, MSN 1781, COLREG Rule 33(b) · source
Also required if…
Lines that join the list when your rental differs from the one above.
Out after sunset or in poor visibility1
- Navigation lights
Navigation lights and shapes for the vessel’s length and type (COLREG Part C), if it is likely to be out at night or in poor visibility. A sailing vessel under 7 m may instead have a white torch or lantern ready at hand.
SI 1996/75, MSN 1781, COLREG Rules 20–25 · source
Paid or commercial use (in some countries this includes hire — see above)!
Not covered: A boat used for paid trips is not a “pleasure vessel”: the small commercial vessel codes apply instead, which the Kit Finder does not cover. The collision regulations still apply.
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Kill cord on the wrist or the vest, every time the engine runs.
- Lifejackets on the rider and the passenger, fastened — check the wearing rule below.
- Show the area, the no-go zones, swimmers and the speed limits near the shore and in harbours (local rules).
- Licence and age: check the renter is allowed to drive it here (see below) before handing over the key.
- Capsize: how to right it (sticker on the hull) and climb back on from the stern.
- Fuel, return time, and how to call for help.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Impact / buoyancy vestImpact protection as well as buoyancy — you hit the water hard.
- Kill cord / wireless kill switchWrist lanyard, every single time.
- Floating waterproof phone pouchOn you, not in the hull.
- Whistle on the vestEngine off, voice gone — a whistle carries.
- Drysuit or thick wetsuitImmersion is a matter of when, not if.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Motorboat rental
Worked out for An open motorboat, 5 m, outboard up to 25 kW (34 hp), CE-marked, up to four adults, by day, no cooker aboard.
Required 3
- Sound signal (horn or other)
Under 12 m: some other means of making an efficient sound signal.
SI 1996/75, MSN 1781, COLREG Rule 33(b) · source - Radar reflector
Boats, not jet skis: a radar reflector, or other means of being detected by ships’ radar at 9 and 3 GHz, if practicable (SOLAS V/19). MGN 349 advises the largest one the boat can take, mounted as high as possible.
SI 2020/673 reg. 5(3)(c)(ii), SOLAS V/19 para 2.1.7 · source - Table of life-saving signals
Boats, not jet skis: the skipper must have access to an illustrated table of the life-saving signals (SOLAS V/29). On a boat too small or exposed to carry it, study it before you go.
SI 2020/673 reg. 5(2)(k), SOLAS V/29 · source
Also required if…
Lines that join the list when your rental differs from the one above.
Out after sunset or in poor visibility1
- Navigation lights
Navigation lights and shapes for the vessel’s length and type (COLREG Part C), if it is likely to be out at night or in poor visibility. A sailing vessel under 7 m may instead have a white torch or lantern ready at hand.
SI 1996/75, MSN 1781, COLREG Rules 20–25 · source
Paid or commercial use (in some countries this includes hire — see above)!
Not covered: A boat used for paid trips is not a “pleasure vessel”: the small commercial vessel codes apply instead, which the Kit Finder does not cover. The collision regulations still apply.
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Kill cord on the driver, every time the engine runs.
- Where the lifejackets are, how to put them on — children’s sizes by weight.
- Engine start and stop, fuel, the anchor, and how to come alongside.
- Show the area, the shallows, channels and no-go zones on a chart; propeller near swimmers.
- Weather limits and the return time; lights if they could be out after sunset.
- How to call for help: VHF channel 16 if fitted, the rescue number below.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Kill cord / wireless kill switchA planing boat that loses its driver circles back over them. The single highest-value item on a motorboat.
- Lifejacket, 150 N auto-inflateAuto-inflate, so it works whether or not you were conscious when you hit the water.
- Boarding ladder reachable from the waterGetting back aboard alone, from the water, over a high topside — plan for it before you need it.
- Fixed VHF with DSCDSC distress with position, monitored by everyone around you.
- PLB, 406 MHz, registeredFor when you’re beyond VHF range or the set has drowned.
- CO alarmPetrol engines and an enclosed cabin.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Sailboat rental
Worked out for A sailing yacht, 9 m, with a cabin, an inboard engine and a gas cooker, CE-marked, up to six adults, by day.
Required 3
- Sound signal (horn or other)
Under 12 m: some other means of making an efficient sound signal.
SI 1996/75, MSN 1781, COLREG Rule 33(b) · source - Radar reflector
Boats, not jet skis: a radar reflector, or other means of being detected by ships’ radar at 9 and 3 GHz, if practicable (SOLAS V/19). MGN 349 advises the largest one the boat can take, mounted as high as possible.
SI 2020/673 reg. 5(3)(c)(ii), SOLAS V/19 para 2.1.7 · source - Table of life-saving signals
Boats, not jet skis: the skipper must have access to an illustrated table of the life-saving signals (SOLAS V/29). On a boat too small or exposed to carry it, study it before you go.
SI 2020/673 reg. 5(2)(k), SOLAS V/29 · source
Also required if…
Lines that join the list when your rental differs from the one above.
Out after sunset or in poor visibility1
- Navigation lights
Navigation lights and shapes for the vessel’s length and type (COLREG Part C), if it is likely to be out at night or in poor visibility. A sailing vessel under 7 m may instead have a white torch or lantern ready at hand.
SI 1996/75, MSN 1781, COLREG Rules 20–25 · source
Yacht of 12 m or longer1
- Whistle / fog horn (12 m+)
From 12 m: a whistle meeting COLREG Annex III.
SI 1996/75, MSN 1781, COLREG Rule 33(a) · source
Paid or commercial use (in some countries this includes hire — see above)!
Not covered: A boat used for paid trips is not a “pleasure vessel”: the small commercial vessel codes apply instead, which the Kit Finder does not cover. The collision regulations still apply.
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Lifejackets and harnesses: where they are, when to wear them, how to clip on.
- Man overboard: who throws the lifebuoy, who points, how to come back under engine.
- Gas cooker: valve shut after use, ventilation; the fire extinguisher and blanket.
- Reefing, the engine, the bilge pump and the anchor.
- Weather limits, the area and the charts; return time and check-in.
- VHF: channel 16, the DSC distress button, and the rescue number below.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Lifejacket, 150 N auto-inflateOffshore, a 150 N auto jacket with sprayhood, light, harness point and crotch strap — a 100 N jacket won’t turn an unconscious person in a seaway.
- Jackstays + tethersClipping on is what stops a man-overboard from happening at all.
- AIS-MOB beacon, on the lifejacketOne per crew, on the jacket. It puts a mark on your own plotter — a flare only helps if someone is already looking.
- Fixed VHF with DSCDSC distress at the press of a button, with your position attached.
- EPIRB, 406 MHz, registeredThe alert that doesn’t depend on anyone being within VHF range.
- Grab bagWhat you take into the raft. Assembled in advance or not at all.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Licence, lifejacket and charter rules
For renters and skippers, from the authorities’ own texts. Checked 14 October 2026.
No UK law requires pleasure vessels under 13.7 m to carry lifejackets or other life-saving appliances.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (GOV.UK)If a rental needs rescue
The maritime rescue centre for United Kingdom’s waters — put it on your briefing card and in your staff phones.
Where Fleet helps
Fleet doesn’t replace a single item above. It helps your staff keep an eye on every rental once it is out — we are building it with pilot operators for the 2027 season.
Printable checklist for United Kingdom
A sheet per craft for the waters you rent in: the required kit with the section of the act, what to tell the customer, and a sign-off line for your staff. Print it or save it as a PDF.
Questions operators ask
What safety equipment must a rental SUP board carry in United Kingdom?
Under the rules checked, none for the rental we assume (One paddler on a SUP board, no engine, by day). Some situations add lines — see the page.
What safety equipment must a rental kayak / canoe carry in United Kingdom?
Under the rules checked, none for the rental we assume (One paddler in a kayak or canoe, no engine, by day). Some situations add lines — see the page.
What safety equipment must a rental jet ski / PWC carry in United Kingdom?
Under SI 1996/75 + MSN 1781 (COLREG), SI 2020/673 (Safety of Navigation), and for UK pleasure vessels of 13.7 m or more SI 2020/501 + MSN 1676 and SI 1998/1011, or the MCA General Exemptions of 23 October 2024 (MGN 599 (M) Amendment 1), for the rental we assume (A jet ski with a rider and a passenger, by day. Jet skis count as faster than 20 knots): Sound signal (horn or other). Some lines apply only in certain waters, and paid or commercial use can add more — see the page.
What safety equipment must a rental motorboat carry in United Kingdom?
Under SI 1996/75 + MSN 1781 (COLREG), SI 2020/673 (Safety of Navigation), and for UK pleasure vessels of 13.7 m or more SI 2020/501 + MSN 1676 and SI 1998/1011, or the MCA General Exemptions of 23 October 2024 (MGN 599 (M) Amendment 1), for the rental we assume (An open motorboat, 5 m, outboard up to 25 kW (34 hp), CE-marked, up to four adults, by day, no cooker aboard): Sound signal (horn or other), Radar reflector, and Table of life-saving signals. Some lines apply only in certain waters, and paid or commercial use can add more — see the page.
What safety equipment must a rental sailboat carry in United Kingdom?
Under SI 1996/75 + MSN 1781 (COLREG), SI 2020/673 (Safety of Navigation), and for UK pleasure vessels of 13.7 m or more SI 2020/501 + MSN 1676 and SI 1998/1011, or the MCA General Exemptions of 23 October 2024 (MGN 599 (M) Amendment 1), for the rental we assume (A sailing yacht, 9 m, with a cabin, an inboard engine and a gas cooker, CE-marked, up to six adults, by day): Sound signal (horn or other), Radar reflector, and Table of life-saving signals. Some lines apply only in certain waters, and paid or commercial use can add more — see the page.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is a summary of the official texts, with a link to each one, to help you prepare. The operator and the skipper stay responsible for the equipment; when in doubt, the cited act and the national authority win.
A summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. The operator and the skipper stay responsible for the equipment and its condition. Rules change — when in doubt, the cited act wins, and local bylaws, permits or your insurer may ask for more.
Other countries
Join the pilot.
We're onboarding a small group of rental operators for next season — and building the rest with them.