Offshore Passage Preparation:

What Maritime NZ, Australian Sailing, RORC and ARC Standards Have in Common

A legally compliant boat and an offshore-ready boat are often two very different things.

Many skippers preparing for their first offshore passage start by looking at the minimum equipment required by their local maritime authority. While this is a sensible starting point, offshore cruising rallies, ocean passage authorities and offshore racing organisations typically require much more than the minimum legal carriage requirements.

For more than a decade, Above & Beyond Boating has maintained and regularly updated an Offshore Passage Preparation Checklist to help recreational boaters compare their own vessel preparation against recognised offshore cruising and racing standards.

Through our training and coaching programs, we regularly work with skippers preparing for offshore cruising rallies, Category 1 offshore races and international passages. This includes vessels operating under the Maritime New Zealand International Voyage Certificate framework, Australian Sailing Category 1 requirements, RORC Category 1 regulations, and ARC / World ARC recommendations.

As part of the latest update, we reviewed the current requirements and recommendations published by these organisations. The update reflects changes in technology, recommended practices, offshore training requirements and the evolving recommendations of the authorities themselves, while also incorporating the practical questions and challenges commonly encountered by skippers preparing their vessels for offshore passage making.

While the checklist is not intended to demonstrate compliance with Australian Sailing Category 1, Maritime New Zealand International Voyage Certificate requirements, ARC entry requirements, or RORC Category 1 regulations, comparing these standards provides valuable insight into the equipment, procedures and competencies commonly considered important for offshore passage making.

The Biggest Surprise

One of the most interesting observations from the latest review was that the strongest common themes were not equipment-related at all.

EPIRBs, liferafts, flares, radios and personal safety equipment all featured prominently, but they were not the most significant finding.

The strongest common theme across the standards was crew competency.

Many of the authorities reviewed required or recommended:

Man overboard drills

Abandon ship procedures

First aid training

Sea Survival training

Emergency steering procedures

Crew briefings and inductions

Emergency communications training

In other words, carrying the equipment is only part of the solution. The ability of the skipper and crew to use that equipment effectively during an emergency was consistently emphasised throughout the standards reviewed.

This aligns closely with the philosophy behind the Blue Water Skipper Skills Assessment (link to Blue Water Skipper Skills Assessment), which focuses not only on equipment but also on the practical skills and procedures required to safely undertake offshore passages.

Offshore Standards Focus on Redundancy

Another common theme was redundancy.

Many skippers are familiar with carrying a VHF radio and an EPIRB, but offshore standards often go further, recommending or requiring backup systems and alternative methods of communication.

Examples include:

Handheld VHF radios
Emergency VHF antennas
Satellite communications
HF / SSB radios
AIS transponders
Personal locator beacons
AIS MOB beacons

The further a vessel operates from assistance, the greater the emphasis placed on maintaining communications and preserving the ability to raise the alarm if primary systems fail.

For many recreational boaters, this is often where formal training can be particularly valuable, such as the SROCP (marine VHF radio) course.

Recovery Capability Matters

One area that stood out when comparing Maritime New Zealand, Australian Sailing, RORC and ARC requirements was the emphasis placed on recovering a person from the water.

Most offshore sailors understand the importance of preventing a crew overboard situation. However, many of the standards also require equipment and procedures to recover a casualty once they are in the water.

Common examples included:

Lifebuoys

Lifebuoy lights

Dan buoys or recovery poles

Heaving lines

Recovery slings

GPS or GNSS equipment capable of quickly marking a crew overboard position

Procedures for recovering both conscious and unconscious casualties

Several standards also require crews to regularly practise these procedures.

Offshore Preparation Is More Than Equipment

The latest review reinforced something that many experienced offshore sailors already know.

Offshore preparation is not achieved by purchasing a collection of safety equipment.

Instead, it is the combination of:

Appropriate equipment
Emergency procedures
Crew training
Practical drills
Passage planning
Vessel preparation

that contributes to safer offshore boating.

The best offshore lifejacket you can buy

This was reflected consistently throughout the standards reviewed, regardless of whether the focus was offshore cruising, ocean rally participation or Category 1 offshore racing.

Many of these themes are also covered in the Australian Sailing Safety & Sea Survival Course.

Offshore Passage Preparation Checklist

The Offshore Passage Preparation Checklist has been maintained by Above & Beyond Boating for more than a decade and forms part of an ongoing effort to help skippers prepare for offshore and extended coastal passages.

The latest update incorporates current recommendations from Maritime New Zealand, Australian Sailing Category 1, RORC Category 1 and ARC / World ARC, while also reflecting advances in technology, communications equipment, crew recovery systems and offshore training practices.

The checklist is designed to help skippers identify areas that may warrant further consideration before undertaking offshore or extended coastal passages and to support ongoing development of both vessel preparation and crew competency.

Rather than providing the checklist as a standalone download, it has been incorporated into the complimentary Above & Beyond Boating Logbook alongside vessel management tools, maintenance records, learning plans and skills self-assessment resources.

The checklist is designed to be used alongside the Blue Water Skipper Skills Assessment, helping skippers identify both equipment gaps and opportunities to further develop their offshore knowledge and practical skills.

If you don't already have a Logbook account, you can create one free of charge and begin working through the Offshore Passage Preparation Checklist today.