Requirement
4. Before going afloat: six things the badge puts ahead of the sailing
Required Often forgotten
The badge states this gate in words: these six parts come before requirement 6. Safety Afloat point by point, rules of the road, weather, storm signs, a float plan, and clothing.
Notes and warnings
Warning. This requirement opens "Before going afloat". That is a gate stated in words rather than by numbering, and it puts all six of these parts ahead of the sailing in requirement 6, including the float plan at 4(e) and the local rules at 4(b), both of which take time to prepare.
What this is made of
- 4(a). The nine points of Safety Afloat, one at a time
- 4(b). Rules of the road, plus whatever your state adds
- 4(c). What water, weather and heavy wind do to safety and performance
- 4(d). Reading the sky, and what to do when it turns
- 4(e). Prepare a typical float plan
- 4(f). Clothing, footwear and gear, warm weather and cool
Where this step comes from
- Small-Boat Sailing Merit Badge Requirements (Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-12-31), Requirement 4 · Opens "Before going afloat", which is what makes it a gate on requirement 6 rather than simply an earlier number.