You are a very lucky person if you have a boat. However, this is a luxury item that will require a great deal of care and maintenance on your part in order to keep it running properly. You need to get into a routine where your boat maintenance is concerned. Otherwise, you might end up neglecting an important task that will be a big problem once you hit the open water. Make a list of everything you need to do. Have a friend help you so the work can get finished much faster. Here are a few things you need to do when you are getting your boat ready to sail.
1. Check the electronics
You will be in very big trouble if the electrical system of your boat breaks down when you are miles away from shore. This is why you must get in the habit of going through a comprehensive test of everything related to your boat’s electrical system before you leave on your voyage. It is true that your electrical system could become damaged after you leave port. However, the odds of this happening are much smaller if you have performed a test to look for any malfunctions.
2. Consider your comfort
Boats are often not the most comfortable places in the world. This is especially true if you will be on the boat for a very long period of time. These are the times when you must seriously consider how comfortable you and your guests are going to be on your boat. It is especially important to look into this matter when you are preparing to go on a fishing trip. Fishing requires sitting for many hours at a time. Therefore, you need to make sure the seat you are sitting in is extremely comfortable. It would be a good idea to buy some new boat cushions or yacht cushions if the ones you currently have are worn out and not soft anymore.
3. Safety
Accidents that happen when a boat is far from shore can often become fatal if the people sailing the vessel are not properly prepared. You need to take inventory of all your safety gear. Are you properly equipped for many different types of situations? You should definitely make sure that you have enough life jackets for every person that will be on board your boat. Signal flares should also be taken with you.
LOL I love boats but I am reminded of what my Grandfather used to say “A boat us a hole in the water you throw money in to”
I am in the midwest, and while we cant use one all year we briefly had one. A friend was giving one away he was so upset an we jumped on the chance…. having fun in the sun, speeding up and down, you know the drill . Well, it pretty much turned into what my Grandfather said. it was like having a spoliled child, it always needed something. It wanted rope, it wanted an new anchor, it wanted a tune up it wanted a NEW MOTOR it wanted everything. It sucked all the fun out of the summer.
You know what we did? We traded that boat and trailer for a canoe. You should have seen how happy the person who got it was,,,, I could see the dream on their face….. and how he thought we were nuts or stupid for trading a boat and a nice trailer frr an old canoe with one paddle.
We had a nice time at the lake with that canoe and still have it, we saw our old boat once or twice,,,,, once was at the boat shop, it apparently was wanting something !