Don't Forget the Keys
You will find many checklists for boaters:
Make
sure the boat is in good shape, lines are not worn, the required
safety equipment is on board, and so on. I am not going to
plow
the same ground as those. Rather, here are some things a
little
above and beyond the normal lists that we have found very
important (click 
to return to the menu):
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First
Things
First:
Now I know you've already
gone out and gotten the water skis, the tube, the 48 gallon
cooler, the life jackets, flares, and all that safety stuff they
told you to buy in the USCGA or USPS class.
What?? You didn't take the class? Bookmark this page, log off the computer, and go take the class right now. Then come back. If you are not sure how to find out about the classes, click here. Now that you are finished with the class, continue to see some other things you may not have thought of. |
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Equipment
and
Tools: These
are things that I learned
the hard way I needed to have:
Spare Prop (it takes five minutes to change one; it can take five hours to get in if you spin one). A separate tool box for the boat, including
Spare drain plug (or two). Electric meter. Battery charger. Spare bulbs if you are going to be out at night. Charts and a waterproof chart envelope. At least one spare line (that rope to most of us--it only becomes a line when it's on a boat). Floating keychain for the boat keys. Binoculars. Wire (12 or 14 guage twisted strand). |
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Preparing
for an
Outing:
You already know to make sure
everything is shipshape, readily available, and it good operating
order. Here are a couple of things beyond the obvious that I
always check. Again, I learned the hard way.
Make sure the battery is fully charged. Getting a battery jump at sea is a real pain. (I like to attach the earmuffs, start the engine, and test it in both gears if the boat has been sitting up for a while.) If you are trailering,
Oh, yes, remember the keys. We keep them in the tow vehicle during the season. |
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In
and Out at the
Ramp: You don't
want your boat to become a
submarine at the ramp, so make sure you install the drain
plug. In addition, remember to
Check the tides if you are launching in shallow water. Choose a ramp you're comfortable with. I like ramps with
Get the boat ready to launch before backing down the ramp so as not to hold up others. Leave the safety chain connected while you back down. The boat that looks so graceful in the water looks pretty stupid on the concrete. Back slowly. You don't impress anyone by backing fast, and you do take the chance of turning a little, correctable mistake into a disastrous one. Be patient. Unless it's your own personal private ramp, be a good neighbor. If someone is having a problem getting his boat in or out, help him, don't cuss him. If someone is being a jerk, sit back, enjoy the show, and let him cut his own throat. Find out how far down the pavement goes before you back down. |
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At
Sea:Your basic boat safety
class from USPS or
USCGA covers the, er, basics, so here is a list of my pet
peeves.
"No Wake" means "No Wake." Take it slow in unfamiliar territory. Observe fellow boaters and use your charts. No close calls. If it's a tie, you lose. "No Wake" means "No Wake." The channel is not for
Boat defensively, just as you (should) drive defensively. Be prepared for the persons around you to do the stupidest thing possible. They probably won't, but, if they do, you will be ready. "No Wake" means "No Wake." Night time is not the time to open her up and see what she'll do. She's likely to run into something before you can see it. Spot lights are for docking or looking for that man overboard, not for running. "No Wake" means "No Wake." |
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With
Your
Spouse: "For
Men Only"
There are many women skippers out there, but it has been my observation that, in most cases of family recreational boating, the man does most of the boating stuff (or at least wants to do most of the boating stuff, so this is written from that point of view). Boating with your spouse or girlfriend can be wonderful. At the same time, we have all heard of and, sometimes, witnessed horrible scenes at the launch ramp. (We have never had such a scene in my family because my wife is too considerate--if she ever took an exception to something I did at the dock or ramp, she did so in private!) Here are some do's and don'ts that can help make boating with your wife or girlfriend much more fun than boating with a bunch of sweaty, belching fishing buddies--much more fun. Much, much more more fun. Some come from my own experience, some from watching and talking with others. You wife or girlfriend is not your crew. Don't treat her that way. If you're doing a tricky docking maneuver, for example, explain what the heck you are doing, what you want her to do, and why you want her to do it. Before you start. Get her to come to class with you if at all possible. If not, encourage her to take the class for herself. If she can't or won't, be ready to explain stuff, sometimes several times over. Remember, us guys usually won't admit we don't understand something, especially if it has something to do with vehicles; it just ain't macho. Women have no such inhibition. Remember, also, that most of us guys have grown up around vehicles, watched navy movies on television, and maybe read a few pirate novels. We start off, in most cases, knowing more than our wives or girlfriends about things that move. And we think we know more than we do. Our wives are going to ask questions that expose our ignorance. Get used to it. Take charge and admit when you are confused before she starts asking questions. If you are a trailer boater, take especial heed to these warnings at the ramp. You're not going to impress anyone by showing off, least of all you wife. Heck, she already knows the worst about you; don't add to it with macho posturing. |
If you have any suggestions to add to
this
list, please email me. 
Copyright 2001 Frank W.
Bell, Jr.
Last updated
