Does your Boat Have What it Needs?
Make sure your boat has what it needs and not what it shouldn't, to
make your trips safe and fun. Doing this one job as soon as your boat
goes in the water could save you gas money, keep you safe, and make your
boating more enjoyable.
Be sure to take
inventory of
what’s
aboard from last season and what items you need to bring from storage,
replenish from home and/or purchase. We’ve done this for decades
and it works.
It's a good idea to have a complete check list of your inventory so that
you can check off the items you have and make note of what you need to
bring from various locations. You don’t want to miss or overlook
anything. If you don’t have a list, consider making one to use this
year and next. It will make it so much easier next year.
| Make a checklist of everything you need to have on your boat.
Use this checklist every Spring. Each time you use it, make it a more
complete checklist. This will make inventorying your boat faster and
easier...and because the checklist is on paper and not in your head,
it becomes a task you can delegate. |
No two boats and no two Boaters are the same. Depending on the size and
type of your boat as well as what kind of boating activities you do, your
list may vary significantly from other boaters.
Following are some suggestions of areas and items for your check list:
1. |
Check the helm for electronics, charts, binoculars etc.
Check the cockpit seats and storage areas for buckets, mops and cleaning
supplies. |
2. |
Make sure you have the necessary safety equipment for
your size and type of boat— fire extinguishers, flares, jackets,
flashlight, bailing bucket, bilge pump, horn, ring buoy, heaving line,
flares and other safety equipment. Not only is it law to have the
required safety equipment for your boat, but it is also common sense
to have it in case you need it. It is safer for you and your crew. |
3. |
Check the galley for cutlery, dishes, pots and pans
etc. Make sure you have everything you need for your style of boating
so that you don’t get caught in the middle of a meal and not
have a corkscrew for the wine or a can opener for the beans. Make
note of or remove any old food, soap etc. from last year. |
4. |
Check the head for head chemical, cleaning supplies
etc. |
5. |
Check the sleeping area for bedding, clothes etc. |
6. |
Check your supply of bug repellent, fly swatters, rain
gear and netting. |
7. |
Check you canvas. Are all the pieces accounted for? |
8. |
Check the engine compartment for your supply of oil,
spare parts and tools. |
9. |
Sailors need to also check their inventory and condition
of sails, running rigging, standing rigging, blocks, winches, etc. |
10. |
Fishermen would pay close attention to their supply
of fishing gear. |
11. |
The cruising crowd would check anchors, anchor lines,
ice chests and other equipment and supplies related to traveling. |
12. |
Cottagers should ensure they have ski ropes, skis, boards,
extra lines and bungies for securing loads, etc. |
13. |
For boaters who trailer their boats everywhere they
go, important items to inventory are trailering supplies like tie
downs, spare lights, wiring, trailer ball etc. |
Boaters who endure a long cold winter have a tradition of stripping their
boats at the end of the boating season and then restocking them at the
beginning of the next boating season. There are great advantages to this
ritual come Spring:
-
Maximizes space by purging and thinning out items that are not really
needed aboard.
-
Decreases your fuel consumption and cost by getting rid of excess
weight (like an extra case of oil).
-
Avoids frustrations and problems created by missed or misplaced items
when you take inventory and know what you have onboard.
- Enjoy your limited boating time more because there won't be any bothersome
missed details.
So, this week, make sure you have an Inventory checklist for your boat--AND
USE IT!
Happy Boating,
|
Doug & Brenda Dawson
Quick Tip
Make Your Stash Of Garbage Bags Virtually Disappear
To eliminate the bulk of the garbage bag inventory,
we save grocery bags during the winter after shopping. We fold and
roll up each bag to the size of a sausage and secure with a twist
tie. This way, we can take dozens of these "sausages"
and stash them around the boat to be used as required. They take
up very little space and you always know which bags are clean and
unused.
|
First Mate 101
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|
Tell Us What You Think!
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With Dawsons" Newsletter. And of course, if you have any topic suggestions
for upcoming issues that you'd like to share with us, please send those,
too!
Just e-mail the us at: suggestions@boatingwithdawsons.com
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