Check the weather
Make sure you are not heading into heavy storms or severe conditions. It never hurts to double check, so do it again even if you already checked earlier in the day.
Let someone know your plans
The old buddy system. If you don’t make it back when you planned, you want someone to know.
Test your equipment
Most boats have a bunch of required safety equipment on board. Check that the following items are in working order while you’re still on the dock:
Horn
Life jackets
Fire extinguisher
Flares
GPS
Towline
Navigation lights
Anchor and rode
Emergency radio
Inspect fluids
Check levels on all key fluids, such as gasoline, coolant, and lubricating oil. If your boat runs on an inboard gasoline engine, run the blower for at least 4 minutes before starting up.
Dry the bilge
Your bilge is the lowest point on the vessel, a basin where most excess water accumulates. Letting the pool get too heavy can pose a sinking threat, so use the bilge pump to dry the boat whenever moisture begins to collect.
Ventilate all areas
Open up all interior spaces so they can air out. If you smell fuel, run the ventilation blowers to eliminate the odor. If you still smell gasoline after starting the engine, shut down and find the leak source.
Get a free vessel safety check
For the utmost peace of mind, pair your boat safety checklist with an inspection from the pros. The U.S. Coast Guard provides a free vessel safety check every year. (How easy is that?)
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