Boat Safety 101: Safety Check Before You Leave the Dock

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Taking precautions on the dock can mean the difference between life-or-death on the water. Take the time to run through this checklist before shoving off.

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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