Boat Checklist
Boating Equipment
To get the most out of your boating holiday or weekends, develop a checklist to avoid setbacks like arriving at a far-away lake without a boat plug or a fuel line. Here's some of the basics:
- Boating Equipment - so much stuff, so easy to forget! Some things are required to make the boat run, others by law and for safety.
- General Boating Items
- Sun block.
- Navigation maps. Maps or GPS mapping with depth contours are helpful for avoiding submerged hazards, aka rocks.
- Boat keys with floating key chain - memorize Mercury ignition key number; we can replace it at Watertown.
- Fuel tanks, fuel and oil - check for water; it can be seen beading below the fuel when tanks are nearly empty. An engine with water in the fuel system is nearly impossible to start.
- Fuel line - check for cracking or hardening.
- Fully charged battery installed - finger-tight wing nuts are NOT good enough. Any break in conductivity to the battery due to loose connections can cause serious engine electrical damage.
- Functional running lights. Absolutely necessary after dark to prevent dangerous collisions.
- Anchor with plenty of rope. (minimum double the anchoring depth, more is more effective)
- Anchor bucket.
- Boat bumpers with rope.
- Rope for docking.
- Boat drainage plug - make sure plug sleeve on boat is free of oily residue. Keep a spare boat plug in the glove box of your towing vehicle.
- Mooring cover.
- Trailer tie-downs - boat should be firmly secured to the trailer, front and back, for travelling.
- Spare trailer light bulbs (incandescent) - if you forget to unplug your trailer wiring before launching, the bulbs will likely "pop." Keep a couple of spare bulbs if the trailer lights are not waterproof.
- Cleaning supplies - window cleaner, wax, vinyl upholstery cleaner, Rain-X (most boats have no wipers), sponges, terrycloth rags, brush, pail. What the heck, might as well have some cleaning supplies; what if the fish aren't biting?
- Camera - with water resistant case.
- Required by Law (Manitoba law)
- Approved life preservers for each person on board - modern lifejackets are comfortable and stylish; wear them.
- 2 oars with oarlocks or 2 paddles.
- Sounding Device - carry a whistle, even if you have an electric horn to avoid unpleasant conflicts with officers.
- Bailing can or manual pump.
- Boat registration numbers - if your boat has 10hp or more.
- Fire Extinguisher, Class B1 - for boats with inboard engines, built-in fuel tanks or fuel equipped stoves or heaters.
- Fun Stuff
- Ski ropes, inflatables rope, ski bar.
- Ski gloves, vests and wetsuits.
- Slalom, trick and jumper skis w/helmet; kneeboard; inflatables and wakeboard.
- Suntan lotion and sun block.
- Volleyball, football (foam rubber ones are great at the lake) and frisbee.
- Cooler w/lots of non-alcoholic refreshments and ice.
- Beach towels and shades.
- Fishing Gear
- Fishing licenses.
- Fishing rods and reels.
- Tackle box w/long-nose pliers, tackle, filleting knife and stringer.
- Net.
- Reef marker floats.
- Bait.
- Trolling Motor.
- Snacks, drinks and spits.
- Depth finder/graph.
- Hat, sunblock, raingear and fish glove.
- Shore lunch supplies.
- Measuring tape and spring scale
...continues with Basic Survival Gear on "Boat Checklist 2".
In Use:2 mb
Peak:2 mb
System:6.77 GiB / 7.75 GiB (87.357427822297%)