Planning Your Next Boating Trip - An Essential Guide
If your going out on a boat you should always first plan your trip. Good planning and preparation prevents problems whilst out at sea. Below are 8 tips to help you plan your voyage.
1) The very first point of any voyage is to ensure you have a seaworthy vessel. If the vessel is not up to standards, don't go out on it! Ensure the vessel is suitable for the trip you are planning (e.g. don't take a small dinghy out to a well offshore reef).
2) Check the weather conditions. Usually the most up to date weather predictions can be found on government forecasting sites found on the internet. Keep updated and try to stay out of rough weather. Certain marine radio frequencies often broadcast boating weather so if the weather looks like it is going to change remember to keep updated. If you must go out when the weather is bad, ensure everyone wears a lifejacket for the entire journey as in an emergency you will often not have enough time to put one on.
3) Look at the people undertaking the trip and ensure they are all capable. Is the skipper confident with the boat and the location you will be using it? Have the other passengers been on a boat before? Can everyone on board swim? Does anybody on board get sea sick? You need to answer all these questions and make suitable allowances accordingly.
4) Ensure the safety gear is suitable for the number on people on board. Remember, each person should have a suitable lifejacket accessible. Make sure these life jackets will fit those they are intended for (an adult lifejacket is next to useless when used with a child).
5) Ensure you have enough fuel on board. As a general rule you should include 50% more fuel on board than you think you will need to allow for changing weather conditions and if you stay out for longer than you first anticipated.
6) Sunburn and heatstroke is another factor that should be guarded against. Ensure that all passengers keep their fluids up, wear sunscreen and try to stay out of the elements. The same is true for cold weather. Ensure passengers keep warm with protective clothing and try to stay out of the elements wherever possible.
7) Do a head count often. It is easy to keep track of 3 or 4 people on board but if you are travelling with 5 or more people it is vital to keep up with a head-count. This is especially true if you are planning to leave the boat to swim, snorkel, scuba dive or go to an island. There have been recent stories where scuba divers have been forgotten about and left behind resulting in their disappearance. Remember to keep vigilant at all times.
8) The final and most important trip planning tool is to let someone know where you are going and when you will be back. You can log on and off with local sea rescue groups or you can let a friend or family member know your trip itinerary. If using a sea rescue group it is vital that you keep them up to date with changes in the plan and it is also vital that you log off with them once you are finished. Failure to effectively log off can result in a great deal of resources being wasted searching for you. If you are giving your trip plan to a friend or family member, write it down so they have it in front of them. Let them know that if you do not make contact by a certain time it is their responsibility to inform the appropriate authorities. It is often better to give a single person the main responsibility so they know it is their duty to call in an emergency. The person responsible should also be informed the correct authorities to call in an emergency and once again remember to log off with the person after your voyage.
Remember, prior planning prevents poor performance. Ensure all of these points are adhered to and you are sure to have a safer voyage.
James Fletcher is a boating and fishing enthusiast. His website is a great source of boating and fishing knowledge. Find more usefull boating and fishing tips at:
http://www.freeboatingtips.com
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
Added: April 4, 2008
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