Have you been looking forward to getting out on the water in the springtime with your friends and family? After having your vessel in storage for months, do you feel that longing to go back out on the waves? Spring is a wonderful time of year for many reasons. Not the least of those reasons (and in fact, perhaps the best reason) is that the weather is often nice enough for so many of us to go out on our boats. You always want to be careful when you’re out on the water, but it makes sense to be especially careful if you haven’t been out for a long time. Our Coast Guard NVDC site has some boat safety tips for springtime that are good year-round.
Have a Life Jacket, Yes, But Have the Right Life Jacket
You know to carry a life jacket on your boat. Moreover, you know to have a life jacket that’s readily accessible for every person on board your boat. But, (and this is something that even experienced vessel owners sometimes miss) you want to have a life jacket that fits every person on board your vessel property. Specifically, you want to have life jackets that fit every person on board your vessel properly over all the layers they could be wearing. So, if they just wear a tank top or are shirtless, then a life jacket should fit over that. But, if they’re wearing several layers, maybe a sweater, etc., then they’re going to need the right life jacket for that, too.
Check Your Boat and Safety Equipment, Especially If It’s Been a While
You know that you should do a safety check before you go out on your vessel. The lights, the flares, the first aid kid, the fuel lines, the fuel tanks/gauges themselves, the engine, and more – you know to look at all of that before you ever go out on the water. But, that can be especially more important if it’s been several months. Indeed, hopefully your vessel is in just as good of shape as it was when you put it into storage. But, if that was several months ago, then it pays to take a bit of extra time just to make sure that everything is, quite literally, shipshape.
A Coast Guard NVDC That’s Here for You in Any Season
Always check the weather forecast before you go out on the water, especially in early spring. This is the time of year when the weather could turn on a dime, going from nice to stormy in the blink of an eye. Have you sent in all of your Coast Guard documentation for your boat for this year? If you haven’t, it’s not too late. Indeed, at our site, there’s always an opportunity to take care of the documentation that you need to complete. If you have any questions, you can visit our site and send us a message.
