Basic Boat Safety Essentials
If you want to be respected as a boat owner, you must make safety a top priority. Because boats are operated on the water, there are a lot of risks that you’ll encounter and you have to do your part to minimize the possibility of an accident or breakdown. Here are some handy boat safety tips, courtesy of your Florida boat dealer, Anchorage Yacht Basin.
Operate With Care
Always operate your boat calmly and without taking risks. Make wide berths around other boats or people in the water and follow all posted signs, including any signage that indicates areas of water that are off-limits. You should also avoid drinking alcohol or using recreational drugs as the operator; make sure you are sober, alert, and ready to go when it’s time to step behind the helm.
Educate Your Passengers
Next, you’ll need to make sure that every passenger who steps on your boat, whether child or adult, is educated in safety basics. All passengers should know the rudiments of swimming, and everyone needs to wear a well-fitting life jacket from dock to dock.
Children and teens will need to be told to not bother the operator while the boat is in motion, in addition to avoiding jumping, running, roughhousing, and sticking their hands or feet off the side of the boat.
Adult passengers will need to be advised on where vital safety equipment is, including the throwable life ring, and one adult should be appointed as your skipper to take over the handling of the boat if you become unable to operate it.
Keep Your Boat Maintained
In order to be a truly responsible boat owner, you cannot neglect boat maintenance! Staying on top of fuel-ups, oil changes, hull cleanings, battery checks, and other regular upkeep tasks will ensure that your boat is safe to use and less likely to break down on you in the middle of the water. Remember that the Anchorage Yacht Basin service department is here to assist you with all aspects of boat maintenance; just give us a call or submit a request on our website to obtain help with servicing your boat.
Ready to buy a boat? Stop by our Melbourne, FL, dealership today to view our full stock of new and used boats for sale. Let us know if you’d like the assistance of our financing department to adequately fund your boat purchase, too. Anchorage Yacht Basin serves our customers in the city of Orlando, FL.