Self-Drive Boat Hire – Essential Safety Tips

If you love adventures, especially of the waterway variation, then you most definitely will love this. It’s fun to relax on a boat, enjoying the scenery while someone else is at the helm. The fun however takes a different shape when you are the one doing the boating.

But I don’t own a boat so how can I sail? Well, that’s where self-drive boats come in. Just as with car hire services, you can hire a boat and boat to your heart’s content.

This article has a slightly different focus so you can learn more about how to hire a boat here. In this article, we will be looking at essential safety tips that will help ensure that you have a safe boating after you’ve hired your boat.

Essential Steps to Take to Ensure Safety

Let’s now list and discuss some of the important steps you should take to ensure that your boating experience on that hired boat is safe and fulfilling.

Know the Local Boating Laws and Regulations

This is a crucial first step in ensuring the safety of your adventure. As you should know, laws and regulations differ from place to place. It is therefore prudent to ensure that you have a good understanding of what the laws and regulations in the city or location in which your adventure will be taking place demands.

Some of the things you should find out about include:

• Licenses and Permits – Ensure that you find out if you will be requiring licenses or permits for the type of boat you intend to rent. Whether or not you such will be required will depend on the location. Always check to be sure.
• Regulations Guiding Weather and Tides – It is important that you understand the local weather and the tide patterns. Changes to these can be sudden and also dangerous. Be sure to stay tuned to the local coastal guard’s channel or any other that broadcasts to sailors during emergencies.
• Speed Limits/No-Wake Zones – Speed limits and no-wake zones should be strictly adhered to. This is often put in place for the safety of all who use the waterway. Find out the speed limit of your location before setting out.
• Environmental Protection Laws – You will want to know what environmental protection laws have been put in place to ensure that you do not run afoul of it.

Choose Your Boat and Equipment

This is the step that many are likely to take first. However, despite being a crucial step, you should only begin to choose your boat and equipment after ascertaining other factors as listed in step one above.

With that out of the way, you can now begin to look at the equipment that you will be requiring. Of course, the main thing is the boat. To choose the right boat, consider the following factors:

• Engine Power – This is what drives the entire boat, so this should be powerful enough for your needs.
• Boat Size – This is another important factor to consider. The physical size of the boat may affect your ability to manage it, depending on your level of expertise. You should therefore consider this.
• Boat Capacity – How many people will be in your party? If it’s just you or you and your spouse, the capacity you will need will be much less than what you will need if you were to sail with a party of 10.

Once you have chosen the boat that suits your need, carry out a thorough inspection to ensure that everything is in good working order. You should also ensure that the correct equipment have been provided. These equipment and gear should include:

• Sufficient life jackets – Don’t just count them; ensure that they are viable.
• Fire extinguishers
• Signal flares
• First aid kit
• Waterproof flashlight
• Anchor and ropes

Have a checklist that ensures the presence of all of the above (at the very least).

Use Life Jackets and other Safety Gear

Every regulatory checklist includes the use of life jackets. There are often no exceptions to this rule. Given this, ensure the following:

• Ensure that everyone on the boat have their life jackets on at all times. The jackets should be properly fitted and secured on each individual.
• Be sure that you have the type of life jacket that is suitable for the water conditions. This is critical because these jackets are designed for different conditions and will therefore only be efficient in the condition it is designed for.
• Aside from the jackets, keep close to you other safety tools like waterproof torchlights, distress signals, whistles, etc.

Your safety equipment is as good as its state. They are also only useful if you can easily reach them during emergencies. You can learn more about safety equipment and requirements here: https://boatsgeek.com/.

Know Navigation and Emergency Procedures

Before you can drive a car on the road, you are expected to be familiar with driving rules and road signs. The same is applicable with boating. You should be familiar with the navigation and emergency procedures.

Below are some of the things you should know:

• How to Read Nautical Charts – This is your guide while you boat as it shows you sea depth, safe paths, hazards and more.
• Waterway Markers – Waterway markers are to waterways what road signs are to driving. You must learn to identify and understand what they mean.
• Emergency Protocols – There are emergency protocols associated with the sea. During emergencies, you are expected to know how to know: how to call for help with VHF radio, how to properly drop and hurl anchor and what to do should the engine fail.
• Submitting a Float Plan – This is like the flight plan that planes must file before taking off. This plan will show your intended route, and when you are expected to return to shore. Should there be an emergency, authorities can use this plan to locate your boat.

Responsible Boating Behavior

If you’ve taken care of all the points that we’ve discussed above, then there’s one more thing to consider and that is your behaviour on the water. People feel that the open waters give them liberty to move anyhow they wish. This is false.

There are acceptable and responsible behaviour expected on waterways to ensure the safety of all users. So, before you set of on your adventure, you should note the following:

• Follow Speed Limits – Speed kills even on water which is why speed limits are posted. If for some reason there’s no posted speed limit, it is in your best interest to maintain a safe speed. You want to have fun and return safely back to land.
• Stay Sober – Don’t drink and drive applies here because alcohol will interfere with your ability to handle the boat efficiently.
• Respect Other User – While you’re having your fun, respect others using the waterways. Keep the noise down, observe right of way and be watchful of wake impact.
• Respect Nature – The fact that you are out at sea does not mean that anything goes. Do not throw stuff into the water and be sure not to disturb wildlife more than you are already doing by just being there.

These are just simple guidelines that can help ensure your safety and those of other users on the waterways. Follow them as you have your fun.

Conclusion

We’ve briefly discussed ways to ensure a safe boating experience with a self-drive boat. This is certainly something worth giving a try, especially if you live or visit an area with abundant water supply like Sydney. If you do live in or visit Sydney you can visit Boatique sydney boat hire for a taste of this adventure. You can also search for providers in your location.

With the guide that we’ve provided, you are ready to, at least, begin to plan to include a self-ride boating experience on that next vacation.