Upgrade Your Boat for Fair Winds and Following Seas

Not everyone is made for the boating lifestyle. You need to be always prepared for any inconvenience that might occur in the middle of the sea, and it may be possible that you enjoy your time alone there, which means no contact with family and friends. However, any boats need some love from time to time, meaning upgrades should be welcomed more often if you want to ensure you’re safe and your journey is smooth.

Luckily, boats don’t need expensive improvements, and you’ll be surprised by how many things you can do while on a budget. Still, it’s essential you know where to cut corners and where it’s necessary to invest a certain amount of money. Pull the anchor, and the ship will sail! Let’s get into it.

Have Portable Power

You’re never too ready for unpleasant circumstances, which is why you need to bring portable power with you on any sea adventure. On-board power might go out when you least expect it and is way more challenging to manage and bring back to life because the last thing you want after a long day of sailing is a dead engine battery. Although newer boats are equipped with powerful electric generators, a modem portable solid-state power bank might save you at some point. It may cost you a little, but it can run up to 300 hours (depending on the watts it comes with, you need to check the device’s capacity). Some can be charged through cable, while others have a small solar panel added through which you can charge them.

Get a New Motor

No matter the performance of your boat, changing the motor when necessary is imperative if you want to avoid troubles while sailing. An outboard motor can last up to eight years since most of them provide around 1,500 hours of run time. However, to ensure they last this much, oil changing and flushing the engine are necessary to maintain their quality. Besides the condition of a boat’s motor, it’s crucial that you know how to take care of it by:

● Simply using it regularly, since a longer period of not being run can affect efficiency;

● Avoiding running your engine to maximum volume since it can stress the motor;

● Regularly scheduling maintenance;

● Choosing the right type of fuel and checking the fuel filter regularly;

● Addressing corrosion under the cowl;

Still, no matter how much you care about your motor, sometimes it’s time for a new one. If you’re looking for high-quality, low-consumption models, a Suzuki outboard motor can be the perfect purchase for your boat.

Install On-board Llighting

Sailing during the night can be pretty terrifying. The sea is quiet, and there’s no source of light nearby, so you may feel like you’re at the end of the world, especially if you prefer alone cruises. Therefore, besides the lights your boat is provided with, you can install on-board lighting (LEDs) to let you enjoy the sea by delivering more colour. For example, some multicoloured LED rope lights have sticky-back foam tape that you can easily set up on your boat (under the gunwales or around seats).

Although they’re fun to have, LED lights can also save you in case of emergency. Look for ones that last up to many hours and are powered by batteries because if you find yourself having no power, you’re still easy to identify on the sea through the lights. Plus, if you want to make some waves, you could install some underwater LED lights that can get through 20 metres in clear water, so you can see what’s beneath you. And considering that LEDs are energy-saving, you could also have this type of lighting to be easy to recognize in case you get lost.

Have a GPS Tracker

Colourful lights can be helpful, too, but in case you’re lost, you may not have enough resources to spend too much time lost at sea. Therefore, a GPS tracker would allow you to monitor your boat when you’re not on board and assist in certain circumstances. The ideal GPS product has the following:

● Real-time location tracking so you can make the best decision regarding your condition;

● Waterproof features so that the GPS will work on and off the water areas;

● A smart alerting system with an SOS button, geofence alert and movement alert;

● Two-way communication that will allow you to send messages to a contact and receive a reply;

● Customised alert messages for unobtrusive signals, notifications and emergency alarms;

Depending on the types of adventure you usually go for, there are GPS options that can last up to two weeks or ten hours. However, be wary of the update time they require because some need constant bringing up-to-date to provide your accurate location.

Upgrade Seating Upholstery

Being on the sea at all times is not as fancy and clean as it looks in movies. Water, food and dirt might affect the inside of your boat, and even if you maintain it regularly, you need to be more caring if you want to keep your boat for a longer time. Therefore, seat covers are necessary for both inside and outside furniture. Since expanded vinyl is the most common fabric used in boat upholstery, you need to take care of it by cleaning it with mild dish soap. However, in some cases, you may need to use marine vinyl protectant and mildew stain remover to maintain the upholstery in good condition.

But if the seats are in poor condition, replacing them with other chairs that you can install yourself would be best. After all, upholstering seats is still pretty expensive, so if you’re making this investment, it would be better to replace them so that you’re assured for the next ten years that the furniture will last.

Wrapping Up

Sailing is the most fun when you’ve got everything in place and not one worry in mind. Therefore, consider the above improvements so you can enjoy your trip safely and help your boat live a long life and experience many sea adventures.