Make a checklist for boat safety before you leave the dock

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When you are a boat owner, getting to the dock and setting off for a great day on the water is usually the first thing you want to do on a beautiful day.  Unfortunately, a lot of boaters rush this process and try to hit the waves as soon as possible without checking their boat for all safety precautions.  This problem can soon become a bad habit if it is not corrected early, and the result can be mechanical problems, or worst of all, personal safety issues.

This is why it is imperative that you have a checklist ready to make sure that everything inside and outside of the boat is ready for a full day of fun.  You must remember that your boat is like any other precision tuned instrument and that if anything is slightly off, it can cause catastrophic failure.  Like an airplane before lift off, everything should be checked to ensure that you are not putting your boat, or your passengers in danger.

One way to do this is to print out a thorough list, like this one from discoverboating.com, that runs down all safety measures.  From oil and gas levels, to making sure that you have personal floatation devices, there are a lot of things that you need to check.  At first it may seem like a chore, going through each category to make sure all safety measures are in place, but over time it will become easier.  The more you go over the check list, the faster you will get at it.

While boating is a great way to have a wonderful time with friends and family, it is still a responsibility of you, the boat owner, to make sure that nothing bad will happen to your boat or anyone along for the ride. If you are looking for a new boat, then be sure to stop by the Dallas Boat Show.