Summer is already here and many people are already leaving home in search of refreshing themselves. Some of those people are lucky enough to, on the weekends, get their vessels and sail to a river or sea depending on where they live. Others are even luckier and have already left in search of some weeks swimming around. Regardless of your case, if you happen to own a boat or to sail every once in a while you will find this article about boat safety tips from the USCG Vessel Documentation Company.
Advices From the Maritime Documentation Center
The first thing we need to talk about is, obviously, the weather. So, while during the day the weather is normally hot, if you navigate in the early mornings or evenings it can get a bit chilly. The USCG Vessel Documentation Company’s advice to prevent getting cold at the sea is to dress with layers. That means, for instance, getting dressed in a shirt, a sweatshirt, and a jacket. In the morning, while it is cold, you will probably leave everything on. Around 9 o’clock, you may want to take your jacket. By noon you will most likely be on your shirt. And if you want to jump into the sea… well that is up to you. Furthermore, it is important to wear sunscreen as well, and to reapply it every once in a while, especially if you jumped into the water.
That is only one of the many boat safety tips we will soon be reading in this article. It may seem obvious but we will state it anyway: do not drink and boat. Apart from being illegal, it is not safe for you, for the people around you, and for the boats close to you. Just do not do it.
We will need your common sense with one more piece of advice and that is: wear a life jacket. Or at least if you really, really do not want to wear it, make sure you have enough for every person on the boat. That is no advice, as it is also required by the law.
Please do not forget to carry enough water for you and for the rest of the “crew”. Under the sun it is always important to stay hydrated.
Be prepared and responsible: keep checking the forecast as it can unexpectedly change during your journey. Review the nautical charts, know where the navigation markers are and which are the areas that may be congested with other boats. With that in mind, keep an eye on fellow boaters. Just because you do not see them it does not seem they cannot see you.
Furthermore, being responsible also includes, for instance, carrying a flare and fire extinguisher if you are navigating on a long journey: you never know when you might need them.
Lastly, if you have children, perhaps it is a good idea to find a paddling safety course for kids or other public education classes.
All of Your Forms in One Place
Other than all of these tips, you are also required to comply with all of the USCG Vessel Documentation, which varies from state to state. At the Maritime Documentation Center, you will find the paperwork the US Coast Guard requires you to comply with. Just check what is the form you are missing, complete it online on our SSL-encrypted platform, and let us do the rest! You will be in the sea with everything you need in just a few hours.