Go For Launch

The open water can be an unforgiving environment. Whether you are a boater with a wealth of experience or just beginning to embrace the aquatic lifestyle, safety should be your top concern when preparing for a day afloat.

The weather, waves, boat traffic and your own passengers can all present distractions and challenges when prepping to leave the dock. While loading up refreshments, pets and people, it’s easy to overlook something important.

On a good day, that error may be as simple as an overlooked spring line, a loose cushion or a cooler left on the dock. Coming to an abrupt stop when that dock line pulls tight might be embarrassing, but it will probably just result in a bruised ego.

Other steps in your departure preparations can be far more important, and skipping one may create a difficult or dangerous situation.

If you’ve ever been in a small plane, you may have seen the pilot pull out a laminated list and review it. This preflight checklist ensures the pilot doesn’t skip any critical tasks or considerations required for the plane to get safely off the ground. For boaters, this is often called a pre-departure checklist. It also ensures that no procedures, supplies or settings are overlooked and that everyone returns to the dock safely. Whether the vessel is a bass boat, trawler or wakeboat, a pre-departure checklist helps ensure that nothing important is overlooked before heading out on the water.

For boats kept in a slip, the list should be checked off before ever turning the key. For trailer boats, the list should be reviewed before backing down the ramp. If you’ve ever seen someone launch a boat without its drain plug, you know how easy it is to overlook something really important.

Here is a list of items that apply to most vessels, but you should create a customized checklist that best fits your own boat. Although many of these are common across the board, your list may include or exclude things based on your vessel’s size, propulsion or age.

Print out the following checklist, laminate it and keep it near the helm so you can review it before every departure.

This may seem like a time-consuming list of steps, but you are probably going through most or all of these same motions already. However, by walking through a checklist step by step, you can help ensure nothing is overlooked and that everyone on onboard has a safe, fun day on the water.