Tips for Using Speed Boats

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Albert Hedgepeth with Expert Village. One of the easiest ways to pull off a fun and safe camping trip is to go ahead and make a checklist before you leave. Some of the things you might want to throw on that checklist are making sure that everyone on the boat that's going to be there that day has a life jacket on board. Making sure that your registration is current, and that you've paid your taxes with the state, and that you have a copy of it with you on the boat. You want to make sure all your electronics are working appropriately before you leave the dock. Make sure your depth sounder is working, make sure your GPS is operating correctly, and make sure that your radio works. Go ahead and do a radio check before you leave, especially if you're going out into the ocean any more than where you can't see land, which is usually seven to twelve miles. You want to go ahead and check all the engine fluids; you want to make sure that you've got oil, that you've got anti-freeze if your boat is not water-cooled. You want to go ahead and just check everything like a normal engine to make sure that it's operating appropriately. Other things you might want to think about taking are coolers with snacks and food in case people get hungry while they're out on the boat, crackers, small sandwiches, cheeses, stuff like that are great non-perishable items to bring out on the boat, and they tend to be a little bit easier on the stomach. If anyone's going out with you that gets motion sickness, you should probably go ahead and get them some Dramamine or Bonine or some sort of anti-sickness medicine--or anti-motion sickness medicine. You should probably recommend that they take it the day before the trip, but, worst comes to worst, give them some while they're out. Ginger ale is also a great resource for relieving nausea on a boat. You also want to--you might want to take a spare battery, or a jumper pack, just in case your batteries die while you're out there. There's nothing worse than not being able to start your boat. You want to make sure you've got fuel, water, that your holding tanks are clean, and that they're properly filled and with your waste tanks you want to make sure that they're properly dumped so that whenever you go out people can use the facilities that are on the boat. You also don't want to forget sunscreen, and if you're going fishing, you better not forget bait and your fishing poles."