Whether you’re boating around the Coffs Harbour coast, along the beautiful coasts of Geelong or in the majestic Sydney Harbour, you must have a safety inspection checklist before you leave the dock and go on with your boating adventures. You want to ensure your boat is in the best condition while it’s out in the water and to prevent unfortunate incidents from happening which can range from inconvenience to life-threatening.
A boat safety inspection checklist form is a tool used by boaters to ensure that all safety practices are followed and done before setting out into the waters. The checklist can also be used by marine mechanics to track problem areas with a boat and its parts and to fix them before they get damaged further.
Here are the items you should include in your checklist:
Exterior Inspection
The exterior is a vital part of the boat as this will be the one that has direct contact with water. Make sure to closely inspect the hull, keel, deck, moulding trims, hardware, cushions, hatches, windshield, navigational lights, and life rails if they are in good condition. You need to make sure there are no damages or anything that could compromise anyone’s safety onboard. If you ever find any issues, fix them right away.
Interior Inspection
Don’t forget to also look closely at all interior items if they are in proper working condition. Make sure that the inside of the boat is warm, dry, and comfortable. Check all nooks and crannies for traces of water. Make sure that all potential water entry points are blocked as well. Don’t forget to also take care of your upholstery as they provide comfort in your voyage at sea. Make sure they are dry and no mould or mildew is growing out of them.
Make sure your cabin is secure. For example, exhaust fumes from the boat engines should not seep inside the cabin. The doors and windows must have security locks to prevent anyone from entering them without your permission. If your boat has a galley, make sure the equipment and items you stored in there should be bolted and back-mounted so they don’t move around when the waters are rough. Ensure that your stove, propane, sink, and faucet are installed securely and are operating properly. The same thing applies to your air conditioning and entertainment systems. Don’t forget to check your locker spaces. Make sure that they are spacious and secure.
Operating Gear
Make sure the engine, electrical systems, and propulsion systems of your boat should be in tip-top shape. If any issues require immediate attention, take your boat to an expert
marine technician.
Safety Equipment
Last but not least, make sure that all safety equipment in your boat is ready for use and accessible in times of need. Life jackets and wearable personal floatation devices (PFDs) should be in your boat at all times. Check if there are enough of them for everyone onboard. In case of an emergency of any kind, the first thing you should do is to calmly instruct all passengers onboard immediately to put on their life jackets. Aside from PFDs, don’t forget to also bring throwable floatation devices. This is useful if you need to throw one to an individual in the water incidents such as a man overboard.
Don’t forget to bring fire extinguishers as well in cases of fire. Remember to check the expiration date of your extinguishers and if they are appropriate to use for a boat. Discuss with your crew or your family or guests how to operate an extinguisher. Avoid getting stranded especially in offshore locations by ensuring you have visual and sound signalling devices in your boat. Examples of visual signal devices are light flares, strobe lights, gun flares, and flags while sound devices examples are foghorns or bells.
And last but not least, make sure you have this important gear onboard at all times such as a medical first aid kit (for cuts, scrapes, and seasickness), VHF radio (to call for help), anchor and anchor line, and heavy-duty flashlights.