In our minds, most of us have the deep tan, the windswept hair and the salty, distant gaze that only comes to those who spend the bulk of their time out on the water. For most of us, however, life tends to get in the way and keeps us from enjoying boating as often as we should. It is not uncommon for even the most impassioned of boaters to go over a year or more without taking their boat out on the water, which is sad in its own right but also brings up several issues that need to be addressed. After a long layoff, boaters should consider each of the following tasks in order to refresh their skills and ensure a safe boating experience the next time they are able to get out onto the water.
Seek Out Boating Courses
While it may seem tempting to just hop on the boat with the belief that your skills will just come rushing back to you in an instant, the truth is that boating is not exactly like riding a bike. Instead, a long time away from the open water demands that you strongly consider taking a few refresher courses before setting out for the horizon. Even if you feel confident that a refresher course is unnecessary, it is never a bad idea to take a course to learn new skills with the goal of becoming an even better boater than ever before.
Perhaps learning how to navigate using only paper charts or through the use of celestial navigation will come in handy at some time in the future, and maybe learning how to perform some basic repairs will prove to be an exceptionally valuable skill. In the same way that DOT inspections Phoenix help to ensure safety, so too does developing an understanding of boat maintenance result in the greater likelihood for safe boat operation. This is why refreshing old skills and developing new ones is so important.
In any case, ongoing education can be highly beneficial for boaters who have experienced a long time away from their vessel. With new developments and new technology constantly being made available, a commitment to continuing education is a great way to enrich your boating experiences.
Consider Joining a Boat Club
If you are feeling a lack of confidence in your boating skills after too much time away, it might be a sound idea to go beyond taking a few refresher courses by joining a boat club. Obviously, there is an enjoyable social aspect to these clubs, and it is this social interaction that can be quite helpful in regaining a sense of confidence in your own boating skills.
Not only do these clubs offer many of the aforementioned courses, but they also provide the opportunity to go on excursions with more experienced boaters. This allows a boater whose skills might be a bit rusty after a long time away to regain the firsthand experience that is so important, all while avoiding the assumed risk of venturing out on their own.
How Activism Can Help
No matter how long you have been away from boating, environmental preservation is going to continue to be a pressing issue for many years to come. Getting involved with groups whose aim is to ensure everything that is great about the open water is preserved for future generations is a great way to rekindle the love of boating while also accomplishing something of great social importance. Without action on the part of mariners, the waters that boaters hold so dear will continue to degrade to such a degree that they will hardly be recognizable in the near future.