Cabin fever got you down? Here are a few things that you can do during the winter months to prepare your boating equipment for the next season, as well as, keep you from tearing the walls down waiting to wet a hook.
Safety Items
So many times we overlook our safety equipment for simple and obvious reasons – We generally never need to use it! That’s a good sign that you are safe while on the water or maybe you’ve been lucky in some cases. But, we all know the old saying “If it can happen, It will happen”. That’s why we should never let our guard down when it comes to our safety gear on our boat. Now is a good time to take inventory and service these items before it’s too late.
Personal Floatation Devices (PFD) / Life Jackets: Check your life jackets for tears. It’s easy to get a tear in these devices. Think of how many hooks are frequent visitors to where you lay your jacket while fishing. Old age and fatigue of the material will also cause tears. Tears will not allow the jacket to perform as intended and may result in serious consequences. Also, if you happen to get checked by wildlife or marine officials while on the water and they find that you have a tear in your life jacket, a simple “I didn’t know” explanation from you will not award you with a free pass. They will issue you a costly reminder of such a tear.
The below information can be found in the North Carolina Vessel Operator’s Guide: http://www.ncwildlife.org/Regs/documents/VOG.pdf
Types of personal floatation devices:
- Type I
A Type I PFD is an approved device designed to turn an unconscious person in the water from a face downward position to a vertical or slightly backward position, and to have more than 20 pounds of buoyancy. - Type II
A Type II PFD is an approved device designed to turn an unconscious person in the water from a face downward position to a vertical or slightly backward position, and to have more than 15.5 pounds of buoyancy. - Type III
A Type III PFD is an approved device designed to have more than 15.5 pounds of buoyancy. While the Type III PFD has the same buoyancy as the Type II PFD, it has less turning ability. It does, however, allow greater wearing comfort and is particularly useful when water skiing, sailing, hunting, or engaged in other water sports. - Type IV
A Type IV PFD is an approved device designed to be thrown to a person in the water. It is not designed to be worn. It is designed to have at least 16.5 pounds of buoyancy. The most common Type IV PFD is a buoyant cushion. A ring buoy is also a Type IV PFD.
All Type I, II, and III PFDs must be U.S. Coast Guard approved, in good and serviceable condition, readily accessible, and of appropriate size for the wearer. Type IV PFDs must be U. S. Coast Guard approved, in good and serviceable condition, and immediately available.
Navigational Lights: Navigational lights allow us to see others and be seen by others while on the water in low light conditions. These lights help to determine the direction of travel of oncoming boats. Most larger tournament trails require that you use your navigational lights from the start of the event through the time it takes for you to get to your first fishing location. Although it may be light enough outside to allow you to navigate, by law, without these lights in place, the tournament trail takes into consideration unforeseen situations like fog, which would make it difficult to see other boats while traveling. These devices only take a couple of minutes to install and stow away, but could save your life one day.
Check your lights to be sure that they are in working condition. Be sure that your lights fit correctly and will work when you are underway. Just because these lights will work correctly while your boat is at rest, does not mean that they will work correctly while at speed. A loose fit and loose connections may cause your lights to fail while moving.
More detailed information regarding navigational lights can be found in the North Carolina Vessel Operator’s Guide: http://www.ncwildlife.org/Regs/documents/VOG.pdf
Shut-Off Device: Commonly referred to as a “Kill Switch” these devices will shut the engine off in the event you are thrown from the boat in an accident. These devices are required in all B.A.S.S. events and are pretty standard in most other tournament formats. It’s a good practice to use these shut-off devices anytime you are on the water, not only in tournament events. Check to be sure that, if activated, the shut off device will shut the engine off.
Fire Extinguisher: Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that an object floating on an ocean of water might one day need a fire extinguisher, but it can happen. Unfortunately, one of our very own Five County Bassmasters club members knows this too well, as he was recently involved in an on-the-water fire that consumed his entire boat. Check to ensure that your extinguisher meets the requirements for your vessel and that it is readily available if needed. This piece of equipment will do you no good if it is stuck in the bottom of a compartment with a million other items on top of it that will prevent you from gaining access if you need it quickly.
More detailed information regarding fire extinguishers can be found in the North Carolina Vessel Operator’s Guide: http://www.ncwildlife.org/Regs/documents/VOG.pdf
First Aid Kit: These items are probably needed more than we may actually admit to our fishing buddies, but nevertheless it is nice to have a few bandages on board for that “Hook In The Finger” moment. These kits are relatively inexpensive and can last a very long time if maintained. We’re not talking major surgery here, but you should include some bare necessities in your kit for simple cuts and scrapes. Have these kits easily accessible and it’s also a good idea to make any passengers aware of where your first aid kit is located in the event that you are the victim and you need them to patch you up.
Bilge Pumps: Bilge pumps are safety items that are easily overlooked throughout the season, but should not be taken for granted. These handy devices can remove large volumes of water from the inside of your boat in rainy conditions or in the event you take on water from another means, such as large waves. Be sure to check your bilge pumps for properly fitted discharge hoses. Check for cracks in the hoses and in the fittings. Check the intake area of your bilge pumps for anything that might prohibit the unit from working properly. Any small piece of trash can keep the motor from turning and allowing the pump to serve its purpose. Simple items that may cause such trouble are leaves, pine needles, fishing line, and soft plastics. These items will easily make their way into the bilge area of your boat and collect in the bilge pump intake. Keep these areas clean and free of debris so that when needed, these pumps can remove that unwanted water from within your boat.