My friend Bob dropped in a few weeks ago, looking very perplexed. It seems he and his wife Judy had planned to take their 8 and 10 year olds to Disneyland for a week, but some unexpected bills had come in and they really couldn’t afford the trip.
“Well” I said, “Why don’t you take a week long fun cruise in your new runabout?”
“Four of us on a trailer boat?” he retorted, “Is that possible?”
I assured Bob that a week-long trip in well traveled waters was far from circumnavigation and with a little planning, it could be as much fun as Disneyland. Whether it is a deckboat, a runabout with a small cuddy, or a pontoon, weeklong trips are very possible - - and besides, what is the point of owning a boat if you don’t use it to the maximum. My suggestion seemed to strike Bob as a challenge and I could see the wheels starting to turn.
The next day, Bob was at my door. “We’ve decided to do the week long cruise.”
“Great” I said, “Where do you plan to go?”
“Not sure” Bob replied. “But you’ve done this sort of thing before, so maybe you would help us put together some ideas on where to go and what to take?
“Better yet”, I told him, “I have my own personal cruise check lists that we can read over to get the plan started.”
With this, we sat down with pencil and paper and began the preparations necessary for a problem free, family week on the water in a small boat.
The first step is deciding where to go and at what time of year. Bob already had some ideas for this and pointed out that by using their motor home to trailer their boat just 65 miles they could begin a trip that would take them through two large lakes and some pretty countryside that included a few small towns.
I pulled out some current nautical charts for the area that allowed us to figure what distance should be scheduled each day and where overnight stops could be made that offered good moorage, fuel and pump out facilities. Bob and Judy also wanted to spend one night in a resort hotel, so we factored this into the schedule mid-week and called for a reservation. Next, we drew out a course that took us to each day’s destination, with a couple of side trips drawn in to stop at places of interest. These course lines on the chart offer a good visual reference to follow while driving and by noting the magnetic headings on each line the compass could be used for navigating reference.
With the average overnight moorage costing $40 a night and the resort stay $250, the total budget for seven nights stops came to $530. Since the on-water plan averaged only four hours of actual motoring each day, we allowed $200 for gas and another $40 for pump outs, bringing the total to $770. Meals became the final major expense. Since the galley in Bob’s boat is as far from a gourmet kitchen as one can imagine we decided to budget for one full meal ashore each day, with breakfast and snacks being prepared on his boat. Add $480 for restaurant meals and $150 for grocery snacks and drinks served onboard. At this point, the trip budget totaled $1,400 - - considerably less than what it would have cost for a week in Orlando.
When it comes to planning, I have always found it easier and more reliable to refer to checklists, than rely on my aging memory. Such checklists for the legal and practical requirements for boat trip can make the difference between a happy cruise and a disaster. To simplify Bob’s trip preparations I pulled out my cruise checklists and we reviewed them together.
The first checklist involved boat preparation, for which there are two categories - - the first being legal requirements and the second being practical needs. Under ‘legal’, Bob must carry onboard his 22’ boat a Coast Guard approved personal floatation device or lifejacket of appropriate size for each person on board. A buoyant heaving line no less than 50’ in length. A device to facilitate re-boarding, such as a swim platform with ladder attached. A watertight flashlight. Three Coast Guard approved flares that are not beyond the expiry date printed on each flare. A sound signaling device such as a whistle or horn. A paddle device. An anchor with 50’ of line. One bailer or manual water pump with the ability to pump water from the bilge, overboard. One class 5BC fire extinguisher and a second class BC extinguisher because of the fuel burning stove on Bob’s boat. An approved red, green and white navigation light arrangement. Capacity certificates of compliance labels and a hull identification number on the outside of the transom on the starboard side. A boat registration number, in 3” high lettering, properly displayed on each side of the boat’s bow as well as registration documentation. Note that the above listed equipment applies to Bob’s boat length. Before you go out in your boat, be sure to check the regulations that apply to the length of your boat.
Also, each state has it’s own boating regulations as to what proof of competency is required for persons driving a pleasure boat. Check with your local Coast Guard or Power Squadron office to see if a written boating test is required for you.
I call everything else that you need in order to use the boat for a specific purpose, “practical requirements”. Because Bob’s family is cruising in unfamiliar waters, I recommended the following: Current nautical charts. A first aid kit that takes into consideration any family related health problems. Two or three good-sized fenders to protect the boat when docking and at least four lines to secure it. Pack a light tool box that includes boat related tools such as a gas cap opener and a fishing knife. While carrying spare parts is not convenient on a trailer boat, there are two important spares I would recommend having. A spare water impeller and a spare propeller. Because Bob’s boat did not have a fixed marine VHF radio, we picked up a small hand held VHF and then packed a cell phone for communication back up. Include a list of emergency phone numbers and friends. For nighttime lighting, I recommend a battery powered lantern and two flashlights. Pack the required blankets, sleeping bags and towels. A package of garbage bags and a canvas catch all bag are also advised. If fishing is on the agenda, pack a small tackle box and store the rods out of harms way. Because the week will offer unlimited watersport opportunities, be sure to take the skis or board. Pack the engine maintenance manual that came with your boat. Most vacation lake areas offer a publication that describes various tourist destinations as well as marinas facilities and info as to whether they sell gas and offer pump out services. Having a booklet with this information will not only save you time in planning fuel stops, but will direct you to some exceptional dining experiences along the way. The local chamber of Commerce office will have them. Consider picking up a bottle of odor prevention chemicals for the head. And last but not least – a roll of good old duct tape.
Food for such a trip is restricted by what can fit into the cooler and so when Judy made a list of the food to buy, she also checked the charts to note the towns they would be visiting so she could plan where to purchase additional food. She did, however, pack an ample supply of water.
While covering all the items on these check-lists may seem like a lot of work, there is still one important item left to check and that’s the boat itself. Item by item, we worked our way through the list. We checked the hull bottom for damage and the outdrive and throttle cables for wear, lubricating the ends. We checked the hatch for water leaks and checked that the screen fitted tightly. We cleared the cockpit drains with a hose. We checked the hoses going to through hull fittings and we inspected all hose clamps. We checked and charged the battery. We checked the bilge pump, strainers and switches. We checked the hydraulic system for fluid leaks and filled the reservoirs. On the engine we checked the oil, greased the outdrive, cleaned the air filter and replaced fuel filter. We checked the belt tension and checked the alternator for charging capacity. Then we filled the gas tank.
Because Bob would be trailering the boat to his departure point, we performed basic trailer maintenance as well, greasing the wheel bearings, cleaning and oiling the winch, lubricating the jack handle, checking tire pressures and the fluid level in the hydraulic brake reservoir. Since lights on trailers are notorious for having problems we made sure that they were all working by leaving them on for at least thirty seconds. With these checks completed we had greatly increased the chance of a trouble free week on the water.
Finally, we picked up a boat cover from the largest on line cover sales company – Canvas2Cover.com. This cover not only allowed us to keep the boat dry and safe from abrasions, but provided an alternative canvas cover for camping.
Packing the right clothes for a trip of this sort follows the same rules as packing for any trip. Be sure to include your best foul weather gear. Because of the limited space on boats, I always suggest that when you are finished, go back through what you have packed and remove half. Keep in mind that many marinas offer Laundromat services.
Doing all this stuff may seem like a heap of work, but in fact the preparations for a boat trip can be fun for the whole family, so be sure to get everyone involved. One of the activities I recommend before any trip is to gather everyone on the boat that plans to travel and run through scenarios that may be encountered on the trip. I call it, boat awareness drills. So a couple of days before leaving, I got into the boat with Bob and his family and we went through a few standard drills. We reviewed where to sit and where not to sit; the location of lines and fenders and proper docking procedures; the location and storage of fire extinguishers and life jackets; what to do if someone falls overboard; how to rig a towing line and how to place an emergency call on the VHF radio.
On the afternoon before departure day, we went online and printed off a detailed weather forecast for the lake. While rain can make for soggy boating and poor visibility, it’s the winds that create the greatest problem for boaters because of the resulting wave action. But the forecast was promising so there was no reason to consider postponing the trip.
As is recommended by the Coast Guard, Bob filed an informal “float plan” with me by giving me the size, color and numbers for his boat, his family members on board, the schedule for their travels and his cell phone number.
I went over to Bob and Judy’s place early on Saturday morning to say goodbye. Everyone was very excited but confident that they were well prepared for the adventure ahead. I was delighted to have helped, knowing few experiences can bring a family closer together than spending a week together on a boat.
Bill Jennings is a boater, a writer, and provides boat ratings, at his website www.werateboats.com. Visit his site www.acepropeller.com for marine prop information.
