How To Improve Your Boating Skills
Improving your boating skills can lead to safer, smoother, and more enjoyable voyages. New and experienced boaters alike have room to grow and continue honing their skills.
We've gathered up the following strategies for improving your boating skills. For more tips or to shop boats for sale, visit Rockingham Boat. Our dealership is located in Hampstead, New Hampshire, and we also serve those in Manchester and Nashua.
Take a Specialized Boating Course (or Several)
The Strategy
There are an impressive array of courses available to boaters. They can be free or paid and in-person or online. BoatUS, for example, offers many course options and also does some collaboration with the United States Coast Guard. Boating courses cover various topics such as navigation, safety, and understanding boat systems and electronics. Think about where you have room to improve, then find a matching boating course.
The Benefits
- A structured class can provide valuable information in an easy-to-retain way.
- A professional teacher will be guiding you and able to correct mistakes and answer questions.
- Meet other boaters at a similar experience level.
Get Better at Docking
The Strategy
Proper docking can be a tough boating skill to master. The more time you dedicate to practicing, the faster you will improve and the better you will become. Practice docking in a variety of settings, such as on a windy day or a high traffic day on the water resulting in waves. It's also helpful to practice different approaches and with different docks.
The Benefits
- Become better equipped to handle difficult docking situations.
- Make the docking process less stressful.
- Require fewer attempts at successfully docking, which saves time and energy.
Get Better at Tying Knots
The Strategy
Knots are required in a variety of boating situations, from securing cargo to docking the boat. Improperly tied knots can quickly come undone, which cause frustration and bothersome situations (such as items getting lost). There are many online tutorials available or you can seek out experts for in-person and hands-on training.
The Benefits
- Reduce the number of times you need to re-tie something.
- Ensure that your tied up cargo or boat is secure.
- Be ready to tie a secure and reliable knot in a high-stress emergency situation, such as when an individual falls overboard and needs to be tossed a lifebuoy.
Get Organized
The Strategy
Organizational skills are an often-overlooked part of the marine lifestyle. But they are important! Taking the time to create or improve your boat organization is a wise approach.
For example:
- Create checklists for various boating activities, such as the pre-launch procedure or trailering the boat.
- Organize the items stored on board so you can more easily find them.
- Organize the safety supplies and double check expiration dates on items such as fire extinguishers and medications in the first aid kit.
The Benefits
- Spend less time looking up procedure steps or looking for items - and more time enjoying the boat!
- Be prepared for an emergency situation.
- Ensure that you have all the items you need and want for a boat ride.
Looking to shop boats for sale? Check out the selection at Rockingham Boat. Explore the models online or stop by our dealership in Hampstead, New Hampshire. We also proudly serve those in Manchester and Nashua, New Hampshire.