Boat Safety Drills While on the Water

Even if it’s not quite boating season yet, it’s never a bad time to start planning boat safety.

And here at Jet Dock, we take boating safety seriously, because being on the water is the most fun when your safety isn’t at risk. Get ready for boating season with these boating safety drills and boating best practices. Below we break down what you should do before getting on the water, while you’re out at sea, and what you should do when you get back on land.

Prepare for Getting on the Water

Before you even get on your boat test your knowledge as captain! Here’s a helpful boating pre-departure checklist to help ensure you have everything you need before going out on the water.

But besides your knowledge as captain, you have to make sure your passengers are aware of safety best practices and what to do in case of an emergency. This is why ships such as cruise ships are required to give what is called a Muster Drill. While this isn’t necessary for short trips such as yachting, ferries, dinner cruises, and riverboats as the captain, you can take what key points from a Muster Drill and customize it, so it applies to your boat.

In a Muster Drill on cruises, typically the safety alarm is sounded, a muster station is assigned, and passengers receive a demo about the usage of life jackets and lifeboats. While your boat probably doesn't have all the safety features a cruise ship does, you can highlight in your drill the location of fire extinguishers, the location of life vests and how to use them. Sure, you’re not headed out to sea on a long journey, regardless safety should always be a priority.

While You’re on the Water

Since most boating accidents are caused by the operator of the boat, it’s crucial that the captain stays vigilant while out on the water. One way to help make sure your captain stays fit to drive is having them refrain from drinking alcohol while operating the boat. Sure, alcohol is allowed on boats, but just like a car, you wouldn’t want someone drinking and driving at the wheel.

Another tactic to support boat safety is having a second in command. This person should be equally knowledgeable about operating the boat and boating safety. This way if something happens to your captain, you have someone to get everyone to shore safely. Even if it’s a short journey, it’s better to be safe rather than sorry.

Getting Back on Land

Have peace of mind when you get back on land by docking your boat one a floating boat dock.  Docking your boat at a floating walkway system helps make getting on and off your boat easier for all your passengers. Floating walkway systems come in a variety of shapes so you can find the perfect one to fit your boat’s size such as an l-shape walkway, u-shape walkway, or t-shaped floating walkway. Bonus: these walkways are portable so you can take it wherever you may be boating, and it’s a no slip dock surface.

Have questions about boat safety or making sure your boat dock is safe? Contact us and our experts here at Jet Dock with your boating questions.

Other important safety articles

• Crew overboard prevention and safety tips
• How to use a boat fire extinguisher
• Boating safety tips: Is it safe to take a baby onboard?
• Summer safety tips for boating with dogs
• Boat navigation light safety tips
• 6 safety tips for preparing for storms
• 6 safety tips for boating in a storm
• Boating safety tips and checklist
• 4 ways to improve boating safety