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by Susan Love

Just about everything we own these days requires some form of maintenance to keep in top-notch shape. Houses need general repairs and once those are done, there are always leaves to rake or lawns to mow. Cars need regular trips to the garage to correct wear and tear problems or to have routine oil changes and tune ups. Boats are no different, and anyone who owns one knows that water and weather are unforgiving, and your water vehicle will need its own fair share of TLC. Regular boat maintenance goes a long way to maintaining smooth-running engines and keeping your boat looking its best.

What Kind of Tasks To Expect

There is other boat maintenance that should be done daily, for those who cruise the water often, or at least once a week if you tend to keep your boat moored at dock more than you are out on the water. Some regular boat maintenance tasks include looking over dock lines and fenders for signs of wear and chafing. Try not to depend on the hired help at the marinas and docks to look out for these things, as they are not always well trained. Washing is also a regular part of boat maintenance and should be done once a week to remove dirt and grime. Feet on decks bring on a fair share of dirt that runs down the sides of the boat when it rains, leaving streaks on the hull. Some locations require you to wash the hulls of your boats before putting them in the water to prevent invasive species.

Boat maintenance includes making sure everything mechanical runs well. Check the oil level of your engine first, and then start the motor to let it run until warm and at operating temperature. Do the same with your A.C. power generator, but do let it run for at least an hour and turn on everything to give it a heavy load. Go the distance with your boat maintenance and check all your batteries to make sure they are not anywhere in the lower operating levels. Safety is a big part of boat maintenance. Make sure all your navigation lights are working, by turning them on and walking around your boat to make sure each light functions properly, and check your horn. You will also want to make sure all your electronics are working, especially anything related to navigation and safety. They may have been working fine last time you were out, but that does not guarantee they are working this time.

Inform yourself on a complete, recommended list of boat maintenance and get in the habit of going down the checklist as often as you can. While having a boat and getting out on the water is fun, taking care of your vehicle with a good boat maintenance routine keeps your boat running well and keeps you and your passengers safe.

by Chris Campbell

Ever find your self leaning over the low side of a boat offering your previously digested lunch to King Neptune while he slaps your face with a few salty waves? No? You just don't know what your missing. Can't say that I have either, and that's just fine with me. One of the things everyone worries about on their first trip, or when buying their first boat is whether they will get seasick. Not to worry. While I've never had to deal with it myself, I have had sailing friends who deal with it every time they go out on their boats. Not that they would ever let it stop them from enjoying their favorite pastime. Here are a few suggested strategies and cures to put your mind at rest if you really want to go boating, but don't have a cast iron stomach.

Prolong the Inevitable

If you know your prone to seasickness, keep these tricks in mind. Stay on deck as much as possible, and keep an eye on the horizon. Going down below to rest if your feeling queasy is a sure way to push you over the edge. Try not to sit too much. They say that sitting is the position most likely to induce seasickness. Trying to stay busy wile on the boat tends to keep the queasy feeling away. Proably the reason I've never experienced it, is I always seem to be the guy on the wheel, or messing around with the sails. Could be a mental thing as well. If you have medication for seasickness, be sure to take it sooner than later. Better to have the medicine working when the heavy weather hits, then to go scrambling for some pills when it starts. If you going to be on a long boating trip, try to spend a few days on the boat before leaving the dock. It gives your body a chance to acclimate to the motion of the boat before it really starts moving around on the open water.

Dealing With The Devil

Once your sick, you have no choice but to deal with it. Transcutaneous electrical nerve simulators (often called TENS) use electrical stimulation to combat seasickness. They have no side effects, and you shouldn't even notice them while wearing the bands on your arm. Accupressure wristbands can be used in the early or late stages of the sickness. Queaz-Away Band is one of the name brands. There are a number of medicinal aids as well for tackling the sickness. Some are Stugeron, Bonine, Dranamine and Phenergan. The Transderm Scop patch is another product, whose side effects have been reduced as the product has improved.

As you can see, there are plenty of options for dealing with seasickness. So, you no longer have any excuses to put off your boating adventures any longer. Happy sailing.

by Chris Campbell

How do you get to the grocery store when your a thousand miles from shore, and a thousand and two miles from the nearest grocery store? The short answer is you don't. The longer answer will be presented here, and it begins with a trip down below to see what you've got stashed in the galley of your boat. Provisioning for a extended boating trip is no small task. If you forget something, there's no quick run to the convenience store to pick up a couple of things. Out in the middle of the ocean, if you can't catch it, or find it somewhere in the galley, your not going to eat it. Here's a few quick ideas to get you started thinking about boat provisioning.

To start a list of what kind of provisions you think you'll need, draw up a menu with a weeks worth of meals your boating crew would enjoy. Then figure out what would be required to make each meal. This list should be a good base to build from when you actually start buying items for the boat trip.

Be sure to have some very simple to prepare meals. When weather is rough, and the boat galley is an unworkable environment, some pre-packaged meals that require no heating will be a saving grace.

Keep an eye out for foods that will stay fresh for long periods of time, or are packaged in such a way as to say fresh longer. Cheese that is packaged in wax, will stay good for a very long time. Some salami, sausage and pepperoni that is keep in the non-refrigerated section of the grocery store will stay good for months at a time.

Anywhere you can find a place to store snacks, be sure to take advantage of it. Boating always seems to make people hungry, but doesn't always seem to provide the opportunity to stop what your doing and make something fancy. Healthy snacks will be better to fuel the fires that keep the crew and the boat going.

Be careful of what foods you store together. They're not always compatible. Apples and carrots stored together, will often cause bitterness in the carrots. If onions are stored with potatoes, the onions will steal moisture from the potatoes.

Most fruit should be bought in the not-yet-ripe state, and then stored in a way to slow down the ripening process. Green apples stored in the dark should last a couple of weeks.

Give some thought to were you store items in the boat. Storage lockers closer to the hull and below the waterline will be cooler, and better for produce. Especially if you are going to be boating in warm tropical areas.

While there is a lot to consider, some thorough and logical planning will make things smoother come launch day. And while you may forget a few items, or lose a few perishables in transit, don't fret. It's only a thousand and two miles to the nearest grocery store.