The purchase of a boat allows you to live unique experiences, sailing on the waters of lakes and seas in complete freedom while enjoying the sportiness of a motorboat and the luxury of a yacht.
Before leaving onboard your boat, you should always keep a few things in mind, whether it is a half-day outing or a multi-day holiday.
Check your engine insurance
If you own a boat with an outboard motor, the engine must be insured, so even before planning your trip, you must check that the insurance has been taken out and is still valid.
However, the boat’s engine is equated to that of land vehicles, so it is possible to resort to motor liability insurance by submitting the declaration of engine power, without further bureaucratic steps.
Check the fuel
As for cars and motorbikes, it is good to check your boat’s fuel level before leaving, but unlike land vehicles, it is much more challenging to refuel once you have embarked on your route.
Your boat’s autonomy is influenced by the speed, the capacity of the tank, the engine, and its location (inboard or outboard), making it difficult to make a universal estimate of autonomy: you should contact the boat manufacturer for more specifications.
If you run out of fuel at sea, marine towboats can come to the rescue, but your holiday is now ruined!
Carry out maintenance work
Before going out on the boat after a long period of inactivity, you should carry out a general check-up of all the boat’s systems. In particular, the electronics (battery level, electrical panel, and contacts) and the engine (spark plugs, impeller, and oil change) must be checked, also verifying that the annual coupon has been made.
You can also take the opportunity to check that all the necessary safety equipment is on board.
After the boat outing, it must be washed with fresh water to eliminate salt, and this also includes the engine (ideally using wash caps), the cushions, the anchor, and its chain.
Find out about your destination
As well as providing the appropriate nautical charts, shipowners should also inform themselves about their destination: whether there are limitations to navigation, whether specific permits and other regulatory exceptions are required. For example, in the Lagoon of Venice, it is possible to sail only by displaying a particular plate issued by Mira’s territorial systems.
With the right preparations, you will always be ready to leave to live unique experiences aboard your 340 REGINA: find out more by contacting us.
