3 Summer Boating Tips Every New Boater Needs to Know
Here at Kooper’s Marine, we’re happier than just about anyone (except maybe our clients) about the summer’s arrival. We believe that the Michigan summer is one of the best to experience on the water, and that every boater should enjoy the great lakes to their fullest. That being said, boating is more than just putting a craft in the water and going for a joyride; new boaters should be aware of three critical aspects of boating if they want to safely sail the seven seas. In today’s blog post, we’ll be discussing the 3 summer boating tips that every new boater needs to know.
1. Always Check the Weather
“Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.” You may have heard this phrase before, but did you know it truly serves as a good rule of thumb? In fact, Shakespeare himself referenced this saying in one of his most famous poems, “Venus and Adonis:”
“Like a red morn, that ever yet betoken’d
Wrack to the seaman, tempest to the field,
Sorrow to shepherds, woe unto the birds,
Gusts and foul flaws to herdmen and to herds.”
Pretty foreboding message, if you ask us.
Luckily, we don’t have to rely on sailor’s aphorisms to avoid Shakespearean levels of disaster. A simple check of the weather on your phone or, even better, checking the boating conditions on your local news channel’s website, can help you avoid danger entirely or even clue you into unexpectedly fair conditions on a seemingly overcast day.
Even so, for all our advanced meteorology, there’s still no certainty in weather predictions. That’s why it’s critically important to prepare yourself and your boat to navigate out of and away from any unexpected signs of inclement weather.
When you come to Kooper’s Marine to take a look at our outboard motors and boats for sale, we sell only the most reliable boats and boating supplies on the market. If one of our professionals was caught in a storm at sea, we’d want them to have one of our Yamaha outboard motor to help them crest the choppy waves.
2. Get Comfortable Slowing Your Boat
Most people who operate a boat have operated a car before. While this is great in helping new boaters adjust to head-checking, seafaring courtesy, and acceleration, it leaves one potentially dangerous blind spot: slowing down.
If you’re new to driving a boat but drive a car regularly, the instinct to come to a stop using your brakes will likely give you a false sense of security.
As you may have guessed, though, boats don’t have breaks.
That’s why we recommend always keeping a careful eye on your speed and going a couple miles per hour slower than you feel is the upper limit to your safe speed. When determining what your safe speed is, we recommend keeping in mind three main factors:
- Visibility Conditions
- Density of Traffic
- Heavy Seas
Of course, there are a wide range of factors to keep in mind when determining your speed on the water, though these three will likely comprise most factors for your decisions on the throttle.
If you prefer a slower-going, safer, more relaxing option when on the water to minimize the stress of keeping an eye on your speed, then we’d recommend looking at our pontoon boats for sale. Pontoon boats are ideal for nabbing the smoothest ride on any tide, and they’re the perfect option for families or those with large social circles.
3. Learn the Perfect Trim Angle
With the safety tips out of the way, we’d recommend getting acquainted with your boat’s trim for the quickest way to maximize your experience.
While your boat will generally run just fun at most trim angles, getting the perfect trim angle will optimize your boat for the best maneuvering, speed, and responsiveness.
To optimize your trim angle, we recommend making small adjustments to your trim when out for a spin. In particular, you should be trying to achieve a comfortable balance between bringing your stern deeper into the water and your bow tilted up, so that you’re gliding across the water as opposed to forcing your way through it.
Additionally, choosing the right outboard motor for your boating style will have an immense impact on the way you boat and what you can achieve; for more information on choosing the right outboard motor, check out last month’s blog post here.
Are you interested in buying the boat of your dreams so you can enjoy the Michigan summer on some of the most beautiful freshwater in the world? If so, contact us today to get your boat to-be in the water before the summer ends!
