If you’re planning on renting a boat to enjoy the open waters, you can expect to have a fun and exciting time. But to prevent a disaster from occurring and ruining your trip, there are several things you should remember to bring. Here are a few pieces of essential equipment to bring along for your boat rental in Milwaukee.
Navigational Devices
When you’re out on the water, it’s easy for you to get disoriented and forget where you are. You can lose your sense of direction very quickly. But when you have navigational aids, including a GPS, a compass and a depth sounder, you have less of a chance of getting lost.
Anchor
Boats should not leave the shore without having an anchor. To get the right sized anchor, you should ask the place for your boat rental in Milwaukee. The chain on the anchor should be equal to the boat’s length and there should also be a non-floating rope that is secured to your boat.
Communications Equipment
Few experiences are as scary as getting stuck in the middle of the water without any way of communicating with somebody at shore. You might wonder if you will be stuck out there for hours or even days depending on where you are. That’s why you should bring a variety of communications devices with you. Your communications devices should include an emergency beacon, flares, your cell phone and a radio on the boat if it is available. You should also give someone on shore your itinerary of where you plan on going so if you don’t return according to schedule it will be easier to find your general location.
First Aid Kit
You should never go out on the open waters without bringing a first aid kit with you. Your kit should include supplies that will help in the event of a minor injury or accident, such as bandages and tourniquets. You should also bring along some medication to help treat sea sickness as well as sun block to avoid major sunburns.
Buoyancy Aids
It’s essential to have life jackets and other buoyancy aids on board your boat for every person who is traveling with you. Make sure there is a life jacket that fits each person snugly so it can serve as an effective flotation device in case something happens with the boat. In fact, each person should be wearing their life jacket the entire time on the boat in case of an accident.
For all of these supplies and more, visit American Marine and Motorsports in the greater Milwaukee area. You’ll find safety gear, water skiing equipment and much more. Visit our store online by going to americanmarina.com.