Marine Accessories

Now is a good time to go over your marine accessories list and make sure everything on you list is in good condition and if not you have all winter to purchase new marine accessories or fix the ones that can be fixed.  Your marine accessories list is a very important list to keep up to date because it should contain a lot of safety items on it such as life vest to a fire extinguisher and even a red flag to let other boaters know when someone is in the water.

If you do not have a marine accessories list to use when you are getting ready to go on a boating trip you need to create one.  The list first should contain safety items that are needed on a boat when in use such as a life vest a fire extinguisher even an oar and even such items as an extra propeller.   Your marine accessories list should even contain some marine accessories such as a tow  rope and a red flag so you need to work on your marine accessories list all the time.

Their are a lot of items we need on our boat to help keep the boat working better and help to keep us safe when we are boating and this should me called your marine accessories list.  Your marine accessories should be checked the start of each boating season to make sure you have on  your marine accessories list is in good condition such as are your life vest in good shape and the proper sizes for everyone who will be boating with you and is you boat propeller in good condition and is your fire extinguisher in good condition as well do you know where it is.

Now is the time to start getting ready for the boating season that is just around the corner.  Get you marine accessories list out and make sure it is complete and that everything on it is good condition.  With the price of gasoline rising we want to check our marine accessories list for items that will help the economy of the boat such as our prop and and Bennett Trim Tabs, if we do not have trim tabs we should consider putting them on because they will really save us money.   Our marine accessories list should have life vest on it and we need to make sure our life jackets or in good shape and are the proper size.

People think of marine accessories as items such as wake boards, water inflatables and water guns well they can be marine accessories but the ones we want to have is items such as life vest, fire extinguisher, oar and a spare propeller.  We should look at marine accessories as items that keep us safe and help us if something goes wrong with our boat that will help stay safe and get back to our dock.  CB radios or not as common as they used to be because we all have cell phones but if we are in an area that the phone may not work a CB radio would be a nice marine accessories to have.

When you are using electronic items on your boat you want to make sure they are waterproof such as your GPS unit, marine stereos and your waterproof radios.  Usually if the item is called marine means it is waterproof so the item can survive a wet environment.  Waterproof radios can be a radio mounted in the dash or a hand held radio that you use to communicate with other boaters with or someone on shore if you have a problem when out on the water.

If you are a boater and you boat just a little or a lot of time you need to have a marine accessories list of items that you need on your boat and in good working order.  The most important item on you marine accessories list should be a good condition life jacket that fits properly you also need a fire extinguisher that is working.  You need an oar so you can get to help if your engine stops working and you need a horn to alert people of your where a bouts and their are several other items you want to put on your list that may not be Coast Guard but you want to have on your boat such as a spare prop, a battery charger or jump cables, and a spot light if you are out a night.

The Northwest, and specifically the Puget Sound in Western Washington, is home to a number of unique and diverse marine creatures.  The Northwest has become a central location for the study of marine biology, oceanography, and marine science with its thousands of different marine species and distinctive underwater ecology.  Northwest Universities, like the University of Washington located in Seattle, have extensive academic departments dedicated to the study of marine life in the Puget Sound. 

With diverse marine environments including tide pools, shallows, reefs, and even hydrothermal vents off the coast, the Northwest and the Puget Sound present an ideal location for marine enthusiasts both academic and private from around the world. Although I’m by no means an expert in the field, I’ve began exploring the Puget Sound on my own during weekends and my free time. Despite having little more than a GPS system and a couple of marine radios, I’ve been able to witness some amazing wildlife.

Marine accessories are items that you need to have on your boat, some are Coat Guard required and some just make boating much more safer and fun.  A Coast Guard approved life vest is required for everyone on your boat and children under the age of 13 must have a life vest on at all time when in the boat.  A fire extinguisher is also a required item along with a horn and you also must have a blower in the engine compartment, having these items ensure a safe boat trip.  In addition to all the equipment that the U. S. Coast Guard requires, certain equipment and supplies just make common sense to have. The following are items that should be carried aboard:

• VHF Radio
• Anchor and ground tackle
• Bilge Pump and or bailer
• Boat hook
• Charts and navigation publications
• Compass
• Detectors and alarms
• Fenders
• Lines
• First aid kit
• Flashlight and searchlight
• Spare parts and tools

There is really no wrong way to spend a day on a boat. Whether you’re fishing, skiing, tubing or just cruising around the lake, there is something inherently captivating about sailing on the open water. That being said, having a few peripheral marines accessories onboard certainly won’t detract from your enjoyment.

One accessory that is indispensable in my opinion is a marine stereo, especially if you are fishing or just floating in the middle of the lake. Some people say you shouldn’t sully the serene nature of the water with music but I feel it simply enhances the experience. And with the amazing advancements in marine stereo technology, a static signal and shoddy sound quality are things of the past.