Free Boating Tips

With regular maintenance you should have years and years of safe boating. But what do you do if your boat’s engine won’t start? Below is a list of common problems to look for that may save you a lot of heartache. 

Firstly, if your engine won’t start and you are out on the water you need to stay calm and drop anchor. Staying where you are increases your safety and stops you from drifting out to sea. Always drop the anchor and take a few minutes to contemplate what you are going to do if your engine fails.

If your engine won’t start it usually can be traced back to two factors, either the fuel or the ignition. Firstly, you should look at the obvious things as to why your engine is not starting.

Is there any fuel in the tank? It is an obvious one but many people fail to regularly check this even before they go out on the water. Is the fuel line free from obstructions and not kinked in anyway? Check the primer bulb is tight to ensure fuel is getting to the carburettor.  Also make sure the kill switch isn’t switched on which would prevent your boat from starting.

Once these checks have been done it is time to look elsewhere. Are the battery cables connected tightly to the battery? Look at the spark plugs and see what condition they are in. They should be clean and in one piece. If they are dark, chipped or cracked it is time to get new ones. See if the spark plug is firing by pulling it out, placing it on a surface and turn the motor over. See if you can see a spark, and if not make sure the leads are firmly connected.

If the engine is still not starting look elsewhere. Have a look around the boat to see if there are any noticeable problems such as broken leads, cables or electronics. Have a quick look around your boat and see if you can see anything out of the ordinary.

Once you have done all of these checks you should have got your motor up and running. If not it is time to call in a professional to either fix it on the spot or tow you back to shore.

Safety is a priority when boating and one safety move everyone should know how to perform is an emergency stop.

Emegency stops are vital in boating to stop the progress of your boat. To perform an emergency stop:

1) Look behind to ensure no-one is directly behind you.

2) Yell out ‘Emegency Stop - Brace’ so eveybody onboad can grab hold of something.

3) Move the throttle into the neutral position. The throttle must be kept in neutral for around half to one second. If you go straight into reverse you will damage your motor and the blade of the propellor will not dig in and stop the boat.

4) After this second in neutral, engage reverse and give enough throttle to stop the boat. The emergency stop is complete.

Another way of performing an emergency stop is to simply put the boat in neutral and turn sharply to one side. This will quickly reduce any momentum the boat has and bring you to a sudden stop.

Practice your emegency stops so in an emergency you will be able to perform one. Remembcer to keep the gap between the forward and reverse motion to avoid motor damage and to ensure the boat stops as quickly as possible. 

Knowing when the conditions are right to go boating is an important skill. It is very frustrating to get up before dawn, head all the way down to the water to find the conditions are terrible. Below are a few things you can look for to make sure conditions are favourable.

• Look online for weather forecasts. The internet will provide the most up to date boating forecasts. Just remember to use a government site where possible and always be sure to check when the site was last updated. If it was updated a few days before you are going boating then the information may no longer be relevant.
• Boating conditions from newspapers and news reports is often old so don’t rely on these updates.
• Try to go boating when the swell is 1.5 Metres to 2 Metres or less (Under 6.5 foot). If the swell is any larger than this it may make the boat trip slow and uncomfortable especially for smaller boats.
• Try to go out when the wind is offshore (the wind is blowing from land to ocean). A sea breeze will once again slow you down and make the seas far more rough than a offshore breeze.
• Try to aim for the wind to be 15 Knots or less. Any more than this and the water will get choppy. Even if the wind is offshore, as you get deeper out you will find the ocean getting more and more rough.
• Always try to scan the water before you go out. Look for any hazards such as reefs breaking or a change in wind direction.
• If the wind is travelling the wrong way for your boating trip, consider changing your trip into a bay or inlet or an area where the incorrect wind will have minimal impact.

Remember, get up to date forecasts and be sure to only use your boat when the conditions are favourable (especially if you are a small boat owner).