Tips for Taking Care of Your First Rental Boat

Renting a boat for a day out on the water is the ideal way to spend an afternoon with friends or family. Before you head out, there are some important things to understand about boat rental maintenance. Failing to maintain your rental boat can lead to a loss of your deposit or result in less fun for everyone on the boat.

Here’s what you need to know.

Know basic boating rules

Proper first rental boat maintenance begins before you even get to the marina. We recommend starting by understanding some basic boating rules. It’s crucial to know things like how fast to operate the boat, which direction to drive on the lake and what buoys mean. Having a basic understanding of the rules keeps you out of hot water and ensures you have a fun time on the lake.

Perform an inspection before climbing aboard

If you rent a boat from a reputable marina, the boat should be safely prepared and ready to go—but it doesn’t hurt to check for any obvious signs of damage before you head out on the lake. Looking for damage (and notifying the employees about any damage) can keep you safe and avoid having to pay for damage that you didn’t cause.

Pay attention to the attendant’s instructions

A marina employee will give you a basic rundown of how to operate the boat and navigate the lake. We know you’ll be excited to get out there, but be sure to pay close attention to everything the attendant has to say. Neglecting to follow their instructions can damage the boat or even lead to injuries.

Stay away from shallow waters

Your attendant will probably cover this one (and you should hopefully already know it), but be sure to stay out of shallow waters. Getting too close to the shore can lead to you getting stuck and damaging the boat. Trust us, the last thing you want to pay for is boat repairs!

Don’t wear shoes

Shoes tend to leave scuff marks on boat decks, which is the last thing marina owners want to see when a rental boat is returned. To help us, we kindly ask that you don’t wear shoes while onboard. Plus, you don’t want to swim in your shoes.

Keep the deck clean

Another critical component of boat rental maintenance is keeping the deck clean at all times. Put all discarded food wrappers, cans, bottles or other waste in the provided trash can to prevent it from falling into the water or causing a tripping hazard.

Take all your trash with you

Speaking of trash, be sure to take it with you after you get off the boat. Taking your trash with you helps keep our waters and boats as clean as possible.

It’s never too early to schedule your boat rental

Now certainly isn’t the time to get out on the water, but it’s never too early to start planning for next year. Contact Trinity Alps Marina today to schedule boat rental for next season and learn more about first rental boat maintenance.

Categorised in: Boat Rental

This post was written by Writer