Did you know that US boat sales, marine products, and services were all estimated to total $42 billion in 2019?
With so much time, energy, and money going into our marine products, it’s important to take good care of them — both on land and in the sea. Luckily, we’re here to help you learn how to do exactly that.
That starts with knowing how to care for your boat during transportation and how to make the most of the process. Read on for three of the best tips to optimize your boat transportation.
1. Secure Everything
First step: make sure all of your belongings are secure.
Whether you’re transporting across the street or across an ocean, it’s important to make sure everything is safe before you take off. That means taping down hatches and interior cabinet doors to help avoid leaks and other possible damage.
It’s also important to ensure all windows are latched, and that all cabin and exteriors doors are closed and locked.
For an extra layer of protection, you can also insure your boat in the event that something happens.
2. Invest in a Decent Trailer
Next, it’s important to invest in a decent trailer. You might think that hooking your boat up to a tractor-trailer for your haul is a good idea, but you’d be mistaken. These hauls can take a lot of time, effort, and planning, and it’s important to make sure you have the best of the best.
If your trailer is going to be placed inside salt water, it’s important to have the right frame. It’s going to be subject to a lot more corrosion than boats that are mostly used in freshwater, so ideally you’ll have an aluminum or galvanized steel trailer. You can view these aluminum boat trailers to get a better idea of what’s out there.
To help your trailer maintain its best shape, you should also rinse it off after every haul.
3. Empty the Tanks
It’s important to keep your boat as light as possible during transport. That means ensuring any and all of your fuel tanks are no more than one-quarter of the way full. It also means you should remove drain plugs from the hull and any water in the bilge.
It can be smart to use a chlorine bleach solution to flush and sanitize your tanks and to also drain the air conditioners, pumps, and water systems.
Ready to Optimize Your Boat Transportation?
Now that we’ve gone over three of the best and most efficient ways to optimize your boat transportation, are you ready to get started? Whether it’s your first or 25th time transporting your boat, there are almost always ways to make the entire process easier. Eventually, you’ll build your own routine and the entire thing will become second nature.
Until then, check out the rest of our website for the latest in lifestyle and boating.