Boating is fun and quite relaxing. No matter the purpose, a simple trip in the middle of the sea or battling against the monstrous fish in the bay, boating is always a soothing and dreamy experience. However, if you are setting sail without proper preparation in terms of gears and equipment, dreams can turn into a nightmare very quickly.
In this piece, we are going to list 5 essential pieces of gear for hassle-free boating. This gear can sometimes prove to be life-saving in case you enter a dangerous situation in the middle of the ocean. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the list!
5 Essential Pieces of Gear for Hassle-free Boating
Here are 5 essential pieces of gear that you definitely need to have on your boat to make sure you are going to have a hassle-free trip.
- Portable Generator for Boat
You can’t simply rely on batteries when you are cruising on the ocean. Batteries don’t last forever, and a lot of the time, your boating equipment will consume more power than you think. Keeping a portable generator for a boat is a wise option. It is important to make sure that you use one that is built to a high standard and produced by a reputable brand.
Using a portable generator near a large body of water means there will be a splash of water here and there, and it will sometimes drown the generator. Using a generator that has a waterproofed outer shell is essential and is one of the most convenient ways of supplying energy to high-power devices while you’re boating. As for portability, these generators are very handy and can be easily carried around. These won’t put a lot of weight on the boat, so you can rest assured that taking a generator with you isn’t going cause any major weight related issues.
- VHF Marine Radio
VHF refers to Very High Frequency. VHF radios are customized and specially made for marine expeditions and open areas where people need to communicate with one another from a very far distance. That’s why the Navy and other forces will often use this radio to establish contact.
Why do you need a VHF marine radio? Well, for two reasons. One, you need to keep yourself safe. In case you think you are getting lost and no navigation is working for you, you can use this radio to send signals around to let people on the shore or in other boats know that you are in danger. Secondly, you can also warn other boaters around if you have observed some potential dangers where you are roaming.
Basically, this radio system is used to establish contact between boats and the shore to keep you connected. It’s going to save your life in case of real danger. However, you must put the radio antenna as high as possible for the signal to reach its due receiver.
- Image Stabilizing Binoculars
When you are riding a boat, you are constantly dancing with the waves, right? It’s highly unlikely that you will be stabilized for even a minute. This is why, if you carry a regular binocular with you, it’s not going to help you a lot. You won’t have a stabilized view of the object you are trying to look at. That’s why you need to have binoculars with image stabilization support.
These types of binoculars will allow you to have a clean look at any object. Even if you are constantly moving with the wave, the image will not shake, and you can get a clear picture. Moreover, most of them will have an autofocus system which saves you time trying to focus on the subject constantly. Plus, an IS binocular offers a maximum field of view that is very useful if you are in the middle of the ocean.
- Dual Purpose Marine Battery
As you are a marine boater, you already know that there are two types of batteries that are used in a boat – a starting battery and a deep cycle battery. While both have different purposes, there’s a third type of battery that tries to serve both with one single cell. That’s known as a dual-purpose marine battery.
Of course, a dual-purpose battery won’t be of the same caliber as two batteries separately. But it will definitely reduce the need for multiple batteries. These dual-purpose batteries provide higher cranking amperage for starting power of the boat and offer low amp power to provide auxiliary services as deep cycle batteries.
Overall, these batteries are going to reduce both the weight and cost of your journey, and can definitely be a great benefit to a lot of boaters. However, if you are planning on a long tour on the boat, it’s probably better to use separate batteries instead of dual-purpose ones.
- Marine Solar System
Finally, a marine solar system can be a great addition to the top of your boat. This isn’t going to be a cheap deal, but it’s definitely worth for a lot of boaters. As we’ve mentioned earlier, relying on batteries may backfire at times in case the battery runs out of power if the trip is longer than expected. However, you can obviously keep an upper hand by housing a portable generator for a boat.
It’s best if you can set an entire solar system on the top of the boat. It’s really easy and super convenient. The solar panel can easily consume power from the sun as the sunlight hits directly on the solar panel’s surface. You can operate all the electric components of the boat with the solar power generated from the panel. If you don’t have any budget constraints, it’s a brilliant way to produce backup power.
Final Words
So, these were the essential gears for hassle-free boating. Obviously, you need some other tools and gears, as well, that may prove to be crucial for a boater. However, missing these items will make the situation worse. That’s why, next time, before you set sail with your boat, make sure you tick this gear off your list.