To avoid injury to yourself and your boat, Tom-N-Jerrys Boats recommends a few tips for proper docking, anchoring, and bilge care. Before leaving the dock, make sure that you have at least one anchor prepared. This means that the anchor is bent on to your anchor line and ready to go when you need it. If your boat is a larger watercraft, it is reasonable to have two anchors tied on and ready to go. You should always carry three dock lines that allow you to tie up to docks or anywhere else that you anchor. While you may only need one line at a time, if the weather is hectic or the waters are choppy, using more than one line is wise. You would regret receiving damage to your hull because the boat was being tossed around and against the dock.
Before starting your motor, Tom-N-Jerrys Boats also tells boaters to check their bilges to ensure they are dry enough. This is also the time to make sure that the bilge pumps are not running for too long. If there is any oil in the reservoirs, clean it up. An excess of oil will result in a spill over that is not only messy, but hazardous to the waters. Something that many boaters do not think to do is to carry at least one fender while boating. Fenders come in very handy for docking, and even more so for instances where your boat needs to be towed to safety.
