Boating and Swimming

All marine vessels plying around the navigable waters around the country are subject to federal boating regulations. In fact, all commercial and recreational vessels plying on navigable waters around the country are subject to the United States inland laws, the Coast Guard boating regulations and other applicable laws of the state where the boat is registered.

Recreational boats of different sizes and purposes are governed by different set of boating regulations. For regulation purposes, recreational boats are classified under four categories namely; (a) under 16 feet, (b) 16 feet to under 26 feet, (c) 26 feet to under 40 feet, and (d) 40 feet to under 65 feet.

The Coast Guard is very concerned when it comes to safety it imposes strict boating rules and regulations. It requires all vessels to carry visual distress signal devices on board including a combination of day/night red flares or one orange distress flag and one electric distress light. The Coast Guard has strict rules when it comes to the kind of life jackets and floatation devices to be used on board so boat owners have to be very careful when it comes to these things. Easy access to lifejackets both for adults and for kids while on baord is also very important.

When it comes to warning devices, all boats are required to have sound producing devices and navigations lights. Smaller crafts may use horns and whistles to as navigation warning equipment. On the other hand, larger vessels that are more than 39.4 feet are required by the Coast Guard to have stronger sound signaling devices that can be heard for about ½ mile. When it comes to ventilation, gasoline powered boats that have enclosed fuel tank must comply with government approved ventilation standards. Boats that were built after April 25, 1940 to have natural ventilation and backfire flame arrestor. Exhaust blowers are also required for boats that were built after July 31, 1980. As added precaution, the Coast Guard also requires all types of boats to have at least one Marine Type USCG B-I or three B-I fire extinguishers on board.

Aside from complying with Coast Guard boat regulations, boat owners must also follow local state laws. As protocol, all boats are required to keep a certificate of State Registration or certificate of number on board. Failure to keep a certificate of state registration or certificate of number on board can lead to legal sanctions including suspension of registration and payment of penalties.

As long as you aren’t afraid of a little bit of water, living on a boat can turn out to be quite a bit of fun and a great experience. Seriously though, some people think they are going to love living on a boat at the thought of it only to find out just how terrifying it is to rock back and forth on the water during a storm when trying to sleep at night. Other people find living on a boat too isolating, especially when traveling to far away places on by water. On the other hand some people absolutely love the freedom and feel of living on the deep blues waters of the world.

Even though the space can be a little confining in a boat, even families love living together onboard. No matter how much you like to adventure, there may be things that are just too different from living in a traditional home to make you feel comfortable. Things like dishes don’t have much space to call home and you can forget about using a dishwasher to keep them clean. You’ll even need to strap many of your belongings down so they won’t roll around or break in rough waters which can happen even when the boat is docked.

The traditional shower or bath you might be used to won’t be as you know it anymore, because there usually is not room for more than a small standing stall. Being pretty limited as it is for 2 people, you could imagine just how cozy things would be for a small family of 3 or 4. So if you plan to live on a boat with your family, it’s advised that you are close knit and enjoy spending a lot of time together. There are some great things about living on a boat such as the money you would save on power, water, heating and other expenses that usually come along with living in a traditional house. You can also use satellite for television enjoyment and wireless Internet if that’s your thing so don’t feel you’ll be totally lost to the world just because you live on a boat. Something that is important when living on a boat is to have communication tools available even when traditional land line phones and mobile phones won’t work. It’s also important to learn the water rules when traveling to make your living experience as pleasurable, safe and legal as possible.

Families, fisherman and friends alike love to spend time on boats during the summer as well as various other times of year, so much so that more and more people invest in one every single year. The problem with purchasing a boat nowadays though is the fact that everything comes right off the factory line without any consideration to a consumer’s particular needs. And for this reason is purchasing a custom boat extremely popular, but also pretty pricey. Consider the fact that you’ll spend up to 50% more on a custom boat than you will on a boat that comes right off the line.

Is this something that sounds good to you? What if you were to find out that custom really means custom including the boat layout as well as the colors and pretty much anything else you can think of. It truly is an ideal investment if it is something you can afford, because a custom boat can allow for an enhanced overall experience. Better yet, you can even customize your boat to be the best it can be for the activities you like such as fishing and skiing or anything else you can possibly think of, talk about a specialized boat!

The good news is that when you purchase a custom boat you don’t have to incorporate everything you want into it all at once. You can actually start with what you are comfortable so you can start to enjoy the boat while adding to it as you can. Also, if you are looking for a way to incorporate some things you want that are specific but you are on a limited budget, you can always invest in a partial custom boat. For example you can buy the shell of the boat and then choose from a number of custom samplings to make the boat how you would like it to be.

It’s a good idea to shop in person when choosing a custom boat or even to work closely with a design expert to hash out exactly what you want before even begin to shop around. If you don’t you might end up with something you imagined, but isn’t an actual reality which will cost you more money customizing the boat in the long run. The bottom line is that purchasing a custom boat is the best way to enjoy the experience of being a boat owner without having to worry about having a boat that is so similar to everyone else around.

All vehicles that are currently driving on the road today have to be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles by law. This is because, just like those types of vehicles, boats can be dangerous and the state wants to know what boats are on its waters. Many people forget to register their boats and find themselves faced with stiff fines when are caught boating without registration paperwork. In the end, it’s easier to just go through the boating registration process just like it is with cars and trucks; there’s far less hassle in the end.

When it comes to boats, there are two types, non-powered and powered; only one of these types has to be registered by law. Powered boats are boats that have any kind of power source at all – whether it’s a legitimate power system or even just a small auxiliary power system. The law states that any powered boat that’s used in water of the state must first be registered with the DMV; “water of the state” is any stream, lake or pond regardless of size and all of the salt water up until three miles out. These boats must go through the boat registration process; failing to properly register a boat will result in stiff penalties.

The fees that you pay for going through the boat registration process are not large at all, especially when compared to how much it costs to register some other vehicles. For powered boats – which is what nearly all boats being registered are – the fee is only $24.00. For non-powered boats, which haven’t been required to be registered since June of 2004, the fee is only $10 and is entirely voluntary. However, always remember that if you choose to remove your boat’s power source, you cannot obtain a refund for your registration fee; and if you add a power source to a boat, you must immediately register the change and pay the DMV’s $24.00 registration fee if you intend to use it.

To complete a boat registration, there are some steps you must go through. First, you have to complete the DMV’s boat registration application paperwork, which is available either directly from the office or from their website; all you have to do is print it out. Then you must locate your bill of sale, out-of-state title, invoice, etc and have the application fee ready. Then, all you do is go down to the office, give them the paperwork and your boat is legally registered.

Everyone knows about car auctions and antique auctions but very few people realize how common and how popular boat auctions are these days. So why would people choose to use boat auctions instead of just buying one on their own and not dealing with any possibility of a hassle? First, boats that are bought in a boat auction usually cost only a fraction of the hefty price tag they were purchased originally for. In addition, many people find that they can’t buy boats directly from dealers because of things like poor credit and there are some auction houses that choose to work with anyone, so they have a chance to purchase their boat that way. And perhaps most importantly, many people go to a boat auction looking for rare, antique boats that they can’t find anywhere else – antique boats often pass to auction houses after their owner passes away, giving people a chance to buy a rare boat.

The auction process itself can differ from auction house to auction house, so some minor details might be different but in most cases, the process is very similar. Some houses even insist that their bidders register themselves with them so that they can keep track of everything that way, but many do not. Either way, once the bidding starts, it works like any other auction: boats go up for bid, bidders place their bids and whoever bids the highest goes home with the prize, so to speak. Bidders are then free to bid on them, verbally if it’s not a silent auction, and the one who bids the highest obviously goes home with the boat.

The auctions themselves are usually very simple: a boat goes up for bid, bids are put up and the boat goes home with whoever bids the most. In almost all cases, the former owner of the boat has to supply the boat auction house with paperwork that details a boat’s history and proof of its condition. This is, first and foremost, a way to try and avoid the sale of stolen boats at boat auctions; it also helps avoid any claims that a boat sold was not in good condition.

So what should you do before going to an auction to make sure you end up going home with what you want? To avoid this, do your research; determine what you want in a boat, what you are planning to use it for and what type of boat will best suit your needs before you even start looking. Try to figure out what size boat will best fit your needs so you aren’t coming home with one that’s too small to really use or far too big to handle. And most of all, don’t decide to settle – there will always be more boat auctions and chances are one will have just what you’re looking for.