Month: May 2021

For many, towing their boat to the water is one of the most stressful times of the entire boat-owning experience. But, with a little practice, preparation, and a lot of patience, trailering your boat safely and effectively can be simple. Learn some tips on how to tow your boat safely, below.

If you’d like to purchase a new craft, design one to fit your exact needs with our Build Your Scout tool. You can add features for fishing, watersports, entertainment, and more to best enjoy your time on the water!

Review Your Vehicle’s Towing Capacity

It’s important not to tow too much weight. Review your vehicle’s towing capacity and make sure your boat, trailer, and equipment do not exceed this number. Towing too much can damage your vehicle, especially the transmission. It can also be dangerous, as your brakes may not be meant to stop such a heavy load.

Understand Tongue Weight

The tongue weight is how much weight is being added to the hitch. Your trailer should be well balanced so it doesn’t add too much weight to the tongue. Still be sure to check if your vehicle can handle the additional weight.

Don’t Overload the Boat

Since your vehicle can only tow so much weight, it’s critical not to overload the vessel. When preparing for a trip, it’s easy to add more and more items. Coolers, towels, skis, tackle, fishing rods, and food can all add up to hundreds of additional pounds. Don’t overdo it with equipment or you’ll exceed your vehicle’s capacity.

Secure Everything Inside the Boat

Don’t just toss items into the boat and assume they’ll be safe. While traveling down the roads at highway speeds, a slight bump can send items flying. Make sure everything is secure, even if you still have a canvas cover on the boat. This will ensure your belongings don’t fall out and strike another vehicle.

Connect and Check the Trailer Lights

When connecting the trailer, you’ll need to plug the trailer lights into the rear of the vehicle. But don’t just assume the lights are all working. Test the brake lights and turn signals to ensure you will be safely traveling down the road. 

Practice Backing the Trailer Before Trying to Launch

It might seem like a lot of work, but when you get to the boat launch, your fellow boaters will appreciate that you took the time to work on your backing skills. If you’re not experienced with backing a trailer, take an hour to practice moving the trailer backward so you’re ready for launch.

Remember to Turn Wide

Your trailer will turn tighter than the vehicle, so you need to take a wide-angle on all turns, especially if there are obstacles such as street signs. Turn wide to avoid damage to your trailer as well as roadside posts and signs.

Purchase a Craft from Scout Boats

We hope you now know how to tow your boat safely. Whether you’re searching for the finest boat for water sports, fishing, or relaxing cruises, you’ll love our lineup of crafts available from Scout Boats. From large offshore boats to small fishing vessels, we have the right craft for your needs! Plus, you can design your boat to fit your exact specifications with our Build Your Scout tool. We look forward to providing you with a world-class vessel!

Boating is a pursuit that requires strict adherence to proper etiquette. Boating etiquette not only keeps everyone happy on the water, but it keeps everyone safe, as well. When you’re ready to go out for a ride, refer to this boating etiquette guide which includes the rules and guidelines for the water.

If you’d like to purchase a new craft, design one to fit your exact needs with our Build Your Scout tool. You can add features for fishing, watersports, entertainment, and more to best enjoy your boating experience!

Launch Your Boat Quickly

The boat launch can be one of the most frustrating areas when people don’t launch quickly. It’s good boating etiquette to have everything prepared so you can get your boat in, get it loose from the trailer, and quickly get out of the way. Have everything in place before you launch.

Sailboats Have Right of Way Over Motorboats

Boating, just like driving a car, has specific rules for the right of way. When you’re on the water, remember that sailboats have right of way over motorboats. Give them the chance to pass first, and always slow down near these vessels to maintain safety.

Paddled Vessels Have Right Of Way Over Sailboats and Motorboats

Just like sailboats having right of way over motorboats, human-powered boats have right of way over everything else. If you come across a canoe, kayak, or rowboat, give them the right to pass in front and also give them plenty of room.

When Being Passed, Maintain Course

When one boat passes another, there is a heightened chance for a collision, especially if the slower boat veers off course. When being passed, either from the front or from the rear, maintain your general course and don’t make any fast turns. This will help ensure everyone stays safe while you’re boating.

Fuel Up, Pay, and Get Out

Like the boat ramp, a fueling station can be a place of frustration. Other boaters are waiting to use the station, so get your boat near the dock, fill up, pay, and leave. If you have other business, such as stocking up on live bait, you can do this after you gas up and move your boat.

Respect No-Wake Zones

No-wake zones are there for a reason. Respect no-wake areas by going slowly whenever you see signs. Proceeding with a slow speed and no wake will help you avoid damage and injury that can be caused when wakes are high.

Leave Plenty of Room Between Other Boats

One of the golden rules for boating is to give as much room as reasonably possible. You don’t have to give 200 yards of space, but avoid being close to other boats, especially when passing. Boats with skiers or tubers should be granted an especially large space, and never go near boats with people being pulled behind.

Purchase a Craft from Scout Boats

We hope you enjoyed this boating etiquette guide to the rules and guidelines for the water. Whether you’re searching for the finest boat for water sports, fishing, or relaxing cruises, you’ll love our lineup of crafts available from Scout Boats. From large offshore boats to small fishing crafts, we have the right vessel for you! Plus, you can design your boat to fit your exact needs with our Build Your Scout tool.

There’s a lot to consider when buying a boat. Perhaps the most important question is where and how you will use your vessel. Will you boat on rivers or bays? Maybe you live near lakes or the open ocean. Whatever the case, this is an essential topic, as you need to choose between a saltwater and a freshwater boat. Understanding the differences between these two crafts will help you make the right selection.

If you’d like to purchase a new craft, design one to fit your exact needs with our Build Your Scout tool. You can add features for fishing, watersports, entertainment, and more to best enjoy your boating experience!

Corrosion Resistance

Saltwater boats are specifically designed for dealing with corrosion, and they have a lot of features that help the vessel resist rust. This is important, as saltwater causes corrosion faster than freshwater. Closed cooling systems, for example, are used to cool the motor of a saltwater boat. These are different than the open systems that pull water into the motor, which are used on freshwater boats. If you were to pull saltwater into the motor, corrosion and salt buildup would occur.

This does not mean that saltwater boats are corrosion-proof—they still require regular cleaning and care, but they are better suited to withstand the harshness of saltwater.

Hull Design

There’s also a difference in hull design for freshwater and saltwater boats. It may be subtle, but an experienced eye can usually spot a saltwater boat with a quick glance. In essence, saltwater boats have a design that’s better for rougher and often deeper water.

On saltwater, the hull takes most of the force from choppy waves. Therefore, they are designed to withstand more abuse than most freshwater boats. In many cases, saltwater boats have a deep V that allows them to cut through the water quickly. This V adds ride stability, but it’s not good for most freshwater areas, such as shallow rivers and lakes.

Freshwater is often not as deep as saltwater, so freshwater boats don’t usually have or require the deep V hull. This ensures they don’t bottom out in shallow areas.

Saltwater Boats Often Have a Mercathode System

One of the most important differences between a saltwater boat and a freshwater boat is the mercathode system. This is a cathodic protection system that runs a small electrical current through the engine, including the engine block and outdrive components. This electrical current, while small, helps to slow galvanic corrosion on metal parts that are submerged in the water.

This technological innovation has saved countless saltwater motors from rapid corrosion, but it’s not required on freshwater boats, as the chance for corrosion is less severe in lakes and rivers.

Find the Perfect Boat for Saltwater or Freshwater

We hope you now know the difference between saltwater and freshwater boats. No matter which option you choose, explore the lineup available from Scout Boats to find a top-quality vessel that you’ll enjoy for years to come. Then, use our Build Your Scout tool to add features for fishing, watersports, entertainment, and more!