Important Tips for Offshore Saltwater Fishing Boat Safety

If you are planning to us your offshore saltwater fishing boat you are going to have to be sure that you take the proper steps to make sure that everything it is going to be a safe experience. You do not want to end up like one of those people on the evening news, floating out in the middle of nowhere next to their offshore saltwater fishing boat. In almost every accident there is something that could have been done to prevent it. Some of that is seamanship, the other part is in how you prepare you offshore saltwater fishing boat.

Things That Cause An Accident To Happen On the Open Seas

The first reason why most offshore saltwater fishing boats are susceptible to sinking is the location of the engine. For most consumer boats the engine will be placed outside and at the stern. This is a problem for two reasons, one is that it puts all the weight at the back of the boat, and two it puts the engine in danger by being at the lowest point. In addition to this most of the time the bilge pumps or should I say pump will be at this location as well. For most consumer class boats they will have insufficient amounts of bilge capabilities. This means that the boat will be unable to pump out water if it gets in trouble. In addition to that having a single pump means there is one point of failure. If that pump breaks and you do not know about it, you are in a lot of trouble. I always make sure to check the bilge pump whenever I get on an offshore saltwater fishing boat.

While all of this is bad, perhaps the biggest reason that offshore saltwater fishing boats run into trouble is how they are configured. For the most part they will be completely open and susceptible to any waves that come in. While just being open is bad enough, put on top of this the fact that most of the cabins on offshore saltwater fishing boat are not water tight, and you get even more problems. This coupled with insufficient pumping is a recipe for total disaster.

There are things you can do to minimize your risk however. Before you buy a boat make sure to read a thorough saltwater fishing boat review and check to see what its sea worthiness is. I would also examine the offshore saltwater fishing boat head to toe before buying and check to make sure that everything is in good shape. Before you go out into open water, check to make sure that your bilge pump is working and you have ready access to life vests. Take these steps and most disasters can be prevented.