Equipment failures and vessel breakdowns can cause accidents, putting everyone on board in danger, and potentially costing you a fortune in repairs. Repairs can also be risky at sea.
Most equipment requires you to follow the manufacturer's guidelines about maintenance. Use these guidelines, and any other government or industry rules, to develop a maintenance schedule for your vessel and your equipment.
It's also important to keep proper records of what maintenance has been done. This allows you to track when you are due for maintenance and helps prove you are proactive about the safety of the vessel and its equipment.
Never take short-cuts for repairs or skip maintenance. Many problems can go undetected until things go really wrong. When that happens it can get more expensive to repair or replace broken equipment-or the vessel itself-than if you had kept it maintained properly in the first place.
When it comes down to it, is your boat maintained well enough for you to take your loved ones out on a safe trip?
