Safety and maintenance of your boat
The month of March and the imminent arrival of spring encourage you to go out on your first trip of the season, if at any stage you stopped sailing in autumn or winter.
If this was the case and your boat has been moored up for a few months, its highly recommended that you give it a good service and check up to avoid any problems further ahead.
In any case, it is important to bear in mind a series of considerations before you go out on the water, so that you can enjoy sailing with the maximum safety guarantees.
Check them and remember: prevention is essential to avoid dangerous situations at sea!
In order to ensure that your boat is in perfect condition for the start of the sailing season it is important to check the following points:
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- Mandatory documentation up to date.
- Mandatory safety equipment according to current legislation located, signposted and stowed in an accessible place.
- Correct functioning of the radio.
- Hull and deck.
- Electrical installation.
- Check the state and charge of the batteries.
- Check that the engine is working properly.
Remember if you need any help with these tasks or you prefer to delegate them to the professionals, at Varador l’Escala and the nautical companies that collaborate with the Club you’ll find all the services you need to make your boat as good as new.
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- Firstly, it is vital to plan your trip.
- Be aware of the characteristics of the area in which you will be sailing, the places where you can anchor, shelters en route and ports for mooring.
- Consult the weather forecast and ensure it is favourable to your plans.
- Inform your family, friends, staff at the Club or staff at moorings of your intentions and sailing plan. Let them know if you change your plans unexpectedly to prevent unnecessary worry.
- Be aware of the capacity of the petrol tank and average consumption per hour of sailing. It is prudent to take at least one third more petrol.
- Do not allow more crew members or guests than the maximum stated by the boat manufacturer and take sufficient crew to operate the boat without mishap or overexertion.
- Distribute the loads so that they do not affect the stability or heeling of the boat.
- Tune VHF Channel 16 and keep it on while sailing.
- Remove and stow fenders to keep them safe.
- With an interior motor, open the lid of the chamber to release any possible concentration of flammable gases efore starting the motor.
- With an outboard motor, ensure you start in neutral and that the entire crew is seated and secured.
Both before and on your way back, the Club is here with all the services you need. Remember that our harbour staff service is available 24 hours a day!
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