How to Make Your Boat Deck Safer and More Comfortable
Boating is a fun and enjoyable activity, but it also comes with risks. It is essential to ensure that your boat deck is safe for everyone on board. Besides safety, comfort is also a crucial aspect of enjoying a day out on the water. In this article, we will discuss simple and effective ways to make your boat deck safer and more comfortable for passengers.
Childproof Your Boat Deck
Children can be curious and playful, which makes it necessary to take extra precautions to make your boat deck safe for them. Start by ensuring that you have child life vests on deck at all times, one for each child on board and a few extra vests for guests. Cover all electrical outlets and get a covered fuse block to prevent curious little hands from poking around in them. Keep cabin and cockpit doors locked at all times to prevent children from falling down the stairs or going up on deck unsupervised. Store all boat cleaning supplies safely underneath the sink or in a cabinet out of reach of curious little hands. Always remember never to leave the keys in the ignition and use a kill switch with a lanyard to prevent children from firing up the engine.
Keep Lines and Gear Secured
Fishing or scuba gear, docking or electrical lines can create obstacles that passengers can bump into or trip over. To keep the deck clear of any obstacles, use a line organizer to keep dock, anchor, and electrical lines neatly wrapped up. Have rod holders available on deck for anglers, and keep fishing lines and tackle neatly stored away when not in use. Using an LED light strip can make a boat deck safer to walk on by lighting the way in the dark. Companionway lights are also an easy and effective means of keeping obscure deck areas such as stairs, pathways, and utility boxes lit. Add some LED rail lights for additional safety. Install puck lights to illuminate dark compartments on deck.
Install Gate Latches
Gate latches will help keep passengers from falling through the gates of a pontoon. These latches secure pontoon gates, which have a tendency to swing open when not properly secured. Gate latches are especially important if you have children or if passengers are tired or under the influence of alcohol, making them more prone to falling.
Use Color-Coding Tape
Color-coding electrical tape is a simple way to improve safety on your boat's deck. It can be used to mark or cover jagged edges, protrusions, or slippery spots on the deck. Electrical tape is a temporary and cheap solution to point out hazards on your boat’s deck that can injure a passenger until you get them fixed.
Get a Cooler Mounting Kit
Coolers can be an obstacle in the way or slide around the deck, making it unsafe for passengers. Get a cooler mounting kit to secure the cooler in place and make the boat deck safer.
Get Folding Seats
Your boat probably already came with built-in, comfortable seats. However, folding seats help make a deck more comfortable, as they provide more room to move around when folded up while not in use. For even more deck space, or to have a spare seat available for unexpected guests, get a removable folding chair with swivel tripod stand. This chair can be set when it’s needed, and stored away in its carrying bag when it’s not.
Get Removable Tables with Built-in Coasters
Of course with comfortable seats, you’ll want boat tables on deck for your guests to eat and drink on. As mentioned with the removable chairs, you can also get table kits with built-in coasters that can easily be mounted to accommodate extra guests, and then dismounted when not in use to provide more room to move around.
Get a Bimini Top
If your boat doesn’t have one already, the Bimini top is the best way to make a deck more comfortable in the sun. Not only does it protect you and your guests from harmful UV sunlight, plus wind and rain (and bird poop), but it also provides enough shade to keep bare feet cool.
Lay Down Thick Wet Towels
You packed towels for drying yourself off after a dip in the water, but did you think to pack extra towels to put your feet on? Keep a handful of extra thick towels you don’t care about ruining that you can soak in water and lay out on the deck for passengers to step on.
Install a Washdown System
If you don’t want to throw wet towels all over the deck, get a washdown pump for your boat instead. These washdown systems are simply a water supply and a pump. And they’re not only useful for keeping the deck floor cool and wet, but they’re also handy for clearing the deck of fish guts, weeds, dirt and other debris. Using a washdown system to get rid of slippery stuff on your boat’s deck can help make it more comfortable and safer.
Use Traction Tape
Whether you call it non-skid or slip-resistant, traction tape is designed to improve cushioning and surface temperature along the flooring of a deck and on steps. It’s a cheap alternative to improve the safety and comfort of a boat’s deck.
Making your boat deck safer and more comfortable doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. By childproofing the boat deck, securing lines and gear, and using color-coding tape, you can create a safer environment for everyone on board. Installing gate latches and LED lights, and adding a cooler mounting kit can make the boat deck safer and more comfortable. Additionally, adding folding seats, removable tables with built-in coasters, a Bimini top, laying down thick wet towels, and installing a washdown system, can make the boat deck more comfortable. With these easy and affordable tips, you can create a more enjoyable and safe boating experience for you and your guests.