Winterizing a boat involves protecting the engine, plumbing, and fuel system from freezing damage during cold storage. If you live in a colder climate, winterizing your boat at the end of each boating season should be a standard part of your boating best practices. Doing…

When a person falls overboard, you must always keep the victim in sight, shout "Man Overboard" to alert the crew, and throw a buoyant flotation device toward them. You need to act quickly. Remaining calm and composed is critical to saving someone efficiently, so it's…

If you plan to fish from a motorized vessel, you'll typically need a boater education card. Most states require it, and it's separate from your fishing license. While the fishing license is specifically to allow you to catch fish, the boater education card is more…

To avoid swamping your boat, keep all weight in the boat low and evenly distributed. You'll also face large waves head-on, and always anchor from the bow (rather than the stern). Swamping occurs when water gets over the edge of your vessel and overwhelms it,…

A trolling motor works by converting electrical energy from a battery into mechanical energy that then spins a propeller and moves a boat quietly through the water. Even if you have a sailboat or a smaller boat that you typically propel with paddles, you may…