A Brief History Of Pilot Boats

A modern pilot boat has to be built to be fast and tough, bumping against the side of a 100,000 ton tanker ship as often happens. Equally importantly, it has to be able to operate in all types of weather as the pilot has to get to the incoming ship no matter what.

The job of a pilot actually goes back to the days of Ancient Greece when ships’ captains would use local harbour captains – often local fishermen with a sound knowledge of the area – to bring their vessel safely to shore. Eventually, local harbours each licenced pilots for their particular area.

Read more at Nelson pilot boat

Top 5 maintenance tips for your boat

Having a boat is a fantastic thing and a true sign of luxury. As well as being envied by your peers, you will be able to access the outdoors in a way that many people are not able to. Ultimately, driving across the open water is an amazing experience that only boat lovers will truly understand.

Having said this, the privilege of owning a boat also comes with a substantial amount of responsibility. It’ll all well and good to have fun on your boat, but you need to remember it is a sophisticated machine that also needs proper maintenance and care.

Before you buy a boat you should be committed to proper boat maintenance to keep it running smoothly for as long as possible.

Here are five key maintenance tips that you should keep in mind when taking care of your boat.

Wash your boat regularly

You probably already know this but it's shocking how many people don’t actually wash their boats regularly. As it is constantly in the water, you might think it is unnecessary, but this is far from the truth. It’s important to use fresh water to wash your boat to remove salt residue that will build up over time and corrode metal word, hardware and deteriorate your gel coat.

Check and change your oil

Just like your car, boats need to have their oil checked and changed routinely. You will either have to learn to change the oil by yourself for certain models or if you have a motor cruiser, you should take it to the shop for a full service.

With the right tools, it is quite easy to change the oil yourself. All you need is an oil wrench, an oil extractor pump and lots of rags.

Clean and check your batteries

Even if not in use, power drains and leaks from your boat due to regular entropy. Left unchecked, you can be stranded in the middle of nowhere without power. Check your batteries at least once a season.

If not in use, take out your batteries and store them to preserve energy. Before any journey, test batteries with a voltage meter to determine how much charge is left. Also, clean battery connections so you know the electrical juice is getting to where it’s needed the most.

Clean Windows properly

Frequent boat cleaning should be on your boat maintenance checklist. Especially windows near the waterline and below. Household window cleaners will suffice but special cleaners are available if you prefer. Find what works for your boat. Just make sure your windows are clean!

Check the propeller

If your boat is an outboard or sterndrive boat, you should check the propeller as part of your pre-launch routine. Look carefully to ensure any fishing line hasn't become wrapped around the propeller shaft. Inspect for typical signs of damage. A damaged prop will vibrate and put too much stress on bearings and seals causing additional damage.

Store properly during Winter

During winter, find indoor storage solutions or climate controlled interior docks to store your boat. Or you can use tarpaulin or backyard shed if you store your boat on land.

Proper boat maintenance will keep your boat healthy and give you optimum life span. Regularly update your maintenance routine to accommodate updated checks and always take care of your boat no matter what your schedule is like or what season it is. If you look after your boat it will look after you!

Three tips for your next boat sea trial

A sea trial is the equivalent of a car test drive. Whether you are considering the purchase of a new or used model, or if you are dealing with a brokerage or private seller, it is perfectly in your right to insist on a sea trial before you commit to a purchase.

Why a sea trial?

For many boat buyers, a sea trial is simply a final verification and check for seaworthiness. Especially when dealing with a broker, you want to ensure everything is as it has been described by the sales description before you buy it.

If you are buying through a broker, a deposit will most likely be required. With a motorboat brokerage, you are sure to get a refund on your deposit. However, it is wise to make it clear what you expect in regards to the refund, whether you choose to buy the boat or not.

A sea trial remains the best way to test the actual performance of the boat on the water. This includes the steering, noise and vibrations of the boat.

What should you know when embarking on that sea trial?

Know what you want.

Use your sea trial to examine the things you can’t achieve ashore. This involves helming the boat, navigating every walkway and climbing every staircase while the boat is moving around at sea.

You want to make sure the decks are flat and grippy and the guardrails are adequate. Concentrate on the specifics rather than checking cabinets and closets.

Cruise your boat

If you don’t know what to look out for, it’s recommended to bring an expert with you to check.

First, pick a day when the weather is not totally perfect, then check the pace and the angles to assess how fast, how comfortable, how dry and how composed the boat is in each situation. This way you are able to assess how the boat responds to control, how comfortable it is and how it maneuvers through the water.

Think about your passengers

Your comfort on your boat is just as important as the people who will be making trips with you. Take one or two of them along on your sea trial to see what they think.

If you can’t get anyone to join you on the sea trial day, try to imagine what it would be like for a passenger rather than a driver. You want to check how safe and reassuring the boat feels while it is moving.

Consider the seating arrangement and ability to communicate while the boat is moving. Understand that your sea trial is not so much a fault finding mission as an experience. Treat the boat with respect as it is not your boat yet. Understand that a sea trial is a valuable supplement to, not a replacement for, a professional marine survey and engineer’s report.

If you take all these precautions when having a sea trial, you should be more clear about its condition and will be able to decide whether you want to make a purchase or not.