{"id":6296,"date":"2025-03-18T10:02:34","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T10:02:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=6296"},"modified":"2025-03-18T10:02:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T10:02:34","slug":"the-importance-of-a-spring-launch-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=6296","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of a Spring Launch Checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>    The Importance of a Spring Launch Checklist<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    <!-- no image --><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><\/p>\n<div>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-SEA-Spring-Checklist-1024x768.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image disable-lazyload\" alt=\"Logbook for spring commissioning\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-SEA-Spring-Checklist-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-SEA-Spring-Checklist-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-SEA-Spring-Checklist-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-SEA-Spring-Checklist-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-SEA-Spring-Checklist.jpg 2000w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">The author keeps a logbook to  help maintain his boat, adding this very checklist to that log.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Sviatoslav Kovtun \/ Adobe stock, Kevin Falvey (checklist)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<p><iframe id=\"wxuzj5efbz\" src=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.dragonforms.com\/wxuzj5efbz\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"width:100%;height:165px;border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The definition of seamanship is apparently a matter of contention among some boaters, including other marine journalists not working for this publication. I will settle the matter right now: To practice seamanship means, in part, to practice good preparation. Seamanship is not limited to acts of high adventure on stormy seas.<\/p>\n<p>Now that that\u2019s resolved, let\u2019s examine why boaters who winterize\u2014or who store their boats otherwise\u2014for months at a time should develop a routine for that first run of the season.<\/p>\n<p>First, I never met a boat that wasn\u2019t a work in progress. There\u2019s always one or more tasks that need to be done or that are not 100\u00a0percent completed and one or more items that have failed or are about to fail. It\u2019s the nature of the beast. Break out those Benjamins. Some of these tasks might be aesthetic and some might be critical. Along that spectrum, first-run boaters should make a checklist prioritizing critical items and working toward aesthetic.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s my main point: Things that were in process or top of mind before you laid up the boat have had time to sink into the mire of disuse and distraction. Other things take up space in our brains. The holidays, house projects that got delayed while you were boating, plus the simple passage of time can all push boating tasks and repairs beyond recollection. So, make a list.<\/p>\n<p>Start with safety: Check your flares for sufficient number and type as well as for expiration dates. Check your life jackets by pulling on the straps and \u00adtugging at the buckles, rearming the \u00adinflation mechanism, and noting whether any of your regular crew have grown over the winter and so now need a new size. Does the horn work? Do the nav lights work? Does your EPIRB, PLB or other beacon need a battery? Perform a self-test on these per the manufacturer\u2019s procedure.<\/p>\n<p>Other accessories that I\u2019d give \u00adpriority to include the VHF \u00adradio. Make sure it works by \u00adeither requesting a radio check, radio-checking yourself with a handheld VHF, or by installing an inline wattmeter on the antenna cable (these come ready to go for easy installation).<\/p>\n<p>Checking the bilge pump probably works as well in the safety paragraph, but I needed a good transition. Reach into the bilge and raise the pump\u2019s float switch, and also check for manual operation by flipping the switch at the helm. What about livewell and washdown pumps? Better to find out before you launch, so check \u2019em out now.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read Next:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/gear\/tools-for-spring-make-ready\/\">Six Tools for Spring Make-Ready<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s not forget propulsion. More than one boater shows up for spring launch with an \u00adengine that won\u2019t start. Or won\u2019t shift. Or otherwise doesn\u2019t run right. \u00adConnect a hose, and fire off the engines in the yard or on the\u00a0trailer. Shift gears. Check the alternator output, oil pressure and fluid levels before you head out for your first run.<\/p>\n<p>This list is not intended to be complete for every boat. Nor is it an indictment of every boater. Instead, I\u2019m hoping to provide you with a head start. I want to prompt you to think about your first run before you make it. Much of good seamanship is mindset and routine.<\/p>\n<p>And don\u2019t forget your drain plug.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/how-to\/the-importance-of-a-spring-launch-checklist\/\">The Importance of a Spring Launch Checklist<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/\">Boating Mag<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    Kevin Falvey<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/how-to\/the-importance-of-a-spring-launch-checklist\/\">Go to boatingmag<\/a><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Importance of a Spring Launch Checklist The author keeps a logbook to help maintain his boat, adding this very checklist to that log. Sviatoslav Kovtun \/ Adobe stock, Kevin Falvey (checklist) The definition of seamanship is apparently a matter of contention among some boaters, including other marine journalists not working for this publication. I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2872,3268,126,175,684,3269],"tags":[127],"class_list":["post-6296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-april-2025","category-boat-ownership","category-boatingmag","category-how-to","category-seamanship","category-spring-fitting-out","tag-boatingmag"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6296"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6296\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}