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Boat rental is a lot like car rental.  Just like with car rentals, you have different options for how long you would like to rent the boat for.  Most boat rental places will allow you to rent a boat on an hourly, daily, and weekly basis.  Obviously the longer you have the boat for, the better of an idea you’ll have of whether or not that type of boat is one in which you truly would like to own.

It should be mentioned though, that certain state restrictions may apply if you would like to rent a powerboat.  If this is the type of boat you’re thinking about getting, be sure you call the boat rental place in advance and check to make sure whether you can rent a powerboat without licensing or certification, if you don’t have them.  Most larger boat rental places will have a variety of types and models available for you to rent.

Also, if you want to rent a sailboat, the boat rental place will probably want to ensure that you have minimum basic skills handling a sail boat.  You may be required to demonstrate your knowledge.  If you don’t much about sailing, but will learn when you have a sail boat, you may have to bring along a friend who does know how to sail when you rent the sail boat.  Again, check with the boat rental place about this before you go.

When it comes to renting a boat, make sure the boat rental place is legitimate.  If you know people who have rented boats, ask around and see if they’ve had a good experience.  If this isn’t possible, check with your local Better Business Bureau. 

If you have limited or no boating experience, its not a good idea to go out on a rented boat alone.  You should be sure to bring at least one other person with you.  In case something happens, you’ll have someone else there to rely on for help.

Before you take the boat into the water, make sure the boat has either functioning navigation equipment or up to date charts.  The last thing you want to do is to get out on the water and get completely lost.  This is especially true if you are going into open water. 

If you have a digital camera bring it along too  Before you take the boat out, while someone from the boat rental place is still there, have them walk through the boat with you.  Take pictures of any visible damage that you see, as you point it out to the boat rental employee.  You don’t want to lose your deposit because of damage that someone else did to the boat.

Make sure the radio equipment works.  If you don’t have experience with boat radio equipment, be sure that you ask how to properly work it.  You don’t want to be in a bad situation and not know how to contact the Coast Guard or other law enforcement for help.  If you have a cell phone, be sure to bring it along too.

Make sure there is safety equipment on the boat.  Be sure that there are enough life jackets for everyone who is coming aboard with you.  You should also be sure the boat has a life ring or other types of water retrieval devices.  If someone falls overboard, you want to be able to throw something out to them and reel them safely back to the boat.

By taking advantage of a boat rental, you’ll better be able to decide whether or not the type of boat you’re looking to buy will be right for you.  If you have limited, or no boating experience, check in advance whether you’ll be able to rent the type of boat you’re interested in.  Make sure the place you are renting the boat from is reputable.  Make sure you understand how to operate all equipment on the boat, especially the safety equipment before you take it onto the water.

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If you don’t have waterfront property then you will probably have to rely on a public marina.  These types of boat docks allow boaters to keep their boats moored to the dock for a fee.  This makes boating so much easier.  You don’t have to worry about towing your boat to the water, putting it in the water, then getting it back out and onto the boat trailer.  This can be very time consuming and labor intensive.

Boaters who use marina boat docks don’t have to worry about these headaches.  They just drive to the marina, walk to their boat, and within minutes they’re happily on their way.  When its time to leave, they moor the boat back to the dock, get in their car, and go home.

If you have property on water that you take your boat on regularly, then you should seriously consider getting yourself a residential boat dock.  Residential boat docks are made by many different manufacturers.  They are usually constructed out of aluminum. 

The days of wooden or steel boat docks are long gone.  These types of materials didn’t hold up too well.  Wooden boat docks would often splinter and rot over time.  Steel boat docks would get rusty.  Aluminum, on the other hand, does not splinter and holds up very well to the elements.  In fact, the type of aluminum used on these boat decks is rust proof.

Many manufacturers sell boat docks in kits.  If you’re a “hands on” type of person, then this is ideal for you.  You give the manufacturer the specifications of what size dock you would like and they send you the kit.  If building your own dock doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry.  Many will also offer you installation services.  Some will offer it free of charge, others may charge a fee. 

As you can see, boaters use boat docks in order to avoid the hassles and headaches associated with towing a boat back and forth from the water. People who live near the water often have their own private boat decks.  These boat decks are very sturdy and economical.

Discover Boating is running a funny commercial. I am sure you can check it out on YouTube. The commercial shows people driving in their car and waiving to everyone they see on the streets. The people that are being waived to just ignore them or look at them like they are crazy, as if they are saying, “why in the world would someone be friendly to me on a Tuesday in the middle of the work week?”

The commercial than skips to the same family cruising along in their boat and show them doing the same thing, waiving to people, on the water as they pass by the other boats. Of course the people in the other boats also waive back. If you have ever been on a boat then you already know that this commercial is not sensationalized and is reality.

People on the water respond to others better than they do on land. My theory is because when on the water you are having fun, or at least trying to. With the high cost of gas, congestion, and other factors, driving is not the fun activity it once was, many, and I mean many years ago. Boating however is.

There are a variety of styles and types to choose from and of course that is mainly due to what you intend to use your boat for. Are you going fishing? Want to hit a swimming hole on the river? Maybe you just want to cruise around the big lake. Whatever it is you plan on doing with your boat there is a style out there for you.

First determine what you want to do on the water. For me I love fishing in the Ocean off the Jersey coast in the summer time. Even though they raised the length restrictions on fluke and sea bass, it hasn’t deterred me from going. A fishing boat is perfect for me, with some storage; however I have no need for a galley or sleeping quarters so that helps save on cost. I need speed to get to where I am going as I do not want to spend most of my day taking forever to get where the fish are. There are a variety to choose from such as Great White, Boston, and Trophy. I prefer the Trophy boat specifically their walk around models with the T-top center console.

For my mother-in-law she likes to cruise and take the grand kids to a swimming hole along the Chesapeake. She likes to fish, but it is not a priority. She definitely isn’t spending anytime sleeping over night on the boat, yet needs the room for all the people she wants to bring. Speed is not a factor, but needs enough of it to get where she is going. She chose a pontoon boat made by Princecraft. It gives her everything that I described above and then some.

If you were thinking about getting a boat, there is no real wrong time or right time, although now is better than any because you can pick up used boats practically dirt cheap, at least in my area anyway.

Before plunging into buying a boat make sure you take some Coast Guard certified courses to familiarize yourself with safety procedures and boating regulations. Knowing them will take you a long way in ensuring a fun, safe and enjoyable experience.