In addition, extra life jackets, throwable cushion, flashlight, tools, fuses, prop, prop tool, prop nut, dock lines, fenders, bbq and propane, porta potti, toilet paper and chemicals for it, waterproof container for registration maps and other items, spare ignition key, depth finder...
Hi everyone - Been watching a while - great forum and hopefully at some point in time I will have real valuable info to pass on - I am a hot rodder so maybe I can help with that! In the mean time I am setting up a new to me boat so -
jumper cables, extra transom plug, spare fluids (not for the people for the motor/drive!) and lots of patience
Aww come on. Got Kids or really young at heart (like me) friends??? 12v inflator, lots of tubes and floats. A variety of squirt guns and water cannons. A Frisbee or 5. A huge ice chest for food and beverages. A 5 gallon bucket of sun block. Stale bread or chips to feed the ducks. A waterproof camera. A ladder to help oldsters (like me) get back onboard. Oh, I almost forget, a gun. Have fun on the water!
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I'd shy away from feeding the ducks. My brother did that once. They followed him back to the cabin,and right up to the door, then kept returning all summer for more, wich they did not get,but proceded to s**t all over the dock and pathway.
Sun block, Sun glasses, tool kit, throwable pfd, rope, pfd for every passenger, boat registration and insurance, paper towels, jump pack, air horn, first aidkit, sunscreen, fire extinguisher(s), sunscreen, plenty of water, sunscreen, towels for drying, towels for emergency (put out fire, etc), pocket knife, electrical wire, bailing wire, cell phone (turned off)
Then toys for kids and kids at heart, and I do feed ducks, but we trailer to the river and don't feed them while on anchor.
In addition to the items required by your local, state, and federal regulation, and what is covered in the links below, I suggest
Beer, ice, Beer, more ice....did I mention beer?
an extendable fish net for retrieving your hat
Frisbee
water cannon
first aid kit
zip lock bags (for kids to put shells in, or your cell phone and wallet in)
snorkel, fins, and knife to cut the !@#$%@#$% crab pot rope from your prop
binoculars and camera
sun screen
towels
sweatshirts (for when people get cold)
at least one spare set of sun glasses
did I mention beer?
I'd shy away from feeding the ducks. My brother did that once. They followed him back to the cabin,and right up to the door, then kept returning all summer for more, wich they did not get,but proceded to s**t all over the dock and pathway.[/QUOTE]
I agree, but the one that surprises a lot of our guests the most is just how nasty geese, and worse yet, swans, can be! To insert kids in a bad scenario they may remember the rest of their lives is a bad plan, period. Never seen a goose chasing a 4 year old across a barnyard? OK, funny yes. But you need to remember that 4 year old's attitude may be "adjusted" for life.
I asked the same question when I bought my pontoon boat two years ago. As it is a fixer upper, my small tool kit is my most essential accessory. Two others I did not see listed above are a boat hook for docking, and a floating dry box for wallet, phone, car keys, etc. in case of rain or if things go really bad. As I typically have a lot of younger girls onboard, the thing that gets the most use is the charger station for their phones.
Before you even leave the dock, understand the basic mechanics and electrics on your boat. Only you can fix that "gremlin" that will, at some time, pop up and that should tell you what you need for spares and miscellaneous stuff other than what was already mentioned. What you take care of before hand will not have to be attended to on the water with a boat load of upset folks who will never go boating with you again. Hmmmmmm.
