Boating and sailing is not only one of the most popular pastimes today, they have been a popular means of transportation, recreation, and occupation, for nearly all of recorded history. Throughout history, boating and sailing has been a means for many of mankind’s greatest discoveries, important battles, expansions and migrations, and a source of food and livelihood. While boating and sailing still maintain many of those roles today, for most of us boating and sailing are a source of recreation, fun, competition, and relaxation.
Today, boating and sailing provide a source of fun and recreation for millions of people worldwide. But there is more to recreational boating and sailing than simply buying a boat and launching it into the water. In order take the fullest advantage of all that boating and sailing have to offer, it is best to arm oneself with as much information as possible.
For those with an interest in boating and sailing the most obvious area of interest is the type of watercraft that will best suit their needs. Fishing, water sports, racing, or simply strolling across the water; all of these are activities are best enjoyed in the proper kind of boat. But the kind of boat you own also impacts the kind of storage needs you will have.
Smaller sailing and motor boats may not require permanent storage space such as a marina. They can often be stored at home and brought to the water on a car-towed trailer. Larger boats need to be moored at marinas where they are protected from the elements during the season, and in areas where the season is not year-round, marinas can remove boats from the water in order to protect them from damaging ice.
Those with an interest in boating and sailing must remember to protect more than just their boats. Protection of one’s self is perhaps the highest priority when traveling on the open waters where conditions can change rapidly. Life vests, throwable flotation devices, navigation lights, and fire extinguishers are but a few of the safety oriented items that must be considered when engaging in boating and sailing. Those items, when combined with proper instruction in the rules and laws of the sea, will make boating and sailing a hobby that is both fun and safe for you, your family, and friends.
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