Launch A Rental Boat, While on Vacation

Tips for Renting A Boat with content from our friends at Freedom Boat Club

For most boaters, it wouldn’t be a true vacation without spending some time on the water. But what if you don’t own a boat or can’t take your own on vacation? You could go on a charter boat, but many families like the freedom to decide their own itinerary on the water. Fortunately, taking the helm of a rental boat or being part of a boat club is an easy and often an affordable option for you and your family.

If you make the decision to rent a boat while on vacation, here are some helpful tips to make it a successful day on the water.

Start with Research

While planning your vacation, do some online research for what rental boat options are available in the areas where you are vacationing. It’s also a good idea to check the boating regulations where you are going. Some states require you to take an online class and pass a test before you can rent a boat. And don’t forget to research the local waterways so you’re familiar with changing tides or other precautions you may need to take.

Boat Rental Types and Price Estimates

Pricing of a rental boat depends a lot on what type of boat you choose and how competitive the boat rental market is.

Pontoon boats are popular rentals because they are roomy, easy to drive, stable and allow for a wide range of activities. Costs for a 20–24-foot pontoon boat ranges from $220-$400 for a half-day to $300-$700 for a full day rental.

If you are headed to an area with tides and potential rough water, center console boats or runabouts are great choices for inshore and/or offshore boating. Rental prices can range from $300 for a half-day to more than $1,000 for a full day rental.

If there are certain activities you enjoy on the water, choosing the right boat is a must. If water skiing or wakeboarding is your hobby, a ski boat rental may be available to you. If you and your family want to fish, check to see if fishing-compatible rentals are available.

The Benefits of a Boat Club

If you travel or vacation a lot, a boat club could be a perfect solution to your away-from-home boating desires.

There are many benefits to boat clubs, which offer a fleet of boats in various sizes and styles. And, depending on the club, they may be located across multiple states. Larger boat clubs like Freedom Boat Club have more than 285 locations around the world and also take care of all maintenance and storage fees as well as provide hands-on boat operation training to all club members.

Help is Always Available

As a Sea Tow member, you are covered on any boat you rent, wherever you plan to go. If you have additional questions about boat rentals , don’t forget to reach out to the local Sea Tow captain in the area where you’ll be vacationing. You can find the local captain via Sea Tow’s website, and you can even connect with their social media account to get up to date information such as local boat traffic, weather, tides and much more.

Final Thoughts

Renting a boat while on vacation can be an easy solution that prevents you from having to tow your boat over long distances, find trailer parking, fuel, etc. But remember, having the right boat to fit your needs is a must. Also, remember to designate a Sober Skipper so you and the rest of the passengers aboard can boat safely. With enough research, you’ll be at the helm of a rental boat and enjoying your vacation in no time!

If you found this article helpful or entertaining, please consider a donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.

Sea Tow Foundation’s DIY Craft Time: Ocean Blue Candle Holders

Memories of summer vacations may include boating or swimming in tropical blue waters on hot sunny days. Whether you’ve planned a summer vacation getaway this year or are waiting for another time, bringing in that ocean blue color to your home décor can be a fun way to remember the water.

These ocean blue candle holders are a fun and easy craft to add some nautical-inspired decorations to your home. Enjoy!

Materials to Make an Ocean Blue Candle Holder:

• Glass Bottles or Jars
• Bottle of Mod Podge
• Blue Food Coloring (or any color of your choice)
• Water
• Pourable Measuring Cup
• Spoon or mixing stick
• Paper Plate
• Aluminum Foil
• Oven-safe baking sheet with sides
• Newspaper to protect work surface
• Access to oven
• Tealight candles

Directions for How to Make an Ocean Blue Candle Holder:

1. Begin by choosing your glass jars and bottles. If they have a label on them, make sure to completely remove the label. Clean them inside and out and allow to dry.

    

2. Cover your work surface with a few layers of newspaper to prevent staining. It is best to work near a sink. Also, cover the paper plate with aluminum foil for a later step so that it is ready. And also cover the oven safe baking sheet with aluminum foil.

    

3. Pour 2/3 cup of Mod Podge into the measuring cup and add 1/3 cup of water. Then, add the food coloring to the mixture until you obtain a deep color. Stir the mixture together.

    

4. Pour a small amount of the mixture into one of the glass jars or bottles and swirl it around so that the mixture cover all of the sides of the glass. Empty out any extra mixture back into the measuring cup.  

    

5. Place the jar or bottle upside down on top of the aluminum foil covered paper plate and wait at least 3 minutes for the extra color mixture to drain out.

    
   

6. Turn the jar or bottle back to an upright position and let it set for at least 60 minutes to allow the color to return to the bottom again.

    

7. Place the jar or bottle on the aluminum foil covered baking sheet and place on the bottom rack of an oven at 170 degrees or the lowest possible temperature. Bake for 20 minutes.

    

8. When you remove the pan, be careful because everything will be hot. Also, the glass should be dry and the color should be transparent. If there is a sticky edge along the top of the glass, you can use hot pads to remove it.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Once the glass is cooled completely, you can place a tealight candle it in and put them on display.

Congratulations on making an Ocean Blue Candle Holder! Share your creations with us on Facebook and Instagram by tagging @SeaTowFoundation and using the #DIYNauticalCraftTime

If you found this article helpful or entertaining, please consider a donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.

The Sea Tow Foundation has created monthly nautical crafts to help bring your boating memories home. These crafts are easy for anyone to make and require limited tools and materials. In fact, all of the tools and materials are available at online retailers, or at a local craft store if you don’t already have the items lying around your house. Younger children may need the help of an adult for some portions of the craft project, but they can help with many aspects of the craft projects. And many of these crafts make great homemade gifts or home décor.

National Safe Boating Week Tip #6 - Wear Your Life Jacket

Wearing a life jacket is the single most important thing you can do to improve your safety on board a boat. According to the U.S. Coast Guard’s most recent Recreational Boating Statistics report, 79% of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims, 86% were not wearing a life jacket. In other words, 8 out of 10 lives would have been saved had the people been wearing life jackets.

The Sea Tow Foundation and U.S. Coast Guard recommend that boaters wear life jackets at all times because you can never predict when you’ll need them. You can’t put on a seatbelt in a car while you are in the middle of a car accident, and you won’t be able to put on a life jacket in the middle of an on-water emergency either. Wearing it is the best option.

Modern life jackets are designed to be comfortable to wear and some kid’s models are colorful and feature fun themes, which help make children want to wear them. The two most important pieces to check is that 1) the life jackets are U.S. Coast Guard approved and 2) the life jackets are the proper size for the person wearing them. A child can’t wear an adult-size life jacket because they will slip out of it in the water and an adult would never float if they were hanging onto a child-size life jacket.

Inflatable life jackets are also an option for those at least 16 years of age. They can be worn on the waist or like a pair of suspenders so that they are out of the way until they are needed, but they must be worn to be approved. Also, if you plan to go white water kayaking, wake boarding, riding a PWC, or participating in any other activity with high impact, an inflatable life jacket is not an option.

If you don’t have enough life jackets for everyone on board or don’t want to purchase a life jacket for a one-time boat visitor, don’t worry. The Sea Tow Foundation has established over 750 life jacket loaner stations throughout the United States where boaters can easily borrow and return life jackets in all sizes to ensure that they have the right size for everyone on board. You can find a life jacket loaner station near you at www.boatingsafety.com/map.

National Safe Boating Week Tip #4 - Pledge to be a Sober Skipper

Most people don’t realize that the sun, wind and motion of the boat greatly magnify the effects of alcohol or drug use even if the driver is under the legal limit. These additional stressors on the body can mean that the boat operator can still be impaired to the extent where safety is compromised. And, according to the U.S. Coast Guard’s report on recreational boating, there were 282 accidents, 113 deaths and 221 injuries that were attributed to Boating Under the Influence (BUI) in 2019. Every single one of these tragic events could have been prevented by having a Sober Skipper in control of the boat and all of the passengers on board to keep everyone safe.

The Sea Tow Foundation’s Sober Skipper Campaign was started in 2015 and, since that time, events have been held in all 50 states where yellow wristbands are distributed signifying that a boater has taken the pledge to be the Sober Skipper. To get a wristband that identifies you as a Sober Skipper, go to www.soberskipper.com and Take the Pledge today. Together, we can eliminate Boating Under the Influence accidents and deaths and keep everyone on the water safe.

National Safe Boating Week Tip #2 - Use an Engine Cutoff Switch

Boat operators and passengers can fall overboard from a boat for a variety of reasons including being hit by the wake from another boat, hitting an unexpected object in the water, leaning over the gunwale too far, or simply losing your balance. Unlike a car’s accelerator that slows the car down when released, a boat’s power lever, or throttle, is designed to keep the power on without the need for constant pressure. This means that the boat will continue moving even if someone is no longer at the helm of the boat and this is why an engine cut-off switch (ECOS) or device is so important. If the operator or someone else ends up in the water accidentally, the boat’s propeller would still be moving and could cause serious injury or death unless an engine cut-off switch or device stopped it.

The most common engine cut-off switch uses a lanyard which is attached from the switch to the boat’s operator and causes the engine to shut down should the operator leave the helm for any reason. Another option is an engine cut-off device that can be used to protect everyone in the boat in the event that any of them should fall overboard. Each person on the boat wears a small device on their life jackets and, if any of them were to fall overboard, the device sends a wireless signal to shut off the engine. There are several wireless options available on the market including the MOB+ made by FELL Marine who is a recent winner of the Sea Tow Foundation’s National Boating Industry Safety Awards.

As of April 1, 2021, federal law mandates the use of engine cut-off switches on boats less than 26 feet long when on federally navigable waterways when the boat is moving. Law enforcement can issue a citation starting at $100 for non-compliance, so it is important to make sure you use your engine cut-off switch or purchase a wireless option to use every time you head out on the water.