7 Things NOT to Bring on a Boat
Last Updated on August 28, 2023 by Boatsetter Team
Many things are great to bring on your boat or boat rental: cold beverages, fluffy towels, stylish sunglasses, and even water-loving dogs. But there are plenty of things you should not bring on a boat, especially if you want to keep the boat shipshape and ensure everyone stays safe and happy on board. Here’s a look at seven things you should not bring on a boat:
- Anything sharp
- Sticky food
- Dark-sole shoes
- Flip-flops
- Cheap sunglasses
- Sprayable sunscreen
- Perfume or cologne
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1. Anything sharp
There’s a reason that people who design boats make sure to include rounded edges and corners on everything from the helm to the tables. Boats move. All the time. And sometimes, boats move in ways that you can’t anticipate.
People bump into stuff on boats, and injuries can occur if whatever they’re bumping into has a straight or sharp edge or corner. Leave all that stuff on land. Stick with rounded-off items on the boat.
2. Sticky food
What’s one of the fastest ways to trash a boat? Bring aboard food that gets sticky and melts in the sun or salt air. The environment out on a boat amplifies the stickiness factor exponentially, turning what was supposed to be a snack into a giant gob of goo.
That goo gets into seat cushions, onto teak decking, and inside all kinds of crevices where you’ll never be able to get it out. Save yourself the trouble by leaving the sticky stuff at home.
3. Dark-sole shoes
The wrong kind of shoes can do serious damage on a boat. It doesn’t matter whether the boat’s soles and deck are made of teak or painted with a non-slip coating; dark-sole shoes can leave monster-size scuff marks that will give the boat’s owner fits.
If you plan to keep your shoes on (with the boat owner’s permission), wear proper shoes with light soles that won’t leave marks.
Pro tip: Speaking of what and what not to bring aboard, check out the boat rental’s Add-ons list for essentials like a cooler or ice, or even funtivities like snorkeling gear, photography, and more!
4. Flip-flops
Shoe companies make proper, fitted water shoes for good reasons. Boats are wet. Boats are slippery. Boats are rocking and rolling a little bit when you try to get onto and off them.
Flip-flops that can easily slide on and off your feet may be great on the beach, but they can be dangerous on the boat. Proper water shoes that will stay put on your feet and help stop you from slipping are a far better choice.
5. Cheap sunglasses
You want to protect your eyes out on the water, just like you protect your skin and every other part of your body. The best way to do this is with a good pair of sunglasses that block ultraviolet rays. Polarized glasses are ideal to reduce eye strain. Other features can even block wind from getting in the sides.
6. Sprayable sunscreen
Sunscreen can do a lot of damage to the boat itself and to the people on board. Not only can sprayable sunscreen cause stains on fabrics and other parts of the boat, but it can also create a slippery floor, a hazard for everyone on board! So, leave the sprayable sunscreen behind, and instead bring the lotion style (ideally, the reefs and marine life-friendly kind).
7. Perfume or cologne
Bugs and insects absolutely adore perfume and cologne. It’s hard enough keeping the bugs at bay when you’re out on the water, especially around sunset. Agree to smell like the sea for the day. You’ll be a lot happier without the bugs.
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Kim Kavin has been on boats in more than 50 countries and islands, including in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, South Pacific, Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. She grew up learning to steer a ski boat and Hobie Holder at her grandfather’s lake house in New Jersey, and went on to spend time aboard everything from America’s Cup racing sailboats to submarines.
Kim is a PADI-certified scuba diver and animal lover who always enjoys a good, long look around a coral reef. Her award-winning writing and editing regularly appears in national marine magazines and on leading websites. In her early years, she was a Dow Jones editing intern and a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism. When she’s not writing, Kim can usually be found hiking northwest New Jersey’s beautiful park trails with her adopted shelter mutt, Ginger.
