(Newswire.net — January 14, 2023) — Boating trips can be quite long, especially when you’re out fishing and trying to catch something specific. As long as you bring the right supplies, a long outing can be fun. However, nothing can ruin a good trip like the heat of the sun.
If it gets uncomfortably hot, it might seem like you have no other option than to return to shore, pack up, and go home. Although, with the right preparation, you can stay out on the water longer without having to pack up at the first sign of heat.
When boating season rolls around, here are some of those preparations to ensure the heat doesn’t cut your boating trips short.
1. A bimini top for your boat
Shade is something that will drastically reduce the impact of heat, and nothing will shade you better than a bimini top for your boat. Bimini tops are open canvas covers that provide shade for your cockpit or a larger area of your boat.
They come in a variety of dimensions that will fit just about any type of boat. Although, if your boat has a tower you’ll need a special type of bimini top.
There’s no other way to get shade on a boat. Without a bimini top, at best, you can shade your face with a hat or scarf, but that’s not enough when the sun is really beating down. With a canvas top across your boat, you’ll have enough shade to really make a difference.
2. An ice chest with cold drinks
Anytime you head out on the water on a sunny day, it’s crucial to have an ice chest with cold drinks on hand. It’s even better if you have a battery-powered cooler that helps keep the ice frozen for as long as possible.
Soft-sided and styrofoam coolers don’t keep ice for very long. Sometimes they only work for a few hours in the sun, especially when you’re constantly getting items out of them. A standard hard-sided cooler will keep ice solid for around 2-6 days when not left out in the sun, but that’s only if you’re not opening the lid constantly and adding warm items to the ice.
On a boat, in the sun, your best option is a hard-sided cooler large enough to hold all the drinks you’ll need for the day. To keep your ice as solid as possible, chill your drinks overnight in the fridge so they’re already cold when you put them in the cooler. You may want to pack a few frozen water bottles, too.
3. Sunblock
Your number one protection against the sun will be sunblock. Wearing sunblock is essential – with or without cold drinks in hand. Even when you’re in the shade, you’re still going to be feeling the heat from the sun. Those rays of heat will still make their way to your body, just not as intensely.
If you’re worried about the ingredients in conventional sunblock, you’ll be happy to know there are natural sunscreens on the market that will protect you just as well. Natural sun screen products are free from chemicals like oxybenzone, avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene, and octanoate.
4. A plan to rest on the shore
Never head out in the heat without a plan to rest on a shady shore if necessary. Maybe you can’t cut your boating trip short or don’t want to end it early. That’s okay because if you have a shady shore nearby where you can rest for a bit, the sun won’t be so hard on you. Plus, if it’s later in the afternoon, you can hang out on the shore and wait for the sun to go down a bit before heading back out onto the water.
5. A USB-powered fan
Whether it’s a regular fan or a misting fan, any USB-powered fan will be your best friend on a hot day. All you need to make it run is a portable power bank, like a Jackery. It should last you for your whole trip. Even the cheaper models, like the 240, will run a 15-watt fan for fifteen hours.
Plan ahead for those warm, sunny days
Even if it’s still winter and you’re not going out boating anytime soon, planning ahead for boating season is worth the time and effort. You don’t want to be left scrambling at the last minute to find items and accessories you could have prepared ahead of time.