Northwest Fishing Reports

Hello,

I just finished restoring a boat that I got about a year ago. It's my first boat over 8-feet (it's a 15 foot livingston from 1975). Anyway I want to have it ready to go by July 1st when new tabs go into effect. What kind of things should I have in my boat? Here's what I have in and on it so far:

regular motor (plus gas container)
electric motor (plus battery)
cheap-o fish finder
seats
make-shift first-aid kit
marine blow horn
a little marine fire extinguisher
oars
life vests
anchor
rope

I want to get some down-riggers, but I'm going to wait until I actually need them because I've recently blown a lot of dough on this boat. Does anybody have any advice for other stuff I should put in my boat? Legally do I need anything else?

Looks like you pretty much got all the essentials brother. Only thing you need now is fish.
:bigsmurf:

One thing that I make sure I have before I leave the house is the plug for the boat. I also carry another one in my truck. And make sure to have a net and a stringer. I always put the stringer inside the net so I cant grab one with out the other. Just make sure to take the stringer out of the net before you start fishing. Other than that your set. All that first aid stuff is great I should start carrying that stuff. SAFTY FIRST

Legally, if you are in the salt water, I think you need a visual distress signal, ie, flare. Not positive about that though.

Some other helpful things to have are:

Bumpers (with smaller line tied to them)
Extra rope
Basic set of tools
A bucket (good for bailing water or rinsing the deck if need be, but also good container for all your random stuff)
Towel
A flashlight

Thanks Dwerp, GPC, and Rob1! I should pick up an extra boat plug. And the bucket idea is really good... Aren't buckets' amazing?! Picking up some emergency flares wouldn't hurt either. I did restore this boat, so for all I know it'll explode when it hits the water.

Gorilla tape can always come in handy...

Buy a bunch of extra pliers too...Those suckers get lost and it sucks to be stuck without them...

I also used a pencil/office supply organizer (one of those plastic snap lid ones that are just plastic boxes that are about a foot long and 8 inches wide and are only about 3-4 inches high. Any elementary school kid usually has them to put all their pencils and scissors and crayons in them for school. Home Depot and the like has them. They are pretty cheap. Storables would be another good spot to check) and put some velcrow on the bottom and then put a velcrow strip on above the steering wheel of our 19' Campion..>Was a great spot to put phones or wallets to keep them out of the rain or just out of your pockets..>was also nice to keep some small tackle items in there or just any random small things

One other thing I think (again not sure) you're supposed to have is your registration on board. We have a small waterproof container that bolts on to the boat.

Check out the "Adventures in Boating Washington Handbook" for the legal requirements
http://www.boat-ed.com/wa/handbook/pdf_index.htm

'Google' BOATER SAFETY EQUIPMENT - Don't forget about the Water Ski'er Down FLAG - (depending on size of boat & HP of your motor) you may never use it but I believe it MUST be on board, it is a solid orange flag (hand held) along with your REGISTRATION (as DrewP mentioned ).
If you have an electrical start outboard motor - also see if you have MANUAL START ROPE ability (in case of dead battery), I have a 90hp Evinrude and keep the start rope inside the cowling - and have actually had to use it once last year.

If you have an outboard motor that requires OIL in the Fuel - keep a quart of oil in the hold for when gassing up.

I would also see about getting an ONBOARD BATTERY CHARGER. I have a small 1.5 amp or so installed on mine. Great for when we go camping, I can plug in the charger and by morning I am back to full charge.

Do you have a BILGE PUMP installed also ?

For the wife - as we haven't got a Bimini Top installed yet - I keep a small / colapsable UMBRELLA on board in the hold also. Shadey and protects from sudden rain...

One last piece of equipment I keep in the glove box, additional FUSES. For the car and boat.
If your trailer lights end up getting soaked (non-waterproof lenses) or you neglect to unplug the trailer from the car, it is possible to pop a fuse.
And having a fish finder that doesn't work due to a popped fuse is no good either.

I don't know how your control panel is set up beneath - but mine has open access - I use an old fish net, secured underneath, to store HAND TOWELS / RAGS and even TRASH BAGS...inevitably I always end up with wrappers, bait jars, etc. in the boat.

Last but not least - BOAT PLUG - I keep an extra in the glove box/hold - they only cost a couple bucks, but when you're at the lake and putting it in - it is possible for it to snap inside, making it questionable for use if not usable at all. Speaking from experience, I was tightening it up as usual and just before flipping it over to secure it - I heard a pop. It would not get any tighter of a fit and pulled out quite easily. Keeping an extra one on board saved my day on the lake. Otherwise I dont think I would of trusted going out....

flares if you fish salt water.

I would like to thank everybody who posted on this thread! Without your advice I probably would of went out half-cocked, and that's no good. I did intially forget to put the plug in, which was pretty funny. By the time I walked back down to the launch my friends were freaking out because the boat was a quarter of the way full of water. After pulling the boat back out of the water and inserting the plug my first day of "captaining" a vessel over 8-feet went off without a hitch. Good times! Thanks again Rob1, gpc, Dwerp, Sam Kafelafish, dilbert, glastron876, and JT26!

I have also found it helpful to have on board an extra drain plug. Once while in Chelan mine vibrated loose and I lost it. Would have been a real drag if I had to pull the boat and drive to a shop and pick up an extra.
3/4 inch brass. Can get at most hardware stores.