Checklist for Overnight Boaters

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

In the June 26 post on the What Is It About Boating website,  Boat Camping Overnight "On The Hook"  I entertained the reasons why my wife and I enjoy "sleepovers" on our boat as much as we do.  In the post I enumerated some of the things you might want to consider before shoving off.  The US Coast Guard Auxillary has prepared a comprehensive checklist for overnight boat trips which will make preparation a tad more organized and simple.  I hope you find this tool useful.

---

FOOD

Bring enough food for the amount of days you will be staying. The more you bring already cooked or ready to eat, the less you will have to cook and the less you will have to clean. Some suggestions are:

Breakfast Ideas
o Cereal mini-boxes
o Pastries or donuts
o Instant coffee, tea, hot chocolate mix
o Milk or creamer in a thermos
o Sugar/sweetener

Lunch Ideas
o Pre-made sandwiches or…
o Bread
o Cold cuts
o Cheeses
o Peanut butter & jelly
o Margarine tub
o Mayonnaise & mustard packets (saved from fast food restaurants)
o Fruits, nuts, chips, cookies

Suppertime Ideas
o Hot dogs & buns
o Hamburgers & buns
o Relish & ketchup packets (saved from fast food restaurants)
o Pre-cooked chicken
o Ready-made pasta dishes
o Veggies and onions for grilling
o Salt, pepper, garlic, or other seasonings

Cooking Supplies
o Utensils, napkins, plates, cups, cereal bowls, coffee mugs, etc.
o BBQ grill, charcoal, lighter
o Fuel for stove
o Can opener
o Paper towels
o Dish sponge or cloth
o Dish towels
o Garbage bags, plastic shopping bags
o BBQ spatula or tongs
o Zipable storage bags
o Tin foil roll

BEVERAGES
The rule of thumb for water is one gallon per person per day. It’s always recommended to bring extra water and other drinks, especially on hot days. You can’t have too much water. Make sure you bring enough ice or means of chilling water to last the number of days you will be there.

o Frozen bottled water (These will double as ice in the cooler and will melt while being used for drinking, thus making a refreshingly cold drink on hot days.)
o Canned sodas (caffeinated drinks cause the body to feel hotter in hot weather)
o Juice boxes
o Canned lemonade

SHELTER & SHORE
o Even if your boat has shade, bring additional shade for the shore
o Chairs for the beach
o Beach blanket
o Books, games, music
o Towels
o Cooler
o Small portable table

CLOTHING
o Clothes for normal wear and extra in case of wetness or dirt
o Full brim hat or sun visor
o Light long-sleeved shirt and long pants as protection from dusk-time bugs
o Underwear
o Swim wear
o Sweat-suits for chilly nights
o Sweater or windbreaker jacket
o Rain gear
o Sneakers, deck shoes or sandals

TOILETRIES
o Biodegradable camping soap
o Toilet paper
o Shampoo
o Other normal travel toiletries
o Feminine products
o Tissues

NIGHTY-NIGHT
o Travel alarm
o Sheets & blankets or sleeping bags
o Pillows

FIRST AID
o Band-aids for boo-boos
o Burn ointment
o Antiseptic ointment
o Antihistamine cream
o Lip balm
o Solar protection
o Mosquito repellent
o Sunglasses
o Ibuprophen or other headache remedy
o First Aid kit

MISCELLENEOUS

o Scissors

o Tool kit

o Flashlights

o Extra AA batteries

o Vitamins

o Clean-up rags/towels

o Camera with fresh batteries

o Books, magazines, safe boating manual to review

o Cell phones with chargers/adapters

o Fishing gear

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill, webmaster of this site, is the author of the book Lubber's log, published by Llumina Press; a boating journal and adventure story of the author's first time experiences in the preparation, maintenance and piloting of a new, unfamiliar boat. You can visit his website here.