The 5-Minute Pre-Departure Check
Most boating emergencies don't start on the water — they start at the dock, with something that was easy to check and wasn't. This is the routine that catches them.
Before you ever cast off, you owe yourself five minutes. Not five minutes of scrolling your phone — five minutes of a quick, repeatable check that experienced captains run every single trip, no matter how short. The point isn't paranoia. It's habit. Habits are what you fall back on when something goes wrong, and a pre-departure habit means most things won't go wrong in the first place.
Tell someone on land where you're going and when you'll be back. Every. Single. Trip. This is a float plan — it's free, it takes 30 seconds, and it's the single biggest factor in whether the Coast Guard knows to look for you.
The five checks
Run them in the same order every time so nothing gets skipped. After a few trips it takes five minutes without thinking.
1. Gear & life jackets
Count one properly fitting, Coast Guard-approved life jacket (PFD) per person aboard — and make sure they're accessible, not buried in a locker. On boats 16 feet and over, you also need a throwable flotation device (Type IV) ready to grab. Confirm your fire extinguisher is charged and mounted, and that your visual distress signals aren't expired.
- One wearable PFD per person, sized correctly, within reach
- Throwable device on boats 16 ft+
- Fire extinguisher — check the gauge
- Visual distress signals — check expiry dates
2. Fuel & engine
Check your fuel — the old rule is the "rule of thirds": one-third out, one-third back, one-third reserve. Sniff for fumes in the bilge before starting (gasoline vapors sink and collect). Run the blower for four minutes on inboard gasoline engines. Confirm the engine starts cleanly, the steering moves freely, and the kill-switch lanyard is attached to the operator.
The engine cut-off switch (kill-switch) lanyard isn't optional decoration. If you're thrown from the helm, it stops the boat from running you over. Wear it.
3. Weather & water
Pull a current marine forecast for your area. Check for small-craft advisories, incoming storms, or fog. Glance at the sky and the wind direction at the dock — conditions change fast, and the dock is the cheapest place to decide to stay.
4. Hull, plug & bilge
Confirm the drain plug is in. (Yes, this is on the checklist because forgetting it is the most common — and most embarrassing — way to sink a boat at the ramp.) Check the bilge is dry and the bilge pump works. Look for any new cracks, loose fittings, or water where it shouldn't be.
5. Brief the crew
Before you leave the dock, tell everyone aboard: where the life jackets are, where the fire extinguisher is, how to use the VHF radio to call for help (Channel 16), and what to do if someone falls overboard. Thirty seconds of briefing turns passengers into a crew.
A pre-departure check isn't about being cautious — it's about being a captain. The five minutes you spend at the dock is the highest-return time you'll spend on the water.
Run your pre-departure checklist
Tap each item to check it off — just like the printable version members laminate and keep on the boat.
Knowledge check
Quick check to lock it in. Pick the best answer.
The full course includes 7 more modules — required gear, weather, navigation, VHF distress calls, docking & man-overboard, emergencies at sea, and the Florida & coastal bonus — plus 12 printable checklists and a certificate of completion.
Safety guidance based on U.S. Coast Guard recreational boating standards. Always verify current requirements for your vessel and state. uscgboating.org