That was me. Been boating for the majority of my life. Been a boat owner for the better part of 10yrs now. I still forget stuff from time to time. Written checklist seems to formal for my liking, but it would've saved me some headache on more than one occasion.
I assume by the list, and the question that you are first time boat owners. Here's some unsolicited advice that I give any new boaters.......Take from it what you want.
I HIGHLY suggest taking a day off work and spend it launching and retrieving your new boat. Take a day in the middle of the week where there isn't a big crowd, and you and your partner can launch/retrieve as many times as you need to in order to feel comfortable doing it. Back the truck in, pull the truck out. Put the boat on, take the boat off. Figure out speeds, depths, heights, lengths, turning circles, etc. The more you can practice the better it will work for you on a crowded holiday weekend when you have another family with you, and there are 101 people waiting to get into/out of the water in their boats. This practice CAN NOT be stressed enough. There is nothing worse than being in a rush, doing something you aren't very well practiced at, and being watched by 100 other people. It's the equivalent of acting on stage to a play you've never rehearsed IMO. Save yourself the time, headache, personal drama, and potential damage and do some rehearsals. I PROMISE it's worth it.
My wife and I did this. We were fortunate that the guy who sold us our first boat FORCED us to do this before he would sign the title. We thought it was a bunch of BS and were a little peeved at the time. Looking back it was the best thing he did for us on that deal. We have a "well oiled machine" feel to our launches, retrievals, and docking routines now. We each knows what the other needs to do, and any guests we have just have to sit there and enjoy the ride, we've got it covered. It's a great feeling, especially when you can back in, launch/retrieve, and get out of the way, while others are fighting to get the boat lined up, the trailer deep enough, etc.
The second most important thing to do, and you'll want to bring this with you on each outing.......a big 'ol tall glass of patience. You've got all day to do all the things. There will be plenty of time to ride that new wakeboard, or go explore that new cove, or take that nap in your hammock hanging from the tower. Don't rush the process at any point. Speeding things up leads to cutting corners, forgetting things, and a ton of potential safety issues. Take your time and be patient with everyone and everything. Your guests might take forever to get on the boat and settled. There might be a 20 boat line to get in the water. There might be any number of things that are keeping you from just getting to what you want to do. Take it in stride, take a deep breathe, and roll with it. Stop and take measure of your surroundings, your process, and your equipment regularly. That patience alone will save you headache, and damage along the way......again, I PROMISE it's worth it.
