Belize is blessed with many tourist attractions. Among these attractions, there’re tons of adventurous activities you can do in Belize. This includes exploring the beaches, islands, rivers, tropical rainforests, diving, snorkeling, fishing, and more. While doing these water activities, you’ll surely need a boat. It can be quite expensive to buy a new boat, yet you’d only need it for some few days or even hours. Luckily, you can easily hire a boat to do the water activities you love most. Here’re the 5 important things you should care about when you hire a boat in Belize.
Condition of the Boat
The first thing you should care about is the boat’s conditions. You should only hire a well-maintained boat. A well-maintained water vessel will give you an easier time when out on the waters. It can be extremely stressful getting stuck in the middle of nowhere in case you hired a poorly-maintained boat. First, take a look at its general condition and appearance. It will also help to do a deeper check. For instance, inspect the engine and fuel system. Ensure the engine is starting smoothly without any issues. The exhaust should also be functioning properly. Also, ensure the fuel system doesn’t show any signs of damage or leaks.
Also, check the battery to ensure the connectors are corrosion free. Avoid hiring a boat whose battery terminals and connectors are corroded. Ensure the fluid levels such as the engine oil and coolant are at good levels. Moreover, assessing the condition of the boat company will tell you more about their boats. For instance, if their offices look neat, chances are that they also maintain their boats in the best condition. Don’t forget to test ride the boat before hiring it. Upon hiring the boat, ensure you maintain its condition to avoid incurring additional costs in case you damage any component.
Navigation Accessories
When exploring the waters and islands in Belize, it may not be ideal to rely on your memory or geographical features to go somewhere. When out in the waters, it becomes quite challenging to navigate your way to somewhere or back to your starting point. This is especially challenging for first-timers. Thus, you should consider hiring a boat that has all the necessary navigation accessories including maps, charts, and a GPS. Ensure all electronic navigation accessories are functioning properly. The maps and charts should be clear and easy to use. Once you hire the boat, take care of the navigation accessories. You shouldn’t lose them or damage them. For instance, if a paper map or chart gets blown away, you may end up losing direction and incurring unbudgeted costs of paying for the loss.
Marine Music System
There’s nothing exciting as riding a boat while listening to music. Regardless of the reason for hiring a boat, it’ll help to go for a boat with a functional audio system. The boat should be fitted with a high-quality marine audio system, including high-performance marine speakers. If the music system supports Bluetooth, you can stream your own music from your smartphone. If you’ll be water skiing or wakeboarding, you’ll need a boat with a loud audio system to hear your favorite music tracks over the roaring boat engine and noisy water waves.
Ensure the marine audio system and marine speakers fitted on the boat are ideal for the marine environment. The last thing you’ll want is the music system getting damaged by water yet you’ve only hired the boat. Thus, ensure the music system is waterproof and fitted firmly. While using the marine stereo system on a hired boat, ensure you don’t connect inappropriate component devices to avoid damaging it.
Size and Spacing of the Boat
The size and spacing of the boat you’ll hire should depend on the number of people it’ll be carrying. Never overcrowd a boat for your own safety. In case you will hire a boat suitable for a maximum of five people, don’t end up riding with ten people. You’ll risk your lives since it can easily capsize as a result of overloading. Hire a larger boat to ride with more people. Of course, a larger boat will be more expensive to hire than a small one, but it will be for your own safety. Nevertheless, you’ll be hiring a boat to have fun, thus there’s no need to scramble for space. Hence, enjoy riding a boat in Belize by hiring a spacious one.
Safety Equipment
When hiring a boat, your main concern should be your safety. Therefore, ensure the boat comes with all the necessary safety equipment. This will help you to get assistance in the event of an accident in the waters. For instance, ensure the boat has life jackets. They should be in great condition and enough for everyone who’ll be boarding the boat. The boat should also have onboard fire extinguishers. Also, the boat should have a marine radio phone or any other suitable equipment for calling out for help in case you’re stuck in the waters.
Besides these 5 considerations, most boat rental companies offer accessories such as wakeboards, skis, and ski ropes. They’ll also allow you to carry your own accessories. By making these considerations, you’ll be assured of having one of the best moments in Belize. Never take any of these considerations lightly. It’s all for your own safety while out in the waters. Thus, take care of these 5 things when you hire a boat in Belize.