Trailer Maintenance; Operating Your Boat - Bonefish Bohemian 17 Owner's And Operator's Manual

strapped down. What usually happens is the strap is broken or forgotten and people "risk it".
They're often reminded the hard way of what happens if you chance it. Hopefully the folks in
these photos have learned their lesson.

TRAILER MAINTENANCE

Trailers don't maintain themselves. Read your owner's
manual and contact the manufacturer if you don't have one
or it's misplaced. Follow their guidelines religiously. At a
minimum, you should check for sufficient grease in the
hubs every time you move your boat. Bearing buddies are
available at trailer and marine supply stores to make it
easier to apply grease to trailer hubs. You should also
make a visual inspection of your suspension to see if there are any
loose fittings. Your axle(s) should be serviced and properly lubricated,
and all fasteners checked and tightened at least once a year. These

OPERATING YOUR BOAT

Leaving/Approaching the Dock
Unlike an automobile, the stern of your boat reacts first when turning. A turn to the right will
swing the stern to the left and vice-versa. Remember that turning your boat away from an object
such as a dock will tend to swing the stern toward that object.
Rules of the Road
Boat operation is governed by the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at
Sea 1972 (72 Colregs) and the 1980 U.S. Inland Navigation Rules (Inland Rules), also known
as the Rules of the Road. You may also be responsible for any local regulations (rules that
elaborate on minor details of the Inland Rules). The boundaries between the 72 Colregs and the
Inland Rules are indicated by a dashed magenta line (demarcation lines) on navigational charts.
We have included a portion of the Rules of the Road in this manual, but they are not intended to
be your sole source of information.
Overtaking
The boat that is overtaking one ahead of it is the
burdened boat and must make any adjustments
necessary to keep out of the way of the privileged boat.
Meeting Head-On
Neither boat has the right-of-way in this situation. Both
boats should decrease speed, should turn to the right,
and pass port-to-port. However, if both boats are on the
guys failed to maintain their trailers and it
caused the hubs to rot off of the axle. They're
lucky that this is all that happened. Imagine if
they had been traveling 60mph in rush hour
traffic. Significant
personal injury would have resulted. Trailer
maintenance is serious business.
property damage
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and