Stress Free Vacation on Your Boat

Planning to Vacation

You work hard throughout the year, and you deserve to enjoy a relaxing vacation on your boat. For some people, planning and taking a vacation is more stressful than staying at home. It doesn’t have to be this way if you use these tips for having a stress-free boating vacation in and near the Chesapeake Bay.

Research the Best Time to Travel
Do some research about the best time to travel. You might want to avoid the busiest boating weekends of the year, such as Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. You may also want to avoid the season of the year when tropical storms and hurricanes may affect the area where you plan to sail or dock your boat. The months of May through July offer mild weather and a low risk of tropical storms along the East Coast of the United States, which would be a good time for boating near the Chesapeake Bay.

Plan Your Itinerary
Once you know what time of the year to travel, plan your itinerary. If you’d like to visit a new city or a marina that you haven’t used before, work it into your travel plans. Do a little research on beaches or seaside attractions in the area. Don’t be afraid to venture a bit inland for an afternoon. You could easily take in a musical or sports game while your boat is at one of the well-appointed slips in the marina.

Make Your Reservations in Advance
After deciding where to go, make your reservations in advance. Some marinas require you to reserve a slip for your boat, especially during the peak weekends of the summer months of the year. You wouldn’t want to pull into the marina to find that its slips are all full. If you’re renting a boat for your upcoming sailing trip, make sure to place those reservations well in advance. If you’ll need admission tickets to events or attractions, purchase them ahead of time to secure your spot.

Set Rules for Your Travel Companions
When you’re traveling with friends or family, it’s essential to set rules for guest behavior on the boat. Setting the expectations in advance ensures that your rules are met. If rules are broken, the guests will know what to expect. Having rules in place reduces your stress because the guests know what is expected of them and what happens if they fail to meet those expectations. Consider setting rules around alcohol consumption, noise, time in the shower, and access to the communications systems.

Pack Carefully
When you’re on the open sea, you can’t pop into a drug store to pick up some sea sickness medicine. If you forgot your reading glasses or prescription medication, you might be out of luck. Pack your belongings carefully. Create a checklist of what you need and cross each item off as you put it into your bag. Remember to focus on essentials and add items for fun and entertainment if space on the boat allows.