Imagine that you're floating out in the open on a calmly refreshing body of water, the soft waves gently lapping at your hull. Nothing could be more relaxing... except for a certain peace of mind which comes from the empowering sensation of preparedness that brought you here in the first place.

There's several steps you can take to make your boating trip a safe, convenient and pleasurable activity. By keeping your boat in 'ship' shape, you're doing more than just making it look good. Available are a large number of functional boating items to ensure the protection of your boat and its passengers while making it look great.

Take boat trailers for example, most of them come with a standard manual winch to assist you in getting the boat out of the water and onto the trailer. Considering an electric winch, which runs off of your vehicle's battery, can make moving your boat a breeze. Additionally, trailing the boat with tie- down straps and a cover can help prevent costly or unsightly damage from wayward road debris.

While boating, chances are you will have to keep your boat tied to a dock at some point. Even the gentlest pond will rise and fall, and so will your boat... right into the dock! To protect your outer finish from rubbing the rough wood of the docking platform, there are bumpers you can use to cushion it. You will also want several good quality ropes to secure the boat to the dock properly, as well as to guide it onto the trailer at the end of the day.

Running the open sea by either cloth sail or electric motor can be exciting; but remembering to keep in contact with the shore, and the rest of your party, can save your life when good times go bad. Standard radio communication equipment is a must; and the ever prevalent and highly accessible GPS systems available today can bail you out if your radio crashes on you.

Another essential piece of equipment for potential emergency situations is the common gas can, of which you should have several should your stay at sea or on the lake become longer than you originally intended. Also helpful is a convertible top in case bad weather comes in out of the blue... literally. It will help keep the inside of your boat dry and all of your passenger's will surely appreciate it too.

Besides communication, safety and transport equipment and aides; other boating equipment you should consider for your craft will depend on the primary use of your vessel. A boat used mostly for fishing will have, by far, much different 'needs' than one used for, say, water skiing.

Determining what you'll be using your boat for most, will help determine the boating equipment you'll need.