Correctly loading a small boat starts from your very first step onboard.

• First of all, step gently into the center of boat; avoid stepping on the sides (called gunnels) or the seats, or jumping onboard.
• Secondly, if you have a lot of gear, hand the gear to someone on the boat, or leave it on the pier and reach for it from the boat. Boarding a boat with a handful of equipment gives you extra weight and instability, and leaves you without a hand to steady yourself.
• Also, it is important to hold on to something whenever boarding or moving around the boat, even if you feel you are stable. You never know when another boat’s wake, someone else in the boat losing their balance, or your dog’s sudden movement can cause a chain of events that might leave you in the water, or in the bottom of the boat with an injury.

When loading gear:

• It is important to distribute the weight evenly around the boat, making sure not to overload. Take special care not to load too much in the back (stern), since once the boat picks up speed, the stern will go lower in the water and is prone to swamping.
• Additionally, it is important to keep the center of gravity low in the boat. Piling gear high can raise the center of gravity and can cause the boat to tip over unexpectedly. This same rule goes for the people in the boat, which is why you should avoid standing in small boats.
• Make sure your anchor and dock lines are properly stowed to avoid tripping.
• And as you are loading, be sure you have brought along a life jacket for each person aboard—it’s the law. Better yet, have everyone in your group put on the life jackets before even leaving the dock.