Boating 101: A Buyer’s Guide to Boat Parts and Accessories

So, you bought a new boat, or you’re planning to buy one. That’s great! You’re almost ready for your nautical adventures! However, how much do you know about that boat and its parts? If your answer is “Not much”, then you clicked on the right article!

Sure, you did your research before buying a boat. It’s the first rule before purchasing anyways—knowing what you’re getting into and making sure that you are getting your money’s worth. However, there are things that you cannot learn overnight, and one of them is the different parts and accessories of your boat. In this situation, experience is your best teacher. But it wouldn’t hurt to refer to online guides like this one, right?

In this article, we will show you the different boat parts and accessories you should start getting familiar with, and hope that it helps you as you enjoy life in the water!

Why Should You Try Boating?

Before we go on and tell you more about the different boat parts and their uses and differences, give us the liberty to share the benefits of boating or sailing.

As some of you may already know, being out on the water has amazing benefits on one’s health—both physically and mentally. It is usually used as an escape from daily stress and pressure, and sometimes from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Boating, on one hand, gives a more calming effect than other water sports activities. In a book called “Blue Mind”, author and marine biologist Dr. Wallace J. Nichols stated that “the mere sight and sound of water promotes wellness by lowering cortisol, increasing serotonin, and inducing relaxation”. He also wrote that being on a boat is one of the easiest ways to harness the health and wellness benefits of the water.   

In addition, the marine biologist also noted that being around, in, or on the water shows positive emotional, behavioral, and psychological effects on a person. With more and more Australians getting busier with work and school, resetting our minds and bodies is a must.

Other than these, here are a few more advantages of boating that you might not have known!

Boating helps decrease risk from chronic diseases. People with chronic diseases like diabetes, asthma, and the like, would definitely need to make necessary lifestyle changes to keep themselves healthy. Water activities such as boating can decrease stress levels and keep them relaxed. This is good for their body, and their overall health.

It promotes bone and joint health. Our body can produce Vitamin D with the help of exposure to the sun, and this is important to keep one’s bones and joints healthy. Being out in the water on a boat gives you access to the sun, without facades like buildings blocking its light.  However, you would need to make sure to bask under the sun early in the morning when its rays aren’t that harsh. Applying a good amount of sunscreen wouldn’t hurt as well!

In addition, dangling your feet on the water can help soothe any aching joint as you enjoy its flow!

Boating is meditative and resets our brain. In a fast-paced modern world, people would sometimes need to pause and take a break. Being surrounded by the calm and serene water is a proven way to restore one’s mind. It has also shown to offer mediation, restoration of happiness, with the added benefit of exercise, social interaction, and reconnection with nature.

It helps with mental wellness. In connection to having a “blue mind”, being surrounded by water while inhaling the fresh, salty air can help improve one’s mental state. The salt in the air will help your body absorb more oxygen, which in turn helps balance your serotonin levels. In addition, the calming sounds of water flowing and waves crashing on the shore can put your mind in a relaxed state, thus regulating your mood. When your mind is calm, your body is also calm, and you feel refreshed to start things from a new perspective.

Boating is a good way to spend tome with family and friends. Let’s face it—it gets harder to spend quality time with our loved ones these days. With computer and phone screens dominating every aspect of our lives, it is important to reconnect with friends and family through physical activities like boating. You can explore and have fun, enjoy your time as a team, take turns in operating the boat, as you build and strengthen your bond with each other.

The Different Boat Parts and their Uses

Now that we’ve shared a few reasons why you should (definitely) try boating, let’s now move on to your boat’s anatomy. You might be familiar with some like the anchor or the bow, but what about the other boat parts and accessories? That’s what we will share with you in this part!

Boat Anchors – A boat’s anchor is what reins and secures it properly to the seabed so that it counterbalances wind and waves. Without the proper anchor, your boat might be carried away by strong currents and winds, causing harm to your boat, or to others’.

It is essential to first determine your boat’s size and weight before getting an anchor. Moreover, knowing the bottom conditions of where you will be sailing is a must. To know more about anchors and its different kinds, you can check out our product guide here.  

Boat Biminis – A boat bimini is a canvas that’s attached on top of a boat to provide protection from sun and rain. It is supported by a frame, and is usually attached to the cockpit. The name “bimini” is derived from the islang Bimini in the Bahamian Islands, where they were first created.

Some boat biminis can be collapsed when not in use, then raised again when needed. A bimini is most helpful to shield boaters from exposure to the sun, but cannot offer the same protection from the spray of rain or wind when the boat is in motion. This top accessory can provide protection from the rain only when it’s stationary, and wind isn’t present.

Marine Electric Parts – Marine electricity is a very important part in a boat’s operation. It is one of the most prominent boat parts, because without it, your boat wouldn’t be able to run any of its machinery. You wouldn’t be able to sail anywhere you want that way, right?

Marine Electric Parts include (but are not limited to) marine switches, anchor winch wiring looms, and tinned copper marine lugs to safely connect any cables or power lines in your boat.

Marine Anchor Winches - A marine anchor winch is a marine winch that contains a series of flexible metal rings or links fitted into each other. Its main purpose is to draw and anchor and its line. The size and power of a boat’s anchor winch will depend on the anchor and line it will pull. A marine anchor winch can be horizontal or vertical.

They can be powered by electricity or hydraulics, but there are also manual winches that are used by hobby boaters. These winches are used bot only for drawing anchors, but also for lifting boats into a trailer.     

Boat Mooring – When one moors his boat, it means that he’s securing his boat to a fixed object rather than dropping an anchor. Boats can be moored to a mooring buoy, dock, pier, or a wharf. Other than these, you can also use a mooring whip to tether your boat.

Mooring whips are like giant fishing poles that are mounted on a dock. These mooring accessories are used to secure boats from hitting the docks, making mooring easier and safer.

Marine Windchargers – Also known as wind turbines or wind generators, marine windchargers are alternative ways to generate power in your boat. This happens when wind turns the propeller-like blades of the turbine and spins a generator, which in turn creates electricity to power your boat.

Marine windchargers can be used alone or as part of a hybrid system that can be combined with solar panels and/or an onboard generator. One of the best marine windchargers in the market these days is the Rutland 1200i 24V wind generator which can generate 1,6amps in 10 knots of wind.

Fish Finders – A fish finder is a device that utilizes sonar technology to locate fish and other objects underwater. Nowadays, fish finding software can be purchased from boat parts online stores, and can turn your PC or laptop into a full-color fish finder.

Fish finders like the CruzerPro PcFF80 can run under analog or DSP (Digital Single Processing) mode, and are compatible with different Windows versions—from Windows98 to Windows10.

Boat Hydrofoil Outboard Stabilisers – You might have read about hydrofoil boards from our previous blog post, but this time, hydrofoils are utilized in a different way. As mentioned before, hydrofoils are wing-like structures that lift a board, in this case a boat, out of the water.

When attached to a boat, a hydrofoil stabiliser reduces the overall drag and increase speed when the watercraft is moving through water. It redirects the water flow downward, reducing resistance and helping a boat travel faster. When a boat is more stable, it promotes safer and smoother sailing that everyone on board can enjoy.

Seems like a lot to learn about, right? AS we have said in the first part of this explainer, experience is the best teacher when it comes to boating. With a curious mind that tends to read and research, and an adventurous spirit that’s always on the go, we’re sure that you’ll be a boating pro in no time!

Buy Boat Parts in Australia

You’ve learned about the different boat parts and accessories, but you might still be asking yourself this: “Are there boat supplies near me?” The answer is—fortunately—yes. With the dawn of modern technology, it is made easy to buy boat parts online through online boating supplies stores like The Boating Emporium.

Australia isn’t just a paradise of beaches, lakes, and rivers—it is also a treasure throve of the best boating parts and accessories in the market. Here at The Boating Emporium, we have a wide collection not just of any of your boating needs, but for different water sports and activities as well. The ocean is the limit when it comes to things you will find in our online store!

So, what are you waiting for? Let us help you begin your nautical journey today! Visit our website www.theboatingemporium.com.au  for more information!