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Boat Maintenance

Do you know how to repair and maintain a boat? Whether it’s a small boat like a kayak or a canoe, or a larger vessel like a sailboat, being able to perform repairs and maintenance on watercraft is a valuable outdoor skill.

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Plan

  • What kind of boat do you want to be able to repair and maintain?
  • How will you learn about the skills you want to master?
  • When and where will you practise these skills?

Do

  • Work as a Company or Crew to determine what kind of maintenance you would like to learn. Sailboats? Canoes?
  • Reach out to someone who knows about boat repair. This might be a Scouter, community member or your local sailing club.
  • Learn everything you can, and try to put your skills to the test!

Review

  • What do you know now that you did not know before?
  • How did your team get along?
  • What problems did you encounter, and what did you do to solve these problems?
  • What would you do differently next time?
  • Can you adopt this trail on a long-term basis?
  • Remember to submit your activities on our Scouts for Sustainability Take Action Map

Keep it Simple

  • Start by learning how to do preventive care on your boat. How should your boat be stored when it’s not in use? During the winter? How should it be treated while in use. Preventing damage will go a long way in lowering the amount of maintenance your boat requires!

Take it Further

  • Teach the rest of your Group about the importance of boat maintenance. Teach other Sections about how to properly care for boats while using them and storing them, and teach them some basic boat maintenance. Knowing how much work a boat requires will help build respect for equipment!
  • Build “on the go” repair kits to bring on your next adventure. What repairs might be required while you’re on an adventure? Which ones can you do easily on an adventure? What supplies do these repairs require?