This is another topic that’s relevant to where you live. The concern is biggest for inland trailer-boaters, but can also apply elsewhere: hitchhiking invasive species can jump from one body of water to another via your boat.
The best way you can help prevent this is to “Clean, Drain, Dry”:
- By inspecting your boat for plants and removing them immediately after hauling it out;
- Washing the boat down thoroughly between trips;
- Letting it dry for a several days before launching the boat in a different body of water. Also be sure to drain the bilge, livewell, raw water washdown system, and anything else that may hold water.
Lastly, don’t forget to flush the motor between uses to be sure there aren’t any hitchhiking invasives in that system, too