What should be done before each boating trip?

Completing a pre-departure checklist is essential for ensuring the safety and readiness of the boat before embarking on a trip. This checklist typically includes vital tasks such as checking the boat's safety equipment (like life jackets and flares), ensuring navigation and communication devices are functioning, reviewing weather conditions, and confirming that all necessary paperwork is onboard. By systematically addressing these aspects, boaters can identify and mitigate potential issues before they become problems on the water.

While keeping the boat clean and checking fuel levels are good practices, they do not cover the comprehensive safety and operational checks that a pre-departure checklist entails. Testing the boat's speed, while it may provide useful performance information, is not a required step before every trip and does not contribute to the immediate safety checks that the pre-departure checklist provides. Overall, the pre-departure checklist is a crucial step that encompasses a wide range of important safety considerations, making it the best answer in this context.