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run the boat thoroughly in the months leading up to the trip
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Wring it out. Learn your limits. Better to know what you can't handle before you're 35 miles from the nearest land. A shakedown cruise is called that because you are seeing what will shake loose when you need it. Better to fail where SeaTow will come get you and take you back to your trailer.
Go ahead and deliberately run in less than great weather a couple of times to get experience handling under somewhat adverse conditions. I promise you, when you're running before a squall with a 6'-9' swell with 30 kt winds, there is no substitute for knowledge combined with experience.
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... Having something critical fail 100 miles off and there is no substitute for spare parts, tools and the knowledge of how to use'em.
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Amen and Amen.
__________________
Common Sense is learning from your mistakes. Wisdom is learning from the other guy's mistakes.
Fr. Frank says:
Jesus liked fishing, too. He even walked on water to get to the boat!
Currently without a SeaCraft 
(2) Pompano 12' fishing kayaks
'73 Cobia 18' prototype "Casting Skiff", 70hp Mercury