I follow the rules - and I strongly believe the rental companies should add a few more or we should post more here. Rental companies assume people know too much. My wife and I had one (and only one) horrifying experience due to inexperience. I've boated (23' cabin cruiser) since I was 12 - but on a lake, which didn't help in this situation :

DO NOT BEACH A BOAT ON THE WINDWARD SIDE OF AN ISLAND WHEN IT'S WINDY!! AHCHOR OFFSHORE AND WADE IN - OR FIND A LEEWARD SIDE.

Strong winds out of the west. Forgot the name of the cay (pelican??) south of tiloo, east of the snorkeling park, an outermost (ocean bordering) cay. gorgeous beaches facing west. We headed directly east toward the beach - which faced the wind. The second the bow hit the beach, the wind and waves whipped the whaler sideways up onto the beach. The only way we could get it back into the water was for the two of us to get underneath the bow, and when waves got under the boat, to push it out. Well, that was a catch-22 - the waves got under allright, and would attempt to push it further up on shore, while were almost crushed underneath it trying to push the other way. A smaller boat, or more people would've made this experience much less scary. Once out, I jumped in, anchored, while my wife stood there on the beach. We we so frazzled we just backed out of there, drifted in the middle of the sea, and had lunch.

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