Tagged: safety
Plotting
It’s summertime, and the water temperature is moderate and the ambient temperature is hot. Together, the temps support fun boating days and boaters are headed out to familiar locations and new ones. A word to the wise, regardless of how sure you are of the area to be traversed, consider checking over the charts for possible issues and plotting your main routes. Even if you’ve gone over the same route countless times, fog can appear out of nowhere, fully obscuring recognized landmarks. And wind and wave conditions can cause you to take new routes with new obstacles, often time [...]
Plan for the Best…
Most boaters would agree that boating is typically an adventure. Weather plays a large role in the experience, as the sun, wind, rain, and fog work in concert to create unexpected results. This afternoon, as I left the harbor, there was a light chop, a slight breeze, and excellent multi-mile visibility. Based on the favorable conditions, I went for a brief ride to an adjacent town. After briefly touring the harbor I started my trip to my home port, just a few miles away. As I exited the harbor, I could see the visibility was worsening quickly as a [...]
Safety Communications
A key part of the spring commissioning process is a safety equipment check. Some basics to consider are: Is the anchor well secured to the line? is the horn charged? are the flares current? are the life jackets in good condition, etc. There are lots of things to cover. An equally important facet of this area is whether or not the skipper and crew actually know how to use the equipment properly. For example, say you’ve had your handheld VHF for a few years, but have not had many chances to use it. Which channel should you monitor? What [...]
Spring Commissioning – Safety
It’s June, and while the weather is still a bit uncooperative, most boaters in the Northeast are in the process of commissioning their boats. There are, of course, many things to attend to from bottom painting to new electronics installation. Importantly, I suggest you pay special attention to the safety gear onboard . Here are some questions to think about: is the anchor securely shackled to the anchor chain; are there sufficient modern PFDs aboard; are the flares within date; do the radios work and do you know how to operate them; do all the gauges, including the fuel [...]
Big Seas
Big Waves It is the last week of September and sea conditions are rapidly transitioning to Fall boating which is characterized by heavy sailing conditions, large swells and an aggressive chop, from local weather patterns and large remote disturbances. The picturesque result, when viewed from the beach, is a bit more thought provoking when on board: will I unexpectedly wrap a lobster pot line around the prop, immobilizing the boat in the huge waves?; will I hit a rock obscured by the surf and quickly take on water; or will I catch a rogue wave at a bad angle which [...]
Boating Basics Are Important
Recently, we did a show on Boating Basics. The show focused on foundational topics that both experienced and inexperienced skippers need to be aware of. While some experienced skippers may turn the “channel” quickly after viewing some of the basic points, hopefully, some new arrivals will invest some time viewing the key points. Here’s sampling: Float Plan Informs people on land where you’ve gone at sea. If calamity strikes and the skipper and crew are in trouble, knowing where to look for them could be the difference between life and death. Navigation rules illuminates which side of buoys to pass [...]
Smart Boating 265 – Boating Basics
This show recaps some particularly important safety practices to ensure trouble free boating.
Batteries
Batteries are an enigma for many boaters. What power rating do you need? What size? How do you install one? How do you maintain one? How long will it last? How do you know it’s starting to die? These are all reasonable questions. Some are straightforward such as the size and power-rating, especially when replacing an existing battery. Installation is fairly straightforward, as is maintenance. However, things get tricky when forecasting end of life. Experience has proven that forecasting battery life is a bit like predicting the weather – it’s tough to get it right. A number of factors [...]