Tagged: safety
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 [...]
Be Aware
This weekend, the weather was great for boating – clear, hot, and sunny. Naturally, a lot of boaters hit the water. Unfortunately, a lot of those boaters did not practice good boating habits. Some boaters completely ignored marina-based no wake zones resulting in constant choppy water and shifting docks. Other boaters decided to move in the opposite direction, setting their throttle to just above idle and then staying in the middle of channels, completely blocking the vessels stacked up behind it. And another group of boaters decided to reinvent the rules of the road by passing on the incorrect side [...]
Anchors Aweigh
Anchors Aweigh Boating is an adventurous hobby. Every new outing offers a different experience from relaxing to exciting and oftentimes the combination. This very quality makes it important that boaters keep an eye on the safety aspects of the hobby. This experience is not like badminton in the backyard. Boating safety boils down to the basics: float plan, charts, compass/GPS, life jackets, horn, anchor, and a few other things. All are important, and in many cases required by the U. S. Coast Guard, but let’s focus on the anchor here. When looking at anchors consider the type of anchor first. [...]
Fall Boating
Well, it’s that time of the year again. People are decorating with mums and pumpkins, and temperatures have dropped from cool to brisk. Fall boating is a double-edged sword, on the one hand, it’s very serene -when boating last Sunday, I saw only one other boat underway, but it’s also more dangerous – if you fall overboard while tying a line, that may be the end of your boating career. What to do? I suggest you play safety to the nines. Wear that auto-inflate life jacket and your newest non-skid boat shoes. Focus on being more aware to avoid being [...]
Scouts
Historically, the Boy Scouts motto has been “be prepared”. Based on my experience today, I think it’s an excellent one for fall boaters, too. This afternoon, the swells were in the 6-7 foot range and there was a confused chop laying on top of the massive waves. Many times throughout the afternoon, I could feel and observe the boat being rapidly thrust forward on top of a massive wave with a significant reduction of control on my part. Here are some mental notes I made. One, stand while piloting to give yourself the best chance of avoiding entanglement with lobster [...]