Tagged: safety
Be Aware
As all boaters know, boating is a great sport. Every trip is an adventure. However, embedded within those experiences can be many opportunities to have physical mishaps. Recently, I have heard of a few instances where swimmers brushed up against the stainless steel prop and had to head to the hospital for stitches. Yesterday, I noticed a fellow boater almost fall from the foredeck of his powerboat after snagging a line on an exposed fitting. And, I unexpectedly kicked my anchor lying on the cockpit floor, an act which could have caused some serious pain if I had bare feet. [...]
Trailer Check- Over
Recently I helped a friend check out a used 21’ walk-around power boat sitting on a nice aluminum trailer prior to purchase. Before towing the boat away, my friend and I checked a number of key areas. To start, we checked the bearings for grease; axles, frame, and springs for integrity; and tires for rot and air pressure. Then we tested the winch for smooth operation and the accompanying safety strap for freshness. We moved forward of the winch to examine the trailer light connector for pin configuration and cleanliness, ball size specification on the trailer tongue for proper fit, [...]
Limits
Today was a good day for boating, sunny and hot with a light breeze. A friend and I were planning to swim off the boat until we dipped our toes in and felt the frigid water. At this point, I changed my plans to revolve around a swim-less afternoon, whereas my friend donned his shorty wetsuit and jumped into the water. Moments later he surfaced, practically gasping for air, uttering expletives as he quickly swam to the boarding ladder. He slowly climbed the ladder, hampered by aging knees and the numbing cold which made motion of unprotected limbs challenging. After [...]
Safety First
This past weekend was a great one for boating – warm and sunny, with a light breeze. I spent time on a couple of boats and thoroughly enjoyed being on the water. However, some situations popped up that reminded me of the thin line separating fun and serious injury. In one instance, a young woman jumped from the dock to a departing boat, just barely making it. If she had missed, a serious head injury probably would have resulted. In another case, I noticed the propeller from a large idling outboard spinning while in neutral gear, within arm’s length of [...]
Just a Scootch
Spring is starting to unfold and we’re headed into the spring commissioning process. Now, if you’re somewhat of a DIYer, you understand that commissioning involves a lot of different activities: tightening belts; changing plugs; replacing thermostats and water pump impellers; connecting battery cables, etc. One thing you may or may not initially recollect is that new parts are not always quite what you expected and even installed parts can be off, just a scootch. For example I’ve changed thermostat housings only to find that the new gaskets supplied in the kit didn’t seal as well as the old gaskets being [...]
Slippery Conditions
The weather is starting to turn and spring commissioning activities are coming up fast. All sorts of things are on the “to do” list – washing, waxing, tuning, and painting, just to name a few. If you’ve done them before, none of them are particularly challenging, they just take time and effort. But, never let go of the thought that even the most basic chores can be dangerous. When you’re walking on wet foredecks with last year’s topsiders, it is all too easy to slip and fall onto the pavement below. And when you’re reconnecting the battery cables, sparks can [...]
Steady As She Goes
It’s the start of the boating season and most skipper’s piloting skills are a bit rusty. Questions abound in terms of the boat’s ability to plane in open water; turn in close quarters at the gas dock; and reduce speed in mandatory low wake areas. Additional questions surface in terms of rock locations, tidal impacts, and basic piloting actions. Poor piloting can lead to collisions with high costs in terms of life and property. Consider a couple of points. One, take a quick glance at some graphical navigational examples to ensure you have the proper passing frameworks in mind. Two, [...]
Stay Above The Waterline
It’s June, early in the boating season, and a good time to keep a close eye on things as all of the boat’s systems, from mechanical to plumbing to electrical, reconnect. Particularly with all the recent rain, the bilge pump system which includes batteries, wiring, pump switch, and the pump itself bears close initial monitoring. A lot of failure points characterize this oftentimes overlooked system – batteries can be weak or the terminal connections can be faulty; power wires can be cut or corroded; the pump switch can be stuck in the “on” or “off” position; and, of course the [...]