Upcoming Articles

A List of Some of Our Upcoming Articles

Many paddlecraft articles
Making maneuvers required by the Rules of the Road
Having a white light facing forward
Where are those pesky Colregs lines (marking the start of inland waters)
Just how long are whistle blasts supposed to be
Easy/immediate access to a life ring
MOB – what do you do
Preventing MOB
Williamson and Racetrack turns for MOB
Getting MOB back on board
Vessel safety check – be prepared for a boarding
Radio procedure
I’m in trouble, what do I do?
If you have an emergency, do not delay
Should you have a VHF radio
Should you take a safe boating class
Building and having a Faraday box
Charts
How to read a chart – exploring Chart 1
Open CPN charts
Walking a twin engine boat sideways
Flare requirements
USCG App for your phone
Having a float plan
Mayday vs Pan Pan
What information to have ready when making a Mayday call
Responsibility of boat hearing a Mayday call
Nothing to the right of left of………..
Preprogram emergency numbers in your phone
Emergency briefing of passengers
Always be planning ahead
Check the weather
NOAA resources
Weather
Reportable accidents
Accident reporting
Offshore operations
Carbon monoxide
Fuel management
Boating checklists
Survival tips
First aid
Marine domain awareness
History of the Rules of the Road
Don’t ruin a nice day with an accident/emergency
Dealing with large ships
Dealing with barges and tows
Over-confidence in electronics
Fire – the biggest danger afloat
New fire extinguisher rules
EPIRB – boat and personal
Wear a life jacket if you are alone
Before ARPA – maneuvering board
Relative bearing line and SBDR/CBDR
Allowing kids or anyone ride on the gunwale
Boat capacity
We’re out and the weather turned bad
Securing things on deck
Keeping boat balanced
Turning on shore-based fog signals
Going through a bar
Reading the wind from the waves
Reading the wind from flags ashore
Do not let your boat broach
Calculate distance to the horizon
Advance and transfer
Last-minute collision avoidance maneuvers
Hearing a fog signal ahead
AIS apps
Sailors at night have a flashlight readily available to light sails
The right way to tie off to a cleat
Tensioning your sailboat’s rigging
Navigation day shapes
Why you should have a drogue
Under what circumstance will the Coast Guard tow
What navigation data will the CG tell you
Duty to assist other boaters
When being towed – stay away from lines, etc.
Have a manual bailing device on board
Critical knots to know
Stopping a hull leak
Actions if a helo is coming for a pickup
Chafing gear
Types of anchors and types of sea bottom
Anchoring and length of anchor rode
Effect of wind – fetch
COG and COM
Types of fog
Estimating wave height
Wake awareness
Maintaining minimum steerageway
Know your boat’s handling characteristics
Sudden changes in water color
Communicating between captain and crew or passengers
Types of motion caused by the seas
Minimizing motion caused by seas
Seasickness – causes and cures
How to fix a sheer pin
Maring head types and requirements
Dumping trash
Automotive parts and marine engines
One hand for the boat