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National SAfe Boating Week 2013

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:38:55 +0000

Stay safe when sailing! As National Safe Boating Week (May 18-24) gets in motion, get your safety consciousness in motion too. Virtually all boating accidents, injuries, and fatalities could have been prevented with the right knowledge and equipment - and above all, by always thinking safety first. Once you've gotten into the habit, staying safe doesn't diminish the joy of sailing. The fewer problems that occur, the more fun you'll have. Check here for a collection of articles and guidelines on all aspects of safety under sail.

Coast Guard Releases 2012 Recreational Boating Accident Statistics

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:11:55 +0000

The good news is that U.S. boating fatalities in 2012 were down from 2011, continuing a downward trend. The bad news is that 651 boaters died from incidents on the water, along with another 3000 injuries significant enough to be reported. As in past years, not surprisingly, alcohol use was a major causative factor, but operator inattention and inexperience continued to play major roles. While the most boats involved were motorboats and personal watercraft, a significant number of incidents involved sailboats. You can download the full report here. And here you can read a series of articles about how to stay safe on your own boat.

An Easy Do-It-Yourself Stern Rail Seat

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:13:22 +0000

A stern rail seat is perfect for a crew or guest who wants a clearer view ahead than you can get from the cockpit benches or for someone who simply wants to keep out of the way of winches, sheets and lines, and the crews' sailing or racing activities. Plus it's just plain fun to sit high up on the stern. Most new sailboats now sport these seats, but you can easily build one for an older sailboat and save a fistful of dollars in the process. Check it out here.

Keeping Your Boat Dry and Preventing Mildew

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:42:48 +0000

It's hard to keep a boat's interior dry when you're not using it frequently and allowing full exchange of cabin air. Solar vents and other expensive products can help but may not provide a full solution - especially when the boat is covered during the offseason. Awhile back I learned the trick of using calcium chloride, purchased in bulk, to lower moisture levels during the offseason and prevent the growth of mold and mildew. The same chemical is the basis for DampRid, a commercial product that can help considerably both in and out of season. Learn more.

Have You Checked Out Polar Navy?

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:48:16 +0000

It's that time of the year when I, like many sailors, am making summer cruising plans. So on one rainy day recently I was poring over my electronic charts of areas I'd like to visit and realized I have so many devices now (for the tests I run of apps and software) that I need to be more selective of what resources I use when cruising. Basic chartplotter and navigation functions are, for most coastal cruisers, not a big issue any more, as many different apps and programs now provide the needed functionality. What I realized I really wanted, however, was to have ActiveCaptain always at my fingertips to check out anchorage choices, find the best marina to refuel or get water, etc. - and I don't want to have to depend on connectivity at the time. (For those who don't know about the online ActiveCaptain Interactive Cruising Guidebook, check it out - it's a terrific resource for cruisers.)

ActiveCaptain is built into several different navigation apps, but I dislike having to read text on a small screen (on a rocking boat, in the rain, etc.). It's easier to browse information like this on a laptop, but again I don't want to need connectivity or put up with slower 3G download times using the online version. So I have switched my laptop chartplotter program to Polar Navy, which can download the entire ActiveCaptain database for offline use. I have a Bluetooth GPS receiver for the laptop, which makes it even easier to see my boat's position on a chart overlaid with points of information from ActiveCaptain. That feature alone for me justifies the purchase of Polar Navy at a much lower cost than most software navigation packages. If you're in the same boat, check it out!

Vow to Stay Safe this Boating Season

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 14:39:49 +0000

It's still early spring and many of us in northern climates have yet to launch our boats, but already the Coast Guard is reporting an active series of rescues in many areas and, sadly, more than just a few boating fatalities. It may be that boaters are at a greater risk early in the season, when excited to be back out on the water or so busy focusing on the renewed experience that they sometimes pay less attention to safety issues.

Of course, staying safe involves a lot more than just watching where you're going and trying to stay in the boat. Here's a good overview of safety principles plus links for more information. Remember too that when you invite guests aboard, they're often not familiar with the boat or the risks - take a moment to give them a safety briefing. Then enjoy!

Do You Use an Anchor Alarm App?

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:31:15 +0000

Most chartplotters include an anchor alarm to alert you if your anchored boat moves too far from the anchor's position, indicating that the anchor may be dragging - a critical tool for getting a good night's sleep! For boaters lacking this functionality, several apps are available for GPS-equipped smartphones and tablets. I've just concluded testing two popular anchoring apps, DragQueen Anchor Alarm and My Anchor Alarm, with a close look at the differences. What about you - have you used one of these apps or a different one? Share your experience with a comment here for other boaters.

New Book of Sailing Disaster Stories

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:21:31 +0000

Upfront warning: I'm tooting my own horn here by announcing the release of my latest sailing book, Suddenly Overboard: True Stories of Sailors in Fatal Trouble. Published by International Marine/McGraw-Hill, it is now available from the publisher and online bookstores. Despite the title of this post, it's not a huge disaster story like The Perfect Storm but a collection of short stories of sailors who experienced disasters and, often, became fatalities if they weren't rescued first. The stories are told in dramatic narratives, not as lessons, but they are all true, and all of us sailors can become much safer on the water if we realize how many ways there are for something to suddenly go wrong. The book is the culmination of several years of research into all sailing fatalities and rescues reported by the Coast Guard as well as in news reports and personal interviews. One of the most startling things I discovered in this research is that it's not the big stuff like storms or collisions or sinkings that put most of us sailors at risk - but the everyday situations we experience every time we get on a boat. For example, more sailors die while anchoring or docking their boats than from storms at sea, usually at times when they least expect trouble. There are dozens of ways to end up suddenly overboard, but knowing how it has happened to others makes us safer ourselves if only because we're paying closer attention. Beyond this, I hope you find the stories also a plain old good read.

Sailing Fascination

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:53:33 +0000

I've just spent some time reviewing a new book of sailing photography, "Sailing Fascination" by Heinrich Hecht. It really does have some beautiful photos, but it's much more than just pretty pictures. The depth and focus of the book take you inside the sailors on the boats as well, including the competitive spirit of racing and the occasional agonies and frequent joys of sail. If you have room on your coffee table, this is a good choice. Check it out.

New Edition of The Practical Mariner's Book of Knowledge

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 17:15:49 +0000

If you still have time for reading before getting busy with this sailing season's pre-launch work, I'd recommend the new edition of this classic book by John Vigor. It's full of useful information for all sailors, but its larger virtue may be how entertaining it is. Better yet, with its alphabetical disorder, when you look up one thing you're sure to stumble upon something else you'd never have thought of learning. Like, for example, the protocol to follow if you have to bury someone at sea, or ancient mariners' sea sayings, or maybe a sailor's cocktail recipes. Check it out!