Blog
SUNGLASSES
on May 15, 2022
Sunglasses with polarized lenses have been an important piece of navigation equipment since they came on the market 40 years ago. With polarized filtered lenses, side glare from windshields, water and shiny surfaces are eliminated. In more recent years, popular thinking says blue-mirror sunglasses and gray-base lenses are best for offshore, and copper or amber-base lenses with green, gold or copper mirror are best inshore in brackish, brown or green water. When ot comes to […]
INTERNET ACCESS
on May 7, 2022
Connectivity on the water is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Nearly everyone needs to check in
SEASICKNESS
on May 1, 2022
Seasickness can range from mild feelings of discomfort to uncontrollable nausea and weakness. It’s unpleasant at the very least and on a boat, it can be dangerous. Seasickness is a sneaky condition and you can go from uncomfortable to vomiting to depleted very quickly. Avoiding Seasickness Focus your eyes, breath and mind. Avoid triggers, like acidic, spicy or odorous food, and alcohol. Stay out of the sun, and find a shady spot to cool off and […]
WIND AND WAVES
on April 24, 2022
The relationship between the wind and the waves is very important to boat skippers. So important that a completely new classification system was designed as a guideline incorporating both wind speed and the wave conditions most readily found at those speeds. Beaufort Scale The system, called the Beaufort Scale, was developed in 1805 by Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort of the British Navy. It is, to this day, a guideline for what can be expected in […]
DOCKSIDE SINKING
on April 17, 2022
You are finally in the water, and nothing is further from your mind than dockside sinking. Before you go looking to far ahead to the season ahead, don’t forget to take a few steps to ensure success. More vessels sink at the dock while unattended than sink while underway and manned. A common reason is when cockpit drains get clogged and the vessel takes on water from heavy rains or waves slapping over a low […]
COMPASSES
on April 10, 2022
Compasses are a must have to navigate effectively. The oldest but most important navigational tool known to man is the compass. Compasses come in all shapes and sizes, but for this, I’m concentrating on the main magnetic steering compass. A Low-Tech Necessity Many boaters think that, in these days of electronic-charting aids, compasses are no longer needed. Nothing could be further from the truth. A magnetic compass requires no electricity to operate, so it could […]
EASTER TRADITIONS
on April 3, 2022
There are many Easter Traditions. The Easter bunny is considered a part of Easter because of the bunnies ability to proliferate. There are roots back to the actual name of Easter. Eostre, a goddess of fertility, (who may have been one of the inspirations for the name Easter), is said to have been accompanied by a hare. Although some may debate this connection, the tradition of the bunny was brought to the U.S. by German […]
MAYDAY
on March 26, 2022
A Mayday call is a cry for Emergency Assistance. As the boating season starts, a lot of mishaps can occur out on the water. But when lives are on the line – your boat is on fire or sinking rapidly with people on board or someone is in imminent danger of dying without immediate medical assistance – you want every available resource dispatched to your position. A Mayday call will bring that kind of help. […]
SPRING CLEANING
on March 21, 2022
The Origins of Spring Cleaning According to Wikipedia, spring cleaning refers to “the yearly act of cleaning a house, or boat from top to bottom which would take place in the first warm days of the year, typically in the spring.” It has been suggested that the origins of spring cleaning date back to the Iranian Norouz, the Persian new year which falls on the first day of spring. Iranians continue the practice of “khooneh […]
DOCK SINKING
on March 12, 2022
Dock sinking represents a major part of all boat sinking every year. More than 80 percent of boats sink for two reasons: Cockpit drains Most dock sinking at the dock occurs while unattended. A common cause for this is when cockpit drains get clogged and the vessel takes on water from heavy rains or waves slapping over a low transom. The added weight of this water lowers the vessel in the water until a through […]