Blog October 2014

SO WHY ALL THE FOCUS ON BOATING SAFETY?

According to the U.S. Coast Guard 2012 Recreational Boating Statistics, boating fatalities that year totaled 651.

 According to the 2013 U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics boating fatalities totaled 560 — the lowest number of boating fatalities on record

From 2012 to 2013, deaths in boating-related accidents decreased 14 percent, from 651 to 560, and injuries decreased from 3,000 to 2,620, a 12.7 percent reduction. The total reported recreational boating accidents decreased from 4,515 to 4,062, a 10 percent decrease.

The fatality rate for 2013 of 4.7 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels reflected a 13 percent decrease from the previous year's rate of 5.4 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels. Property damage totaled approximately $39 million.

The report states alcohol use was the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; it was listed as the leading factor in 16 percent of deaths. Operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, excessive speed and machinery failure ranked as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents.

Where the cause of death was known, 77 percent of fatal boating accident victims drowned; of those drowning victims, 84 percent were not wearing a life jacket. Where boating instruction was known, 20 percent of deaths occurred on vessels where the operator had received boating safety instruction. The most common types of vessels involved in reported accidents were open motorboats, personal watercraft and cabin motorboats.

The Coast Guard attributes the decrease to better awareness. "We are pleased that there have been fewer accidents on waterways in recent years and thank our partners for their work," said Capt. Jon Burton, director of inspections and compliance at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters. "Together we will continue to stress the importance of life jacket use, boating education courses and sober boating."

The Coast Guard reminds all boaters to boat responsibly while on the water: wear a life jacket, take a boating safety course, get a free vessel safety check and avoid alcohol consumption.

WHAT FLOATS YOUR BOAT?

 Or keeps it afloat......

Here’s some cold hard facts about boating mishaps involving sinking..

 According to BoatUS, the largest insurer of pleasure boats in the country, for every boat that sinks at sea, four go down in their slips. That’s a fairly amazing stat.

 Why?

 The sad truth is you don't have to have a rendezvous with a rock to get a one-way ticket down to the bottom. In fact, you don't have to do anything. Just let your boat sit awhile, and eventually it will find the bottom.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?

PART I

As the storage season approaches for many of us, I offer some of the more common causes for boat sinking’s and things to explore and some tips on how to avoid the symptoms.

Avoiding sinking 

Store your stern drive in the down position when out of the water to avoid the bends and creases that stress rubber. Inspect the bellows two or three times a year and replace it annually.

 Scuppers in the Fall & Winter

 The scuppers can get clogged with leaves. This won't seal the drains, but it can greatly slow the release of water. In a heavy rain storm, the cockpit can fill enough to weigh down the boat so it floods or accumulates enough water to reach non-waterproof openings in the deck and fill the bilge.

 Keep the cockpit covered, or have wide-mesh external screens made to protect the scuppers.

 If you don’t, when snow falls and ice builds up around the scuppers, they will fill. Since this occurs under the snow, you won’t see it. The added weight of the snow and ice will cause the boat to sink. Haul out for the winter, or have a waterproof, reinforced cover that can take the weight of accumulated snow

While the boat is on land, check the hoses by flexing them back and forth. If there are any cracks, replace the hoses. And while its out of the water, inspect the plumbing. Look for apiece of plumbing corroded, cracked, or just weak. The weakest link is the hose that can crack, most often around the stress points created by the clamps.

 Hose Clamp Failure

Inspect your hose clamps. A hose attached to a seacock below the waterline, or a through-hull just above it, can came off its fitting because the hose clamps gave way. The result could be extremely wet. Secure each hose with two clamps where it passes over the fitting's nipple. Check that the clamps are all stainless steel (a magnet won't attract stainless). Often, the tightening gear and its case are mild steel, which rusts away.

 Stuffing Box

 The packing gland surrounding the prop shaft loosened. Or perhaps it rotted away as it hadn't been replaced for many seasons.

Dripless shaft seals that require minimal maintenance are used by 90 percent of today's boatbuilders. But many boaters still use old-fashioned stuffing boxes on the rudder shafts. Check stuffing boxes often, and replace.

 Trapped Under a Dock

 You tied up the boat at low tide. The wind pushed part of the boat under the dock, the tide came up, and the boat became trapped beneath the dock, then took on water and eventually sank.

 This can happen when the pilings supporting the dock are too far apart to keep the boat parallel to the dock and out from under it. No matter how many dock lines you rig, this will be a problem. If you can't dock elsewhere else, set anchors out from the bow and stern so the boat won't swing.

 Tied Down, Tide Up

At low tide, your bow and stern lines were tight. When the tide came up, the lines stayed that way-firmly holding the boat down as the water rose.

Long spring lines attached at acute angles to the boat adjust as the boat rises and falls. Bow and stern lines may have to be tended as the tide goes through its cycle.

MORE ON THURSDAY IN PART II  

Boat storage methods are numerous and can be simple,. Here are some of the advantages  and disadvantages of the three most common methods to store your boat..

1. Backyard Storage

Many boat owners opt to cover their trailer- able boats and store them in their yards over the winter. Keeping the boat in your yard is usually the least expensive and most convenient, but extreme care should be taken to choose the right cover.

Boat cover prices can range from under $200 to over $3,000 for a custom cover. Most Boat Industry Experts generally agree that purchasing a high-end boat cover is the best way to go. If you purchase a cheap cover that doesn't allow enough airflow it can promote mildew, causing problems and costing more further down the road. Choose the best cover you can afford with a fabric that is strong, breathable and water-resistant. If your budget allows, a custom cover and frame is a worthwhile investment.

2. Boatyard Shrink-wrapped

Shrink-wrapping will keep your boat dry and well ventilated, meaning less chance of mildew. Almost all Boat yards specialize in shrink-wrapping boats. If you wish,  you can purchase do-it-yourself kits at marine stores for boats 25 feet and under.

The downside to shrink-wrap is you will be unable to work on your boat during the winter. If this isn't a problem, it may be the option you will want to choose if you don't have space for a trailering and storing your boat at home.

3. Indoor Storage

Options abound with indoor boat storage. Unheated or heated. Climate controlled or not. The obvious pro in storing your boat at an indoor facility is protection from the elements and having access to your boat during the winter months. The downside is that storing your boat at an indoor facility is usually costly and they usually dictate when you can have access to the boat.

Just remember when choosing a winter boat storage method, choose the solution that provides the best protection for your boat investment at the price and accessibility you can most afford.

These three simple statements should guide you when you are out on the water.

Operate 

Your number one job is to operate your boat responsibly!!

Nothing should distract you from that. I understand how difficult it can be at times. You are out for a great day of fishing with your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend, Your spouse is going on and on you for a new car to get the kids to soccer practice or your boyfriend/girlfriend won’t leave you alone about the tickets for the upcoming concert. A big fish has just hit your  line and your thoughts go to catching it.

Are you still thinking about your boat?

 You get the idea. Remember, stay focused.

You still are responsible for the safety of the boat and everyone on board.

Navigate

You must, at all times, know where you are and where you are going.

 And by that I mean something more accurate than just knowing the name of the body of water you are on or proudly telling your guests; "That’s America over there". At least sharpen your skills to the point that you can proclaim with some certainty "That’s Montauk, (I think)".

Communicate

Always, .always,  always …..

Whenever you are in doubt, communicate!

Don’t worry that you will sound stupid asking someone what the clearance of that bridge is up ahead?

 Think about how stupid you will look when the mast of your boat is in the cockpit with you. Not sure what the intentions of that tug and tow heading directly at you are?

ASK!