Blog 2015

Tips For Launching And Loading Your Boat

Well it's inevitable as the boating season gets underway, you will hear about some  incidents of boat ramp adventures.

Here's an article about getting that boat in the water safely.

By Michael Vatalaro
Published in the Spring Edition of Boat USA Trailering

It's as simple as 1, 2, 3, 4. But there's a knack and an order to getting it right.

1. Set The Stage

Before you even think about backing down the ramp, take 10 minutes in the staging area to load all the gear into the boat, attach lines to the bow and stern cleats, check that the plug is in, remove the rear tie-downs, put the key in the ignition, and unplug the trailer lights.

If you have surge brakes, unplugging the trailer lights will also depower the circuit that prevents your trailer brakes from locking up when you reverse. You'll need to use the manual brake lockout to prevent this. Also, if you know the ramp well, you can lower the motor or outdrive now, if you're sure it won't hit bottom.

2. Back It Up

Back down the ramp till the stern of the boat floats. If you can't tell when the stern is floating, have a crewmember positioned on the dock beside the ramp signal you when to stop. Put the vehicle in park and engage the parking brake, but leave it running. If you have trouble backing straight, place your driving hand at the bottom of the steering wheel. That way, whichever direction you move your hand, the trailer will turn in that direction.

3. Unhook The Bow

Depending on how steep the ramp is or how athletic you're feeling, you may be able to scramble along the bumper or step up onto the tongue of the trailer and not get your feet wet. But it's advisable to wear water-friendly shoes or rubber boots so you can wade in to reach the bow eye and winch handle. Many boat ramps are slick with algae during summer months, so don't be surprised if your feet start to slide.

Once you can reach the bow eye and handle, unhook the safety chain, then back the winch off to get enough slack to release the bow strap as well. Pass the line on the bow cleat to a crewmember on the dock, then push the bow of the boat up and off the trailer. If you've backed down far enough, this should be relatively easy, and the boat should float gently off.

4. Nice Going!

Now, Keep It Moving: While you head back to the driver's seat to park the tow vehicle, make sure the crew is walking the boat down to the far end of the dock to free up the ramp for the next boater.

It isn't necessarily best to meet waves bow on.

In light of the number of boat rescues needed ths past weekend, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit some basic information.

All to often, this results in the wave coming aboard suddenly as a large volume of water. This , of course, will depend on your boat, the speed you're running (which should normally be relatively slow if you're encountering waves), and the boat's buoyancy and other characteristics. Generally, it's best to take incoming sea to the port or starboard side just aft of the bow rather than dead on. This allows that broader and hopefully more buoyant hull section to meet the rising water, and it's far forward of taking it on the beam, which could flip you. Also, if you take it dead on the bow, you're more likely to have that narrow bow, which is designed to cut through the water, cut through the wave and not rise as much as is needed, allowing the wave to board you. Exactly how far aft of the prow you take a wave will depend on all the variables and will even change with such conditions as wave height and boat type and loading. But as you grow accustomed to your boat, you should get a good feel for this.

When maneuvering your boat, some basic boating skills will keep you safe on the water.

How To Beach Your Boat
And Leave Again( Safely)

I get asked a lot of questions about beaching boats, especially when they get damaged. Beaching, rather than anchoring, to swim or go ashore can be a great way to temporarily secure your boat, if you do it the right way.

Found this article originally

published By Michael Vatalaro in Summer 2013

 In many parts of the country, boaters gather on beaches and sandbars to swim and socialize. Beaching your boat to take part seems simple enough to do, but in order to make sure your boat is A) still there when you're ready to go, and B) still able to float at that time, it's important to take a few precautions.

Know Your Bottom

While most of the popular spots have sandy bottoms because it's comfortable for swimming, some places have soft mud or muck bottoms that can trap a boat in place, particularly on a falling tide.

Remember every beach is different, and just because you've done this 100 times at your local sandy shore, it doesn't mean the one three miles downwind is the same. Stay alert to the terrain, waves, and weather, and act appropriately, including abandoning the plan and putting out an anchor, or moving on somewhere else if your gut and the elements say it's not safe.

Know Thy Tide Chart

There is no surer way to meet your local TowBoatUS captain than by running up on a beach at high tide. By the same token, an incoming tide can lift a securely beached boat and carry it off, if you're not paying attention. And just because you boat on a lake or river system, don't think you're off the hook. Sudden changes in wind direction can push water away from a shore, or pile it up with the same result. Pop-up thunderstorms strand boats every year on both tidal and non-tidal waters by quickly building up wind and wave action that drive boats ashore before their owners can move them to deeper water.

Come In SLOW

A lot of boaters seem to think they need momentum to push the boat up on the beach or sandbar. Coming in much faster than dead slow only guarantees the sand will scratch up the gelcoat on your keel that much more. A smarter approach is to only motor in to where the water is waist deep, turn off the engine, trim the motor or outdrive all the way up, and then have a crew member go over the side to walk the boat to the desired location with a bow line.

Park So You Can Leave Again

With a favorable (incoming) tide and a protected location with little or no wave or wake action, veteran sandbar enthusiasts will pull the boat inshore until the keel under the bow firmly nudges bottom, and then take the anchor to the beach or further inshore to provide tension to keep the keel against the sand. But this leaves the stern of the boat vulnerable to being swamped by wakes, or for wind or wave action to push the boat parallel to the beach. If the entire keel ends up resting on the sand, it can be difficult to get the boat back into deeper water.

A better method is to march the bow in till the water is just over your knees, and then spin the boat 180 degrees so that the bow faces out toward the deep water (larger boats will require more draft). You can then walk or swim an anchor out to deep water, AND deploy one or two stern anchors or sand spikes on the beach to keep the boat pointed the correct direction.

Hear The Music

Wave action against the bow won't be an issue, and this has the added benefit of giving you and the crew easy access to the boat via the stern, and usually makes it easier to hear the stereo, too. When you are ready to go, pull up the stern anchors, get aboard, and pull the boat to deeper water using the anchor rode.

                                                            Signal aids are critical to help rescuers pinpoint your boat's exact location in an emergency.

This from the Coast Guard.

A boat on the ocean is a small, hard-to-see target in good conditions, and even with all the technological advances in EPIRBs and communications technology that interface GPS information with the VHF radio, nothing can help rescuers get a visual fix on a boat in distress better than a flare or other visual signaling device. The U.S. Coast Guard requires you to carry the proper visual distress signals on board, and it's important to know how to use the different types in an emergency.

Aerial signals: Aerial signals are used to alert all the boats in the area that you're in trouble. They're fired from a variety of self-contained launchers or specifically designed pistols, and can reach an altitude of 450 to 1,000 feet. The combination of bright light and high altitude makes these flares highly visible from a long way off, but most have a relatively short burn time. The U.S. Coast Guard recommends firing two aerial signals-one immediately after the first has gone out-so that in an emergency, rescuers can confirm the sighting and/or the direction of the signal.

Handheld signals Once you've alerted boats in your area that you're in distress and have given rescuers a general idea of your location with aerial signals (and, often, radio or EPIRB contact as well), a handheld signal emits a bright light that will help your rescuers to zero in on your position. In an emergency, your rescuers have seen your aerial signals, confirmed your position on the radio, and use the light from a handheld to steer directly to you.

Smoke signals: Smoke signals are somewhat similar to handhelds in that they are designed to help pinpoint the location of a vessel in distress; they do so by emitting a thick, colored smoke rather than light. They're obviously of no use in the dark, but in daylight, a big plume of colored smoke is often more visible than the bright but relatively small light emitted by a handheld flare. And most smoke flares will float and work on the water.

All pyrotechnic signaling devices must be stored in a cool, dry place, and most are available with a tough, plastic, waterproof storage case. Make sure you keep the signaling kit in an easily accessible location on your boat. And remember: It's illegal to fire a distress signal in a non-distress situation.

How to Radio for Help in a Life-Threatening Emergency

So let’s review as the season starts, a lot of mishaps can occur out on the water, but thankfully most are more inconvenient and embarrassing than anything else. 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. Not only will the U.S. Coast Guard respond but the Coast Guard may notify state and local search and rescue units in your vicinity and ask them to respond as well. The Coast Guard will also transmit an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast over marine-band VHF-FM radio Channel 16, notifying all vessels in the area of your emergency. In many cases a nearby Good Samaritan will be first on the scene to render assistance.

A Mayday – the term is derived from the French venez m'aider, meaning “Come. Help me” – should be transmitted if possible via marine-band VHF-FM radio Channel 16 or 2182 kHz MF/SSB. Emergencies can go from bad to worse in seconds so try to get as much information across in as little time as possible.
 International Maritime Organization protocols call for beginning the transmission with the word "Mayday" repeated three times, followed by the name and number of your vessel and its position. If you have a marine GPS, relate the latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates. If not, state your distance and magnetic or true bearing from the closest navigational landmark. If time allows, you can also relay your departure point, departure time and the speed at which you were traveling. All of these can help rescuers locate you.

Ran across this article in the Boating Times. Some great advice on not getting ripped off this boating season.

April 1, 2015 by William Winslow ·

Ever had anything stolen from your boat? This article is for you. Never had anything stolen from your boat? This article is for you.

In my book, the secret to good marine security is to think like a crook and then do the opposite.

The light-fingered set is opportunistic, and any scenario is nearly perfect for grabbing the goods and disappearing within a minute or two. So, make it tough for burglars to operate. The easiest items to steal are electronics and gear in open view that is small enough to be quickly stashed in a tote bag.  If you own an open runabout, make it your habit to remove all valuables every night. If you have a cabin, don’t leave anything in view — draw your curtains over windows and portholes and stash the small but expensive stuff out of sight in drawers and lockers.

Whether you remove portable equipment or not, take the time to engrave your name, home port, driver’s license number, state registration number, and hull pin on your VHF radio, GPS handheld, chart plotter, binoculars, and other valuables.

Batten down the hatches before you leave the boat. Fasten companionways with strong locks attached to hasps. Cockpit lockers should also be secured, particularly if they contain items like batteries and expensive life jackets. A burglar will pass your boat by for an easier mark if he has to spend time breaking or picking a lock. Many captains hide an extra set of keys onboard. Don’t. Lawbreakers know all the hiding places.

Ideally, keep your boat in a well-lit, secured anchorage with locked doors to docks, cameras, and personnel on site 24/7.  If security and cameras aren’t present, or you’re out on a mooring, install an alarm — even the simplest of set-ups will scare most crooks away (provided there are people about who’ll hear the alarm).

Every boater should be observant of strangers seemingly lurking around their home marina or boatyard, particularly those in non-nautical dress (street shoes are often a giveaway). Let a dockhand or the yard manager know if you suspect someone’s potentially up to no good. If you’re selling your boat, don’t hang a For Sale sign on it.  It affords nefarious characters the cover to snoop and return when no one’s about.

What do you do if you have been hit anyway? Report the burglary to the police immediately. Savvy officers in marine units may know where to look for sales of stolen goods, especially if you provide them with a list of all equipment by make, model, and serial number. Let them know all about the engraving on the stolen items as that will help to prove any recovered goods are yours.

I’ve been talking about boat burglaries, but entire boats and other watercraft disappear. The most likely vessels to be nicked are boats under 26 feet in length and jet skis. Owners must be diligent in immobilizing their crafts. Again, assess your setup like a thief would and then do all you can to make removal difficult or impossible.

Want a novel way to decrease the likelihood of a dinghy or inflatable being stolen? A veteran Caribbean sailor I know advises boaters to paint these items a weird color — a pink dink will make a crook rethink!

Make a Checklist               .

Yes, i know, we all resist the inevitable, and hate to admit a written list may help.

But trust me, if you trailer your boat, you will do yourself and everyone else in line a service if you develop a check list.

Check and review your step-by-step list every time you launch your boat.  It’s easy to forget  things both big and small when you are prepping for a day on the water; a checklist prompts you to confirm that the drain plug is in, the outdrive is up, all lines and fenders are in the boat, and that you’ve brought along the right gear, toys, food, and beverages. Let’s face it, boat ramps can be busy places and a little stress-inducing at times, so take some percautions and advice from an old sailor — checklists will save your butt.

253 years ago, we celebrated the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade, in New York City.

But New York is not the state with the most residents with Irish ancestry. Actually, Massachusetts, has more than 21 percent of residents who have some Irish in them.

As we get ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, here’s a look at some facts about the Irish in America.:

• Foreign-born residents with Irish ancestry: 251,033. Nearly 60 percent are naturalized citizens, according to the US Immigration bureau.
• Education. Irish Americans are more educated than the nation as a whole, with more than 35 percent older than 25 holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. For the nation as a whole, that rate is nearly 30 percent.
• There’s no place like home. There are 16 places in the United States named Dublin, which is Ireland’s capital. Dublin, Calif., claims the largest population of any of them, with more than 52,000 people.