Please see Post Index Page for More  Articles on Boating Safety.

Classes and Vessel Safety Checks

• Take a Safe Boating Class
  Public Boaters Education from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Washington State and the Northwest.  Click on the “Submit” button on the page that opens up to see classes by Flotilla 21, or enter a zip code to fine classes in the desired area.
• Get a FREE Vessel Safety Check
  Check Your Safety Equipment Before You Need It.
• Float Plan Central
  An Auxiliary web site with fill in the blanks electronic PDF Float Plan, also instructor information for teaching Float Plans and more
• Washington State Boater Education Card application:
  Send this application in with a copy of proof that you completed an approved Boating Safety Class (1 page)
• Boating Handbook (pdf):
  Washington Boating Handbook PDF Version – Washington Boating License Laws and Safety Guide.
• Boating Handbook Supplement (pdf):
  Very Nice State-Specific Boating Law Supplements for America’s Boating Course – Boat Ed.

Notice to Mariners

• Local Notice to Mariners
  Thirteenth District Local Notice to Mariners, Seattle, Puget Sound and the Pacific Northwest
• 2014 Special Local Notice to Mariners (pdf) (7.0mb):
  A collection of important information by the Coast Guard specific to District 13 (Pacific North West).  Includes emergency procedure guidelines, Coast Guard contact information, First Aid and many other useful but sometimes hard to find information.  115 pages.

Seattle Area Weather and Local Seattle Specific Information

• West Point Weather
  NOAA Weather Site with a link to Puget Sound Marine Weather Forecast
• UW Windwatch
  72 hour graphic wind forecast for the Northwest.  Direction, speed and high wind warnings, several different views.
• Washington State Ferry Weather
  Wind speeds observed on Washington State Ferry Routes
• Ballard Locks
  How to transit the locks, guides, hints, videos and information on their free Locking Through Class
• Seattle Harbor Patrol:
  Includes Seattle Local information and special boating regulations, including Lake Washington, Lake Union, Ship Canal, speed limits, rules when operating close to shore and draw bridge information.  They also have a PDF download of their Water & Boating, Regulations & Information booklet.
• Important Seattle Area Boating Information (pdf):
  Includes Lake Washington, Lake Union and Speed Zones (2 pages)
• Bridges in the Seattle Area (pdf):
  Opening Information, Bridge Clearances and more (2 pages)
• Cliff Mass Weather Blog:
  Cliff is a Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington.  His Blog has a weekly posting on Northwest Weather and he adds posts when we have a significant weather event.   He is a weekly guest on KUOW, has published dozens of peer reviewed articles on Northwest Weather.  His book The Weather of the Pacific Northwest is a solid scientific explanation of  Northwest Weather that is also easy to understand.

Hypothermia / Sudden Cold Water Imersion

• Hypothermia:
  Quick Hypothermia Overview Symptoms and Treatment, remember hypothermia is a year around concern in Puget Sound, Lake Washington, Lake Union and the Seattle area.
• Hypothermia / Cold Water Boot Camp:
  “Professor Popsicle” (Dr. Giesbrecht) takes eight volunteers and dunks them in 45 degree F water to show you what really happens in sudden cold water immersion and what happens as a person gets hypothermia. Graphic video shows why you should wear your lifejacket.  (More information and 9 page handout)

General information and Hints for Crew, Guests and Skippers

• Boating Etiquette:
  What a skipper expects your mother to have taught you about proper boating manners. Tips on proper etiquette when a guest on a boat and hints on how to be invited back aboard again.
• Crew Tips from George:
  Tips on how to be a good crew member from 35 years on boats.
• How to tie a Bowline with your left hand – Updated:
  A one page instruction sheet showing how to tie a Bowline with your left hand.
• Man Overboard! / Skipper Overboard!
  30 knot winds, 35 / 40 knot puffs, a hard knockdown, jammed lines and the Skipper Overboard.
• Animated Knots by Grog:
  Nice animated knot site, the animation can be single stepped through or ran at slow speed to help with each step.

Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary Main Sites

• United States Coast Guard – Sector Seattle
  13th District – Guardians of the Pacific Northwest
• Flotilla 21 North Seattle
  The Small but Feisty Flotilla that Captnmike is a member of.  Shoreline / Bothell.
• USCG Auxiliary District 13
  Serving Washington, Oregon, Idaho & Montana
• USCG Auxiliary District 13 Division 2
  Serving the Seattle, Washington Area
• U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center
  Coast Guard Navigation Site for information. The site includes updates on GPS, the Local Notice to Mariners, Navigation Rules (full text and PDF downloads), the Light List and much more.

Revised: May 19, 2013