Author Archives: captnmike

NOAA Ship Rainier surveying the waters off Washington

Posted on November 1, 2014 by captnmike

A NOAA ship plying the waters off the coast often inspires public curiosity. This is especially true when boaters and others see the ship or her launches just go back and forth, back and forth, all day. It’s not a surprise,…

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DIY – Historical NOAA Charts & Maps Place-mats

Posted on October 25, 2014 by captnmike

NOAA has made it easy for you to make Place-mats for gifts to friends. You can download Historical Charts, maps and current Nautical Charts and for no charge from NOAA.  The charts and maps can easily be cropped to place-mat … Continue reading →

Posted in History, seattle | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Let There Be Light – Testing the Streamlight Siege LED Lantern

Posted on October 10, 2014 by captnmike

I have used the Streamlight Siege LED Lantern for several months and have been quite impressed by it. For boaters, the Lantern floats, has multiple light levels, should survive a 2 meter (6 foot) drop), has a nice handle to … Continue reading →

Posted in Boat Maintenance, Boating Safety | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

26th Annual Fisherman’s Fall Festival

Posted on October 10, 2014 by captnmike

What does a Lutefisk Eating Contest, Japanese Drummers, International Guild Of Knot Tyers, the U.S. Coast Guard, Wooden Boat Building and more seafood than most people can dream of have in common?? The Fall Fisherman’s Festival celebrating the return of … Continue reading →

Posted in Aux Activities, seattle | Leave a comment

The Untold 9/11 Boat Lift Story

Posted on September 11, 2014 by captnmike

Originally posted on Boating Safety Tips, Tricks & Thoughts from Captnmike:
Evacuation of 500,000 people from Lower Manhattan on 9/11 by boat Following the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers in 2001, a problem faced by many New Yorkers was…

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2014 – Special Notice To Mariners

Posted on September 6, 2014 by captnmike

The Special Notice To Mariners is an annual safety publication for all Mariners, published as a 116 page PDF document by the Coast Guard District 13.  D-13 has included information from many sources in one handy place. The Special Notice … Continue reading →

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Navigators Piloting and Charting Reference Card

Posted on August 23, 2014 by captnmike

The Navigators Piloting and Charting Reference Card puts the commonly used coastal navigation formulas and symbols on one handy card for easy reference.  This card helps prevent mistakes when tired, or when doing your Navigation Class homework. Even with today’s use … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, Navigation, Sailing and Boating Skills | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

A Face Plant at Speed

Posted on August 11, 2014 by captnmike

Running with the spinnaker up in good wind with a planing hull is a rush when the boat pops up out of the water and starts planing. If the wind is too big serious damage can be done, from the simple … Continue reading →

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