Author Archives: captnmike

2013 in review

Posted on December 30, 2013 by captnmike

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 83,000 times in 2013. If it were an exhibit at … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NOAA’s paper nautical charts get a needed update – literally

Posted on December 10, 2013 by captnmike

Paper nautical charts hold a special spot in a sailor’s heart – and in the chart table. The October announcement that the federal government will stop bulk lithographic printing of nautical charts brought some understandable angst to boaters – but…

Posted in Boating Safety, History, Navigation | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Our newest ‘quad maps’ arrive just in time for ‘Cyber Monday’ shoppers

Posted on December 2, 2013 by captnmike

I don’t do much hiking, but many people that sail do hike, kayak, ski or other outside activities that a good back-country map would be very good to have along. EAR TO THE GROUND WITH DNR Updated maps popular with … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety | Leave a comment

Historic NOAA Charts

Posted on November 1, 2013 by captnmike

Have you ever wondered what the Seattle Harbor Chart looked like in 1901? NOAA is scanning over 30,000 charts from their 150++ year history and releasing the high quality scans free to the public for Students, Historians, Researchers and anyone … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, History, Navigation, seattle | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Safe Boating In Fog

Posted on October 21, 2013 by captnmike

With the arrival of the Fall fog season a few safety tips for boating in the fog are in order. Before the fog sets in, make sure you have charts and a compass on board.  A GPS is also good … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, Safety Thoughts, Sailing and Boating Skills, seattle | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Happy Birthday & Thanks For The Visits

Posted on October 20, 2013 by captnmike

In August my web site was five years old and I wanted to thank everyone that has visited my site and to reflect a bit on how I got here. Why a website?  Well it was on a whim, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Before Captnmike was Captnmike, History | 4 Comments

Your Fire Extinguisher

Posted on October 9, 2013 by captnmike

On a cold Sunday last winter some friends were on their way from Kirkland to a Frostbite Series race on Lake Union when the Coast Guard pulled along side their sailboat. The Coast Guard Boarding Officer ask if they had … Continue reading →

Posted in Boat Maintenance, Boating Safety, seattle | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Where Are You In Lake Washington?

Posted on October 3, 2013 by captnmike

This is a chart showing locations in Lake Washington I made to help the Seattle Harbor Patrol train new members on locations in Lake Washington. If a friend asks you to meet them somewhere on Lake Washington and you don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, Navigation, Sailing and Boating Skills, seattle | Tagged | Leave a comment