Category Archives: Safety Thoughts

Hoax calls affect us all – A Bit of History

Posted on July 10, 2018 by

A rather sobering bit of information from the U.S. Coast Guard 5th District Mid-Atlantic on the impact of false MAYDAY calls. This is the fishing vessel SOL E MAR. This is a MAYDAY, were sinking, we need help now! were … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, History, Safety Thoughts | Leave a comment

Life Jackets Work!! But Only If You Wear It

Posted on July 25, 2016 by

Last Saturday as we were putting out the fenders at the end of the sail, I heard a splash followed by a couple of expletive deleted words, a quick look around the boat indicated we were short one crew member. … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, Safety Thoughts | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

The View From The Fremont Drawbridge Tower – The Bridge Operators Perspective

Posted on June 16, 2016 by

Recently I had a chance to visit the Bridge Operator Tower on the Fremont Bridge and talk with some operators about the challenges they face daily balancing the needs of vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists and vessels (both recreational and commercial).  I … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, Safety Thoughts, seattle | Tagged , | 10 Comments

Dead Tired – Tips For Preventing and Dealing With Fatigue On The Water

Posted on June 3, 2016 by

Tired, lack of sleep and environmental stress factors (sun, heat, cold, vessel movement) are often overlooked by recreational boaters as well as professional mariners and this can contribute to accidents on the water. A person who has been awake for 17 … Continue reading →

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New autonomous surface vehicles to deliver shoaler depth measurements for NOAA nautical charts

Posted on August 27, 2015 by

Great news from NOAA for anyone boating in shallow water. If you look closely at any U.S. coastal nautical chart, you’ll likely find that the areas closest to the shore, shoals, and rocks do not have updated depth measurements. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, Navigation, Safety Thoughts | Tagged | 3 Comments

2014 Boating Accidents & How You Can Reduce Your Risk Of Having An Accident

Posted on August 14, 2015 by

Nobody wants to have a boating accident, here are my thoughts on how not to be a boating accident statistic, this is based on the U.S. Coast Guard’s study of 4,064 accidents in and compiled their 2014 Recreational Boating Statistics. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, Safety Thoughts | Tagged | 4 Comments

New ACR Firefly Pro Series Rescue Strobe Light

Posted on January 20, 2015 by

ACR has finally came out with a worthy successor to the classic Firefly Rescue Lite ACR / 4F.  The ACR Firefly PRO Series is Brighter, flashes longer and has more functions (Strobe, Flashlight, SOS) than the 4F model.  I found … Continue reading →

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More TVMDC – Practice Problems – Correcting and un-correcting the compass

Posted on January 22, 2014 by

Correcting and Un-correcting a compass is still a useful skill.  Paper charts and plotted course lines are still in use, even with today’s Cell Phone Apps and GPS Plotters.   If you take a Navigation or Piloting class that lasts … Continue reading →

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