Category Archives: seattle

Coast Guard halts illegal charters on Lake Washington, Lake Union

Posted on September 8, 2020 by captnmike

The U.S.Coast Guard is charged with safety on Federal Navigable Waters among their many areas of responsibilities. Boats carrying passengers for hire are required to have licensed Masters/Captains in charge and onboard. This is to help keep passengers safe. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, Safety Thoughts, seattle | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Seattle Harbor Patrol – From 1877 To The Present

Posted on July 5, 2016 by captnmike

The Seattle Harbor Patrol traces it’s ancestory back to 1877 when the Harbor Department was established.  It was ran by the Port Warden an elected official. In 1912 they had one boat. This is a nice video tracing the history … Continue reading →

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

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

Posted on June 16, 2016 by captnmike

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

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

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

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

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