Navigation Exercise 1

Posted on March 1, 2010 by captnmike

Crew Course Navigation Exercise 1

This is a basic Navigation exercise but the problems are typical of those seen by a recreational boater.  The questions are “Bite Sized” and except for one question, each question stands alone from the others.

This exercise was done on Chart 18441 PUGET SOUND – NORTHERN PART.  The area used is Elliot Bay Marina at the South East Corner and Agate Pass on the Northwest Corner.  If you have this chart or a similar chart that covers this area you may work the problems on it.  If you do not have a suitable chart there is a PDF Chartlet  of the area that can be printed out on letter size paper.

The answers are at the bottom, there is also a PDF Chartlet showing the answers.  The questions and answers are also available in a formatted for printing PDF file at the bottom.

Reference card with help for correcting and uncorrecting a compass, speed / time formulas and other quick hints for navigators.

Navigators Piloting and Charting Reference Card

More Navigation Exercises & Practice:

Navigation Exercise – Mountaineers Sailing Class

Navigation Exercise 2 

Thanks for your interest in Boating Safety and good luck with the exercise.

Click For Larger View of Chartlet Area

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Hypothermia

Posted on February 26, 2010 by captnmike


Hypothermia is when your body looses heat more rapidly than it can replenish it.



More information on Hypothermia (With Links to Videos) / Cold Water Boot Camp

SYMPTOMS: (Not all symptoms need to be present.)

A) Vigorous shivering.

When shivering stops will have advanced to (H) intoxicated or euphoric.

B) Clouding of mental capacity.

Impaired mental judgment (may vary from mild to severe), impaired speech, poor coordination, disoriented.

C) Muscular rigidity.

Movements may be unsteady, normal movements impaired, may selectively affect extremities (hands and arms when steering), numbness

D) Diminished breathing rate.

E) The skin may be cold to the touch or the lips can be blue.

F) Pupils dilated.

G) Pulse weak, slow, may be irregular.

H) A victim may appear to be intoxicated.

May also be an euphoric or don’t care state.

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Distress Signals

Posted on February 25, 2010 by captnmike

DISTRESS SIGNALS

  • A gun fired at intervals of one minute.
  • A continuous sounding of a fog horn.
  • Red star shells.
  • A Morse code SOS signal ( . . .   – – –   . . . ) sent by radiotelegraphy, flashing light, or other means.
  • Flying international code flags of “N” and “C” (November (checkered) and Charlie (stripes) in the phonetic alphabet)
  • A black square and ball on an orange background.
  • Flames on the vessel (as from burning tar or oil in a barrel)
  • A rocket parachute flare or a hand flare showing a red light.
  • A smoke signal giving off orange-colored smoke.
  • Slowly and repeatedly raising and lowering your arms outstretched to each side.
  • An automatic radiotelephone alarm signal.
  • Signals sent by emergency position-indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs)
  • Flashing mirror.
  • Any color dye marker.
  • “Mayday” by radio.

DISTRESS NOTES

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Guerrilla Marketing Ideas for the Coast Guard Auxiliary

Posted on February 20, 2010 by captnmike

I have moved and reworked the Guerrilla Marketing article.  Please visit the new location shown below for some simple low cost Guerrilla Marketing ideas to get everyone in your Flotilla involved in marketing the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Click Here for the new location of Guerrilla Marketing Ideas Pt 2

– – c/m –

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Man Overboard! / Skipper Overboard!

Posted on February 13, 2010 by captnmike

From: George B. Harvey

Sent: 10/6/2008 11:01:26 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: Foulweather Bluff, MAN OVERBOARD!

Foulweather Bluff is a nice Saturday day race from Edmonds ( about 15 miles north of Seattle ) to the Foulweather Bluff buoy, then to Schachet Head and back to the marina. It’s a reverse start, meaning the smaller boats start first. With a reverse start you’re passing smaller, slower boats throughout the race, and the larger faster boats are passing you. This makes for some interesting boat-to-boat passing situations and it’s a lot of fun. It’s the first distance race of the fall racing season, and we’ve sailed it a lot and always enjoyed it. This year would be different.

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

Asorted 2009 Sailing

Posted on February 9, 2010 by captnmike

A few pictures took by myself or the crew in 2009

Has been moved to:

http://captnmikephotos.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/asorted-2009-sailing/

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Weight / Exercise Record Sheets

Posted on February 4, 2010 by captnmike
Exercise Weight Loss Record Sheet

Sample – Weight / Exercise Record Sheet

I use these sheets to record my daily exercise and weight loss attempts.

They can be used to record almost any type of activity where you want a record that can be seen over several months.

For weight loss DON’T record weight daily, you will have too many data points and it will be very confusing.  I record my weight on Wednesday and Saturday.  When I started and then restarted I weighed daily for 10 to 14 days to see what my normal weight  range was.

Sheets for 2010 – 2012 are available – contact me for the link

Weight / Exercise record sheet July to December 2012 (pdf)

Weight / Exercise record sheet January to June 2013 (pdf)

Weight / Exercise record sheet July to December 2013 (pdf)

Weight / Exercise record sheet January to June 2014 (pdf)

Weight / Exercise record sheet July to December 2014 (pdf)

Print on stiff light colored paper so the sheets don’t get lost as easily.  I use 65 lb. Cover Stock

CPAP / APAP / Auto A-Flex Record Sheet – For those with Sleep Apnea some newer CPAP machines adjust the pressure during the night and provide a record of events, pressures, blower time etc.  This sheet was designed to keep track of the machine / patient history, this allows a person to record and watch how effective the treatment is.  The sheets match a REMstar Auto A-Flex data readout.

c/m

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2009 Coast Guard Auxiliary Awards

Posted on January 26, 2010 by captnmike

I was honored to receive  two awards for my activities in the Coast Guard Auxiliary at the District 13 Division 2 Change of Watch on Sunday January 17, 2010.

The first award was for being the most active verifier of Private Aids to Navigation in Division 2.  Aids to Navigation (ATON’s) that are not owned by the U.S. Coast Guard are private aids (PATON) they are owned and maintained by private parties, such as marinas, Police Departments, dock owners, mooring buoys.  Every year the Coast Guard Auxiliary fans out across the country to verify that these literally thousands of private aids are safe for boaters to use to help for safe navigation.  The PATONS’s are checked for position,  if  they can be seen from the water, proper color, any lights on the PATON match the published characteristics and many other items.  When a discrepancy is found the Coast Guard is notified so they can make sure the owners correct the problem and mariners are notified of the discrepancy is published in the Local Notice to Mariners until the PATON is corrected.  The Auxiliary verifies 160 Private Aids to Navigation in the Northwest every year.

I received the “Betty J. Hamilton Recreational Boating Safety Award” for my Public Education efforts both inside and outside the Auxiliary.  Betty Hamilton and her husband were U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary legends in the Pacific Northwest for their service over decades.  A PDF of the introduction speech that was given for me by Wendell Brunk is below.  There is one correction to the text, the 2,500 students should read 4,000.  Instructors usually don’t get much feedback after a student graduates from a class.  Not often will a student look up an instructor and say  “the information you taught me prevented an accident last week,” so receiving this award was a great honor.  I would like to thank all the skippers and others that gave me ideas for subjects that they wanted more information on.  I would also like to thank all the students that I taught for being in class, without students there can be no class.

Prepared Text for the Introduction of the Betty J. Hamilton Recreational Boating Safety Award (pdf)

Click on the pictures for a larger view of the award.

2009 Aids to Navigation Verification Award

2009 Aids to Navigation Verification Award

Betty Hamilton RBS Award

2009 Betty Hamilton Recreational Boating Safety Award

c/m

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