Tips & Hints For Preventing or Dealing With Oil and Fuel Spills

Posted on July 28, 2015 by captnmike
Oil spill prevention kit

Free Small Oil Spill Prevention Kit Contents

Yes recreational boaters on average behave responsibly, but accidents do happen and nobody wants to see an oil spill gathering around their boat in the marina.   Small Oil Spill Kits are being given out free to help boaters keep the water clean and to raise awareness of the need to be always vigilant.

To help boaters prevent oil spills, Free Small Oil Spill Prevention Kits are being given out by the Washington Sea Grant Program, U. S. Coast Guard and the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

The free Small Oil Spill Prevention Kits have a Bilge Sock to put in the bilge to soak up any oil or fuel spills that make it into the bilge.  There are also gloves and a trash bag and information on how to avoid a fuel or oil spill and what to do if you have a spill or see one.

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Dock Like A Boss – Humorous Anti-Drinking Video PSA

Posted on June 24, 2015 by captnmike
Why Docking Or Mooring Your Boat Should Be Done Sober

Why Docking Or Mooring Your Boat Should Be Done Sober

A humorous Video PSA on docking your boat, this guy makes putting your boat into it’s slip look so easy.

As they say in the Video “Docking is an art form best practiced sober”

The effects of alcohol can sneak up on a person due to the natural stresses of boating, such as noise, vibration, heat and the constant moving of the boat.  Those stresses can multiply the effects of alcohol.

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Relocating the 120 VAC Electrical Panel

Posted on May 17, 2015 by captnmike
marine boat Electrical Panel

New electrical panel in it’s enclosure mounted high on the hull in the aft port quarter

As part of the engine re-power I decided to relocate the 120 VAC Electrical Panel to give better access to the engine compartment since the original panel blocked engine maintenance access.

The boat originally came with a custom 120 VAC Electrical Panel located next to the engine compartment, the custom box also held the VHF Radio and Stereo.  The location of the VHF radio made the radio virtually useless unless someone was sitting below and the layout of my boat is not friendly to a remote speaker.

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The Power of the Ocean

Posted on May 10, 2015 by captnmike
The Power of the Oceans

The Power of the Oceans

The ocean bats last.  An incredible four minute clip showing just how powerful the ocean is. How they got some of the shots is beyond me.

The video is  from “Oceans” a documentary film by Jacques Perrin.

The video is distributed in the United States by Disney Nature.

They have also produced an Educators Guide in PDF format (3.5MB, 44 Pages),  Don’t let the title “Educators” fool you, an interesting guide for anyone interested in the ocean.

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Heading to the water? Know these safety tips

Posted on May 7, 2015 by captnmike

A nice guide to all the Washington State waters, including lakes and local resources to help you with local regulations and information, from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources

Ear to the Ground's avatarEAR TO THE GROUND WITH DNR

With the weather warming up, now’s the time to start preparing for safe and fun water recreation. Use our graphic (below) for tips to help you enjoy your favorite water adventure on DNR-managed lands while preserving both Washington’s landscapes and yourself.

DNR-managed lands offer a wide variety of boating opportunities, such as catch-and-release fly-fishing on Merrill Lake, kayaking the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River, and sea kayaking to Cyprus Island.

Follow these tips for safe and fun water recreation on DNR-managed land. Follow these tips for safe and fun water recreation on DNR-managed land. (CLICK image to enlarge.)

Don’t let warmer weather mislead you, water temperatures are cold. Before heading out for a day on the weather, remember to dress for the water, have a life vest, and be prepared for changes in weather. For safety information check out our sister agency’s  boating program and check in with your region’s DNR office for local conditions:

Kayakers take advantage of nice weather to paddle around in puget sound. Photo: DNR. Kayakers take advantage of nice weather to paddle around…

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Coast Survey adds historical publications to online collection

Posted on April 22, 2015 by captnmike

More history from the massive archives of NOAA including early Coast Pilots and other historic documents including earth movements of the California Earthquake of 1906

NOAA Office of Coast Survey's avatar

by Melissa Volkert, Coast Survey communications associate

NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey has added a wide range of publications to our Historical Map and Chart Collection. The collection of publications consists of annual reports, catalogs, United States Coast Pilot, Notes on the Coast, and special reports.

Collection logo The collection contains over 35,000 documents from the earliest days of the U.S. Coast Survey.

  • Annual Reports are yearly publications, from 1837 to 1965, that detail the many scientific and technological activities of Coast Survey.
  • Aeronautical charts, U.S. nautical charts, charts of the Philippines, and the old U.S. Lake Survey charts are detailed in Catalogs.
  • The Coast Pilot collection carries two centuries of volumes, from the 1876 version of the American Coast Pilot, through the 1800s and 1900s, until the 2012 versions of the U.S. Coast Pilot.
  • Written in 1861 by the Coast Survey while Superintendent Alexander…

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USCG Adm. Zukunft: The Man, His Mission

Posted on April 11, 2015 by captnmike
USCG Adm. Zukunft. Photo credit USCG Patrick Kelly, Photographer to the Commandant.

USCG Adm. Zukunft.
Photo credit USCG Patrick Kelly, Photographer to the Commandant.

Admiral Zukunft looked back on his first year as the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard in an interview he gave with MarineLink.com.  The interview was wide ranging and covered the challenges the U.S. Coast Guard faces over the next several decades with expanding duties and tighter budgets.

Of interest to me are the challenges faced by the Cost Guard with Polar operations with only on heavy icebreaker the Polar Star.  The Coast Guard also has only one research icebreaker The Healy ( A Luncheon Cruise & Tour on the Coast Guard Icebreaker Healy ).  Both home ported here in Seattle

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Developing products for “precision navigation”

Posted on March 23, 2015 by captnmike

Shows the challenge NOAA and others face to provide safe navigation, more precise charts and channel markings as ships get larger and channels stay about the same size. More precision is needed on depths as well as understanding how reliable any measurement is.

A one degree roll on a Very Large Crude Carrier can cause the ship to touch bottom in some areas!

NOAA Office of Coast Survey's avatar

Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are first up

by Capt. Richard Brennan, chief, Coast Survey Development Lab

The increased size of vessels entering U. S. ports, coupled with the diminishing margins that must be navigated with reference to the seafloor, provides NOAA with the opportunity to develop new products to support precision navigation. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are testing grounds for current product development, since developing products for these ports will allow us to examine the value of precision navigation products under actual at-sea conditions. The channel leading to the Port of Long Beach has an authorized depth of 76 feet, allowing drafts of 69 feet. A major concern for this port is high sea swell conditions that can be present when ultra large crude carriers enter port. These large swells can cause vessels to pitch, which results in a significant change in their…

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