Carbon Monoxide Alert

In the last 30 years, huge strides have been make toward making marine engine exhaust systems safe, particularly the gasoline engine which puts out more than double the amount of CO that diesel does. I would attribute the increase in the number of cases to the large increase in newcomers to boating that are (1) less aware of the CO danger, and (2) are more prone to not maintain their boats as well. Entire Article

Docking in Style

The unfortunate thing about docking in crowded marinas is probably less a matter of the embarrassment of hitting some one else's boat, but that there are usually so many people around to see you do it! We've all screwed up one time or another, so we know how embarrassing it is to be standing there, half panic-stricken at the controls of our boat (which is out of control) while a half dozen of your dock mates are all standing there trying to suppress a smirk. Or scrambling to protect their boats from the impending disaster. Entire Article

Navigation Lights

You don't want to read this, and I don't want to write it. The subject of navigation lights is boring, but if you read this, it just might save your life.  In fact, I've been putting it off for several years until I heard about a grizzly accident on Lake Erie in which three people were killed when two small boats collided. That was one of just many deaths and maimings that have occurred with nighttime collisions this year, all because of defective lights. Entire Article

Rough Water Seamanship  Part I
Negotiating Inlets, Tide Rips, Sea State, Currents, Bottom Topography, Recommendations for novices.

Entire Article

Rough Water Seamanship  Part II
Small Craft Warnings, Big seas, Little Seas, Controlling Speed, Broaching, Confused Seas, Waves on Top of Waves

Entire Article

Rough Water Seamanship  Part III
Getting Caught in Thunder Storms
Storm Avoidance, My Bad Day at Black Cloud, Sheltering, Being Prepared, Lightning

Entire Article

Boat Safety at Sea - Part I
Small boat safety at sea - Outboard

In recent weeks the Miami television evening news has been filled with numerous stories of small boat disasters out in the Gulf Stream. A number of them have had video clips taken from a Coast Guard rescue helicopter that shows a 24 foot boat floating upside down with a couple of people trying to hang onto the bottom. Entire Article

Boat Safety at Sea - Part II  
Intermediate size  sports fishermen and cruisers

In Part one we covered outboard boats. In Part II we'll take a look at some of the things that can go wrong with intermediate size sport fishermen and cruisers. I focus more specifically on sport fishermen because these are the people who spend the most time at sea, go further offshore, and who experience the most sinkings. Entire Article

Dangerous Ship Wakes

Rogue waves are a phenomenon that few but the most experienced boatmen have ever witnessed. My only experience with serious rogue waves came during a few ill-advised Gulf Stream crossings when seas were running 12-14 feet.

Yet few people are aware that "rogue waves" can come from sources that are other than natural, namely ships. And you don't have to far out at sea to be effected by them. Entire Article