The Ships Logg

Written by guest writer Brian Kearin You’re a hundred miles offshore and your boat is rapidly taking on water. You reach for your boat’s VHF and broadcast a desperate mayday call with your position. As you don your lifejacket and crawl into your boat’s life raft you think of that last mayday call you made, did anyone hear it? Did your radio have the range to reach the Coast Guard station on shore? Are there any other boats around who may have heard it? It’s a scenario we all hope to never find ourselves in. However far too many boaters are almost entirely reliant on their boat’s VHF radio or worse - their cell phone - for emergency communications. While your boat’s radio is a vital piece of equipment, both for regular use and in emergencies, it has its limitations. In the scenario above, range is limited and dependent on there being someone in range who happens to be monitoring the channel you’re broadcasting on. Additionally, each broadcast is done manually meaning you hav...

The unofficial kickoff of summer is just around the corner and if you haven’t already started your boating fun, you are surely thinking about it.   Soon, the lakes, rivers and coastline will be full of those who worship the sun, the sand and fun.   Before the mayhem starts, don’t forget to take a moment to remember the fact that Safe Boating Week is May 18 – 24, 2019.   No doubt that having fun while boating is elemental but let’s make a plan to do it safely.   Here are a few promises to make to yourself about boating safely this summer: Avoid boating while under the influence .   Far too many people are injured or killed each year due to boaters that are intoxicated.   You don’t have to drink to have fun but if you do, don’t get behind the wheel.   Let someone else drive or choose to stay put.           Pay attention .   There are lots of things to look out for when on the water.   Other boats,...

Recently, I read an article about another boating accident.   This one occurred at night and the two boats involved in the incident apparently collided head on.   When I hear about incidents such as this, I often wonder how it happened.   Was someone operating a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs?   Was someone just not paying attention?   In the case of this most recent incident, one of the boats involved apparently did not have any navigation lights on.   The incident resulted in at least three individuals losing their lives.   None of the passengers on either vessel were wearing life jackets.   We often hear safety reminders about wearing life jackets and boating under the influence but what about navigation lights? There are a lot of boaters that do not boat at night and therefore, never use their navigation lights.   As a result, many of us never give a thought to maintenance and some of us don’t even know what the...

Anchoring your boat is pretty easy if done the right way but can also be difficult if you are not using the right technique or the right anchor.   In this article, we will discuss how to choose the right anchor for your boat and proper anchoring technique. First of all, know that it is advised to have an anchor and rode on your boat even if spending time on the hook isn’t one of your chosen ways to pass the time out on the water.   I have talked to many boaters who claim that they do not need an anchor because all of their time spent on their boat is either at a dock or underway.   My question to them is always the same:   What if you are underway and you have engine problems or, in the case of a sailboat, you rip a sail?   Are you comfortable drifting around at the whim of the wind and current?   If your boat does not have an anchor, get one. Ground Tackle An anchoring system (or ground tackle) for your boat is comprised of three components: ...