Author: US Harbors

Boating 101: Naming Your Boat

12/18/2020 - By Ron Walz. Naming your vessel is a very important part of boat ownership! To help make it easier, we’ll cover the do’s and don’ts for coming up with boat name ideas, details on christening your craft, and what to do if a name change is unavoidable. Do’s and Don’ts… SEE MORE

Vessel Slow Speed Zone Southeast of Nantucket to Protect Right Whales

12/16/2020 - In Effect Through December 29 NOAA Fisheries is implementing a Slow Zone (voluntary vessel speed restriction zone) southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. On December 14, 2020 the New England Aquarium aerial survey team noted presence of right whales in this area triggering a slow zone. Mariners, please go around this area or go… SEE MORE

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Winter Weather Preparation Tips

12/16/2020 - Winter storms create a higher risk of car accidents, hypothermia, frostbite, carbon monoxide poisoning, and heart attacks from overexertion. Winter storms including blizzards can bring extreme cold, freezing rain, snow, ice and high winds. A winter storm can: Last a few hours or several days. Cut off heat, power and… SEE MORE

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Archaeologists Could Help Bring Otters Back From the Dead

12/16/2020 - By Joshua Sokol. From 1969 to 1971, the United States was testing nuclear weapons beneath one of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, worryingly close to some of the world’s few surviving sea otters. The subterranean explosions prompted conservation managers to carry out a daring plan. First, they netted some Alaskan sea otters.… SEE MORE

Otters

King Tides May Bring Major Waves to Pacific Northwest this Weekend

12/11/2020 - By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff. This month’s King Tides session along the Oregon and Washington coast promises to be a biggie, maybe even larger than usual. In Washington and Oregon, the king tides happen December 13 to 15 along the coastlines, while Washington’s inland seas / Puget Sound see it on… SEE MORE

https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/historical-probability-of-white-christmas

What are Your Chances for a White Christmas this Year?

12/11/2020 - For those of you dreaming of a white Christmas, this map depicts which places have the best chance of being a winter wonderland according to weather history. The “Historical Probability of a White Christmas” map shows the climatological probability of at least 1 inch of snow being on the ground… SEE MORE

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Rare ‘Christmas Star’ Will Appear in the Sky for 1st Time in 800 Years

12/11/2020 - By Scott Stump. Four days before Christmas, the sky will offer a sight that hasn't been seen since the Middle Ages and may have inspired one of the Bible's most famous stories. The two largest planets in the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, will be so close to one another… SEE MORE

nytimes.com/2020/12/07/science/native-bees-census.html?surface=home-discovery-vi-prg&fellback=false&req_id=997176274&algo=identity&imp_id=846710860&action=click&module=Science%20%20Technology&pgtype=Homepage

How You Can Help Count and Conserve Native Bees

12/9/2020 - By Michele C. Howe. In the last 20 years, the rusty patched bumblebee population declined by 87 percent because of habitat loss, use of pesticides and disease. This fuzzy bee, native to the continental United States, gets its name from the rusty patch on its back. These bumblebees pollinate fruits… SEE MORE

Confused About NOAA’s Printed Chart Messaging?

12/8/2020 - NOAA charts ARE still being printed, in spite of the confusing messaging you might have heard. There is an important reason they will never stop being printed: electronics are not perfect and anyone on a boat should have a back-up on board in case they fail. Plus may people who… SEE MORE

https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/record-breaking-atlantic-hurricane-season-draws-to-end

Record-breaking Atlantic Hurricane Season Draws to an End

12/7/2020 - The extremely active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is drawing to a close with a record-breaking 30 named storms and 12 landfalling storms in the continental United States. While the official hurricane season concludes on November 30, tropical storms may continue to develop past that day. NOAA’s seasonal hurricane outlooks accurately… SEE MORE

Hurricane Season