Tag: boating safety

Boating 101: Five Knots You Need to Know

4/2/2022 - Brought to you by Sea Tow. For an experienced skipper or crew member, tying the right knot for the task at hand is often a point of pride as well as safety and security. Attaching a new anchor? You’ll want to use an anchor bend, of course. Tying up to… SEE MORE

https://oceangrafixblog.wordpress.com/2021/02/02/what-should-be-in-my-boat-safety-kit/

Boating 101: What Should Be in My Safety Kit?

2/20/2022 - Ben Franklin’s observation that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is good advice under any circumstances, but uniquely and immensely appropriate for the open waters and your boat safety kit. When getting ready for a voyage, there is no such thing as being overly prepared. When… SEE MORE

Whales putting on a show in front of volunteers at Race Point Light, off Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Protect Your Boat and Crew this Whale Calving Season

12/2/2021 - If you plan to boat or fish in the Atlantic Ocean this winter, be on the lookout for North Atlantic Right Whales who are calving in state and federal waters off Florida, Georgia and South Carolina from November through April. These endangered mammals are extremely hard to spot and collisions have… SEE MORE

Rockland, ME Breakwater by Bob Trapani, Jr.

Boating 101: The Importance of Ventilation

Boating

11/26/2021 - How often do you think about boat ventilation? One of the most amazing things about owning a yacht is how little red tape there is, or even laws to follow, compared to life ashore. The rules that do exist are generally there for good reason. If you own a boat… SEE MORE

Boating 101: Dinghy Safety and Etiquette

11/8/2021 - By Heather Francis. Is there anything better than relaxing in your favorite anchorage? That is until someone drives their dinghy through the mooring field, throwing up a huge wake and rocking every boat in their path. Although there are no white lines to stay between, there’s still standardized rules regarding… SEE MORE

Boating 101: How to Learn Marine Navigation

9/3/2021 - By Shawn Buckles. Fundamentals: How Marine Navigation Works You first have to understand the fundamentals of marine navigation. Marine navigation consists of three very simple steps: Locate your position Determine a course Monitor the course If you say it like that, it doesn't seem so difficult after all, right? There… SEE MORE

A Guide to Preparing Marinas and Boats for Hurricanes

Weather & Tides

7/29/2021 - Boat owners from Maine to Texas have a reason to become edgy in the late summer and fall: Each year, on average, two hurricanes will come ashore somewhere along the Gulf or Atlantic coasts, destroying homes, sinking boats, and turning people's lives topsy turvy for weeks, or even months. This… SEE MORE

Summer 2021: Recreational Boating Trends

5/21/2021 - As we head into summer and COVID restrictions lift; harbors and waterways are expected to be significantly busier than in years past. Our friends at SeaTow just released some interesting new findings from their Summer 2021 Boating Trends Survey. Pandemic-influenced boating behavior: 52% of boaters surveyed anticipate their boating activity… SEE MORE

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Boating 101: Get Your VHF Radio Ready for the Season

3/24/2021 - Courtesy of BoatUS Foundation. In recreational boating, cellphones are just fine for routine communications. So why do you need a VHF radio – either a handheld or fixed mount – on your boat? Because in an emergency it’s the only thing that can directly connect you to the U.S. Coast… SEE MORE

Coast Guard Issues Warning to Mariners Turning off AIS

1/22/2021 - The Coast Guard is issuing a warning to mariners and commercial fisherman about the dangers and legal consequences of disabling a vessel's Automated Identification System. The Coast Guard has seen an alarming increase of commercial fishing and crabbing vessels disabling their AIS, purportedly in an attempt to keep their fishing… SEE MORE