Cold weather options sailor. Image from Canvas.com

How To: Cold-Weather Seamanship

9/27/2023 - By boatingmag.com. Nine tips for boating in cold weather. The weather may have cooled, but the passion to continue boating burns bright for many. Once fall sets in for good, the skies get bluer, the air gets crisper, and the crowds get thinner. Use these tips to maintain personal safety… SEE MORE
By wdfw.wa.gov. Marine Area 7 consists of waters south of the Canadian border containing the San Juan Islands, Haro Strait, Rosario Strait, Bellingham Bay, the southern Strait of Georgia, and the northeastern portion of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Boat launches include Washington Park near the Anacortes Ferry Terminal and Cornet Bazy Marina at Deception Pass State Park (be advised these launches can be very busy and parking is limited), as well as public and private marinas in Anacortes, Burrows Bay, La Conner, Bellingham, and Blaine. Deception Pass and the San Juan Islands experience some of the strongest tidal currents on the West Coast. Depending on location, wind and tide direction, conditions can change quickly from calm seas to surging currents, tidally-influenced standing waves, or wind chop. Always review a local tide chart and weather forecast before hitting the water! With hundreds of rocky islands, underwater reefs and pinnacles, the San Juans and Bellingham Bay provide exceptional fishing for lingcod and cabezon during the spring and early-summer months; check out this blog post for tips. Halibut are found on deeper underwater banks and sloping dropoffs, particularly in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Strait of Georgia; visit this webpage for season details. The best fishing for these bottomfish species occurs around slack tides. Shrimping can be very productive during spring and early-summer openers. Crabbing typically opens in mid- to late-summer through early-fall. Due to its rich biodiversity, Marine Area 7 is renowned for SCUBA and freediving, though visibility varies depending on outflow from rivers. The San Juan Islands and nearby straits and bays provide numerous scenic locations to fish for Chinook salmon that are often teeming with baitfish given that Marine Area 7 sits at the confluence of several large bodies of water.  Continue reading at wdfw.wa.gov.

Where to Fish in the San Juan Islands

8/31/2023 - By wdfw.wa.gov. With hundreds of rocky islands, underwater reefs and pinnacles, the San Juans and Bellingham Bay provide exceptional fishing for lingcod and cabezon during the spring and early-summer months; check out this blog post for tips. Halibut are found on deeper underwater banks and sloping dropoffs, particularly in the Strait of Juan de… SEE MORE
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French Startup Unveils Sailing Cargo Ship

8/10/2023 - By gcaptain.com. French transport startup VELA has unveiled the design for its first-of-its-kind trimaran cargo ship that will transport goods across the Atlantic using 100% wind power. According to VELA, the innovative design reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 99% compared to conventional container ships, while also being built with recycled… SEE MORE
Rob Oo, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Octopuses (and Their DNA) Suggest Antarctica Will Melt Again

8/9/2023 - By atlasobscura.com. DID THE WEST ANTARCTIC ICE Sheet completely collapse during the latest interglacial period, about 125,000 years ago? It’s an important question for climate scientists, but geology was giving them no answers. So they turned to genetics instead. Enter Turquet’s octopus (Pareledone turqueti), a cephalopod with a four-million-year pedigree that… SEE MORE
aerial photography of delivery ship, boat, sea, ocean, tanker, HD wallpaper from wallpaperflare.com

Ocean Shippers Playing Catch Up to Electric Vehicle Fire Risk

8/8/2023 - By gcaptain.com. LOS ANGELES/AMSTERDAM, July 27 (Reuters) – Electric vehicles are crisscrossing the globe to reach their eager buyers, but the battery technology involved in the zero- emission automobiles is exposing under-prepared maritime shippers to the risk of hard-to-control fires, industry, insurance and emergency response officials said. That risk has been put… SEE MORE
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How To Be Safe When Boating on Crowded Waters

8/4/2023 - By James Moffitt. Boating on crowded waters over holiday weekends or during busy fishing seasons can be stressful, irritating, and even dangerous. Being confident in your understanding of basic maritime norms and boating safety will make it easier for you to safely navigate crowded waterways and avoid crashes. Below is… SEE MORE