Tag: USCG

Fisherman firing red maritime distress signal flare. This type of signal flare is being replaced by new LED signal devices. Photo Shutterstock, TommyStockProject

LED Flares Are Replacing Pyrotechnics — What Boaters Need to Know

3/21/2026 - By Norris Comer, Best4Boats.com. A significant shift in boating safety equipment is underway. The U.S. Coast Guard is retiring traditional pyrotechnic flares from its own vessels by April 2026 and has issued new rules that make USCG-approved electronic visual distress signaling devices (eVDSDs) easier to carry and more widely available.… SEE MORE

A few lucky sailors are already out on their moorings, commissioning their boats for a great boating season ahead.

Safety 101: 8 Boating Safety Tips and Tools

5/21/2022 - It’s National Safe Boating Week, and NOAA has partnered with the National Safe Boating Council, a NOAA Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador, to make it easy to remember what to do when you’re out in a sail or motor boat, canoe, kayak or other sea-worthy vessel this summer. Here’s NOAA's checklist for anyone going… SEE MORE

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Water_safety_information.jpg

Boating and Water Safety 101

5/5/2022 - A few simple safety precautions can make all the difference on the water. In addition to checking the tides and weather you'll encounter, read our tips below for a quick water safety refresh. Children and Inexperienced Swimmers Should Always Wear a Life Vest Be sure to choose a Coast Guard… SEE MORE

Safety 101: Take a Safe Boating Course

4/8/2022 - Now that Spring has arrived and we are all getting back on the water again, it's important to know the rules of boating and what to do in an emergency. Check out the list below to find a course in your area. SAFE BOATING CLASSES BoatU.S. Foundation - The BoatUS… SEE MORE

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

New USCG Rule: Update Boat Fire Extinguishers by April 20

3/29/2022 - By OceanGrafix. Beginning April 20, 2022, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) will require all boaters with vessels over 26 feet to have updated fire extinguishers, mandating that all extinguishers have a 12-year (or less) expiration date from the date of manufacture. Why the attention on fire extinguishers? There were 767… SEE MORE

Boating 101: New Fire Extinguisher Regulations

2/22/2022 - Beginning April 20, new U.S. Coast Guard regulations change extinguisher expiration dates and the minimum classification of fire extinguishers carried aboard newer boats. Learn more about the new U.S. Coast Guard regulation. The new regulation puts a 12-year expiration on all disposable (non-rechargeable) fire extinguishers. A boater should look for the… SEE MORE

The Coast Guard icebreaker THUNDER BAY sits amid the sea smoke at Tilson's Wharf in Rockland.

Icebreakers: Meet The First In A New Generation Of US Coast Guard Ice Pilots

Coastal News

2/14/2022 - As tensions with Russia heat up, the United States will need to recapitalize its broken fleet of heavy icebreakers but central to that mission is recruiting and training a new generation of ice pilots. This is the story of the first officer to graduate from the US Coast Guard’s Afloat… SEE MORE

Photo Courtesy of AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Mel Melcon

Coast Guard Urges Mariners to Avoid Lake Tahoe Waters until Wildfires Subside

9/3/2021 - SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard is urging mariners Thursday to avoid all recreational activities on the waters of Lake Tahoe until the wildfires have subsided. The availability of Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe boat crews and other emergency first responders on the water may be significantly reduced until area… SEE MORE

USCG Sector Key West sets Port Condition Whiskey for Tropical Storm Fred

8/11/2021 - KEY WEST, Fla. — Effective 11 a.m. Tuesday, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port for Key West (COTP) set port condition Whiskey for the Port of Key West due to the expectation of sustained gale force winds of 25 mph and gusts up to 40 mph generated from Tropical Storm Fred that… SEE MORE

https://www.mainemaritimemuseum.org/exhibition/schooner-mary-e/

Historic Schooner Capsizes on Kennebec River; All Rescued

8/2/2021 - BATH, Maine (AP) — A historic schooner owned by the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath capsized on the Kennebec River Friday evening. All 18 on board were rescued. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England said it received a report that the schooner Mary E had capsized near Doubling Point. The… SEE MORE