Marine Product Review: Brizo

This week's marine product review will help you keep your bottom clean this summer... 

In the latest installment of Daily Boater's weekly Marine Product Review, Mark Sutton of MarineProductReviews.com test drives the Brizo, which may be the most unique and effective hull cleaning solution on the market.

(Are you interested in having your product or service featured in a future Marine Product Review on multiple boating websites? Contact Nautical Sites Media publisher Andrew Canepari to discuss.)

Now, on to the review...

Diesel Marine Engine Tips

Captain John shares his diesel marine engine tips for a trouble-free season...

Guest blog by Captain John
Captain John Jamieson, a regular contributor to the Daily Boater, is author of Seamanship Secrets and publisher of the popular boating education website SkipperTips.com

Photo © istockphoto.com/Ju-Lee

Like a thief in the night it creeps through your engine lines and works its way past the gate guards. Then it slides, slips, and slithers like a rattler into the belly of your engine. Waiting. Resting.

And as soon as you push the starter button, it awakens and begins its relentless, merciless, life-sucking destruction. Don't let this happen to you this sailing season. Follow these easy 1-2-3 steps to combat this enemy once and for all!

What Is A Safe Boating Speed?

Vin Pica continues looking at THE RULES - and this time it's all about speed...

Guest blog by Vincent Pica
Chief of Staff, First District, Southern Region (D1SR)
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

Photo Courtesy of The U.S. Coast Guard.

Who hasn’t been out on our bays and creeks and experienced another boat overtaking you at such a speed that you grumbled, “What is that moron thinking..?!?”

Without any ambiguity, Rule 6 - Safe Speed - is all about determining what is a safe speed, condition by condition…

“Every vessel shall (must!) at all times proceed at a safe speed so that she can take proper and effective action to avoid collision and be stopped within a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions.” Admiralty and maritime boards have consistently applied the rule that a safe stopping distance is operating at a speed that allows you to do so in half the distance that you can see ahead. So, perhaps that guy that blew by you at 40 knots when visibility is to the horizon is traveling at a safe speed then…?

Unlikely… Read on.

Boat Galley: Chocolate Delight

This week's Boat Galley article is so sweet with a chocolate cake recipe you can make on your boat...

Guest blog by Carolyn Shearlock
Carolyn Shearlock, author of The Boat Galley, appears weekly on the Daily Boater with tips for getting the most out of your boat's kitchen.

Photo: Carolyn Shearlock, theboatgalley.com

I’ll admit it, I’m a chocoholic. You too? The problem is that so many chocolate treats are hard to make on a boat - either the ingredients are hard to store in hot weather, the baking process doesn’t lend itself to a galley oven, or the finished product does poorly in heat.

Today’s Topic: A Boater's Recipe for Chocolate Upside Down Cake...

Hello Boating Season

No boat shows... It's Memorial Day Weekend, and the beginning of boating season in much of North America...

Fleet Week New York 2012. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Thomas McKenzie.

It's that time of the week when we usually do our boat show review for the weekend. But with the holiday on Monday giving us a long weekend, and everybody busy with plans for boating, barbecuing and seemingly never-ending soccer tournaments, it's no surprise that there are virtually no boat shows to tell you about today.

However, that doesn't leave you with nothing nautical to do. If you live within a few hours of NYC, you must make the trip to the big apple for the combination of OpSail 2012 and Fleet Week for a show you will not forget. If you are on the other side of the world, the Australian boat show season kicks off this weekend in a place called Sanctuary Cove.

Here is this week's boating event round-up...

Marine Product Review: Magma Boat Grill

This week's marine product review will help you get ready for Memorial Day weekend and the entire summer... 

A couple of days ago we shared ideas for boaters who want to throw a beach BBQ, and today we are continuing on the theme as we take a look at one of the essential elements of any BBQ. Best of all, with this item, you don’t even need to leave the boat!

In the latest installment of the Daily Boater Marine Product Review, Mark Sutton of MarineProductReviews.com reviews the Magma Catalina Gourmet Gas Grill.

(Are you interested in having your product or service featured in a future Marine Product Review on multiple boating websites? Contact Nautical Sites Media publisher Andrew Canepari to discuss the opportunity.)

Now, on to the review...

Vin Pica: Look Out Below, Above, and About

Vin Pica continues his discussion of THE RULES - and keeping a proper lookout...

Photo © istockphoto.com/technotr

Guest blog by Vincent Pica
Chief of Staff, First District, Southern Region (D1SR)
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

When I take young sailors out on the high seas, I usually challenge the group with the following:

“If anybody can tell me where it is 50-degrees below zero within 10 miles of our location, I will give them this $20 bill.”

It isn’t quite Captain Ahab nailing the gold coin to the mast for the mate that first sights the White Whale - but it does get them thinking. About half the time, some young but worldly traveler points straight up and says, “Up there, 10 miles!” and wins. The point of the exercise is to get them to conceptualize that they are required to think about what is going on all around them - 360-degrees by 360-degrees. Rule 5, and today's article, is all about that...

A Beach BBQ For Memorial Day

This week's Boat Galley article gets you out of the galley, and onto the beach...

Guest blog by Carolyn Shearlock
Carolyn Shearlock, author of The Boat Galley, appears weekly on the Daily Boater with tips for getting the most out of your boat's kitchen.

Photo: Carolyn Shearlock, theboatgalley.com

Memorial Day weekend might just be the perfect time for a... Beach BBQ!

Cruisers love to get together - but we all have relatively little “entertaining space” aboard. So why not have a party on the beach?

Today’s Topic: Beach BBQ...

Safe Boating Week Begins

It's National Safe Boating Week. Are life jackets a part of your boating experience?...

Photo courtesy safeboatingcampaign.com

Saturday (May 19, 2012) was the first day of National Safe Boating Week, which typically occurs the week leading up to Memorial Day Weekend - one of the busiest weekends of the year for boating, and the start of the season for many boaters across the United States.

This year during National Safe Boating Week, and throughout the boating season, remember to...

1. practice safe and responsible boating, 
2. always wear your life jacket, and 
3. be alert and aware while on the water. 

By practicing these simple steps you can save your life as well as the lives of the people boating with you.  Life jackets are now more comfortable and lightweight than ever, with many new styles to fit the style you want.

Safe boating saves lives so for this year’s North American Safe Boating Week and throughout the boating season remember to "Wear It!"

SailQuest, MarinaFest And More Boat Shows

There are a lot of great spring boat shows this weekend, including SailQuest in Connecticut...

Today at the SailQuest boat show in Milford, CT. © Andrew Canepari / Nautical Sites Media

SailQuest. MarinaFest. Which one is the best?

The answer depends on which side of the country you live in - This weekend you can find SailQuest in Milford, Connecticut, and MarinaFest in Marina del Rey, California. There are a few shows outside of the country as well.

Here is this week's boating event round-up...

Marine Product Review: Boat Wax-Off

This week's marine product review on the Daily Boater really shines... 
 

Photo: Mark Sutton of MarineProductReviews.com

One of the most dreaded boat chores is waxing. Every spring the debate is whether or not to pay the boatyard big bucks to do it or just take a day to do it yourself. Anyone who has waxed more than a dinghy can see why the boat yard charges so much to wax. It takes time, it’s hard work and there is a bit of an art to getting that sweet shine.

In the latest installment of the Daily Boater Marine Product Review, Mark Sutton of MarineProductReviews.com put three premium boat waxes to the test.

(Are you interested in having your product or service featured in a future Marine Product Review on multiple boating websites? Contact Nautical Sites Media publisher Andrew Canepari to discuss the opportunity.)

Now, on to the review...

Captain John: When in Doubt... Anchor Out!

Captain John recalls a little trip he once took up the coast...

Guest blog by Captain John
Captain John Jamieson, a regular contributor to the Daily Boater, is author of Seamanship Secrets and publisher of the popular boating education website SkipperTips.com

Hurricane Hugo on September 21, 1989. (Image courtesy of NOAA)

A weary crew aboard the 135' Coast Guard ship tied up to the pier in St. Pete, Florida, late one September afternoon. It'd been a hell of a long trip, working aids to navigation from Tampa Bay around the Straits of Florida to Miami. After securing our little buoy tender, we shuffled down the gangway and made our way home…

And then the phones started ringing. I could tell by the sound of the ring-tone it was going to be bad.

Recall! Recall! Pack your stuff again – you’re underway in 2 hours! They need your help to the North…

Pica: Breaking All The Rules

Vin Pica discusses THE RULES - and when to break them to prevent a collision at sea...

Guest blog by Vincent Pica
Chief of Staff, First District, Southern Region (D1SR)
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

Image source: "Popular Mechanics" Magazine December 1911

You may remember saying to your parents, “but the other kids were doing it!”

It didn’t work then - and it won’t work in front of an Admiralty or Maritime Board either… But this time you will be looking for an excuse for following the rules - when you actually should have broken them...

Top 5 Gear Buying Tips for the Galley

This week's Boat Galley article helps you make smart decisions when outfitting your galley...

Guest blog by Carolyn Shearlock
Carolyn Shearlock, author of The Boat Galley, appears weekly on the Daily Boater with tips for getting the most out of your boat's kitchen.

Photo: Carolyn Shearlock, theboatgalley.com

Galley gear can be expensive... and there’s not much space to have a lot of stuff... so how do you choose what to buy?
Today’s Topic: Buying Galley Equipment...

Mother's Day Maritime Events

Forget brunch. This Mother's Day weekend you'll find boat shows, power boat races and nautical festivals around the world...

Mom, meet Miss Geico. Photo from a recent boat show in CT, © Andrew Canepari / Nautical Sites Media

What to do for Mother's Day... hmmm...

How about taking her to a boat show? There aren't many of them this weekend, but there are a couple of maritime festivals - one in Seattle and one on Long Island. No? How about a tug or power boat race? No? Well, you can always go to one of these events by yourself on Saturday.

Here is this week's boating event round-up...

Marine Product Review: Foul Weather Pants

This week's Daily Boater marine product review keeps it simple, sailor... 
 

In the latest installment of the Daily Boater Marine Product Review, Mark Sutton of MarineProductReviews.com reminds us that sometimes it's the simplest items that are the best to have on board. This week, Mark takes a look at foulie pants that he tested while sailing recently off of Cape Cod.

(Are you interested in having your product or service featured in a future Marine Product Review and having that review appear on multiple boating websites? Contact Nautical Sites Media publisher Andrew Canepari at dailyboater@nauticalsites.com today to discuss the opportunity.)

Now, on to the review...

Preventing Collisions At Sea - The Basics

Vin Pica discusses THE RULES, and the basics of preventing collisions on the water...

Guest blog by Vincent Pica
Chief of Staff, First District, Southern Region (D1SR)
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

Photo © Andrew Canepari / Nautical Sites Media

Every boater has (hopefully) heard of the rule of "red, right, return" meaning to keep the red buoys on your right when returning from sea.

What many don’t realize is that this old chestnut is one of many that represent the embedded knowledge of centuries of seafaring known formally as the "International Regulations for the Prevention of Collision at Sea" and the largely parallel United States Inland Rules. Sometimes referred to by the old salts as the "COLREGS" or simply The Rules, it has been estimated that less than 10% of today’s boaters are familiar with them…

And the IMO (International Maritime Organization, global governing body) estimates that 80% of all collisions at sea are due to "pilot error"...

So, this column continues a series of articles on The Rules that have one simple goal: Safety of Life at Sea ...

Boat Galley: Stainless in the Galley

This week's Boat Galley article takes a deeper look at stainless steel on your boat...

Guest blog by Carolyn Shearlock
Carolyn Shearlock, author of The Boat Galley, appears weekly on the Daily Boater with tips for getting the most out of your boat's kitchen.

Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You’ll find lots of articles in boating magazines, books and websites talking about different grades of stainless in boat parts.

Did you ever think about those various grades and how they apply in the galley?

Today’s Topic: Stainless in the Galley...

Update From The AC

If you're getting excited for the 34th America's Cup, or want to reflect on the Cup's history, today's edition of America's Cup Uncovered is for you...



Here's a synopsis of this week's show courtesy of www.americascup.com...

This week on America's Cup Uncovered we look back at the four AC World Series events in Cascais, Plymouth, San Diego and Naples where we saw the vision of the best sailors on the fastest boats come to reality. We study the impressive depth of talent among the skippers and crews on each team, and what it takes to live life on the edge. As we are pushing the limits on the AC45s, we check in with ORACLE Racing's build team as they are deep in AC72 design. It's full steam ahead in San Francisco as Mayor Edwin Lee of and ORACLE Racing's Sir Russell Coutts sign the city agreement and construction starts on Pier 27-29, home of the 34th America's Cup.

Enjoy updates on the America's Cup as we get them here on the DailyBoater!

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World on Water for Cinco de Mayo

Check out the latest edition of World on Water, Episode 71, for May 4, 2012...

We know we're a day early, but you can watch this again tomorrow. If it's Friday on the Daily Boater, it is time to take a look at the week's sailing action! Here's what's happening on today's edition of World on Water...

Boat Shows: A Very Woody Weekend

There are a bunch of boat shows this weekend, and many of them are destined to be classic...

Big boat shows are fantastic for seeing the latest and greatest in boating conveniences, stuffed into fiberglass hulls and plastic cockpits, sitting rail to rail inside an enormous convention center. Seriously, we do love those shows, and we enjoy in-water shows even more. But every once in a while it's nice to go to a boat show where you can see how boats used to look - when hulls and decks were made of wood, and if someone told you that their boat had "all the bells and whistles", they weren't talking about an iPad mounted on their dash next to a GPS and an autopilot.

This weekend, there are a few boat shows going on that can take you back to the good old days, and a few that keep you grounded in the present. Here is this week's boat show round-up...

Weekly Marine Product Review: Kingfisher

Daily Boater's marine product review is back with a look at Sperry’s new shock-reducing technology...

The hot sun and constant running around you do on a boat are obvious sources of fatigue on board. But have you ever considered how much of a toll the vibrations from the engine as well as from the constant collisions between your hull and the waves can have on your legs – and your entire body?

Sperry has thought about it. A lot. And in our second installment of the Daily Boater Marine Product Review, Mark Sutton of MarineProductReviews.com checks out new technology from Sperry that promises to reduce the effects of the ‘shocks’ of boating.

(By the way, if you are interested in having your boat products or services reviewed on multiple boating and fishing sites, contact Nautical Sites Media publisher Andrew Canepari at dailyboater@nauticalsites.com today and submit your product for consideration.)

Now, on to the review...

Captain John: Bury the Anchor

Captain John follows up his easy anchoring calculations with his single secret to burying an anchor fast...

Guest blog by Captain John
Captain John Jamieson, a regular contributor to the Daily Boater, is author of Seamanship Secrets and publisher of the popular boating education website SkipperTips.com

Photo Courtesy of The U.S. Coast Guard.

Editor's note: In his last column, Captain John discussed the math of safe anchoring for a peaceful night at anchor "on the hook". This week, he puts his equations to the test. Enjoy...

The other day, a reader sent in a query as to why I recommend 7:1 scope on anchor rode as opposed to 3:1. After all, less rode means less hassle with having all that line messed up by gooey mud, slimy bottom crud, and other unknowns beneath the sea.

Rules of the Road - Set to Poetry

Vin Pica waxes poetic about the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea...

Guest blog by Vincent Pica
Chief of Staff, First District, Southern Region (D1SR)
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

Photo Courtesy of The U.S. Coast Guard

Over 125 years ago, Captain Eldridge set to poetry the most essential aspect of the Rules of the Road (COLREGs.) From this, the renowned Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book, the marine industry's most respected tide and current reference guide since 1874, was born. I have had one at the helm of my vessels since, well, I can’t remember that far back.

But the poem is worth dusting off and passing on to the current generation of mariners and boat skippers… In short, it is the essence of avoiding collisions at sea. This column is all about that....