Pica: I Can’t See – Now What?

Vin Pica discusses the appropriate conduct of vessels facing restricted visibility conditions...

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

Foggy days on the water. United States Coast Guard photo/ PA2 Bobby Nash

You may remember that back in 2010, we wrote about boat handling in foggy conditions (Five Tips To Fight Fog: web, PDF). Well, has anybody noticed how thick the fog has been recently? Why is that? Air gets cool , water stays warm. The result? Fog… and gobs of it for hours on end…

That column was more “anecdotal seamanship”. But, within our series on the COLREGs, this one is more scholarly. In short, if there isn’t a Rule for it, it doesn’t exist!

Which brings us to Rule 19…

A Chilling Recipe from the Boat Galley

This week, the Boat Galley cracks the age old issue of making a good block of ice for your boat...

Hope this helps keep you cool!

Tips From The Boat Galley 
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.

A recipe for making ice? Is that really necessary? We’re not that dumb, are we? Well, I was – at least when it came to making block ice. I've had some absolutely spectacular displays of things that can go wrong - so I thought I'd pass along what I've learned.

Today’s Topic: Tips For Making Block Ice...

San Diego, HarborFest and More

This weekend's nautical events include the San Diego Yacht and Boat Show, Oswego Harborfest, the Cruise for Life, and more...

Photo source: San Diego Yacht and Boat Show page on
Facebook (facebook.com/SanDiegoYachtAndBoatShow)

This weekend's boating events include boat shows and festivals across the country, and a couple of charitable cruises in the Northeast.  

It's time for this week's nautical event round-up!

All of this weekend's boating events below; and, as always, we invite you to jump ahead to the FirstBoat.com boat show calendar for a quick look at the lineup of boating and fishing events this weekend and beyond...

London. Olympics. Superyachts

Superyachts, complete with "their own helipads and submarines," have converged on the Thames for the Olympics, according to Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg also posted a video today giving you a sneak peak at the big boats in town along with one of the event planners, who may or may not have heard from George Clooney by the time you are reading this...




For more on this subject, check out the story from our friends at MegaYachtNews.net: Megayachts Making Waves at London Olympics.

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Top 10 Boat Name Tips

Naming a boat just got easier with these top 10 tips...

Coming up with a name for a boat can take years of thought and debate. It is often more difficult than naming a baby. With this in mind, our sister publication FirstBoat has offered boat naming resources for several years, and they just came out with their first ever top ten list of tips to make naming your boat easier.

And here they are...

Propeller Safety Quiz

Warning: Today's Daily Boater article contains a Pop Quiz from the United States Coast Guard... 

1.) If a passenger falls overboard from your boat, you should…

a. Slowly reverse, keeping him in sight at all times. Stop within five feet and allow him to swim to the side of the boat.
b. Stop the boat. Allow him to swim to the side and slowly pull him to safety.
c. Stop. Slowly turn the boat around and approach while keeping the passenger in sight. Shut off the engine and then bring him to safety.

2). True or False?

It is safe for passengers to board or exit from the water if engines are idling.T__  F__

3). Fill in the blank.

A ________________ will stop a propeller should the driver of a boat be thrown overboard or pulled away from the boat's controls.

It was as if the United States Coast Guard read our minds, or dare we say it, our blog, when they sent us this quiz and article. It was only a couple of weeks ago when we ran a post on our sister site, Northeast Boater, about what seemed like way too many propeller injuries in New England within a short few days in early July.

Read on for the quiz answers and more info on staying safe around your boat’s propeller…

Boat Galley: Electronics in a Storm

This week, the Boat Galley looks at an unconventional use for your boat's oven...

Photo: Carolyn Shearlock, theboatgalley.com

Tips From The Boat Galley 
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.

As the almost-daily thunderstorms moved in over our anchorage, we prepped the boat, securing the dinghy motor to the rail and hoisting the dinghy, closing the hatches and ports, taking down the laundry, wind scoop and US flag, checking the anchor and snubbers... and throwing all the electronics that would fit into the oven and microwave. Huh??

Today’s Topic: Another Use for Your Oven...

Big D Boat Show And More

Most of this weekend's boat shows have something to do with Texas. Make plans this weekend with our boat show preview...

This weekend's boating events include boat shows and festivals in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and more.  

Read on for this week's nautical event round-up...

World on Water 81

Check out the latest edition of World on Water, Episode 81, for July 20, 2012...

Marine Product Review: Chelsea Clock

A review of elegant, handcrafted clocks that are reminiscent of military life at sea...
 

In the latest installment of the Daily Boater's weekly Marine Product Review, Mark Sutton of MarineProductReviews.com takes a look at a “timeless” piece of maritime history in Chelsea Clock.

(Are you interested in having your product or service featured in a future Marine Product Review on multiple boating websites? Get the details here or contact Nautical Sites Media for more info.)

Read on for our review of Chelsea Clock’s Military Collection...

Pica: After You, Alphonse

Vin Pica on prevention of collision at sea and the intricacies of the big boat rule...

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

While it would seem intuitive that vessels engaged in certain activities or sizes would have a certain priority that fold nicely into the concept of “stand-on” and “give-way”, it is far more complicated than just the Big Boat Rule – Big Boats Rule!

This column is about that…

Boat Galley: Five-Minute Appetizers

This week, the Boat Galley shares their top five recipes for quick snacks on the boat...

Photo: Carolyn Shearlock, theboatgalley.com

Tips From The Boat Galley 
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.


Maybe you went snorkeling with friends from another boat. Or possibly a hike. Or they just stopped by. Boating is a very sociable lifestyle, and you want to offer your friends something to eat. But you hadn't really planned the occasion and now you need something RIGHT NOW!

Today’s Topic: Five-Minute Appetizers...

This Weekend: Maritime Festivals and More

In the heat of July, few boat shows and maritime festivals are happening...

This weekend's boating and fishing events include "Wings and Water Festival", "Gulf Maritime Festival" and ICAST, to name a few.  

Read on for this week's nautical event round-up...

First Aid Kit Basics For Boaters

Tips from the USCG for keeping your boat well-stocked for a medical emergency on the water...

When the United States Coast Guard asks us to share safety information with our readers, who are we to decline? This article actually has some great safety kit tips, especially for newer boaters. I recall buying my first boat and thinking one of the first things I needed was a good first aid kit, but all the generic kits were filled with the same no-name junk. They've gotten better since then, and this article touches on generic first aid kits later, but if you prefer brand-name items (i.e., Band-Aid), you're probably best off putting together your own marine first aid kit. For additional "outside the box" first aid kit ideas, check out this article we ran from Vincent Pica this past fall: Scotch and Band-Aids: Updating the Onboard Medical Kit

This column, courtesy of the U.S.C.G., is about keeping your boat well-stocked with the basics for a medical emergency on the water...

Pica: Taking Action

Vin Pica on prevention of collision at sea with a look at Rules 16 and 17...

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.

When I was putting together a column on Rule 17, I wondered if it would garner enough information or complexity to justify a full column.  Rule 17: Action By Stand-On Vessel seems, on first blush, to lend itself to a short “here it is and here is what it means.”

Rule 17 is the simple reciprocal of Rule 16, which is as simple as they get...

Rule 16 says – “Every vessel that is directed to keep out of the way of another vessel shall, so far as possible, take early and substantial action to keep well clear.”

Rule 16 means – Just that. If you are the give-way vessel, telegraph your move to pass well clear.

But Rule 17 has some subtle nuances that, in failing to understand them, may in fact lead to more collisions at sea than people recognize… Call it what you will – but getting into a collision at sea because you thought you had the “right of way” is just plain dumb, bad seamanship and potentially fatal.

This column is about that…

Boat Galley: A Summer Salad Recipe

This week, the Boat Galley shares one of their favorite recipes -- boat friendly and "hot weather"-friendly...

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

Looking for a great dish on the boat? This salad can be made with rice or pasta, doesn’t have any mayonnaise to spoil and – for those really hot days – you can add some cooked meat to make a cold meal...

Today’s Topic: A Recipe for Rice or Pasta Salad...

World on Water Sailing Video Action

Check out the latest edition of World on Water, Episode 80, for July 6...

It's Friday, so 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...

Holiday Weekend Boating Events

With the 4th of July weekend upon us, there are just a few boat shows and events happening...

Photo courtesy of Ocean State Tall Ships® Festival www.oceanstatetallships.com

With the 4th of July falling on a Wednesday this year, we really sort of have TWO 4th of July weekends. This one coming up is the 2nd one, and there are a few events to tell you about, including boat shows in Cabo and New York, and tall ships in New England.  

Read on for this week's nautical event round-up...

Fireworks Tips

When it comes to watching fireworks, the best seat in the house is on your boat. These tips will help you enjoy them safely...

We ran these tips last year to help boaters enjoy watching fireworks from the water - one of the best seats in the house - and they of course still hold true this year, so we thought we'd share them again.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July with these tips for nighttime boating and fireworks viewing...

Vincent Pica: Collision Course

Vin Pica on prevention of collision at sea - at the cross roads with Rule 15...

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

You’ve seen me reference Captain George Eldridge’s navigation poem before. What did he have to say when two boats are about to cross paths?

"But if to starboard Red appear,
it is my duty to keep clear – to act as judgment says is proper,
to port or starboard, back or stop her…"

This column is all about that…

Groupama Wins 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race

French team clinches first place with finish in Galway after eight months of racing...

Photo: IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race

This is kind of a big deal.

Late this evening in Galway, Ireland, Groupama crossed the finish line in second place for the ninth and final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, securing an overall victory for the team with an insurmountable 24-point lead.

Camper finished first in the final leg with enough points to earn an overall second place finish in Volvo (so long as they show up for the final in-port race on Saturday.) Puma finished third in the 9th leg, and will also likely rank third overall when all is said and done.

Groupama, skippered by 39-year-old Franck Cammas, is the first French team to win the Volvo Ocean Race since Lionel Péan skippered L’Esprit d’Equipe to victory in 1985-86. After the victory, Cammas was quoted as saying, "This is an incredible moment for me. It was always my dream just to participate in this race. The first book I ever read was about the Whitbread. It has been an incredible day for me and it hasn't sunk in yet." The race originated in 1973 as the Whitbread round the World Race, and was re-badged Volvo Ocean Race in 2001.

Congratulations to all the Volvo competitors on completing an exciting and competitive race.

Related article: Volvo Ocean Race Begins with a Bang (includes video from the dramatic first 24 hours of the race.)

Dishwashing Duty Made Easy

This week's Boat Galley shares six tools that make cleaning up the galley easy...

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

Do you hate dishwashing duty? I used to...

Today’s Topic: Six Tools for Easy Galley Clean Up...