Category: Uncategorized

US Coast Guard Iphone and Android App

Today I was preparing to write a post about coast guard required safety equipment and I came across something I didn’t know existed. The Official US Coast Guard App for boaters. I just installed the android version of the app on my phone in order to review it for this post. When you install the app you are asked to agree to the terms of service for the app. For a government agency the terms are fairly straightforward but read them first to make sure you really want to agree to them. Since you can make reports of hazards and emergencies through the app you are reminded that false reports are illegal and waste resources. The app asks to use your location because it will give the GPS coordinates when making a report The app asks you to fill out info for a profile but you don’t have to fill out any info until you try to make a report.

In addition to being able to make a report of a hazard you can make reports of pollution, report suspicious activity and request emergency assistance through the app. The app lets you view state boating information, request a safety check, review safety equipment, file a float plan, view the rules of the road, and see NOAA buoy information. That’s quite a lot of good information right at your finger tips. It appears you will need an internet connection to view some of the information.

Check out this video for an overview of the application. 

This app is another tool in your boating toolbox and for the low, low price of free I’d recommend checking it out. The app also shows your GPS coordinates so you can quickly relay them to the authorities in the event of an emergency.

Survey Says!…. Get A Marine Survey

You’ve found the perfect boat, looked at it in person and are ready to make an offer on the boat.

STOP and read this!

Unless you can afford to throw away the money you are spending on the boat you are going to want to get it surveyed by an accredited surveyor. Many lending institutions will require a survey and your insurance company is going to require a survey for full coverage insurance.

Who are marine surveyors? A surveyor is someone who is accredited by one or more organizations and usually has spent a great deal of time in the marine industry. This isn’t like a home inspector who can get certified on a weekend and start inspecting homes. These surveyors have lengthy training, continuing education and time on various vessels. There are several governing bodies that monitor Marine Surveyors, (NAMS)-National Association of Marine Surveyors, the US Surveyors Association-Navy, Certified Marine Surveyors-(CMS), (ABYC)-American Boat and Yacht Council, (IIMS) – International Institute of Marine Surveyors, (SAMS) – Society of Accredited Marie Surveyors and the (YDSA) – Yacht Designers and Survey Association. In most cases it takes a minimum of 3 to 5 years to become an accredited surveyor.

What can I expect when I get a boat surveyed? I suggest you as the buyer be present during the survey. The surveyor will meet you and the seller or seller’s representative at the boat the day of your survey. While not necessary I always bring a note pad and pen with me to document the systems on the boat and issues the surveyor may find. It’s generally not good form to place the surveyor directly in price negotiations during the survey. The surveyor is there for you and only you. Schedule the survey for a time when all parties can be present since you will need to sea trial the boat, operate every system on the boat and haul the boat from the water to inspect the hull and running gear.  The surveyor will require the owner or owners representative to open access panels and covers in areas that need to be inspected. Due to liabilities the surveyor may not open secured panels if the owner isn’t there. the surveyor will inspect the hull and decks for rot, structural members for rot or damage, look for obvious leaks, check mechanical fasteners, inspect the electrical system and mechanical systems on the boat. Basically the survey covers everything on the boat except the inside of the engines. (an engine survey is usually an add on performed by a marine mechanic) This is a great opportunity for the buyer to follow the surveyor around and ask questions. They will be able to tell you how the systems on the boat work and how to maintain them. Remember the notebook I told you to bring? Use it to write down this information. Once the surveyor has gone over the boat from stem to stern you are ready for the sea trial. During the sea trial the surveyor will monitor engine and cooling system temperatures and associated electronics. They will also perform a backdown test to confirm the engine mounts are in good shape. After the sea trial the boat will be hauled out or put on the trailer for the hull inspection and the running gear inspection.

The surveyor will take a rub of the Hull ID number and include it in his report. In a few days you will receive a report usually in digital form with photos from the surveyor. This report will highlight deficiencies and include an estimated value of the boat.

Every boat has issues but use this report to negotiate a buying price. For example the boat is for sale at $35,000 and the survey report indicates that the fuel lines need replaced and the aft bilge pump isn’t working ask the seller to repair these items or deduct the coat of repairing them from the asking price. Your report most likely will contain many items of varying importance that need repaired or replaced.

The main types of marine surveys are buyers survey and insurance survey. The insurance survey is not recommended for a vessel you are trying to buy. This is a quick survey intended for the insurance companies to grant or renew coverage. Get a buyers survey! You can also have a marine mechanic inspect the engines and transmissions during the survey. This is called an engine survey. Depending on the type of engine and hours on the engine this may be preferred by some buyers.

I’ve run across some sellers that were hesitant to allow their boats to be surveyed. I would run, not walk from those sellers. Remember there are way more boats than buyers out there. If the survey finds issues or the seller seems sketchy move on to the next one. Never fall in love with a boat until it’s yours.

Costs for a survey vary greatly around the country so I can’t include a good estimate here but expect to pay $18.00– $20.00 per foot for a Pre-Purchase Condition & Valuation (C&V) Marine Survey. Plus you may have to pay to have the boat hauled out or placed in the water for the sea trial. It’s money well spent! I usually don’t use the surveyor the seller or broker recommends. You want someone who is there for you not anyone else in this deal.

Here are several websites where you can find an accredited surveyor:

http://www.marinesurvey.org/

http://www.boatus.com/insurance/survey.asp

http://abycinc.org/mpage/surveyorimportance

http://www.acms-usa.com/

Led Lights On Boats

A few years ago the LED lighting market exploded. Companies started making all kinds of LED light bulbs and fixtures to replace standard incandescent lighting. For us boaters this is a really great opportunity to affordably replace our incandescent lights and fixtures with low power consuming LED lights. We also can install some cool new accent or mood lighting in cabins, cockpits, heads and just about anywhere on the boat we need lighting.

Waterproof LED Strip Lights

My first experience with LED lights on a boat was when I installed LED strip lighting at the helm of my Maxum 2900 SCR. I bought a 16 foot roll of strip lights that came with a 120 volt power supply, remote control and 16 feet of stick on water proof LED lights. The strip could be cut to size and cut for the area it was being installed. About every 12 inches there is a cut mark where you can cut the strip and reconnect it with special connectors. There are several different types of strip lights you can buy. Some come with a music controller that changes the lights with the music. Ones labeled RGB are multi-colored and the color is user changeable. An Amazon search shows all the options available. When buying LED strip lights for a boat you generally want to buy the water proof ones with a good 3m adhesive on the back. I really liked the RGB lights since I could change them depending on if the boat was in motion or sitting at the dock. Installation is easy since the 120 volt transformer steps the voltage down to 12 volt. Just get rid of the transformer and cut the end off of the plug that connects to it. Make sure you know what wire is positive and what wire is negative and connect the positive to a fused power source or switch and the negative to ground.

LED G4 Bulbs

Another light that can be replaced with LEDs are the cabin lights. Many boats use a G4 bulb for cabin lights though yours might be different. Replacing these lights is as simple as removing the old bulb and replacing it with the LED bulb. In general these LED bulbs will draw around 1 watt of power. This significantly extends the time you can run the lights off of battery power. LED lights will only work if the positive and negative leg are installed properly. If you installed a light bulb and it doesn’t turn on flip its orientation and it should work.

On an older boat you may have outdated light fixtures and want to change them out for something a bit more modern. There are many LED light fixtures available, you should be able to find a fixture that will compliment your boats interior or exterior.

Led Navigation Light

LED navigation lights have hit the market and are a great replacement for older navigation lights. With LED navigation lights you have a several year run time compared to incandescent navigation lights. This means less bulb changes, less chance a bulb burns out while underway and less chance the Coast Guard will stop you for having a light out.

Overall replacing your lights with LED lights will enhance the look of your boat and increase the run time from your 12 volt electrical system.

Winterizing Tips For I/O and Sterndrive Boats: Part 1

In order to winterize your sterndrive inboard-outboard boat you will begin by filling the fuel tank then treating with a fuel treatment like Star Tron, Star Brite Ez-Store / Ez-Start or Stabil marine fuel treatment. Many experts agree that new ethanol gas blends “suck” water vapor from any air in the fuel tank. By filling the tank completely you remove most of the air and water vapor from the tank. Also treating the fuel prevents the gas from gumming up the fuel lines and carburetor over time. This is a great time to replace any fuel filters you may have. This step will help ensure a smooth running engine for your spring commissioning!

Next you will want to flush the engine and bring it up to operating temperature and add antifreeze to the cooling system. You will need a set of engine flush muffs, a winterizing kit or a 5 gallon bucket with a bulkhead / spigot installed and short hose or garden hose to attach to the muffs. You will also need a can of fogging oil if you have a carbureted engine. See our post on making your own winterization bucket.

It is very important to bring the engine up to operating temperature while flushing! Otherwise antifreeze will not fill the block and result in freeze damage to the engine block! 

Start by attaching the muffs over the inlet holes on the bottom of the sterndrive and attaching the garden hose. Remove the spark arrestor from the carburetor and set it in a safe location. Turn on the garden hose and verify good water flow to the outdrive. Once you have verified water is going to the outdrive start the engine and allow it to reach operating temperature. This is the temperature that the thermostat opens and allows water to circulate through the engine block. You may notice while watching the temperature gauge at the helm that the needle starts dropping, this is when the thermostat opens and lets cooler water circulate. Once the engine is at operational temperature disconnect the garden hose from the muffs and connect your winterizing kit or 5 gallon bucket to the muffs. Fill the kit or Bucket with marine antifreeze, place it higher than the engine, turn on the valve to let the antifreeze flow to the muffs and start the engine. You should see the antifreeze being “sucked” out of the container and through the cooling system. After seeing antifreeze coming out of the boats exhaust system for 20-30 seconds you can begin to fog the carburetor.  To fog the engine spay the fogging oil directly into the carburetor until the engine bogs down and stops. (some high horse power engines will not stop and will sputter and miss instead.)  Fuel injected engines typically do not need to be fogged. In either case check your owners manual to see specific instructions. Replace the spark arrestor.

 I recommend using marine antifreeze that is rated for -100 degrees F and has anti corrosion protection. Some people like to use a cheaper antifreeze that has -50 or -25 degree protection but regardless of how you fill and flush the engine there is always a possibility of a water pocket in the cooling system that will dilute the antifreeze you put into the engine. By using -100 degree antifreeze you are protecting yourself from minor dilution. 

We will continue the winterization process in part 2 discussing how to change the engine oil and what tools are needed.

Winterizing Tips For I/O and Sterndrive Boats: Part 2

In the first part of this post we’ve talked about flushing the engine, filling with antifreeze and fogging the engine. You didn’t think it ended there did you?! We still have a few more items to take care of to make sure your boat is shipshape for the upcoming winter.

While the engine is still warm, it’s a great time to change the engine oil and filter. You will need a way to remove the oil from the engine, new oil and filter. Tools needed will be an oil filter wrench and an oil extractor. You can use either a manual extractor like this one or a 12 volt pump extractor such as this jabsco pump.

Follow the instructions that come with the oil extractor to remove all of the oil from the engine. Typically this involves inserting the correct size tube down the dipstick tube connecting it to the extractor and pumping it a few times to create a vacuum to remove all of the oil. The manual extractors will normally have markings along the sides to show how many quarts of oil have been removed. If your oil filter is remotely mounted i.e it’s upside down on top of the engine or off to the side wrap a towel around the base of it to catch any oil that will leak out of it before removing it and poke a small hole in the top of the filter to allow the oil in the filter to drain while the extractor is sucking the oil out of the engine. Once all of the oil is removed you can remove the extractor tube and the oil filter taking care not to spill any oil on top of or under the engine.

Replace the engine oil with the correct weight oil, check your owners manual or the engine manufactures website for the correct oil specifications. Most mercruisers will be happy with mercruiser 25W40 oil. Mercruiser also has a synthetic version of the 25W40 if you prefer synthetic oil. As always check your manual to confirm you are using the correct oil.

Replace the oil filter with a new one lubing the gasket on the filter with oil and hand tightening the filter into place.

In part 3 of how to winterize your stern drive boat we will talk about changing the outdrive oil and inspecting the outdrive.

Winterizing Tips For I/O and Sterndrive Boats: Part 3

In the first and second posts we discussed flushing the engine, winterizing the engine with antifreeze, treating the fuel for winter storage and fogging the engine. This post will talk about servicing the outdrive, checking and changing the outdrive oil in a mercruiser alpha 1 outdrive.

For this part you will need: outdrive oil, a pump to fill the outdrive, new gaskets for the vent and drain screws and tools to remove the screws and prop. You will also need shop towels and an oil pan.

Remove the prop and inspect the prop shaft for any damage and for things like fishing line wrapped around the shaft. If line is wrapped around the shaft inspect the shaft seal after removing the line for damage or leaks. If a leak is found have the seal replaced and pressure check the outdrive. Grease the shaft and replace the prop.

Locate the vent and drain screws on the outdrive. The vent screw will be on the upper part of the drive leg and the drain will be near the bottom close to the water intake holes. Place a catch pan under the drive and place the drive in the full down position. Remove the bottom screw then remove the top screw. Inspect the oil! If it has white streaks or is the color of coffee with milk remove the drive and have it pressure tested by a mechanic. If it is dark black you waited to long between oil changes. The drain plugs are magnetic inspect them for metal shavings an inspect the oil for metal shavings. If metal is found have the drive inspected by a professional. If the old oil has a foul smell or is dark grey this indicates overheating or an internal failure of the drive and will require professional help.

Once the oil has drained from the drive attach your oil pump to the bottom drain hole. The pump has a threaded connector that screws into the drain hole. I find it easier to attach the connector to the outdrive before you put the pump into the bottle of gear oil.  Attach the pump to the oil bottle and pump oil into the drive until it flows out of the top hole. Replace the gasket on the top hole screw and screw the plug back into the drive. This will create a partial vacuum and let you quickly remove the oil pump from the bottom hole and place the bottom screw with a new gasket back into the drive. A small amount of oil may leak out before you can fully tighten the screw and this is ok. Using your shop towels clean up any oil that spilled on or down the drive leg.

Inspect the bellows and shift cable along with the water intake hose. If it’s been a few years since they have been replaced or if there is any dry rot or damage to the bellows have them replaced. A leaky bellows will sink a boat in record time! Here is a link to a decent alpha 1 bellows kit.

Check and replace the sacrificial anodes if they show less than 70 percent.

  • Zinc Alloy Anodes = Salt water only
    • Not recommended for use in fresh water
    • Alloy is manufactured to meet or exceed US Military Specification (MIL-A-18001K)
  • Aluminum Alloy Anodes = Salt, Fresh or Brackish water
    • Not recommended, but can be used in fresh water
    • Proven to last longer than zinc due to increased capacity
    • Alloy is manufactured to meet or exceed US Military Specification (MIL-A-24779(SH))
  • Magnesium Alloy Anodes = Fresh water only
    • The only alloy proven to protect your boat in fresh water
    • It is not recommended to use magnesium anodes in salt or brackish water .
      • The result may be an accelerated corrosion rate, which may damage the metal parts of your boat and leave you with no anode protection in a short period of time.
    • A Special Note on Magnesium Anodes for Fresh Water… Essentially, fresh water is a much less conductive environment than salt water, therefore magnesium anodes are your best choice as they are much more active (less noble) than zinc or aluminum anodes
    • The result is increased efficiency thus superior protection for your underwater metal components

There are many types and models of outdrives. Some have a remote oil reservoir and will require addition steps to change the oil. This is a basic guide for mercruiser alpha 1 drives though the steps are generally the same for other brands such as OMC and Volvo.

Store the outdrive in the down position. This keeps water from collecting in the prop hub and possibly freezing and damaging the hub. It also reduces stress on the bellows and shift cable.

Making a Winterization Bucket

So you’ve read our multi part series on how to winterize your sterndrive boat and you noticed I mentioned using a 5 gallon bucket to winterize in place of a premade kit. A premade winterizing kit will cost about $40. You can make your own for a fraction of that cost.

You will need: A 5 gallon bucket, drill with a 1.5 inch hole saw bit, a bulk head fitting, and a hose bib or shut off connector.

Using your 1 1/2 inch hole saw drill a hole in the side of the bucket near the bottom. Be careful to not drill through the bottom of the bucket. Once your hole is drilled take the bulkhead fitting apart and insert the male threaded part of the bulkhead fitting through the hole you drilled from the inside to the outside. Make sure you have a gasket on both sides of the bulkhead fitting then screw the female threaded nut onto the male threads sticking out of the side of the bucket.

Take your Hose bib and wrap a few wraps of teflon tape or use pipe dope on the threads. screw the hose bib into the bulkhead fitting. You should have bought a 3/4 hose bib and a 3/4 inch bulk head. The products I have linked in this article are all compatible.

That’s it! If you bought the products linked here you spent about 20 dollars and will have a winterization bucket that will last you for years. I use mine to winterize the water system, engines and generators.

One of the hardest things is knowing the correct name for things. When I first built my bucket I didn’t know the name for the bulkhead fitting. I spent way to much time wandering around the store looking for something I couldn’t name. I hope this article helps you in your boating journey.

Check out the projects page for other boating related projects!


Winterizing Your Boat’s Freshwater System

So you’ve read our 3 part series on winterizing your boats engine and sterndrive. Now it’s time to winterize your boats fresh water system.

There are a multitude of designs and setups for boat fresh water systems so inspect yours and make sure you know how water or in this case antifreeze will flow through your system.

Most boats have a freshwater tank, hot water heater and various faucets and outlets for the water to flow from. You may have a freshwater flush head or a raw (seawater) flush head. It’s important to know exactly how your system is set up. Almost all vacuflush systems use fresh water to flush and will need to be winterized according to the manufactures instructions.

I always start by going to the pumpout dock and pumping the head holding tank. Next I empty the freshwater holding tank by opening the faucets and running the freshwater pump until all of the water is out of the system. Remember to open and drain seldom used things like transom shower heads and washdown hoses. Locate your hot water heater and open the drain and blow off valve on the hot water heater. Make sure you have turned the breaker off for the hot water heater. Once the water has drained from the heater close the drain and blow off valve. Opening the blow off valve will let the hot water heater drain faster.

If you have an on board ice maker follow the manufactures instructions on how to winterize it. I typically turn the water off to the ice maker and let it run until it uses all the water in the line to make ice. Once it stops making ice I disconnect the water line at the solenoid and drain any remaining water from the line. Most ice makers can be damaged by blowing air through the lines or using antifreeze.

Now that your water system is empty there are a few different ways to winterize the system. I have a bypass valve and hose installed on my hot water heater so after I drain the hot water heater I can bypass it and not have to waste 12 gallons of antifreeze filling it up. This is a good hot water tank bypass kit. So with the hot water heater bypassed pour five or six gallons of antifreeze into your water tank and turn on your freshwater pump. Go to the furthest faucet from the holding tank and one at a time turn on the valves until antifreeze comes out of the faucet. Now go to every other faucet and repeat the process.

If your boat doesn’t have or you don’t use your fresh water tank you can winterize by using your 5 gallon bucket you made following this post and a utility pump. Fill the bucket with antifreeze attach the utility pump to the hose bib on the bucket and attach the discharge side of the pump to the dockside water connection on your boat. Turn the pump on and follow the same directions as above to pump antifreeze through your boats fresh water system.

If you have a freshwater flush head, flush the head for enough time to be certain the antifreeze has filled the intake and discharge hoses along with the head pump.

If you have a raw water flush head locate the through hull for the water intake, shut it off and pour one gallon of antifreeze into the head and flush it until it is all gone. Disconnect the hose from the through hull and drain it before reconnecting it to the through hull. Check your hose clamps and replace if needed.

Some boat owners like to winterize the water system by using compressed air to blow it out. I don’t like this method because it can damage faucets and other parts of the system and it may leave a pocket of water in a low laying hose or pipe. By using antifreeze you are insuring the water has been replaced with the proper antifreeze.

Boat Battery Storage and Care Over The Winter

The boat’s been winterized, you’re removing all of your belongings and wondering “what in the heck do I do with my batteries”?

Marine Batteries need to be maintained throughout the winter. How you maintain them depends on how your boat is stored. If you want the batteries to last the winter and the boat to fire up first thing in the spring follow these simple steps.

For a boat stored on land with the drain plug removed you can take your batteries out of the boat and store them indoors in a heated environment checking them monthly and charging if necessary. Removing the battery from the boat is fine as long as the boat isn’t in danger of collecting water in the bilge and needing the bilge pump to run. It’s not a bad idea to remove the battery boxes with the batteries in order to safely store them preventing anything from falling on the battery and shorting it out.

I use this type of meter to check my batteries charge while they are out of the boat. You can also use a multimeter to check the charge. If you need to charge a battery do not charge it inside of your house. Batteries off gas while charginging and could cause an accumulation of explosive gas inside your house.

If your boat is stored in the water (as mine is every other year) you will need to keep the batteries in the boat to insure the bilge pumps and other systems function. I use my shore line connection and leave my smart battery chargers running all winter. If you don’t have this option at the very least you need to stop by the boat bi-monthly and check / charge the batteries with an approved marine battery charger. I turn off all the breakers and switches for 12 volt powered things I don’t need. Basically I just leave the bilge pumps connected.

Remember! If the batteries die you are at risk of sinking when the bilge pumps fail. It’s also a good idea to stop by the boat after foul weather and insure everything is ok.

As batteries become discharged the electrolyte will have a higher freeze temperature.  This can lead to the battery bursting or internal damage to the battery. A fully charged battery has a much lower freeze temperature than a discharged battery.

Seamanship And the Rules Of The Road For Boaters

As a former full time liveaboard and current seasonal liveaboard I am on the water quite a bit and see a wide range of boating skill and etiquette from my fellow boaters. Often I wonder if a certain boat operator has even taken a look at the ColRegs AKA the rules of the road for boaters. If you haven’t yet I suggest visiting the coast guard website and downloading their free copy of the amalgamation of the International (72 COLREGS) and Inland Navigation Rules. I will touch on the major parts of the rules here but won’t get as in depth as the official source.

First rule is avoid a collision. It is the position of the Coast Guard and the Admiralty Court that there are no accidents. If a collision occurs the navigation rules were not followed. Plain and simple.

Second, a constant watch and lookout is required anytime a vessel is underway. This is a pet peeve of mine. I’ve witnessed both power and sail boats operated in tight navigational areas by people who were not keeping a lookout. I have had a large cabin cruiser almost hit me and several others being operated by autopilot while the “captain” was sitting on the aft deck having a drink with his guests.  This is illegal and a good way to hurt or kill other people.

Stand on Vessel and Give way vessel which are you? 

The “Stand on Vessel” (the one that has the Right of Way) is required to hold course until such time that it is determined the “Give Way Vessel”  (the one that is yielding the right of way) is not going to Give Way. The Stand on Vessel is then required to avoid a collision. All maneuvers must be made early and obvious to avoid any chance of misinterpretation.

The “Give Way” vessel is the vessel that must yield (the term used on roads when you drive a car) to the other.  “Stand On” is the vessel that has the right of way.

A Stand on Vessel MAY give up it’s rights. However any maneuvers must be made early and obvious BEFORE it becomes Stand on to show the vessel that would be the Give Way Vessel that it is not required to make an avoiding maneuver.

“Obvious” It’s an important word. Let’s say you are the give way vessel approaching the stand on vessel. You make a slight course adjustment to pass the stand on vessel but that adjustment is so slight the stand on vessel is confused as to what your intentions are. I try to make it clear both visually and on the radio or horn what my intentions are when meeting or passing a vessel. This possibly means a safe yet exaggerated turn to the proper side.

The following is from the Maritime.College website and is linked here

Rules to remember when two vessels meet

  • When two power vessels are approaching head on,both vessels should alter course to starboard to pass port-side to port-side.
  • When two power-driven vessels are in crossing situation on a collision course, give way to the vessel to starboard (right).The give way vessel must take early and obvious action to avoid a collision by either stopping or altering course to starboard.
  • If the give way vessel has another power-driven vessel from the Port (left) which does not take obvious action to give way, or alter course to starboard, then the Skipper of give-way (stand on) vessel must take evasive action by either stopping, or again, altering course to starboard.
  • Every vessel (power or sail) that is overtaking must keep well clear of the over taking vessel. You are overtaking if you are approaching another vessel anywhere in a 135 degree sector at its stern.

Channels and harbours

  • All vessels must keep to the starboard (right) side of any channel.
  • Inside a harbour (normally shown on the pilotage limit on the chart) you must keep out of the way of any ship over 500 tons. (which is about 50 metres in length)
  • Do not create a wake which causes unnecessary danger to other vessels or people.
  • You must not anchor in a channel.
  • All small craft must keep out of the way of larger vessels which are restricted by their draft to maintain passage and steering within the channel.

When power meets power

  • You must give way to another vessel on your starboard. (right)
  • If you meet head on, both vessels must turn to starboard. (right)

When power meets sail

  • Power gives way to sail unless the sailing vessel is overtaking.
  • Sailing vessels should avoid sailing in a narrow channel. They have to give way to power-driven vessels restricted in their ability to manouvre in the channel.

When sail meets sail

  • The vessel which has the wind on its starboard (right) side has the right of way. The vessel which has the wind on its port (left) side must give way.
  • When both boats have the wind on the same side the windward (upwind) boat has to give way.

When things go wrong

  • If the give way vessel does not appear to be giving way, the stand on vessel must take evasive action and should turn to starboard (right). Do not alter course to port, it could place you into the path of the give way vessel.

Five or more blasts of a horn indicate immediate danger. If five or more blasts are heard you should immediately determine the source of the danger and take immediate evasive action if required.

The above are a few of the common ways you’ll meet and navigate around other vessels for a more indepth look read the ColRegs or purchase a book on seamanship. I also recommend the US Power Squadron Books and Courses to every boater. They cover everything from beginning to advanced topics.

There is so much more to boating safely I may make a few more posts in the future discussing topics like navigation and aids to navigation. This post touches on the rules of the road and is meant as a companion to truly learning the rules, taking a certified boaters course and other self study. It is in no way complete or intended as the sole source of information.