Category: General Boating

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General Boating

Tips for Navigating Boats in Shallow Water

Even though it is imperative to be mindful of the local surroundings when sailing, it is even more important to be alert when it comes to navigating the shallow bodies of water.

Shallow Water Boats

If skinny water isn’t given the caution it deserves, a sailing boat could soon be left stuck, grounded, or holed. Nevertheless, by being more careful and using common sense in situations like this, you are much more able to navigate the shallow waters with confidence.

Here are some tips for navigating a boat in shallow bodies of water:

Soundings

In order to get a full appreciation of the conditions in shallow water situations it benefits to rely on some of the latest boat electronics which are starting to be priced within reach of most boaters finances. A high-quality electronic device like the depth finder is certain to be a highly dependable tool when it comes to gauging the depth of any particular body of water. It also helps to check on paper or electronic charts prior to departing port to checking for any areas on a planned route that might suddenly get shallow, which will give a clear idea of the areas that should be avoided on the sailing adventure.

Limits

If planning on hiring a boat where there is a chance that you will be navigating shallow waters, an appreciation of the boat’s draft is certain to be highly beneficial. The draft essentially relates to the area of the boat that is below water, and is measured in inches from the waterline to the lowest area of the boat.

Tides

If able to check the tides on a daily basis, you are more certain to have a successful sailing trip when exploring the coastal areas. Since tides can change by several feet on a daily basis, you really want to make certain that you are always able to have an up-to-date guideline of the low tide conditions to make certain that you aren’t left stranded with the moving tides.

Speed

If you are able to use the sailing or motor-driven at lower speeds when cruising the shallow waters there is a greater chance that you will be able to navigate the waters without incident. Plus, the type of hull can impact the use in the water. A boat with a planing hull is more effective at speed and will travel with ease over the surface of the water. But, once the speed is reduced and the throttle pulled back this can result in the hull going off plane and drops further into shallow water — in certain situations this could leave the boat at risk and a ground.

Read the Water

When sailing in the shallow waters there is a chance of seeing a varied range of water colors which can help to indicate the depth of the water. An area of water that appears dark is usually regarded as deep. Blue water is seen as safe and possible to sail through while white and brown could be an indication of increased difficulty.

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General Boating

How to Protect the Rental Boat from Theft

Being pro-active in relation to theft prevention is certain to be highly beneficial when it comes to hiring a high-end sail or motor-driven boat for the boating vacations.

Boat Trailer Lock

Here are some of the basic steps that can be taken to prevent theft:

Keys

Remember to be careful with the keys. A simple step that can be taken to avoid a potential threat is to be very careful with the keys and to make certain they are never left in the ignition slot when the vessel is unattended or not in use.

Lay-up

Secure the vessel in the most appropriate way. Whether the boat is on land or on the water there is a wide range of steps that can be taken to avoid theft.

Hitch Lock

If on land and the vessel is a trailer sailor, a high-strength hitch lock is certain to be ideal for giving the ideal level of protection for the short periods that the boat and trailer are left unattended. Although, if planning on leaving a trailerable boat for a significant period of time, you might want to look at removing one or two of the wheels from the trailer and securing the frame to an unmovable object with a heavy duty chain.

Secure Equipment

If you are mooring up in a quiet and secluded spot, you always want to make certain all items of equipment are safely on board. A tender dinghy for instance is often a target for theft, you really want to make certain that this item is stowed on board if possible or secured with a padlock and chain to the main vessel.

Marine Berth

If a boat is likely to be moored in a marina, choose a safe destination which is able to offer the ideal lighting and security. A full-time security service is likely to be most beneficial to guarantee the safety of the charter vessel.

Personal Items

Avoid leaving personal items, like the fishing equipment or portable electronics, on board the vessel when it isn’t in actual use. If you aren’t easily able to remove these items to a safer location, you should at least make certain that they are all concealed inside the cabin out-of-sight.

Anti-theft alarm and/or tracking system

A high-tech anti-theft alarm or tracking system installed is certain to make a motor-driven boat, sail boat, or PWC less attractive to attempt to steal.

Cabin Locks

A vessel can be made more secure by the rental company such as replacing the standard spring-latch locks with a more efficient deadbolt-type lock assembly.

Regular checkups

If planning to leave the boat unattended whilst ashore sight-seeing it can benefit to check on the boat at regular intervals to ensure it is safe.

In summary

A would-be thief will strike as soon as an easy opportunity is detected. By taking simple precautions it is possible to avoid theft of the boat or equipment. Make sure the proper preventative measures are taken to increase the time it would take to gain access and remove the boat from the mooring or place of storage.

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General Boating

Different Types of Sailing Boats

A sailboat differs from most other classes of boat due to the fact they are driven entirely or partially by wind.

Sailing Boat in Sea

Sailing boats use one or more sails to help with converting the energy from the wind into the necessary force to push the vessel through the sea. A sailboat can vary quite significantly, with each of the different classes offering their own characteristics, like those relating to use, number of sails, keel type, hull configuration, and size.

Here are some of the main types of sailing boats:

Sloop

A sloop is a single-mast vessel (with one or two sails) and likely to be the most favored of the types of sailing rig. It is able to optimize upwind sailing and includes a spinnaker if sailing downwind.

Ketch

A ketch is outfitted with two masts which are rigged fore-and-aft and includes a shortened mizzen and larger mainmast. If a sailing vessel includes two masts it is referred to as a yawl or a ketch. A typical ketch is laid out with a main mast ahead of the rudder. A ketch isn’t likely to be ideal for the absolute beginner since they are often a handful to maneuver.

Yawl

Similar in design to the ketch, a yawl sailing vessel is outfitted with a fore-and-aft rigging set up with the two masts, but is equipped with a small sized jigger rather than the mizzen mast, which is located closer to the rear. A very distinctive vessel in appearance and likely to use just a mizzenmast and storm jib in gale force winds.

Schooner

A schooner is likely to have two or more masts with fore-and-aft rigged sails, with the front mast almost similar in size to the others, although a schooner can be rigged in several different ways. A yawl and ketch is both equipped with two masts, but with the smallest of the masts located at the rear, whereas with the schooner the smaller mast is more likely to be at the front.

Cutters

The cutters are built with rigs that include an extra sail referred to as a staysail which is positioned between the headsail and the mast. A cutter rigged sailing boat isn’t classed as a Bermudan sloop, but will instead get the name of a cutter-rigged sloop.

Cutters are designed with the foresail set in a position at the front on a bowsprit while the forestay is mounted aft of the foredeck or to the stem-head in place of the foresail

Gaffers

A gaffed rigged sailboat (also referred to as gaffers) is rarely witnessed on the latest yachts on the market. The mainsail on the gaffer gets its supported from a spar. The majority of the gaffed-rigged sailboats come with a topsail style of rigging which is a practical choice in lighter airs. This type of rigging setup is quite expensive, which is a reason that few of the latest sailboats include the gaff rigs.

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General Boating

9 Boat Safety Tips to Protect the Sailing or Motor-Driven Boat from Theft

Thefts and burglaries are on the increase in marinas and ports across Europe and North America. While most boat owners will reply on the protection offered by an insurance policy, there are several different steps that can be taken to help secure a vessel.

Boat Marina
A boat by nature is left unattended for extended periods of time; in a marine or home-port, whilst on day trips touring or cruising, or for months throughout the winter lay-up period. These extensive breaks give the would-be thief a tempting target. In a lot of cases, a boat might well be easier prey than a top of the range motor vehicle.

High-end electronics

Thieves often aim for the easiest target and are attracted by high-end electronics and communication systems. They are quite easy to remove and as these items are manufactured in high numbers, it is often easy to sell them on without too much risk. Ask at a particular yacht club or harbor to evaluate the potential risks in the local area. You might also be able to get information from an insurance company as they often hold data on problem areas.

Here are nine tips to safeguard the boat:

  1. Start by checking the insurance documents to establish the degree of coverage for theft of equipment onboard whilst laid up. If enough coverage isn’t in place, contact the insurance company to see what can be done. Read the policy carefully to understand what needs to be done to guarantee coverage is in place. If the insurance requirements aren’t met, the policy could effectively be worthless.
  2. Maintain a record of the serial numbers or identification codes to help identify a specific piece of equipment if unfortunate to suffer a loss. This record keeping applies mostly to the electronic equipment, outboard motor, and hull identification number (HIN).
  3. Along with the recorded serial numbers, it is also best to hold on to receipts for the items of equipment purchased and left on-board. These receipts might well be required by an insurance company if planning to make a theft claim.
  4. Use invisible pens to mark the expensive or portable items of equipment – these pens are great to put a specific mark or name and address on high-cost pieces of equipment. The writing would be invisible to the naked eye, but will show up under a UV light. Maintain a record of what’s marked and where. Marker pens of this nature can be found through police departments, security stores or insurance companies.
  5. A simple precaution to take is to ensure valuable items are kept out-of-sight from anyone outside the vessel. Make sure a boat is kept locked, use a padlock and chain if necessary.
  6. If possible remove the high-value or portable items of equipment from the vessel if left unattended for a period of time – for instance throughout the winter lay-up period. Hire a locker inside the club house or marina.
  7. Take photographs of the boat, parts, and equipment, such as the hull, interiors, rigging, deck, and valuable or easily removable pieces. All this information helps in the event of a loss.
  8. Install a high-quality alarm system, especially for the high-value vessel. Cameras, alarm systems, and lights can be great deterrents to thieves. Use stickers to indicate the presence of a security system. Fake cameras can be used as a cost-effective alternative to the real thing.
  9. If equipment is discovered to have gone missing, a first step should be to contact the police and then to contact the insurance company with all relevant details, including serial numbers and photo’s where applicable.