From the Captain of the Port

Here’s how the story goes. In the dead of winter, two duck hunters and their trusty hunting dog drive their brand-new Range Rover out on to the ice of (choose: [a] Long Island Sound, [b] Moriches Bay, [c] Shinnecock Bay, [d] Great South Bay, [e] body of water of your choice) and, seeing that there were no open leads to entice migratory birds to land, take out a stick of dynamite, light it and throw it as…

Nearly 150 years ago, Captain Eldridge created the renowned Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book, the marine industry’s most respected tide and current reference guide since 1874, capturing the most essential aspect of the Rules of the Road (COLREGs.) I have had one at the helm of my vessels since, well, I can’t remember that far back. Captain Eldridge has carried an old sea ditty that has captured the essence of avoiding collisions at sea. This column is…

It would seem to me that one of the most frightening circumstances to be caught in is a boat afire. It is loaded with high-octane fuel creating toxic smoke; using water to fight the fire can sink the boat; leaving the boat may entail going into another hostile environment – cold and unforgiving water. It doesn’t sound like there are many, if any, good alternatives. Also, fire prevention professionals quote that on average a fire will double…

Even though the boating season is half over, we are well advised to be sure that we have insurance in place, even through the winter. This column is about that. To File or Not to File Most of us are familiar with insurance from owning a car. I don’t know about you, but the fear of “assigned risk” and massive spikes in the cost of annual insurance premiums keeps me from putting in for anything on my…

Sometimes, the simplest thing can take on monumental proportions – if you get it wrong. And setting a proper anchor and retrieving (or “weighing it” so you can “make way”) can make all the difference in the world when the wind starts to stiffen and all the other boats around you start to look askance at you – as you drag your anchor towards them. Setting the Anchor The art and science of anchoring are closely akin….

NOAA Calls for “Near Normal” Season As of June 1, hurricane season is upon us. Almost without exception, we in the Northeast U.S. get the tail, shoulder or rump of one or two of the dozen or so that form up in the Atlantic between the Caribbean and Africa and bring so much destruction and misery as they thunder west and north. Many of us live on an island. And now an “average” season is worse than…

OK, you’re done fishing and you turn to the engine and give the key a turn. Ominously, you don’t hear a thing. Or…she turns over but as soon as you give it forward propulsion, she stalls. No one is going home soon. Before you call for a tow, here are some tips. Calling for Help v Self-Help Any good tower only wants to help where help is needed. We’re graced with real pros out on our bays…

Back in the Fall, we talked about how to get the boat ready for a long, cold and dank winter. Time and tide are now on our side. Most bay constables allow moorings back in the water as of April 1 – and the weather will turn our way too. So, BEFORE you start your engines, ready the boat! Getting Started As with any project, starting at the beginning is the best place to start and for…

Most of us have heard of a tragic story of some poor soul giving it all up by ending their life in the garage. Close the door, start the car and wait for a precious few moments. For many of us, that is all the thinking we ever do about carbon monoxide poisoning – which can be fatal. Of all the dangers that the mariner confronts, carbon monoxide is perhaps the most dangerous since it is odorless,…

As we often pine to be afloat with a deck beneath our feet, we might even feel compelled to venture out with proper planning. If so, the Float Plan, oft spoken of and more often ignored, can be key for you and those closest to you. That’s what this column is about.   Float Plan The Float Plan is nominally known as a mechanism for ensuring that missing vessels are indeed missed in time for action to be…