From the Captain of the Port

Ice is unpredictable and dangerous. While the Coast Guard understands winter recreation on the ice around our area is a tradition, it is important to take safety measures:

Even if you hand off your boat to your dockmaster and say, “See you in the spring,” there are some tips in here that you will want to be aware of.

A hurricane is, in the words of scientists, an organized rotating weather system that develops in the tropics. Technically, it is a “tropical cyclone” and it is classified as one of three states, with hurricanes being further classified into levels of destruction…

Search & Rescue (SAR) is the most recognizable and time-honored task of any mariner, especially the United States Coast Guard.

In summary, you don’t have to stop at the over-the-counter medical kit. You can take your skippering skills to the next level. Remember, you are responsible for the crew, the boat and the boat’s wake.

Over 130 years ago, Captain George 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 most respected tide and current guide since 1874, was born.

With dozens killed in the southeast of our country, it puts into perspective our complaints about heavy fog, drenching rain and the largely cold and damp spring that we’ve had until of late. But, like hurricanes vs the tails of hurricanes, weather like we’ve been seeing is far more likely to affect us and thus we should understand the forces at play.

By Vincent Pica District Commodore, First District, Southern Region (D1SR) United States Coast Guard Auxiliary There is a natural tendency to shy away from the unfamiliar, especially when you can’t get the words back. Remember the first time you were faced with a phone answering machine: “leave your message after the beep” – BEEP! Now what? Even today, that beep can strike fear into the hearts of some. Now, how about multiplying that a hundred-fold to everyone…

Even though the boating season is drawing to a close, we are well advised to be sure that we have insurance in place, even over the winter. This column is about that.

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.