From time to time, we will recap accidents on our local lakes, which carry more significance than the general safety statistics we report. These are from local news sources. Collision, death, Sept. 5, 2021: One woman is dead after a boating accident that happened on Lake Keowee near Fall Creek Landing. At 7:03 p.m. a…
The Case For The VHF Radio Marine fixed VHV radio. (courtesy Garmin). Most of us carry cell phones on our boats to keep in touch with land-based contacts and businesses easily. As convenient as they are, they shouldn’t be used in place of a very high frequency (VHF) radio. Here are some drawbacks connected with…
Take our complete Boat Handling course or unitized topical seminars Take our new Boat Handling course or choose seminar units drawn from the course. Share knowledge with your fellow skippers. Fill critical gaps in your boating knowledge. Gain confidence to embark on new adventures on the water. Above all, be a safer skipper. USPS offers…
First place: Garelick Inflatable Boat Ladder Some years back, BoatUS looked at boarding ladder usefulness on several types of popular boats. We are going to look at their findings for only one boat type in this post, the Whaler-type skiff or center console boat. The test team looked at several commercially available ladders and their…
Sometimes we can have a false sense of security going offshore after having our boat serviced. We place trust in the competence of the service provider that may not be completely well founded. Following is a lesson learned that fortunately ended well. We’ll also review a few related factors that should be addressed before going…
The recent fuel crisis in the southeast has brought to light some dangerous and deadly situations related to fuel and fueling. Incident #1 A cruiser with six persons aboard and a jet ski exploded at a fuel dock on lake Lanier resulting in serious burns to a woman and two teens. The fuel dock was…
What’s your attitude when you think about boat trailers? Hate? Loathing? Money pit? Nothing but trouble? Trailers are a necessary evil in boating. Either your boat constantly sits on your trailer, or hardly ever, and the trailer languishes out in the sun and weather. It sits on the ground, ignored and neglected until the next…
It’s now the law Operators of recreational vessels less than 26 feet in length are now required to use an engine cut-off switch (ECOS) and associated ECOS link (ECOSL). What Is An Engine Cut-Off Switch Link? Control box with wrist strap lanyard attached to cut-off key. Note the whistle on the lanyard and also the…
Is it time for you to equip your boat with inflatable PFDs, especially for those who are reluctant to wear non-inflatable vests? Inflatable life vests offer several advantages. They are significantly less cumbersome, more comfortable to wear and a great choice for fishing, sailing and similar activities. Inflatable life vests are believed to be more…
Bowriders, or boat types with open bows, are quite popular and marketable, especially to young families. The category includes modified runabouts, deck boats and ski/tow/wakeboard boats, among others. The reasons for their popularity are attractive: Room in the bow for extra passengers. Easy for boatbuilders to design and manufacture from existing closed bow types. The…