Slight decrease in fatalities compared to 2021; 74% on vessels operated by skipper lacking safety instruction The U.S. Coast Guard reported that there were 636 boating fatalities nationwide in 2022, a 3.3 percent decrease from the 658 deaths in 2021. From 2021 to 2022, the total number of accidents decreased 9 percent (4,439 to 4,040),…
NTSB Faults Both USCG Cutter And Private Center Console Fishing Skippers A fatal collision last August off Puerto Rico serves as a reminder to all skippers that maintaining a proper lookout at all times is a critical responsibility of the captain of the vessel. On Aug. 8, 2022, the USCGC Winslow Griesser, a 154-foot fast…
Is your cockpit truly self-draining? Some decks are well above the load waterline and appear to be self-bailing. Yet in truth the deck drains lead to hoses that drain into the bilge and not overboard. While this keeps you from having wet feet in the cockpit, this design is not actually self-bailing. Disaster awaits boats…
“Who cares if I throw a little wake inside the Idle Zone buoy? The lake itself sends waves in there all the time anyway. What harm can it possibly do? Just another example of hyper-regulation and the government’s greed for fines and fees, if you ask me.” “Who cares if I throw a little wake…