Boating is the world's foremost magazine for boating enthusiasts. Written by experts for those who love the sport, the editorial covers the waterfront -- from runabouts to sportfish convertibles to luxury showpieces, and everything in between.
Many boaters categorize boating safety as subordinate to common sense. I don’t believe that position is entirely accurate for a couple of reasons. For one thing, common sense is developed over time—that is, with experience. Since experience levels vary, and every boater was once a beginner, common sense doesn’t seem like a secure peg on which to hang our hat. There’s probably common sense shared between boaters with common experience, but I don’t see universal common sense. Another reason I don’t believe common sense to be superior to—or serves as a replacement for—boating safety stems from the number of provably incorrect claims, supported as being correct due to common sense. Here’s a short list of common statements trivializing boating-safety under the umbrella of common sense. “We don’t venture far from…
ON BOARD WITH 70TH ANNIVERSARY CAPTAIN’S TEST ONLINE THIS MONTH FOR COMPARISON’S SAKE FIRST IMPRESSION GEARHEAD Last July, a father and four of his kids fell overboard while boating on Lake Texoma, which straddles the border between Texas and Oklahoma. The remaining son on board called 911, which immediately contacted Capt. Michael Tucker, who owns the TowBoatUS Franchise on Lake Texoma. He sprang into action and soon was able to rescue all five, leading BoatUS to award him with a Meritorious Service Award. We caught up with Capt. Tucker to learn more about the fateful day. What’s a typical service call on the lake? We run six boats on the lake, all staffed by qualified captains. It’s typically for a tow, to pull someone who’s run aground or to help…
Depending on your perspective, some of the best boating days—or the worst—happen on the margins of good weather. If the sea conditions are okay and you’re dressed the right way, a cold-weather boating day can be really rewarding. If you’re dressed for it. Enter the Huk Jackson Insulated Jacket. Huk sent a sample to test over the winter and spring, and I immediately took a liking to it. It features a Cordura nylon shell that is durable and repels rainwater and protects from wind. It also has 80 grams of insulation, so even though it’s lightweight, it provides a layer of warmth on the water. The interior synthetic Sherpa fleece adds an additional layer of warmth and makes it super comfortable to wear. I also liked the cuffed wrists that…
On August 10, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon (pictured below) signed the Federal Boat Safety Act (FBSA), establishing a cooperative federal-state effort to improve the safety of recreational boating. In the history of our 70 years in publication, this might be the most important legislative development we’ve seen. Why? According to one old-timer, boatbuilding before that was, “like the Wild West.” In the 1960s, boating as a recreational activity exploded as builders started making inexpensive fiberglass boats that were easy to produce and, for boat owners, easier to maintain. As more people took to the water, the number of boating-related accidents significantly escalated. At the same time, car-safety advocates such as Ralph Nader began pushing for better safety standards in the auto industry, as highlighted by Nader’s famous 1965 book,…
Whether your regular boating waters are inland lakes or offshore, every skipper should know the Aids to Navigation (ATON), what they mean, and how to interpret them. It could determine the difference between making it back to port or not, running aground or staying in the channel. This Captain’s Test will help you with ATONs. How much do you know? 1. What are the two main types of ATONs? A. Airplanes and ships. B. Buoys and daymarks. C. Bunnies and duckies. D. None of the above 2. What is the ATON for a portside numbered navigational aid, located on the left (port) side of a waterway as you head upstream, with increasing buoy numbers as you head upstream? A. A purple dinosaur (like Barney). B. A red daymark or cone-shaped…
The US Coast Guard requires that you carry a Type IV throwable personal flotation device (PFD) on board any vessel with a length overall of 16 feet or longer. Not only is one required, it must be “immediately available,” meaning it has to be stowed within arm’s reach of the captain and crew, and not buried in the bottom of a compartment. Here are three different styles to choose from to stay compliant and safer. WEST MARINE THROWABLE CUSHION THE THROW: The least-expensive option and the easiest to carry, a Type IV-approved cushion (above left) works because often people are already using it on deck as an actual cushion, so it’s easy to grab and throw. Cushions work well in situations where there’s little to no wind and the overboard…
