About this column:
Bob Cusack is a member of the Marblehead USCG Auxiliary Flotilla and an instructor, specializing in teaching the navigation rules for pleasure boaters. He is also a Vessel Examiner conducting checks of required safety equipment for pleasure boaters. Cusack is encouraging readers to suggest to Patch, boating topics of interest.As we enter October and start pulling our boats in preparation for the ski season, my final article for this boating season will deal with some things to consider doing as we put our boats on the hard. If you are supporting your boat with jack stands make sure you do the following: • Have a solid piece of plywood under each leg of the stand • Have stands every seven (7) or eight (8) feet along the sides of the boat. • Have the stands brace the boat from falling over use blocking under the keel to support the weight. • If the boat is bow or stern heavy, place a stand directly under the …
As more and more boaters use auxiliary generators to power the electrical needs of their boats, or small fossil fueled stoves to heat their boats now that fall is here, the incidents of carbon monoxide, "CO" poisoning have been increasing. CO forms from the incomplete combustion of fuels such as gasoline and diesel. On average about 10 to 12 percent of exhaust, gas is CO. It is colorless, odorless and is a killer. Your first defense against it is to outfit your boat with a carbon monoxide detector, which will set off an alarm when CO is detected. A little over 650 parts per million can be …
The recent tragedy off Graves Light in Boston Harbor might have been avoided. Around 6:50 p.m. on Saturday August 14, a small pleasure boat with three people on board started taking on water and radioed a Mayday call to the Coast Guard on VHF channel 16. The Coast Guard and others immediately responded and found two people clinging to the boat, which ultimately sank. The responders discovered that a third person had abandoned the boat and had started swimming toward Graves Light. The Coast Guard air station on Cape Cod launched a helicopter, and along with other rescue assets searched through…
Proper procedures when fueling your boat may save your life and the life of your boat. This is especially true with gasoline-powered engines. Remember vapors cause explosions. So what can you do to protect yourself and your boat? 1. Check all fuel lines, replace any that appear to have cracks and tighten all fuel line connections. Also make sure the ground wire between fill pipe on through hull fittings and built in fuel tank is connected and not corroded. Check these on a regular basis. 2. Before you start fueling, turn everything off. That includes engines, electrical equipment, extinguish …
A result of the attacks on America on September 11, 2001 was the development of the Waterway Watch Program, which asks Americans to keep their eyes and ears open to potential threats to our country's safety. It is a continuation of WWII Coastal Watch, which asked us to be on the lookout for enemy activity on the coast. So why a Waterway Watch? Geographically, the United States is an island nation, dependent on the seas for food, transportation and the import and export of goods. Since the 1600s, more than 3,000 miles of ocean have protected us from our enemies. America has 9,5000 miles of …
In May of 2009, the Coast Guard activated its new Rescue 21 system in the New England area as part of its rolling activation plan. The system allows mariners with the proper VHF radio -- that is linked to a GPS -- to push one button and broadcast a distress signal that will be received by the Coast Guard and vessels in the area with the same equipment. Your chances of assistance in an emergency are greatly enhanced now that the system has been activated. Under the "old" system, mariners would broadcast a distress call on channel 16 of their VHF radio if their lives or property were in …
A couple of weeks ago, a Patch reporter interviewed me about boating safety. One of the things I mentioned was how to store fire extinguishers on a boat. Here are some additional thoughts on the subject. The only place I can think where a fire is more dangerous is on an airplane while in flight. In my opinion, having that fire on a boat while at sea is next. Help or rescue may be an hour or more away, so I think the more fire extinguishers aboard the better. The US Coast Guard publishes safety equipment lists, which lists what's required depending on your boat size; consider that list the …
