Tow Bee Boating Safety Tip: Review First Mate Checklist Before Leaving the Dock!

❑ Check that everyone has a properly fitted life jacket

❑ Does everyone knows where the fire extinguishers and emergency flares are located?

❑ Look at the fuel gauge and make sure the tank is full.

❑ Find out where the first aid kit is kept on the boat

❑ Double check the navigation lights and horn.

❑ Help the captain perform a radio check with the VHF radio.

❑ Does the weather forecast look okay?

❑ Make sure you have drinking water and plenty of sunblock on board.

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Boat Handling Skills to Know

Whether you are new to the boating community or have spent the majority of your life on the water, it is important to know some basic boat handling skills before operating a boat. This list of skills doesn’t take the place of on-water boating safety instruction but knowing how to do them correctly will allow you to maneuver your boat in any type of situation regardless of the wind or current, after a lot of practice.

Balance your Load

Before heading out on the water, it is important to balance the weight of the people and gear in the boat so that the boat can travel through the water with as little resistance as possible. If you are listing to the port side or if your bow is too far up in the air, it will be more difficult to steer and control the boat. You may find that you need to adjust the trim on your outboard engine as well to help balance things out.

Keep a Proper Look Out

Any time that you go boating, regardless of the speed, it is important to keep a proper look out. The boat operator needs to be aware of other boats and objects around the boat at all times, and look for ways to avoid collisions with them. It is often helpful to select one of your passengers to be your official look-out so that you can make sure that your full attention can be directed toward operating the boat.

Steering a Boat

The first thing to understand about operating a boat is that it steers from the stern, or the back of the boat. This means that a boat will need more room to turn in close quarters, like in a marina, and you will need to start your turn much earlier than you may otherwise have thought. Also, because boats don’t have brakes, it is critical to proceed at a slow speed when operating in close quarters. Often, you’ll find that you can perform most docking and departing situations at or just above an idle speed. Slow and steady is best.

Accounting for the Wind or Current

A boater needs to be aware of the wind speed and direction as well as whether there is a current. While the wind is often more noticeable because you can feel it and see flags or tree branches moving, the current can be more tricky to detect because it is underwater. Both can have a tremendous impact on your boat’s steering and maneuverability, and neither should be ignored. It is important to learn how to “hold station” or remain in one place regardless of the impact of wind or current so that you can maneuver your boat where you want it to go rather than where Mother Nature is trying to take it..

Docking the Boat

Knowing how to safely end your boating trip at the dock is often the most difficult boat handling skill to master. This is because no two docking maneuvers are the same. One day, you may be able to pull alongside a dock without difficulty while another day may be more challenging because of the number of other boats nearby and the small space available to maneuver. Plus, the previously mentioned wind or current can cause troubles. Visit the marina on a weekday in the morning when it will not be as busy to give you plenty of practice space and time without lots of other people around..

Bonus Tip: Always be or designate a sober skipper!

Operating a boat can be tricky even on a perfect weather day with the perfect crew but attempting to maneuver a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs can have deadly consequences. If you are the operator of the boat, make sure you remain sober and alert at all times, otherwise, designate someone else to be the sober skipper to keep everyone safe. Take the Pledge today at www.soberskipper.com.

5 Boating Knots You Need to Know

For an experienced skipper or crew member, tying the right boating knot for the task at hand is often a point of pride as well as safety and security. Attaching a new anchor? You’ll want to use an anchor bend, of course. Tying up to a dock? Then a cleat hitch or rolling hitch might be in order.

Beginner sailors and boaters, on the other hand, sometimes seem overwhelmed when it comes to boating knots, and who could blame them? There are dozens if not hundreds of specialized knots used to do everything from making vessels fast to pilings to stowing a coiled rope in a tidy manner so it will be at the ready whenever needed.

While many knots excel at a dedicated function others are versatile enough to be used in a variety of situations. That means you only have to master a few basic ones to get started. Still, like anything else in the boating world, it’s best to putter before you cruise. Following are five essential boating knots all boat owners and crew members should know. Master these and you should be fine in most situations. Add a couple new ones to your repertoire each year, and you’ll soon know enough boating knots to handle any on the water situation.

While directions are provided for each of the boating knots that follow, it’s tough to beat animated illustrations for instruction purposes. For that reason, we provided links to help you see a variety of boating knots that will come in handy along with illustrations.

1. The Cleat Hitch

https://www.netknots.com/rope_knots/cleat-hitch

Used to tie boats and PWC to docks, bulkheads and boat lifts via cleats, this knot is quick, easy to tie, and doesn’t slip. For many, it’s the first boating knot to be mastered.

1. Wrap the line completely around the far horn (arm) of the cleat.

2. Pull the line over the near horn and wrap it under the far horn again.

3. Wrap the line under and then over the first horn again to form a figure eight pattern.

4. Form an underhand loop and slip it over the near horn.

5. Pull the free end of the rope tight to firmly secure the knot.

2. Rolling Hitch

https://www.animatedknots.com/rolling-hitch-knot

This easy-to-tie knot is used for fastening a rope to a piling, pole or even a tree.

1. Wrap the tag end of the line fully around a secure piling or pole. The tag end should cross over the standing line.

2. Wrap the tag end of the line fully around the piling or pole a second time, again crossing over the standing line.

3. Make a third wrap around the piling or pole but keep this wrap above the standing line.

4. Slip the tag end of the line under the third wrap and pull tight to secure.

3. Half Hitch

https://www.netknots.com/rope_knots/half-hitch

Perhaps the simplest boating knot to tie is a half hitch which is nothing more than an overhand knot. When tied a few times in a row, this knot is great for securing a small boat to a horizontal post, or as a support knot to ensure another knot will not slip. Some boaters simply tie a single half hitch but be aware that this can slip, making the double half hitch a far better knot to choose under most circumstances.

1. Wrap the tag end of the rope around the post and secure with a simple overhand knot (half hitch).

2. Tie a second half hitch alongside the first (the tag line should thread between the line loops).

3. Continue with additional half hitches if desired.

4. Pull the tag end tight to secure.

4. Anchor Hitch

https://www.animatedknots.com/anchor-hitch-knot

The anchor hitch, sometimes called an anchor bend, is used to fasten an anchor to its rope. The tag end after finishing the knot is best secured with seizing but adding a double half hitch will do in a pinch.

1.  Wrap the tag end loosely twice around the anchor shackle being sure to leave enough tag end for finishing the knot.

2. Pass the tag end behind the standing line and then bring it through both loops in front of the standing line.

3. Wrap the tag end around the standing line again, passing it beneath the new loop to form a half hitch.

4. Pull the tag end to tighten the knot securely.

5. Seize the tag end to secure the knot or use a double half hitch knot as temporary reinforcement to ensure the anchor bend does not loosen and pull free.

5. Bowline

https://www.netknots.com/rope_knots/bowline

The Bowline is one of the most common boating knots and it forms a loop that will stay in place yet is also easy to untie when needed. Many people tell a story involving a rabbit and a tree to help them remember the steps to tie the knot.

1. Lay the rope in one hand with the other end hanging down.

2. Form a small loop in the line in your hand.

3.  Bring the end hanging down up and run it through the loop from the underside. In the story, this is where the rabbit comes out of its hole.

4.  Take that same line that came out of the loop and wrap it around the other end of the line beyond the loop and then pass it back through the loop. The rabbit goes around the tree and back into its hole.

5. Tighten the knot by pulling on the line that was moving while holding onto the other end beyond the loop.

This article has been republished by permission of Sea Tow

This article has been updated with new details and links on May 25, 2021.

Tow Bee Boating Safety Tip: Keep Sunshine in Mind!

If there’s one thing that can instantly put a damper on your summer vacation, it’s sunburn. We’ve all been there, yet every summer, many of us end up as red as a tomato at some point or another. Long days out on the water mean more sun exposure than you might be used to. Combine that with getting in and out of the water to swim and cool off which leads to the sunscreen being washed off and it is easy to forget to reapply.

Next time you head out, grab plenty of sunscreen and set a timer to help remind you to reapply it every hour. If you’re out fishing or plan to be in the sun for extended periods of time without the shade of a canopy or umbrella available, consider a wide-brimmed hat and a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt. Many companies now make clothing with UV protection built in to the fabric. You can also wear a neck wrap to cover your neck, ears and the lower part of your face. And, of course, don’t forget to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun and reflections.

Whatever you choose, be extra careful this summer so you don’t end up with the pain and discomfort of sunburn. And, it is important to know that sunburn can take place anytime during the rest of the year, too.

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Keep your Passengers Safe This Summer by Designating a Sober Skipper

Summer days are in full swing and we all want a great day on the water. On a boat, wind, vibration, noise, and the sun can impair balance, coordination, concentration, and these effects are only intensified when drinking alcohol.

Today, alcohol is the leading cause of fatal boating accidents, so designate a Sober Skipper before leaving the dock. If you are the skipper, stay alert and sober. Don’t drink alcohol. Do it for your family, your friends, your passengers and everyone else on the water. Boating Under the Influence (BUI) is 100 percent preventable.

That’s why we created the Sober Skipper program in 2015 – to provide boaters with a positive and proactive approach to preventing BUI accidents and fatalities. The program asks boaters to take the pledge to be or designate a sober skipper before every boating trip. The pledge notes that the boater operator will avoid alcohol and drug use when in charge of navigating the boat and will be in charge of the boat and all of its passengers to ensure that everyone arrives safely back on the dock at the end of the day.

Our friends at America’s Boating Club squadrons around the country have joined us in the effort to promote the Sober Skipper program. When squadrons conduct vessel safety checks, they’ll ask boaters to sign up to take the pledge be a sober skipper and they often hand out Sober Skipper wristbands as reminders.

“We’d like to extend a special thanks to the members of America’s Boating Club who have shown their commitment to keeping boaters safe and sober through their vessel safety checks,” said Gail R. Kulp, the Foundation’s executive director. “After all, as boaters, when our hands are on the helm, lives are in our hands and it is up to us to keep everyone safe on the water.”

Get on board and take the pledge today to be responsible for yourself, your vessel, and your passengers. By designating a Sober Skipper, you’re keeping yourself and your loved ones safe, which leads to more beautiful summer days together out on the water. Find out more at www.soberskipper.com.