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.

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.

Click here for more Tow Bee Boating Safety Tips

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.

Tips for Cleaning Life Jackets

Spring is a great time to clean your life jackets before getting ready to use them. Sometimes life jackets get put away for the winter and haven’t had a chance to dry out completely which can cause mold or mildew to grow. And southern locations where it is hot and humid throughout most of the year may find life jackets with spots on them. While this doesn’t look very pretty, it does not mean that the life jacket needs to be thrown away. They just need a chance to be cleaned and dried completely before use.

The following tips from our friends at Onyx Outdoor can be used to clean a life jacket of mold or mildew so that it can be safely used again. Just make sure you have a couple of days of dry weather in your forecast before starting.

1. Use water and mild soap along with a soft brush or clean cloth to scrub the areas where the stains are located.
2. Rinse with clean water.
3. If you still notice stains, you may need to repeat the process a few times.
4. When the life jacket is completely clean, hang it up to dry out of direct sunlight and do not put it back in use or into a storage container until it is completely dry.

Update added May 18, 2020

The following guidelines are provided by the Life Jacket Association on how to properly disinfect life jackets from the COVID-19 Virus.

1.      Use a 60-90% alcohol spray solution and spray the life jacket including the buckles, straps and zippers.

2.      While wearing gloves, hand wash the life jackets with hot water and mild soap. Rinse with clean water.

3.      Do not use bleach or put life jackets in a washing machine.

4.      Allow life jackets to dry completely for 72 hours (3 days) before reusing. Spreading them out in the sunshine and fresh air is the best option to dry them out completely.

Tips for Towing a Boat with an RV

More people than ever are towing boat trailers behind their RVs (Recreational Vehicles) and travel trailers. However, towing a boat from the back of an RV generally is more complicated than towing behind a car, SUV or pickup. In the towing world, a Class-A motorhome towing a boat trailer would be known as a double-tow; while towing a boat trailer with a truck towing a fifth-wheel is known as a triple-tow.

Overall, a double-tow setup is easier to operate than a triple-tow. According to Brett Becker, the publisher of the Online Towing Guide, a triple-tow configuration is a serious undertaking.

“If somebody wants to take on triple-towing, I suggest over-engineering everything and siding with caution at every step,” Becker explained. “Two trailers and a tow vehicle is a lot of mass and energy. Take it seriously and do it properly, or don’t do it at all.”

The rules and regulations for double- and triple-towing vary by state and are constantly changing. Before towing, RV’ers should check the Department of Motor Vehicles website for each state they will be passing through for the latest regulations.

Here are a few more tips for towing a boat from an RV offered by Sea Tow Services International, the nation’s leading provider of on-water assistance.

Verify tow capacity – Make sure that your RV has enough towing capacity to pull your boat and that your hitch can take the load, especially if you need to use a hitch extender. Also be sure to grease the trailer bearings thoroughly. You won’t know if they’re overheating, because you can’t see them.

Be sure you are insured – Make sure your policy covers you for double and triple tows! In addition to having good collision insurance, it makes sense to insure yourself for liability situations, as well. If, for whatever reason, your boat comes uncoupled and takes out three other cars, you want to have the coverage you need.

Inspect your brakes and leave braking room –Ensure the brakes are working on each trailer being towed. This is especially true for a triple-tow situation. Panic-stopping with two trailers in tow does not work well. If you follow too closely and have to jump on the brakes to keep from hitting something in front of you, odds are good your trailers aren’t going to stay in a straight line. Lastly, confirm your trailer lights work and are visible to those around and behind you.

Make wide turns –Ensure there’s enough clearance between your boat and your RV when you turn tightly. In tight turns, the corners of the boat may rub against the corners of your RV, which is bad all around, so make turns as wide as road conditions permit.

See behind you –Find a way to be able to watch your boat under tow, either directly via a wireless web cam, or virtually via wireless tire pressure sensors, or both. If you can’t see the rig you’re towing, it’s imperative to put pressure and temperature sensors on the trailer tires, or you won’t know that your trailer is dragging down the road on a rim instead of an inflated tire.

Practice at the boat ramp –You can’t see behind as well from an RV. And, you don’t want it to wind up in the water. Your best bet is to find a good local freshwater launch ramp and practice as many times as it takes to figure out a routine that works for you and your rig. When you are backing up, go slowly, and station somebody outside the RV to watch and shout in case of trouble. Keep your windows down and your sound system off so you can hear.

Make frequent inspections – Always perform a complete walk-around inspection of your RV, boat and trailer before you pull onto the road. Then, stop at the first rest area and do another walk-around to find and fix problems, especially with tires, hitches, and boat covers. Keep up the inspections throughout the trip and you will prevent any problems before they start.

The Sea Tow Foundation also reminds boaters to take a boating safety class to learn more tips like these. This article was originally published on the Sea Tow Blog and has been reprinted here with permission.  For more information on Sea Tow or to subscribe to their blog, please visit them at www.seatow.com.