Sunday, June 17, 2007
Drinking Ban for Boaters
A new law has been passed preventing boating enthusiasts from drinking excessively on yachts, speedboats, cruisers, and canal boats within territorial waters and at sea. A maximum fine of 5000 pounds could be given the hapless sailor in command of a vessel over 7 m long and capable of a speed over 7 knots.
Surprisingly however, the law does not apply to people on jet skis, which are not considered to be boats. This is a great precedent set as the potential danger a wayward boat poses can be the same if not worse than an out of control car. While the general atmosphere on a recreational boat can be lively and conducive to drinking, it is important that the "designated driver not be impaired in any way. Alcohol was involved in about 30% of all boat accidents in 2004, and the most reported accident was collision with other boats. You can find the story HERE and statistics for boat accidents HERE
Clearly, there is a need for these laws, but the question is, will the authorities be able to enforce them properly. Only time will tell.
Tags: laws accident sober
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Sunday, June 3, 2007
Navigation Techniques for Sucessful Boating
The Development of Navigation Technology
When one is out on the open sea, sometimes there is only the horizon, the stars and the open sea that remains in full view. There are no landmarks to help you find your bearings. Consequently, there was a need to develop a system that provided this valuable information.
Celestial Navigation
Tools of the trade for this type of navigation include the latitude hook or kamal,cross-staff and backstaff, quadrant, astrolobe, nocturnal and sextant. The main
purpose of these instruments were to determine the latitude position of the user. The
altitude of known stars (eg. North Star) compared to the horizon was determined with this method.
Magnetic Compass
It is a well known fact that any magnetised material naturally points to magnetic north when it is free to move. The accuracy of guaging your direction with this method however depends on how much magnetic north deviates from true north.
Chronometer
Latitude calculations were fairly accurate, but there was a need to also determine the longitude of a position with a fair amount of precision. This was difficult in previous times because there were no accurate ways of telling the time. Longitude is determined by the time of day difference between a person's starting position and where they ended up. In the 18th Century, the chronometer was invented which gave good results in determine longitude for the mariner. Later on, an explorer by the name of James Cook used this instrument to circumnavigate the world and finally provide accurate measurements of longitude that could be added to maps.
Gyroscopic Compass
This instrument was invented in the 20th century, the main difference from its predecessor being that it always pointed to the true north. This unit proved to be a very important invention in World War 1. It works on the principle that a freely spinning object will not change the orientation of its axis, even if the base is moved.
Radar
This tool is used to identify the terrain. Basically, radar assists in navigation by first transmitting electromantic waves and then receiving the weaker relected electromagnetic wave from the nearby object. An advantage of radar is that it can communicate with other devices like GPS or chart plotters.
Loran
Loran stands for Long Range Navigation. The signals received from three or more transmitters are used to determine boat position. This triangulation method has been superseded by GPS. The technology however should not be ignored because it can be used to validate GPS readings.
GPS
GPS stands for Globe Positioning System. There are geostationary satellites orbiting the earth. Geo satellites remain at a fixed point in space relative to earth, that is, they rotate at the same speed that the earth does. The GPS picks up the transmitted electromagnatic signal from a satellite and stores the the time it took for the signal to travel through space. When this is done for three satellites, a boat's position can be determined from triangulation.
New technology has made it possible to get accurate information of a boat's position and its obstacles in its path. This does not mean that old ways of navigation should not be ignored.If technology fails, a good boat captain will have to at least know his bearings.
Tags : navigation compass GPS radar Loran gyroscope latitude longitude
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Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Boat Storage
Storing Your Boat
So you just paid for your boat. One of the keys to owning a boat is the question of where to keep it when you aren't using it. Your budget, convenience, and availability are all keys that should be talked about.
Trailering
There's no less expensive way to store a boat than
on a trailer in your driveway or yard. A trailer
offers you the advantages of taking your boat into
different areas of water, taking your boat out
whenever you like, or just saving fees on your winter
storage. Before you look into a trailer, make sure
that your vehicle has the towing capacity for your
boat and the equipment you need.
Rack storage
For smaller boats, a great alternative to storage is
rack storage, or dry stacks. Typical rack storage
facilities will keep your boat in a covered shed
filled with plenty of room. Simply call the facility
before you want to use the boat and they will
retrieve it for you. When you are finished boating,
simply bring it back, tie it up, and they will
return it to the storage area for you.
Marina advantage
If your a boat owner craving convenience, a marina
slip is just what you need. Simply drive your family
to the marina, get in the boat, and go. Rates will
vary from state to state, although most offer you
several other perks as well.
Buying your slip
In some areas, you can actually buy a permanent slip
at a marina. This can be great to have in high
demand areas, as it guarantees you a slip at the
marina whenever you need to store your boat. The
purchased slip is a long term asset, and is good
for as long as you own a boat.
Read more!
Performing a Boat Inspection
Inspecting Your New Boat
The viewing, or inspecting your boat is a very
important part of the buying the right boat to suit your needs. Inspecting
will allow you to see what you are buying before
you pay any money.
You may want to use a surveyor to do this, as they
will perform a very detailed inspection of the
boat you are interested in. You can be present
if you like, as this will give you the chance to
ask questions if you like.
Although using a surveyor is the best way to do
an inspection, you can do it yourself if you are
experienced and confident enough. There are many
parts of the boat to inspect, which makes it
nearly impossible for beginners.
If you inspect yourself, make sure you look at
the bottom of the hull, the interior, the control
cables, electrical system, pumps, and be sure
that everything is in working order. If the boat
has been well maintained, you shouldn't have a
problem looking everything over.
The engine should also be checked, as it is very
important to the boat. If you don't know a lot
about boat engines or engines in general, you
should get a mechanic to look over it for you. You
may want to do this anyway, as the engine can
be very tough to inspect.
If everything is up to par, it's time to take a
test drive. Before you fire up the engine, check
to see if it's already warm. If the engine has
trouble starting or smokes when cold, the seller
could have warmed up the engine prior to you
arriving to disguise any problems.
Check for oil leaks as well, checking the bilges
at the start and end of the test drive. When
moving around, see how the boat performs. You
should experiment with hitting the waves from
different angles, looking for any type of roll
or pitch.
Make sure you also test that all the instruments
are working correctly, then run the engine for a
period of time to see if it overheats.
If you are buying a sail boat, put the sails up
and see how the boat performs under wind pressure
alone. Also, make sure you examine the mast and
how the boat rigs under load.
If the boat you are planning to buy doesn't pass
any of your tests, don't rule it out just yet.
If you are willing to put both time and money into
making things work, you can use any problems as
bargaining tools to try and get a lower price on
the boat.Ultimately, your goal is to get a boat to
suit your needs
Read more!
Getting Started
Getting Started With Boating
One of the best things about boating is the fact
that there are many boats designed for many
different activities. For the majority of boaters,
a general purpose craft that serves as a fish, ski,
and picnic boat is ideal.
To help you narrow down your search, ask yourself
how you plan to use the boat. Fishing, cruising,
water skiing, watersports, racing, or a bit of
everything is what you should be wondering. There
is a boat out there for you, all you have to do is
find it.
Finding the right size
Finding the right size of boat depends on how many
people you'll have boating with you and where you
plan to go. All new boats have an "NMMA capacity
plate" that will tell you how many people you can safely
have on the boat at a time. If you plan to use
a trailer, you shouldn't get a boat bigger than
26 feet in length.
Power needs
Those who plan to water ski will need more power
while those planning to fish will need less. The
boaters of today will also be able to choose from
new engines that are more efficient in fuel and
very friendly to the environment as well.
Boat costs
There are boats for every type of budgets. Many
new boat owners are very surprised to find that they
can get their dream boat for much less than they
ever expected. You can get new or used boats at
a reputable dealership with financing, taking
advantage of low monthly payments.
Boating can be a lot of fun, as you long as you
don't go overboard when you first begin. There is
a lot to know about boats, costs, and types,
which is something you'll learn over the
years. Always have fun - and you'll enjoy boating for
many, many years.
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Ways of Paying for a Boat
Financing A Boat
Once you decide to buy a boat, you'll find yourself
wondering how you are going to pay for it. This
type of purchase will involve some type of financing,
whether it's a credit line through the home, an
unsecured loan, or a boat line. Choosing the right
financing source can be just as important as
choosing the right boat and its application, whether
it be for leisure or commercial (for example fishing).
When choosing a source of financing, there are
several things to consider. The first factor is
how long you plan to keep the boat. If you are
buying a first boat, it'll make more sense to find
a loan that will be flexible enough for an early
payoff via private party or even a trade in.
If you are purchasing the boat of your dreams, you
should expect to have it financed for a long time
which makes it important to get a fixed rate loan
with terms that allow for a low monthly payment.
Another factor you'll need to consider is the
down payment. Most lenders or dealers would like
to see at least ten percent down. Zero down
payments do exist for those with good enough
credit. Normally, the down payment doesn't
significantly change the monthly payment for your
boat loan.
Choosing the right type of boat loan is a very
important part of the entire buying process. You
can start with a boat finance brokerage, which
will show you how each one of the available options
fit into your profile.
Doing this will give you the knowledge and ability
you need to find the loan that best fits you and
your budget. The, you can concentrate on the
important things - taking your new boat out on the
water.
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The Price of Owning a Boat
Costs Of Owning A Boat
Normally, the prices for new boats will vary
depending on the size and make, although many dealers
and manufacturers will be willing to sell you
one for less than the cost of a new car payment.
Financing your boat
Financing your boat is just like financing a new
car. Similar to car and home loans, loans for
boats have became even easier and more flexible in
recent years. The terms will generally range from
two to 20 years. To get the most from financing,
you should compare rates online.
Outfitting
All new boats are offered with a variety of options
and accessories. When you are pricing boats, make
sure you factor in the costs of electronics,
accessories, and water toys - then buy what's
appropriate for your boat type and size.
Most modern marine electronics are very reliable,
loaded with features, and more affordable than ever
before. Today's accessories can make boat trips
more fun, safer, and easier than you ever thought
possible.
Operating costs
Boating isn't like driving, as you aren't using
gas all the time. If you fish or swim with your
boat, your actually not using the motor at all. If
you happen to own a sailboat, the motor is used
less.
Most boats today are less than 21 feet in length.
All of these boats don't require a lot of gas, with
most using less than 50 gallons of gas per season.
Maintenance
Each part of your boat such as the engine, deck,
anchor, interior and exterior will needs to have
a proper maintenance schedule.Simply washing down
your boat and trailer with fresh water after each
use will keep them coveredbetween boat trips. If you
don't have the time to do it yourself, you can always
hire a professional.
Insurance
The insurance for boats will vary by length and type.
Therefore, you should consult your insurance agent for
quotes, or simply shop online.
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