HIGH TECH HABITATS BOAT VS. SHIP People sometimes
ask me what the difference between a ship and a boat is. Well my answer
to that, may it not be scientific, is very simple. You can always put
a boat on a ship but you can’t put a ship on a boat. Simple. Because
small craft entails so many sizes of boats, it's up to you to know what
conditions are dangerous to your specific boat. The authorities are just
giving a general warning to let operators know that conditions may be
dangerous to some boats when they give small craft warnings. If you have
a small outboard, then obviously all small craft warnings apply to you.
No official agency could possibly gather all the possible differing factors
and put them into something more specific. The criteria to use is wind
speed and sea state. Twenty knot winds make for nasty, if not big, seas.
Your obligation is to be sufficiently educated in order to understand
when conditions become a threat. No one can tell you that because they
do not know you, your boat, or your skills. Since different boats behave
differently under differing circumstances, it is up to the operator to
learn how to become a good seaman, learning about his boat's strengths
and weaknesses. In maritime law there is an axiom that no boat is seaworthy
without a skilled captain. No one is going to learn much without making
the effort to learn. You can try to learn from others, but nothing is
going to take the place of actually being out there under the kinds of
conditions you want to learn about. That means that you have to challenge
yourself and your boat a bit and test the waters. Around the docks is
another very important reason why you should practice. There is nothing
more embarrassing, not to mention the damage you could encounter, than
to come into a slip and totally mess-up your approach. Practicing on a
couple of posts in the bay or an empty dock space would be the best solution
to this problem. To become a certified Captain or just to get some info
on the subject, give me a call. It is 639-8697. As always, be safe and
see you on the water. LIGHT LISTS They are all over the place. At night, you can see them flashing all over in the water. During the day, you can see the shapes, colors and different sizes of these things. If you were on the highway, they would be your stop signs, your red lights, your speed limit signs. They are called your navigational markers. These things range from square pieces of plywood on retired telephone poles to concrete pilings all together with a big square chunk of concrete around it called a Dolphin which are all around the high part of the bridge on either side. The reason why this article is called LIGHT LISTS is because there is a publication that explains just what each and every one of those represent and to every detail. The Light List is put out by The U.S. DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY. This publication contains a list of lights, sounds signals, day beacons, and other aids to navigation along with your latitude and longitude. The U.S. COAST GUARD keeps it accurate and is updated as needed. Changes are based on the LOCAL NOTICE TO MARINERS as when appropriate. Every captain should have a light list onboard their vessel especially when they are navigating at night. It will tell them exactly where they are, By looking at a light and observing the color, the flash sequence or the sound, he will know which beacon that is by looking in a light list. It is a great tool and works well with a GPS. Captain classes start up soon, so if you are planning on a career on the water, contact me and we can start you off on an exciting life changing adventure. It’s easy and quick. As always, be safe and see you on the water. Written by Captain Alan Stewart of the Laguna Madre Maritime Training Center For Information on the Laguna Madre Maritime Training Center please call 956-639-8697 BOAT HANDLING AND TRIM Many outboards and most inboard/outboards (I/Os) come equipped with power trim, which raises or lowers the drive unit. In this case the term "trim" refers to the running position of the engine drive unit. Although most people know that the trimming movement raises and lowers the bow, many are unaware that it also can effect steering and performance. When you trim your drive unit either "in" or "out" you may feel a pull on the steering wheel either to the right or left. If the steering pull grows beyond a slight pull, an inadvertent release of the wheel can cause the boat to go into a sharp turn and passengers could be thrown around, or even out of, the boat. Be sure to keep a firm grip on the steering wheel. The three positions are trim down which means it lowers the bow resulting in quicker planning and improved rides in choppy water. The next position is called the neutral position where as the propeller shaft is parallel to the surface of the water. The third position is trimming out. This lifts the bow and increases top speed. It is also great for shallow water. In excess of this will cause the boat to bounce. If it does, bring the trim down just a bit. Trim tabs work exactly the same way as the control surfaces on an airplane. As you know, there are three axes affecting the motion of your boat as you travel through the water: Yaw, Pitch and Roll. Using trim tabs is much like riding a bicycle. You learn to do it by feel. Your knot meter will tell you when you have trimmed for best speed at any throttle setting and your common sense will help you adjust trim to sea conditions and weight distribution. I am positive that in gaining experience you will soon amaze your friends with your skills in boat handling and trim. On my next story, I will get into yaw, pitch and roll. These are the three different ways a boat can move. Until next time, be safe and see you on the water.
January
2006 articles
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