Safe boating involves knowing the rules of navigation by heart. When you’re approaching another boat, or another boat is approaching you, there’s no time to check your rulebook! Keep reading to learn the rules of right-of-way for power-driven pleasure craft. Important terms for understanding right-of-way First, get to know the difference between port and starboard. … Read more ›
Steering a PWC takes some practice! The more you know about how your PWC works, the better you will be able to adjust to different situations and avoid problems. Let’s take a look at how PWC steering works and what it takes to maintain control of your watercraft. How a PWC works Personal Watercraft (PWC) … Read more ›
When you’re boating on a river, you need to know which way you are going so you can correctly interpret buoys and avoid accidents. To be sure that you can follow signs and signals correctly, you need to know the difference between upstream and downstream. Upstream vs downstream What’s the difference between upstream and … Read more ›
Boat propellers pose a serious safety risk. A typical 3-blade propeller running at the average speed of between 1200 and 3200 RPM can inflict 150 impacts per second and travel from head to toe on a human being in less than a tenth of a second. Swimmers, divers, anglers, people enjoying water sports and people … Read more ›
No matter where you are in the US, standardized symbols and codes keep boat operators safe and confident in their ability to navigate and communicate effectively. “Port” and “starboard” are two terms that are used across the nation to refer to the left and right sides of a boat, respectively. Remembering the difference between port … Read more ›
Every year, over 3 million Americans go water skiing. This popular water sport has existed for over 100 years and is still going strong. Whether you’re enjoying recreational water skiing or plan to compete, you’ll need to learn the basic hand signals that allow skiers and boat operators to communicate. 13 Water skiing hand signals … Read more ›
Every year, nearly forty percent of Americans who go boating also participate in some form of towed watersport. Waterskiing and wakeboarding take some practice to master, both for the person being towed and the boat operator. Tubing is easier, as long as you use the right gear. Regardless of your age or level of experience, … Read more ›
Federal Law specifies that you have to file an accident report following many types of recreational boating accidents. Not filing a required report could result in large fines or even jail time, so it’s a task that you need to take seriously! Types of boat accidents that need to be reported The United States Coast … Read more ›
Running aground occurs when a vessel touches the bottom in a shallow area of a pond, river, lake, or sea, and becomes trapped. You can run your boat aground intentionally if you need to do maintenance or unload cargo, but most cases of running aground are accidental. Operator error, inaccurate information about water depths or … Read more ›
As a boat operator, it’s your responsibility to keep everybody safe on board, to the best of your ability, at all times. This involves knowing what to do in case of a boat fire. Common causes of boat fires The most common types of boat fires are: Engine fires, where overheating due to poor ventilation … Read more ›
