From the Captain of the Port

There is a natural tendency to shy away from the unfamiliar, especially when you can’t get the words back. Remember the first time you were faced with a phone message machine: “Leave your answer after the beep” – BEEP! Now what? Even today, that beep can strike fear into the hearts of some. Now, how about multiplying that a hundred-fold to everyone tuned to VHF channel 16…? Some Basics Unless you know the cell phone number of…

All of us are familiar with registering our vessels with the State Department of Motor Vehicles. Like a car, DMV wants to know her horsepower, fuel type (gas or diesel) and the Hull Identification Number, or HIN. This is the on-the-water equivalent of a car’s VIN. You are required to display on each side of the bow the state registration numbers, followed by the expiration sticker itself. But is your boat eligible for documenting with the USCG…

There are three kinds of “norths” – Magnetic, True and Grid. Why are there differences between them? This column is about that. The small English village of Langton Matravers, on the Dorset coast of the United Kingdom, until recently had just one small claim to fame. In 1914, a young Ian Fleming, later the author of the James Bond novels, attended prep school there. But on November 2, 2022, Langton Matravers wrote itself another footnote in the…

Although summer is close aboard, the water will be cold for several weeks and you need to be aware of how dangerous that can be – if you aren’t prepared and savvy. This column is about that. Warm Air, Cold Water = Risks! I like a warm day early in the season as much as the next mariner, but the water itself is just about as deadly as in the deep of winter. Remember that water takes…

With Earth Day as the annual reminder (it was 4/22!), we recall this expression that goes back to Biblical days – when there were fewer people and even fewer boats. If each generation wants to hand over these waterways to their children and grandkids in the condition that we were entrusted them with, there are a few simple rules, rubrics and guidelines to follow, even if your neighbor doesn’t. And every storm ups the challenge as storm…

In the days that followed September 11, 2001, those words kept running through my head…What could I do that would be something more concrete than writing a check to the Red Cross? While many Americans turned to volunteerism in order to put their hearts, hands and minds at work, I was faced with two realities. At nearly 48, I wasn’t exactly what the Army Recruiter at Times Square in New York had as #1 on his list…

  There was a rogue wave incident involving the cruise ship Viking Polaris on November 29, 2022, at 22:40 local time, while the ship was sailing towards Ushuaia, Argentina. What is a “rogue wave incident”? Rogue, freak, or killer waves have been part of marine folklore for centuries but have only been accepted as real by scientists over the past few decades. This column is about that. A rogue wave estimated at 18.3 meters (60 feet) in…

Here’s how the story goes. In the dead of winter, two duck hunters and their trusty hunting dog drive their brand-new Range Rover out on to the ice of (choose: [a] Long Island Sound, [b] Moriches Bay, [c] Shinnecock Bay, [d] Great South Bay, [e] body of water of your choice) and, seeing that there were no open leads to entice migratory birds to land, take out a stick of dynamite, light it and throw it as…

Nearly 150 years ago, Captain Eldridge created the renowned Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book, the marine industry’s most respected tide and current reference guide since 1874, capturing the most essential aspect of the Rules of the Road (COLREGs.) I have had one at the helm of my vessels since, well, I can’t remember that far back. Captain Eldridge has carried an old sea ditty that has captured the essence of avoiding collisions at sea. This column is…

It would seem to me that one of the most frightening circumstances to be caught in is a boat afire. It is loaded with high-octane fuel creating toxic smoke; using water to fight the fire can sink the boat; leaving the boat may entail going into another hostile environment – cold and unforgiving water. It doesn’t sound like there are many, if any, good alternatives. Also, fire prevention professionals quote that on average a fire will double…