Every year the Coast Guard reports thousands of boating incidents, many which involve collisions with objects or equipment failures. While most boaters have safety gear on board that is legally required, many do not have the tools and materials on-hand to make a critical repair in case of an emergency.
I remember with fondness, our opening days at the cottage when my two sons were young. They couldn't wait to get into their bathing suits and would go charging down the dock to leap into the lake, only to come charging out seconds later howling from the shock of hitting the cold water.
Most of this information is taken from the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons (CPS-ECP) BOATING 4 – Seamanship course which I have updated and edited.
Finding the right PFD can seem like a daunting task and extends beyond finding one that fits and floats. After all, not all vests work for all people, and no one vest works well for all activities.
Boats aren’t inherently combustible. They aren’t firetraps, and they aren’t any more or less dangerous with respect to fire breaking out than an RV, trailer, car or airplane.
Read more: Ask Andrew: Engine/gasoline fires and other scares
“Do I know how to be found in an emergency?” That’s a question every boater should ask at the beginning of the boating season. The answer, however, is likely to go far beyond simply having a cellphone aboard. The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water offers five tips that can potentially speed a rescuer’s response to a boater in need of emergency help.
Recently, with all the new enthusiasm for boating, I was approached by a person who was thinking about buying their first boat. They wanted to know if they needed to get a marine survey.
My answer was yes.
It looks like Covid 19 has not stopped many people from boating. In fact, 2020 seems to have been a banner year and it looks like 2021 will be the same if not better. So, let me start by looking ahead and wishing everyone a safe and happy boating season for 2021.
Read more: Boating Safety: The Canadian Safe Boating Council
The Sailing Plan is a Canadian small vessel safety app that is a fast and easy-to-use tool for creating, filing and sharing sailing plans before heading out on the water.
Boating together with the kids as a family can be a most enjoyable activity. Because people, especially kids, have unique personalities it is important to take the suggestions that I am going to make...
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A perfect sunset off St. John with St. Thomas views for backdrop.
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News
On November 15th 2022, Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), introduced the industry’s first ever V10 outboard with the official launch of its all-new 5.7L 350 and 400hp Verado® outboard engines.
Consistent with the award-winning Verado brand, the new V10 engines are the quietest and smoothest in their class running 45 percent quieter than a leading competitor at cruise. In addition to NVH, the new Verado’s are not only compatible with the latest Mercury SmartCraft® technologies but will also be offered with an optional dual-mode 48V/12V alternator to seamlessly pair with Navico Group’s Fathom® e-power system, an integrated lithium-ion auxiliary power management system, providing boaters the opportunity to eliminate an onboard generator system.