ClassyCaptain

Mar 10 2023

Boating at Night Can Be Beautiful… When Done Safely.

The San Diego skyline at night is particularly calming when viewed from a boat (as is most everything in my humble opinion). There is nothing like floating in the Harbor at around 9 PM on a July evening and sharing some nosh and a bit of laughter with friends. The tricky part can be navigating back to the dock or ramp. There’s the issue of other boats that may not be lit properly (or at all), debris and obstacles in the water, and the obviously limited visibility. In some waters, you may not have the aid of all the lights the San Diego Harbor provides.

Photo by Lucas Davies on Unsplash

Whether you’re enjoying a romantic sunset sail, heading home after a dock-and-dine at your favorite waterfront restaurant, or you’ve simply let time fly while having fun, and didn’t notice how late it was getting, sometimes you’ll operate your boat after dark. Of course, the best protection is to ensure that you are prepared before ever shoving off. Here are a few tips for staying safe while boating at night.

Although you should do these 2 always, I feel they are worth reiterating for travel at night;
Check tide and weather reports before shoving off.
Keep flotation devices in an easily accessible place.

Helpful Tips for Boating at Night
Make sure your own navigation (running) lights are in working order and on. Running lights (or a handheld torch for smaller craft) are required in all navigable waters between sunset and sunrise so you’re visible to other vessels.
Make sure that your engines are in proper working order and that your electronics – such as chartplotters, GPS and VHF radios – are on board the boat and are charged or have full battery life. Do the same for flashlights and headlamps. A red filter on flashlights can be helpful for nighttime viewing. Your eyes will stay adjusted to the dark while still be able to see things more clearly.
Get a responsible extra pair of eyes to assist you as lookout (watching the horizon for oncoming boats and obstacles).
Be alert and listen for the sounds of other boats and fog horns as well as land-based sounds. I love music as much as the next person, this just isn’t the time for that.
Go slower than you would with full daylight. If you were racing, you’re not anymore. Darkness sometimes changes your depth perception. With reduced visibility, it’s more difficult to gauge distances and obstacles along the way. Use extra caution and go as slow as you can go, while still maintaining steerage when landing or docking the boat.
Be alert and on the lookout for any lights. They may be on another vessel, or some kind of marker. Make sure you are familiar with what the lights mean. It’s not red for stop and green for go.
Dim onboard lights like courtesy and instrument lights. This will help with your night vision. Just remember to make the instruments bright again when you are at your destination, or you may not easily be able to in the daylight.
Make sure you have plenty of fuel, even in a sailboat, as winds often die down after dusk.
Have a spotlight on board – even if it is just a handheld. Don’t use it like a headlight though as light reflects off the water.
Flashlights can be helpful when you land at the dock or ramp for finding cleats, pilings, line and handrails (as well as for ease in stepping off the boat).
Attach strobe lights or glow sticks to to your PFDs just in case.

Night boating can be beautiful, and the tips above should help ensure it ends beautifully as well.

Fair Winds
Captain Jeff Vegas

Mar 03 2023

Life Jackets: Wear vs Have Handy?

I remember when I was in the Boy Scouts, we were not allowed to call them “lifejackets”, because that implied it would save your life. We were taught to call them PFD’s (Personal Flotation Devices) because their job was to help you float, which may or may not be enough to save your life. That was an important distinction that helped us be prepared for other water issues, like hypothermia or head trauma. So in this article, I’m going to take literary license and call lifejackets, PFD’s

California law (and I think basic decency) requires that every child younger than 13 must wear a PFD at all times while on a moving vessel less than 26′ in California. Some states have a different requirement. On my boat it has always been 14. I don’t have any proof for the distinction, I have just always felt it should be 14, so on my boat that’s my rule. (as long as my rules are not less stringent than the law, I have that right) The PFD should of course be of the appropriate size for that child. In my opinion, if you have a kid under about 5 who likes to climb and run and, well, be a kid, it’s not the worst idea to tether the PFD with a line as well, so if they do go in, it is easier to get them out. But what about the rest of you on board?

To meet U.S. Coast Guard requirements, a recreational vessel must have a U.S. Coast Guard Approved PFD for each person aboard, and that means one that would fit each person. If you have 3 adults and 2 children, 5 child sized PFD’s (nor 5 adult sized PFD’s) would suit each person aboard. And they must be easily accessible (not in a closed and latched compartment). So you and your loved ones are in a boat and the PFD’s have to be accessible, which means they might be on a seat, where they are potentially in the way of sitting and relaxing or even subject to blowing out of the vessel with a nice breeze… hmmm… how to solve that issue. Well if you put it on, it won’t be in the way or blow out, of course it won’t help your tan line either, so there are 2 reasons to put it on and one not to. Oh, and are you one of those boaters who does not even keep them handy? Well the local governing body of your waterway can (and I have seen them do it) issue steep fines, so I suggest you at least do that.

originally posted to Flickr as Goofy Orange Life Jacket Model

Many responsible boating organizations will say ‘always’ wear your PFD, and I say ‘always’? And they say, OK smarty pants, ‘always when boating’ so I say ‘always when boating?’ and they say ‘YES!’ And I say, ‘always when I am boating and anchored and below deck?’ and they say, ‘well, ok, maybe not’ and then I say ‘what about when I’m boating on a cruise ship? Or the San Francisco Bay Ferry?’

So I was reading this one blog and the writer says he recommends ‘Whenever on the water on a vessel of any kind, alone’ and I cringed… please don’t boat alone. We all think nothing bad will ever happen to us, but bad things happen, so I implore you to never boat alone. Some of you are thinking ‘but what about a one-person kayak, you do that alone’ and I would respond, ‘not if there are 2 of you, each in a one person kayak… now you’re not alone and if something goes wrong there is someone to potentially help you or call for help, or at least tell the authorities what happened.’

OK, I’m off my soapbox for now, but you may want to read about the one time I went ‘alone’

Look, if you’re over 18, you’re gonna do whatever you want, however, in my opinion, you should strongly consider wearing a PFD when recreational boating, even if it will hurt your tan line, under the following circumstances.
If you are not a strong enough swimmer to swim for 30 minutes without touching a floor of some kind (the bottom of a pool or rocks or sand)
If the water temperature is below 70 degrees
If the boat is not very stable (like a kayak or canoe)
IF the weather could be considered ‘foul’
Here is something you should know before I go farther: According to the U.S. Coast Guard, half of all recreational boating fatalities happen in calm water. And all are unexpected.

And finally, in any other situation where someone has a ‘bad feeling’ you should strongly consider wearing a PFD when recreational boating. Human’s have amazing intuition, and often the first indication of actual danger is someone’s ‘bad feeling’. Those should not be ignored. I just hope they speak up when they have that feeling.

To wrap it up, PFD’s do help save lives and I hope you never need yours.
Fair Winds
Captain Jeff Vegas
Watch video testimonials for Captain Jeff Vegas by clicking this link

Feb 14 2023

Do you need to be an experienced sailor to go for a ride on another vessel?

Do you need to be experienced to crew on another sailboat?

I regularly seek crew on my sailboat, and I know many others who do… and we are not always looking for experience. I can manage everything on my boat, and when I seek crew, sometimes I am just looking for people to be social with, and maybe lighten the workload. Of course, I want someone on board who will follow basic instructions and that does not always mean an experienced sailor. I’ve found that sometimes more experienced crew can be rather annoying and try to impose their will. To quote Homer, “Too many kings can ruin an army”. Imagine you are on your own boat, and a new crew member comes aboard and tells you “you’re doing that wrong”. It’s usually younger males who seem to have a need to show their prowess, that will act this way. I can remember in my younger days, it seemed I always needed to prove myself. Older males and most females tend to be more willing to allow the skipper to be in charge; which is also why I somewhat prefer a female crew, except, if I advertise that, then I look creepy. Many females have crewed with me, and they come back over and over because I treat them with respect. It’s not that I actually prefer female crew, it’s just that I don’t like a cocky know-it-all telling me how to manage my vessel. Of course, some race boats want only experienced crew, but, if racing is your thing, find out when the beer can races are… those are all about fun (or at least they should be).

How do you find a boat to crew on? There are many places on the internet, and Facebook groups are one of my favorites. Where my boat usually is, there is a group called “Sailors in San Diego – Crew Pool“. You can find (or create) groups like this wherever you are and create and search posts. I post there from time to time. Go see some of my posts. You can ‘pound the docks’ as they say, but in some areas the docks are private, so that may or may not work. There are also some apps like Crewseekers and Coboaters (and probably several more).

So what should you do when you are inexperienced and would like to spend time aboard someone else’s boat?
Here are some suggestions;

Do not exaggerate your skills to the skipper. Be honest about your lack of sailing experience, and then follow it up with a few attributes that the skipper may value, like that you are willing to learn, willing to clean, willing to cook, etc.
Ask if there is anything you can contribute. I love when someone offers to bring along chicken wings or their favorite dip!
Show up early and offer to help prepare the vessel for departure. That might be removing dodger covers, or preparing food, or just whatever is needed. Then, be among the last to leave and help clean the vessel and even take out the trash. Is that sucking up? Maybe, but, the boat owner has a financial investment, as well as a time investment, checking engines, and steering, and other important items that he or she needs to take care of to ensure everyone’s safety, so take their trash up to the bins and clean the head and the galley, and even wash the boat before you leave to show your gratitude and you will probably be invited back.
While underway, ask some questions so you can learn more, but don’t be annoying about it. I happen to enjoy sharing my knowledge with others, but not all skippers do, so try to be mindful of that.
Respect the skipper’s rules. Some require everyone to wear a life jacket while underway for example. If that is not your vibe, don’t come back next time, but don’t argue with them about why they are wrong.
All of the above can be summed up with the phrase, be respectful.

What if you are experienced? Should you understate your skills? I don’t think so, however, in my opinion, if you are very experienced, let the skipper know your experience and any special knowledge you have gained (maybe you are very knowledgeable about marine diesel engines), then let him know that you are there to help and that you respect that there is only one skipper on any vessel and that he is that skipper. After that, he will use your skills and knowledge at a level that he is comfortable with. Remember, just because you told him you are very knowledgeable about marine diesel engines, does not mean you are, and he may prefer to handle any engine issues himself.

What if the skipper is doing something wrong? First of all, just because someone is doing something different than you, does not mean they are doing it wrong. There is more than one way to learn to tie your shoes, for heaven’s sake, so just because someone is not performing a task the way you do it, does not make it wrong. Second, is the thing they are doing “wrong” likely to bring harm to anyone, or is it maybe just less efficient than your way? If I am in a situation where someone is being unsafe, I will try to remove myself as soon as possible, and with the least amount of friction. If you are planning on telling the skipper he is doing something wrong, I suggest before you say anything, use the Buddhist principle and ask yourself, is it true, is it kind, is it necessary?

What if the skipper (or other crew) just aren’t pleasant or for whatever reason they rub you the wrong way? Again, it’s not your vessel, so I suggest you suck it up until you can get off at the next port. It’s not worth the headache of battling with any other crew member.

Feb 04 2023