SAILING IN THE BAHAMAS IN 2017

The Bahama Islands are a sailing paradise, easy to get to and so close to home.  It’s an incredible feeling to sail in the Sea of Abaco with the trade winds blowing, all the while tucked behind the barrier islands with calm and brilliant blue water.  There are small settlements, snug harbors and deserted white sand beaches.  It is a fantastic place to learn or upgrade skills, while chasing away the winter blahs and getting ready for the sailing season.  The 8 day live-aboard sailing class will be taught aboard a comfortable, modern sloop, and departs from Marsh Harbour.

The women-only course is April 29 through May 6, 2017.  See the Sailing Schedule Page for more details!

IS REPOSITIONING YOUR BOAT IN YOUR FUTURE?

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Do you see a re-positioning trip for your boat in your future?  Call SEA SENSE about a Teaching Delivery, where you learn as you go!

Recently, SEA SENSE was contacted to do a Teaching Delivery from St. Charles, MO to St. Petersburg, FL.  The couple who called had just purchased a 50+ foot powerboat and wanted to bring it to warmer waters for winter cruising.  As they were former sailors, this boat would be a totally new experience.  They wanted to learn about their boat and have instructors who were familiar with their type of boat and with the journey to Florida, a route the instructors had done many times.

The trip started on the Mississippi River heading downstream near St. Louis, the western side of the Great Loop. It would be a journey filled with many first-time experiences for them!  The teaching delivery would include the Mississippi River, the Ohio River, The Tennessee River, the Tennessee-Tombigby Waterway, Intracoastal Waterway and an offshore crossing of the Gulf of Mexico to arrive at Tampa Bay.  In addition, there would be tugs and barges (called “tows” on the river) to deal with, huge locks including some of the largest in the U.S., strong currents, and many shallow areas.  They learned so much from this voyage and we are sure that they will be successful in all their future cruising.

When we start a SEA SENSE Teaching Delivery, one of our philosophies is that we prepare as much as is humanly possible, but we know that the boat has a plan that it is keeping to itself and Mother Nature has a plan that she’s not talking about either!  So we have our charts and cruising guides, we’ve checked out the boat, we have our plan for the days ahead, we’ve checked on the weather and we deal with surprises along the way.

SEA SENSE has done Teaching Deliveries as short as two or three days and as long as several months.

Thinking about moving your boat?  Give us a call or email!IMG_6454

LIFE LESSONS LEARNED FROM BOATS

Just finished an article is Soundings magazine’s August 2016 issue (Soundingsonline.com).  It was written by Daniel S. Parrott, about a trip to Ireland with the cadets on the Coast Guard’s tall ship Eagle.  The article was great but there was one paragraph that really stood out.  What he wrote has been proven to be right over and over again, and it applies to sailing and powerboating.  He said “Anyone who has spent time in this environment knows that a [boat…] is arguably the greatest vehicle the world has ever known for transmitting lessons in leadership, teamwork, cooperation, coordination, communication and the importance of doing something right, exactly right.  You can fool the world in some disciplines, but the sea will slap you silly the moment you get complacent or try to bluff what you don’t know.”

Part of what SEA SENSE been passing along for 27 years now.  And it applies to more than boats!

 

 

AUTOMATED RADIO CHECKS ON VHF RADIO

Do you know that radio checks on channel 16 are no longer proper radio procedure?  So how are we supposed to check that our radio is working?

Well, SEA TOW has come up with solution!  In fact, you’ll often hear them answer a blind request with these words:  “For an automated radio check, please switch to Channels 24 (or 26, 27, or 28), key your mic and speak your request.  Then listen for the response.”   What comes back at you is a repeat of what you just broadcast, proving that your radio both sends and receives.  Pretty cool, huh?  And it clears a lot of traffic off Channel 16 that could potentially interfere with an emergency call.

FLAG ETIQUETTE FOR MEMORIAL DAY

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On this Memorial Day, we remember all the men and women who have served our country and are serving now across the globe.  Let’s honor them with the proper placement of our national flag on our boats.

Rule for Power Boats:  Flown from a staff on the stern.  One inch of length (the fly) for every foot of boat length.

Rule for Sail Boats:  Flown from a staff on the stern or from the backstay.  Same sizing as power boats.

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY, BOAT/US!

Congratulations to BOAT/US on their 50th birthday!  All of us at SEA SENSE BOATING have held long-time personal memberships.  We appreciate their hard work in protecting boaters’ rights in Washington, and their towing insurance is the first thing any boater should invest in.

 

So thanks, BOAT/US!  Here’s to another 50 years!