Rescuing a Drowning Victim by Boat A guide of what boaters should do to help rescue a drowning victim. By Pete McDonald According to the United States Swim School Association, 3,533 people drown on average in the United States every year. In response, the USSSA created guidelines to help its students — and their parents —…
Weather Basics Course The United States Power Squadrons (USPS) and the BoatUS Foundation have joined forces to create a new online course Weather for Boaters that teaches boaters how to recognize early signs of changing weather and how to anticipate storms, squalls, fog, and wind shifts. The course is an easy-to-follow boater’s guide to forecasting, winds and storms…
Once an acceptable anchor is selected and ground tackle assembled, effective anchoring depends on good site selection and use of proper placement procedures. Anchor from the bow of the boat — attaching an anchor to the stern can swamp and upset a boat in bad weather. Placing and recovering a boat anchor is a sequential…
7 important things to know about the fine print on your boat’s insurance policy Does your insurance policy cover this? It all depends on the fine print. ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 5, 2017 – While it’s a subject not often discussed, knowing what’s in your boat’s insurance policy could mean the difference between having to pay…
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I fully embrace the old saying, “A bad day fishing is better than a good day at the office.” My addiction to fishing started with my father, who was an avid angler. He handed me an old tackle box, a small fishing rod tipped with a hook and…
Surfing behind a boat on an endless wave, without the need to hold on to a towrope, is one of the most liberating feelings you can get on the water. Because of that, count me among the recent converts to the wakesurfing craze that’s sweeping through the boating culture. But at the last Miami International…
There are boat excursions you remember most fondly — perhaps one is an outing friends and family refer to again and again, another a trip your kids call “the best day ever.” What made these outings outstanding? Most great boating days don’t necessarily involve location (though that certainly helps). The times we recall with a…
When you sign up for a boater safety course, you’re taking an important step toward being a responsible boater. It doesn’t matter if you have been a boater for years or if you are new to boating, you can brush up on your existing knowledge and learn the current rules on how to practice…
As boating season begins, responsible boaters seek out a free vessel safety check from state and local marine law enforcement officers. Up to 25 percent fail across the country, which means without correction, those boat owners are putting themselves and others at risk. The number one reason for failure is “up-to-date flares,” reports Andrew Thurman,…
Once an acceptable anchor is selected and ground tackle assembled, effective anchoring depends on good site selection and use of proper placement procedures. Anchor from the bow of the boat — attaching an anchor to the stern can swamp and upset a boat in bad weather. Placing and recovering a boat anchor is a sequential…