Safe and easy trailering depends on preparation and practice. Once you know the basics, towing a trailer is simple. Backing up is more difficult. Remember that no one is a “natural” at backing a trailer, and even the experts needed time to master the tricks. Before you drive off to launch your boat at a busy ramp, take time to practice backing the trailer in a deserted parking lot or empty field. Read the rest of this entry »
It may have been surprising to learn that your boat turns more efficiently in one direction than the other. You will also find that higher speeds produce different turning results. In general, the faster you go, the larger the turning circle. Unlike your car, which has good adhesion, your boat will slip sideways as it turns. At a dead stop, with the rudder hard over, a short burst of throttle will kick the stern to the side.
Preparation: The same as for Drill 1. Since this drill involves higher speeds, check to be sure that the area is clear of swimmers and other boats. Read the rest of this entry »
Having marked the courses between buoys, the “legs” of your intended trip, you will want to measure them. And, having measured them and added them up for total mileage, you will want to figure out how long it will take to make the trip. Since distance divided by speed equals time, you will first have to learn how to tell boat speed. If you know your speed and distance on a leg, you can compute time in hours. Read the rest of this entry »
Coastal piloting, or piloting, is basically the art of getting from here to there without going aground or getting lost. It requires a few basic tools—a compass, a chart, parallel rules, dividers, a sharp pencil— and a few simple, easy to learn skills. This kind of basic way finding allows you to range far a field, venturing out of familiar home waters and into new cruising grounds with a sense of confidence. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the important skills to master if you plan to cruise from one area to another is anchoring. While there is no one anchor or method that will cover all situations, the basics of anchoring so that your boat doesn’t drag or endanger other boats are fairly straightforward. Anchoring requires some practice. Do anchoring exercises so that you are proficient enough to anchor in the dark if you ever need to. Read the rest of this entry »
The depth sounder is the second most useful piece of electronic equipment for most small powerboats since it warns of shallow water. Also valuable as a navigation tool, a depth sounder can be used by the skipper to help pinpoint a boat’s location by comparing the indicated water depth against soundings on a chart. Some depth sounders have features that allow fishermen to spot schools of fish below the boat. Read the rest of this entry »
Going aground can result from operating in shallow water or from leaving your boat on a beach when the tide is going out. The situation is often nothing more than a minor annoyance and an embarrassment since it is usually easy to push the boat off or float it free when the tide rises. Nevertheless, after a grounding you should inspect both the hull and the engine carefully for even minor damage.
When travelling by car, a large family may have a little trouble stowing all its camping gear into the boot or tethering things onto the roof rack. But usually there is still room for one or two luxuries to be included and very few home comforts have to be sacrificed entirely. Space can generally be found for several changes of clothing; for bulky quilt-type sleeping bags; for chairs, stools, full-length mattresses and even for some of the ordinary, fairly heavy pots, pans and cutlery out of the home kitchen cupboard. Even the frame tent in which the family sleeps is quite generous in size. It is large and square and has all the characteristics of a small house, with ample headroom and separate living and sleeping compartments — by no means the minimum space that would be needed just for bedding down for the night. Read the rest of this entry »
Aboard a small powerboat, the most likely problems you’ll encounter will involve the engine. While it seems foolish, your first checkpoint should be the fuel tank to make sure that you actually have fuel. Don’t rely on the gas gauge. It may be wrong. Tap the tank or rock the boat to see if you hear fuel sloshing in the tank. If you do have sufficient fuel, try some of the other steps suggested below. Read the rest of this entry »
A fundamental custom of the sea has been for seamen to help each other out of scrapes. Today’s skippers still offer assistance to those having problems. This may be as simple as a tow back to the fuel dock or launching ramp, or helping free a boat that’s run aground. But both skippers should understand the procedures involved in giving and accepting a tow in order to make the operation go smoothly. Read the rest of this entry »
The drive belts on an inboard or sterndrive engine provide power to the alternator and to the engine’s water pump. Both are necessary for the engine to operate. A drive belt may break if it wears, dries and cracks or is not replaced regularly. Constant use in the engine compartment dries out the rubber and causes tiny cracks. You can, however, “jury-rig” a temporary drive belt to get home, if you motor slowly. Read the rest of this entry »
Electricity and water, particularly salt water, can prove to be a breeding ground for irritating problems that range from a seemingly dead engine to cabin lights that flicker on and off. Preventive maintenance is the best way to keep your electrical system operating with all the lights burning. Read the rest of this entry »
You are required to turn on your navigation lights at sunset for three reasons. First, they announce your presence to others. Second, the lights on your boat tell a lot about its size and the kind of work it’s engaged in. Third, navigation lights tell you in which direction a boat is traveling. You are most apt to encounter the running lights shown below. For a complete listing, see Chapman Piloting. Read the rest of this entry »
Sound is used to signal intent or action between vessels. While the Inland Rules and the International Rules are generally similar, sound signals under Inland Rules for head-on, crossing and overtaking situations are signals of intent, whereas under International Rules they signal an action taking place. The most common Inland signals are illustrated below. Read the rest of this entry »
Most modern powerboats are designed to handle bad weather in reasonable comfort, whether it’s wind from an offshore blow or a summer squall on a lake. It is up to the skipper to know how to steer a course that will be dry and safe, as well as comfortable in adverse circumstances. This requires being thoroughly familiar with your boat and developing the following techniques on rough or stormy waters. Read the rest of this entry »
These are not necessarily the first choice for everyone. They’re highly developed, usually on prime land and are close to major tourist attractions, so they quite rightly pride themselves on being able to satisfy the most demanding holidaymaker. Accommodation may range from the simplest of camping sites, situated under shady indigenous trees, to luxurious fully serviced bungalows commanding views of the surrounding countryside. They may have several well laid-out ablution blocks so that no one has to walk too far or stand in a queue to shower or wash dishes. They may also offer a full gym, large pool, TV room, games room, trampolines and waterslides, and have a well- equipped shop and various pieces of recreational equipment for hire (or for free, with the cost built into the price of the site). Some even go so far as to hire minor celebrities who wander around from site to site in the evenings, joking with the guests and telling amusing stories! Read the rest of this entry »
Like most things in life, what you get out of an activity is indirect proportion to what you put into it from the start. Vacation time is a precious commodity and it’s worth going that extra mile so that everyone gets the most out of the time spent away from home.
The first decision is obviously where to go. The most important factor here is geography — and how it has been exploited for your advantage. Coastal destinations are fine if you live inland, but people who live close to the sea may hanker after something different. In South Africa we have a wonderful variety of recreational places, and although many offer similar-sounding activities, the experiences can be very different for each one. Read the rest of this entry »
A complete knowledge of lifesaving and first- aid skills are also much needed assets in each team member. With the extreme altitude of these climbs, abrupt weather changes can strand an injured climber on the mountain for days before rescue is possible. Without sufficient first aid, a climber can die before outside assistance is made available. Because temperatures can quickly drop off the scale, advanced life-saving protective gear is also required, and must be available during the entire ascent and descent.
Most climbing is not, however, done in remote areas on massive peaks. It takes place within hours of major urban areas and towns around the globe. The fact that many climbing areas are accessible does not make them any less extreme. A simple categorization system has been created in every country to classify the difficulty of a climb. In France the system uses a series of numbers and letters; in England ascents are graded on difficulty and danger; in the U.S. climbers use what is termed the “Yosemite scale” to help explain the various levels of difficulty climbers can attempt. The Yosemite grading system uses the following structure for each climb: Read the rest of this entry »
Mountain climbing is as old as mankind. It has not always been a “sport,” perhaps it was better classified as a survival skill. Now that we no longer require mountaineering skills to traverse the globe, those that still enjoy getting out into the mountains are clearly enthusiasts of the sport of mountain climbing.
Furthermore, while mountain climbing is the act of ascending a mountain under your own power, extreme mountain climbing is hardly a leisure activity.
Climbing mountains covers two basic categories, technical and nontechnical. The latter requires little more than sheer energy and knowledge of one’s own limitations. No special equipment, just a good rugged and supportive pair of hiking shoes. Technical climbing requires the use of ropes and other specialized equipment to ascend the terrain to be climbed. The equipment is used so that, in the event of a fall, the climber is both protected from injury and securely fastened to the rock or ice. Read the rest of this entry »
The hydrofoil, a wing that creates lift in water, is not new, and hydrofoils are commonly used on powerboats today. They are even used on sailboats to minimize resistance and set speed records, which is itself an extreme endeavor. However, it wasn’t until 1989 that a hydrofoil attached to a chair became commercially available for athletes seeking a new tow-behind water challenge.
The air chair, as it has become known, was designed by a couple of friends on the Colorado River, one of whom was the co- creator of the kneeboard (a waterski that the rider kneels on) and a hot dog waterski pioneer, Mike Murphy. Murphy’s friend Bob Wooley became fascinated with the concept of riding a performance hydrofoil, and after several months of experimentation attached the foil to a “sit ski,” a seated version of a waterski. Read the rest of this entry »
