Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
Experience the adventure of a lifetime and explore Washington's windy shorelines and Victorian sea ports aboard a sail boat or other water craft. Before heading to sea, review all applicable rules and regulations to avoid mid-voyage complications. All water vessels, even those not in the water, must be registered, and the registration card carried on board. This applies to motored boats, sailboats over 16 feet in length and any vessel documented with the United States Coast Guard. In order to register a boat, a title is required, but some exceptions exist.
You have recently bought a boat, and it won't be long before you are enjoying adventure on the high seas or relaxation on the local lake. But first be sure of your state's laws concerning boat titles and registration. Almost all states require that boats be registered with the government, but titling requirements vary by state.
The U.S. Coast Guard regulates and establishes the training, experience and requirements for boat captains. Boat captains are required to obtain two credentials as of April 15, 2009: Transportation Worker Identification Credential -- TWIC -- and a Merchant Mariner Credential -- MMC. Captains determine the speed as well as the course of a boat and continuously monitor the vessel's position to avoid hazards.
Each state has its own boating safety regulations, and Washington is no exception. In order to operate a small boat, you need personal flotation devices, a fire extinguisher, distress signals and a boater education card.
The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) is a sailing organizational body consisting of 128 member states around the world. It provides regulations for offshore racing that are followed in all of its competitions.
U.S. Coast Guard regulations for motorboats include requirements for fire safety. Motorboats must be equipped with a fire extinguisher except for outboard motorboats less than 26 feet long with no commercial passengers, no permanent fuel tanks and no space for explosive or flammable fumes to gather. A boat's size and whether or not a fixed extinguishing system is in place determines the type and number of fire extinguishers required.
Whether you take a solo fishing trip or join friends and family for a relaxing weekend cruise, it is important to have the proper boating accessories onboard your boat, yacht, canoe or kayak. According to the American Boating Association, federal, state and local laws require that every person onboard a boat must have access to a life jacket. It also states that these and other boating accessories can help to ensure a safe boating experience for everyone.
Life rafts are rafts that are designed to hold crew members and boaters in the case of an emergency. These durable rafts are usually used in the waiting period between a boating accident and the rescue and are required to be certified that they are in working condition.
A captain's boat license is called an OUPV License, which stands for "Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels." This type of license is required in order for an individual to captain an uninspected vessel of up to 100 gross tons that is between 75 and 90 feet long. There are two forms in which the license is issued, as a OUPV Inland License or an OUPV Near Coastal License. Both these licenses have the same primary requirements.
The Virgin Islands stretch across the Caribbean from east of the Dominican Republic to just north of South America. Three of the Virgin Islands under U.S. control, St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John, are the most popular of all the Caribbean Islands. The Virgin Islands are a popular tourist destination for diving and sailing, and there are a number of companies that offer bareboat charters, where the company rents only the boats, to qualified sailors. Passports are not required for US citizen traveling to the US Islands, but are needed to visit the British Islands.
Recreational boating is a wonderful family activity. If you have a boat, or plan to get one for your family, you should be aware of Coast Guard requirements for operating a boat safely on inland or coastal waters. It is wise to enroll in a Coast Guard water safety course to learn how to handle emergencies on the water.
Any boat less than 20 feet long that is not a sailboat, canoe, kayak or inflatable boat has a placard located on the transom--the back wall--near the deck, beginning with the words, "U.S. Coast Guard Maximum Capacities."
The U.S. Coast Guard enforces national laws regarding the safety of pleasure and commercial boats: a number of factors, one of which is length, determine the regulations. These same laws are in effect in various degrees in each of the states. New Hampshire, like other states, is responsible for its own boating laws and the enforcement of Coast Guard regulations on all boats. There are two length categories in New Hampshire for U.S. Coast Guard regulations concerning boats under 23 feet in length: less than 16 feet, and 16 feet to less than 26 feet.
Boating vessels are required by law to meet a number of safety and efficiency requirements in order to be used on open water. Owners must maintain their boats by constantly checking for mechanical and external problems. A weekly or monthly inspection, depending on boat use, can greatly reduce the chance of long term damage. A check list for vessel inspection can help organize the task of evaluating a boat.
"Having a cold one" while boating means iced tea or soda that either comes from an ice chest or a refrigerator. A refrigerator on a boat needs other appliances to keep it company, and all the new appliances need a 110-volt, AC power source. You don't have the time or money to install a generator, so you want to install a power inverter to step up the power from your boat's batteries. You need to know how many watts all those new appliances will draw. Simple arithmetic will tell you what size inverter you'll need.
Financing a boat purchase is similar in some respects to financing an automobile. Qualifying for credit for a boat will mean fulfilling similar criteria, but the difference is in how the collateral will be evaluated. A boat has no odometer to determine the actual use on either the hull or the motor. Even a new boat’s value is open to certain ambiguities in spite of the recognized Blue Book-type source for determining recommended sale prices (N.A.D.A.) . Lenders may not be as quick to accept a manufacturers price and will lend only with a larger down payment-to-finance value ratio.
For most, it is illegal to operate a boat in the state of Alabama without a license. The only exception to this rule is for those who were at least 40 years of age on April 28, 1994 when Alabama's boating laws changed. For all others, it is advisable to prepare and apply for your boating license well before you purchase or rent your vessel.
It’s important for the safety of yourself and your crew to follow the Coast Guard boating rules and requirements. The Coast Guard lists four minimum required devices on board at all times. In addition, the Coast Guard recommends boats have other safety equipment on board.
Coastal erosion occurs most often in river deltas or coastlines with soft sediment and numerous beaches that can be easily affected by the movement of waves and tides. While rain and ocean are the principal eroders of the coastline, the effects can usually only occur if the Earth has been weakened in some way.
Sailing wing on wing is a technique that puts the foresail on the opposite tack of the mainsail as the boat runs downwind. The result is that the two sails spread out in front of the boat, catching the wind, like two spread wings. To use this effective sailing technique to gain some speed out of light winds follow these steps.
