10 Great Weather Resources for Boaters

By William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

All the safety experts will tell you it's always a good practice to check the weather before you go out on your boat.  I'm no expert, but I'd have to agree with the premise; you just never know.  Checking the weather in advance will at least give you a clue as to whether a late day squall or a heavy fog might be bearing down on you. 

I've compiled a list, in no particular order, of some of the best weather tools online or in a smartphone app. Under each tool I've enumerated what can you can expect to find on each weather site.  I hope this helps you in selecting one, two or more weather resources that are right for you and if you have some favorites now, perhaps a few more you might want consider.

Accuweather  

http://www.accuweather.com/

Here you can get your current, hourly, weekend, extended and monthly forecast for your area. It also provides you with the chances for precipitation over a 24 hour period in blocks of 3 hours each.  There are also Maps for:

• U.S. radar feeds with zoom capabilities
• U.S. satellite feeds with zoom capabilities showing cloud cover
• U.S. severe weather reads with zoom capabilities and a legend.  It also shows lightening strikes and their frequency.
• news and videos of U.S. national interest
• a hurricane center with a map and the latest tracking information.
• current sea surface temperatures worldwide

Aside:  AccuWeather is also a free app download for iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android featuring today's local forecast, 15 day local forecast, satellite map, videos and more. This is an excellent weather resource for boaters who have a smartphone.

The Weather Channel                

http://www.weather.com/

This site features daily and hourly

• U.S. national, regional and local weather forecasts
• Marine forecasts with temperature, wind speed and direction, wave height and direction, sea surface temperature, sea state (calm, choppy, etc), relative humidity, visibility, etc.
• Maps showing U.S. current temperature, current weather, Doppler radar, infrared satellite and severe weather alerts.  All maps are interactive and will bring you down to your local weather situation.

Aside:  The Weather Channel app is free and available for iPhone, Blackberry and Android smartphones. It has current, hourly, 36 hour and 10 day forecasts, beach forecasts, a satellite weather map of you area, severe weather reports, national, local and "must see video" center.  Another great weather app for boaters who have a smartphone.

Wunderground                           

http://www.wunderground.com/

Just type in a location and you can get current/basic local weather information. 

A click on Maps and Radar will give you informational displays and data on:

• U.S. weather fronts
• severe weather alerts and warnings in your area 
• NEXRAD animated radar readings for the US, Canada and Australia with information on storm tracks, total precipitation and severe weather
• satellite images of national and local cloud cover
• marine forecasts worldwide, showing water temperatures, wave heights and wind speeds.

Aside:  Wunderground has an free app for iPhone called Weather Quickie, but it's not as comprehensive as the website and I wouldn't rely on it for boating forecasts. 

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)     

http://www.noaa.gov/

This is perhaps to most comprehensive weather site of them all.  Here you can get your basic weekly weather forecast by the location you select.  Scroll further down the page and you'll find weather maps with Radar and Satellite Images.  There's a

• regional radar map showing severe weather and flash flood warnings.
• satellite images map of the continental U.S. (color enhanced)

Further down the page you'll find the National Digital Forecast Database which has

weather data displayed in graphic fashion showing:

• an Hourly Weather Graph indicating 24 hours of temperature, wind, wind gusts, sky cover, heat index, potential thunderstorms and precipitation
• a Hazardous Weather Report for the reported area

To the left of the National Digital Forecast Database you'll find two maps, one a Temperature Forecast, the other a Forecast Database Map where you can look up local and regional graphical displays of today's, tonight's and tomorrow's

• possibility of precipitation
• temperature
• dew point
• wind speed and direction
• wind gusts
• sky cover
• relative humidity
• apparent temperature

Aside:  There is an app for iPhone from NOAA called  Weather Alert USA that has received favorable ratings. As of this writing it costs $3.99. 

Marine Weather - NOAA                             

http://www.noaa.gov/marine.html

This site features zone forecasts of the:

• North Atlantic
• North and Southeast Pacific
• Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and Tropical Atlantic
• Alaska and North Pacific
• Central Pacific

Within each zone you can view daily

• wind, wave and surface charts,
• typhoon, high wind and wave charts using satellite technology
• upper air charts

National Hurricane Center  - NOAA   

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

If you're tracking hurricanes, you'll find a lot of information on this site:

• a map showing active tropical storms, tracking information and analysis

• hurricane awareness and information about hurricanes in general with a briefing on such topics as preparedness, storm surges, FAQs about hurricanes and tropical weather and forecast models

Passage Weather             

http://www.passageweather.com/

This site provides 7 day wind and weather forecasts useful to offshore mariners.  The forecast charts are for every zone of the world and feature maps illustrating:

• surface winds 10 miles above sea level
• surface pressure
• visibility
• cloud cover
• precipitation
• wave height and direction

Other Smartphone Weather Apps to Consider:

Weather Bug for iPhone, Blackberry and Android.  It's free and shows

• current conditions of temperature, wind speed and direction, wind gusts, high and low temperatures for the day, wind chill, humidity, dew point and alerts
• the weekly forecast
• an infrared satellite map of the conditions in your area
• videos on the national weather outlook

Aside: This is the most popular of the weather apps and the most versatile for the smartphone.  And, you can't beat the cost.

 WeatherRadar for iPhone. Provides immediate base reflectivity radar, global weather radar and cloud cover over a choice of a streets only map, streets and satellites map or satellite only map.  It shows radar only, no other weather information is available with this app, but it show real-time radar which is a big plus.  Cost for the app is $2.99 as of this writing.

Boat Load for iPhone.  Get real-time weather forecast in any of 42,000 U.S. cities with hourly, 36 hour, 7 day forecasts for any area you chose.  It also has information a boater might be interested in such the location of marinas, ports and supplies.  Tidal information is also available as well as is the ability to file a float plan or send an emergency alert.  Cost of the download is $4.99 as of this writing.

So there you have 10 reliable resources for coastal and marine weather.  I think they're some of the best you'll find, save weather on GPS which can cost upwards of  $500 for a unit with radar and over $20/mo for the service.   These 10 sites are free as are the weather apps for Accuweather, The Weather Channel, Weather Quickie and Weather Bug. If it works on your smartphone it can work for you; it's certainly worth the time of a simple download.  A check of any one of these weather resources might keep you and your passengers safe and save you from encountering some predictable, forecasted nasty weather which most assuredly would ruin an otherwise perfect day on the water.

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill is the author of the book, Lubber's Log published by Llumina Press; a boating primer and adventure story about a couples experiences in moving up to a bigger boat.  

You can visit his website here.

Ways To Protect Your Boat from Birds

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

Like most of us who keep our boats in the water you can be afflicted with occasional or frequent prickly affronts from sea birds, particularly scavengers like seagulls that love to perch on your vessel, unabashedly leaving behind a calling card of pasty or dried up white bird dung.

You can't take it personally, they don't know any better (or do they?).  At any rate, they just don't care and you are the one's that's left to clean up their mess, now your mess. I've tried snakes and owls as deterrents and they work for about a week until the culprits realize they're not moving, so no cause for concern, only to return again to their menacing habits.

What can you do about it, how do you prevent them from assaulting the boat you try so hard to keep shipshape and clean?  Well, I found some alternatives to snakes and owls.  You may find these products can help you in your campaign against the ravages of birds.   

Article by Alex A. Kecskes and Meredith Walako

If you're a boat owner or skipper, you know about pest birds. They're the seagulls and cormorants that perch and poop all over masts, spreaders and those beautiful navy blue canvas covers. 

As many boat owners have painfully learned, pest birds create far more than a visual nuisance. The high concentration of uric acid—higher in sea birds—can discolor paint, permanently stain canvases and eventually erode steel. In addition to being pests, these birds can create an inherent health risk. The bacteria and parasites that live and grow in bird droppings can carry and transmit any of 60 known diseases.

The bottom line: controlling pest birds and keeping them at bay is a wise investment in time and money. But where to start?

Fortunately, there are a number of effective products to keep pest birds away from boats or marinas. This includes an entire family of bird spikes. Ideal for pigeons, gulls and other large birds, the strong, rigid spikes are often made of unbreakable polycarbonate. Other products in this category have marine grade stainless steel spikes . Both types will discourage pest birds from landing on radar antennas, masts, ledges, or other flat surfaces. Just as effective are bird spiders. Their spider arms move with the breeze, keeping birds from landing. Most are sturdy and stable, come in a variety of diameters, are easy to install and usually maintenance free. Spiders are particularly useful for canvas boat covers, biminis, radar antennas and other similar areas.

Bird Spikes

Bird Spider

If you're on a budget (who isn't in this economy), you can opt for inexpensive low-tech visual deterrents. Things like iridescent reflective foil or flash tape, which is easily strung around a boat or turned into pennants around a marina. Inflatable balloons are another economical visual scare device. Ideal for masts, radar arches, antennas and overhangs,  their lifelike reflective predator eyes and markings drive birds away by creating an “Optical Distraction Zone.”

Flash Tape

Another effective bird deterrent is the bird repeller,  a solar powered propeller that uses continuous motion to prevent large pest birds such as seagulls from landing.  These scare-eye diverters are easy to hang in problem areas. Opt for repellers that have iridescent foil eyes to scare birds by day and glow-in-the-dark backsides to keep them away at night. One tip: since most birds like to land on the high points of a vessel, mount these bird control devices as high as possible. Birds are always on the lookout for predators, food sources, and stable landing perches, so reflective, flapping objects will discourage them from making your boat or marina their next perch or nesting place. 

Bird Repeller

All these bird control products are humane and will not harm animals, birds or humans. We share the waterfront with our feathered friends, but it doesn't mean we have to be responsible for their mess.  Taking small steps to bird proof your boat allows you to focus on your passion, boating!

About the Authors:  Meredith Walako works for Bird-B-Gone in southern California. She has worked with the company since 2001.  Her interests include birds, gardening, reading and writing. 
As a widely published writer/journalist, Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of articles and web content on a wide range topics. He also does marketing and advertising copy. 

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill is the author of the book, Lubber's Log published by Llumina Press; a boating primer and adventure story about a couples experiences in moving up to a bigger boat.  You can visit his website here

Top 10 Safety Tips for Boaters

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill
Sometimes we take boating for granted, especially on a clear day when the sea, wind and sky seem to be cooperating.  Weather can change very quickly and passengers should be the number one concern.  Being prepared by taking heed of some safety concerns is the first priority after seeing to it that the boat floats and has propulsion. Here are 10 safety tips from Mario Vittone my favorite expert author in all things relating to personal safety on the water.  I hope you find these constructive reminders as informative as I do.

Article by Mario VITTONE

As a veteran helicopter rescue swimmer and now a marine safety specialist for the United States Coast Guard, I’ve seen a lot of boating trips gone wrong.  Accidents are accidents, but after twelve years on the job, I’ve noticed that most of the emergencies we respond to are easy to avoid.  With a little additional planning and preparation, you can dramatically decrease your chances of ever having to call for help.  Consider the following before your next trip and we’ll probably never meet.

Remember where you’re going: Remember that “offshore” means “isolated in a hostile environment.”  Keeping that in mind changes the way you think about everything else.

Your passengers: Do they have any medical conditions? Are they adequate swimmers?  What is their boating experience?   The answers make a big difference, but you have to ask the questions first. Life-saving drugs like asthma, heart, allergy meds, and insulin come along for the ride, or those who need them don’t.  Period.

Dockside training: Ever run a man overboard drill with you as the MOB?  Did you teach your 10 year-old how to make a distress call?  You should. The Coast Guard often responds to emergencies where the captain is the emergency.  Discuss safety procedures and equipment witheveryone on board.

Float plan: Someone on shore needs to know where you’re going (think lat/long), who’s going with you, and when you’ll be back.  We’re good, but we wont find you if we look in the wrong place.

The weather: If you’re in an open hulled boat, it doesn’t matter how warm it is, it only matters how cold it might get. If you’re caught out overnight, warm clothes and rain gear can make the difference between uncomfortable …… and unconscious.

Bail-out: If the weather does turn unexpectedly, any land may be good enough.  Study the charts and pre-identify possible bail-out points.

Communications: Talk to us before the water is at your ankles.  At the first sign of serious trouble, injury, or illness, contact the Coast Guard.    Remember, urgency calls (Pan-Pan) exist for a reason. To determine if a problem is serious, refer to tip #1.

Your EPIRB: A 406 EPIRB or PLB is your life.  Save money on something else.  Update the registration often (http://www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov/). When going on extended voyages, use the “Additional Data Field” to provide valuable information like the number of passengers, special considerations i.e. “diabetic aboard”, and expected return time.

Flash lights: Finding you out there is about seeing you out there.  Nothing says “come check me out” like a frantically waving flashlight. Flares are great and you should have them, but they don’t last very long. Tying the small, waterproof versions in the pockets of your lifejackets is smart move as well.

Water temps: The risk of a boating accident being fatal is three times higher in the winter than in the summer.  In extremely cold water, you can be incapacitated in minutes (or less).  Immersion suits are expensive, but trust me; they somehow seem cheaper when your boat is taking on water.

Remember, don’t just be safe out there; be safe, then go out.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of the Department of Homeland Security or the U.S. Coast Guard.

Mario Vittone is one of the services leading experts on immersion hypothermia, drowning, sea survival, and safety at sea. His writing has appeared in Yachting Magazine, SaltWater Sportsman, MotorBoating Magazine, Lifelines, On-Scene, and Reader’s Digest. He has lectured extensively to business leaders, educators, and the military on team motivation, performance, innovation, mission focus, and generational diversity. In 2007, he was named as the Coast Guard Active Duty Enlisted Person of the Year and was named as the 2009 recipient of the Alex Haley Award for Journalism.


William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill is the author of the book, Lubber's Log published by Llumina Press; a boating primer and adventure story about a couples experiences in moving up to a bigger boat.  

You can visit his website here.

The Boater's Attitude - I Think You Get It

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

Have you noticed that there seems to be a prevailing attitude among most boaters?  It isn't evident in every boater all of the time, but you see it and feel it when  you're afloat, off the terra firma when the weather is cooperating; when you're experiencing blue sky, blue water, sunsets, the wind in your hair; when you're with your favorite girl, your boat; when time stands still and your cares melt away into a kind of Eden.

Zac Brown and Jimmy Buffett captures the boating attitude in the song Knee Deep.  Watch the silly video and listen to the lyrics and the lilt of the song. I bet it could have been written by you.  

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill is the author of the book, Lubber's Log published by Llumina Press; a boating primer and adventure story about a couples experiences in moving up to a bigger boat.  

You can visit his website here.

Early Boating Memories - Awakening of a Passion

by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

What is it about passion, where does it come from and why do most of us have one or more in our lifetime? I had one that started at an early age as I think it does for most of us. When my sister was a wee girl it was the majesty and beauty of horses; she became an equestrian. For one boyhood friend it was taking things apart and putting them together again; he became a mechanical engineer. Ken used to doodle houses and geometric structures on his school notebook; he became an architect. Me? I had an early boating memory that burgeoned into a zeal. The passion is still with me to this day and it's as fresh and clear in my memory as if it had happened moments ago.

In my vivid recollection, Dad rowed me out about a hundred yards offshore onto the Great Sacandaga Lake in the Adirondacks, NY in a fourteen foot heavy wooden rowboat, painted battleship gray with red gunwales. The anchor was concrete, hardened in a rusty paint can.  When we were out of sight of family and other fellow “beachers” on shore, he dropped a would-be anchor over the side and sat down on the rowing seat to show me how to thread a worm on a hook, to catch whatever fish was waiting on the bottom for a drop in meal.  I didn’t like seeing the worm squirm and writhe as he ran the hook the length of the defenseless victim.  I must have turned away several times with a pained look on my face as my father laughed in the knowledge that this was the same way he must have looked to his father the first time he had to endure the lesson of...sometimes life has to be gross to net a prize fish.

When the worm had turned soft, lifeless and pale we returned to shore, fishless to the throngs on the beach. As we were landing the boat, kids ran to our aid crying out expectantly, “Did you catch anything?”   They wanted to see some fish.

Truth be known, I was glad we hadn't caught anything because I wasn’t ready to endure any new lessons in the fishing primer which I would later learn involved the tearing of an embedded snelled fishhook from a pike's swim bladder and the removal of the head of a living fish, gills undulating apart from a severed body, giving me a bad case of the willies.  With time and experience I hardened into a snakes and snails boy and eventually into a fisherman, but in that process I realized it wasn’t the fishing I was so interested in, it was the boat!

Later, when I was a little older, Dad got serious and bought a three horsepower, blue Lightwin Evinrude outboard motor to expand our fishing horizons:

  

I was thrilled.  I couldn’t wait for him to clamp it on, gas it up and take us for a spin. After he had tested all its features, he let me come aft from the rowing seat to “drive the boat”.  Wow, I was the one propelling the boat through the water, moving us through the ½ ft chop with ease, splashing water port to starboard as the bow hit the backside of each wave, stirring up a bubbling, churning eddy behind us creating a white boat-made wave that I later learned is called a wake.  I was in control of a moving vessel with my dad, a veteran yachter in the WWII Picket Patrol.  The drone of the Evinrude, the little outboard motor at all levels of throttle sounded like to latest fifty horsepower engines, the most powerful of the day.

I felt I had arrived. I was exhilarated and hooked like so many fish I had caught.

As summer turned into off-season I solicited all the boating fodder I could muster in the manner of catalogues and manuals.  I was even going to build a wooden boat; they were cheaper, though still not within my budget until I was much older.  I dreamed of boats, I craved them, probably even more because they were out of my reach.  They have never lost their allure and I’m sure they won’t until I’ve departed my wits and find glamour in a wheelchair.  I hope it floats.

So what's so special about boating you wonder, it doesn't excite me! Who cares? Well, I understand how you feel, I don't get your passion either. All I know is this early memory is indelibly etched into my cerebrum and it's impact has been far reaching. I bet yours has too.

On further reflection, as I ponder the power of passion, I realize how consuming it can become to the neglect of other life's demands; it needs to be tamed, honed and leveled. But, you don't have to understand it to know that life is so much richer for having had it, not only for the pleasure derived in pursuing it and engaging in it, but in the way you can share it in a special way most can't comprehend, but can appreciate. For me my spark was an early boating memory, and it awakened a passion. Got a match?

Visit The Great Sacandaga Lake:  

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill is the author of the book, Lubber's Log published by Llumina Press; a boating primer and adventure story about a couples experiences in moving up to a bigger boat.  

You can visit his website here.

Boat Bedding - A Simple Solution

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

Storage on a boat is rarely a problem if your boat is larger than your needs, but if you are like most boaters, there's never enough room to satisfy all the creature comforts. Sometimes there are just better ways to do things; ways to make your time on the water a little simpler and easier. Here is one cost effective, painless way to satisfy your bedding needs aboard a boat. It's called a travel sheet or sleep sack. Here's more...

By Jeff Solomon

Trying to adapt standard size sheets to your boat can be difficult, especially if your mattress is not a standard size. Custom sheets can be ordered but they are expensive and usually not easy to maintain. You will pay a premium for any custom sheet set. Along with a fitted or flat bottom sheet, you will also need a top sheet and pillow case. How many sets you carry on board depends on how many beds you have as well as how often you sleep on board and how often you entertain guests overnight.

New guests need clean sheets. Carrying multiple sets on board takes up space and each bed needs a set or two. If you buy a new boat, chances are you'll have to invest in new bedding to fit the new mattresses. Then there is the maintenance involved. Washing and drying multiple sets of bedding becomes tedious and expensive. Lately bed bugs have become a huge problem on land and it's only a matter of time before they become the same problem on smaller boats and yachts as they have on cruise liners. Linens must be laundered at higher temperatures to ensure no bed bugs or bed bug eggs make it onto your boat.

To easily solve all these problems simply use a high quality travel sheet or sleep sack. This ingenious product is a top sheet, bottom sheet and pillow case all rolled into one. Now you don't have to make the bed, just lay the travelsheet down on top of the mattress, put the pillow into the pillow pocket and you're ready to go. When it's time to wash the sheets, all you have is one item per bed.

Sizing for travelsheets can range from 34 inches wide to 80 inches wide. Lengths are usually between 75 inches and 92 inches. With such a variety of sizes available, finding one to fit your needs should be easy. By using a travel sheet which is larger than the mattress and tucking it in, it will look like a perfectly made bed.

There are many different fabrics and qualities to choose from. For optimum comfort, 100% cotton is your best bet. Investing in a high quality cotton with a high thread count will ensure years of comfortable use for you and your guests. Some high quality travel sheets can be washed in hot water and dried on a high heat setting, not only will this sanitize your sleep sack but it will also simplify your washing chores. No more worrying about wash and dry temperatures and no more worries about shrinking your expensive sheets as any high quality travel sheet should be pre shrunk.

An added benefit of having a few travel sheets on board is the ability to use them if you are traveling to other ports and staying on land in a hotel. You might not be familiar with the accommodations or you may find yourself having to sleep on sketchy sheets. Clean emergency bedding is never a bad thing.

No matter the size of your boat or how many it can sleep, a couple of extra travel sheets on board can make your life easier and you can rest assured that you'll never run out of clean sheets for family or guests.

http://www.allersac.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6217896

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill is the author of the book, Lubber's Log published by Llumina Press; a boating primer and adventure story about a couples experiences in moving up to a bigger boat.  

You can visit his website here.

Eight Knots A Boater Should Know

What is a knot but a simple twist, a clever bend of a piece of rope or line that when used properly can make fast a boat to a piling, dock, mooring, fender, an anchor, another boat; anything that needs pulling, lifting or fastening. If done right, it can be tied easily, securely and can be just as easily untied. Knots are a boater's blessing, take advantage of the nifty little tricks invented centuries ago. Master the eight knots shown in this video you should be able to handle most, if not all of your marlinspike seamanship needs with the skill of a magician.

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill is the author of the book, Lubber's Log published by Llumina Press; a boating primer and adventure story about a couples experiences in moving up to a bigger boat.  

You can visit his website here.