By Bob Currie, Recreational Boating Safety Specialist
U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Base Galveston Flotilla
At some time, every boat and crew will encounter wind or sea conditions that challenge safe, successful boat operation. Due to size and design differences, extreme weather for one vessel is not necessarily challenging for another. Also, crew training, experience, and skill more often than not make the difference between safety and danger, regardless of the vessel.
Size, stability, and power are vessel characteristics that enhance safety and allow some forgiveness in large waves and high winds or due to the occasional lapse in skill or judgment. On the other hand, lightweight, speed, and agility give a means to avoid or to outrun conditions but offer little protection or forgiveness for the slightest miscalculation. Caution should be used at all times. The power of winds and waves and what they can do to a vessel or crew should never be underestimated. Some boats are specifically made for operating on lakes and rivers but should not be considered as appropriate for operating offshore.
Jon boats are one type of boat that does not work well as an offshore boat. Jon boats are easy to swamp when the waves break over the transom, and since they are not self-bailing like boats designed to be operated offshore, it is difficult to recover from the amount of water from even a single wave breaking over the transom. While a bay boat may work well in a calm bay, the waves encountered offshore are almost always more than such a boat can handle, and the consequences are often disastrous. Only boats designed for offshore use should venture out into the Gulf.
In order to operate successfully offshore, the boat operator must learn the vessel’s motions and peculiarities. Operate the vessel frequently and develop a working knowledge of its response to waves and winds. Excessive boat motion is very fatiguing and could cause motion sickness. Learn the motions the boat makes in response to varying sea conditions. Find out if the vessel has any distinctive tendencies, for instance, attaining a dangerous heel while cresting a wave in high winds, burying the bow in all but the longest swells, or “lightness” to the stern in quartering conditions. Learn and develop techniques to minimize vessel motion in all conditions. A small tweak of the throttle or a smooth helm-hand can make the ride much smoother and less fatiguing. On smaller vessels, keep passenger weight centered around the helm position. This is usually near the boat’s center of gravity. It will make the ride more comfortable for the passengers and will allow the hull to ride as designed. Many boats have recommended seating patterns that should be followed, especially when the water becomes rough. As Dirty Harry might have said had he been a recreational boater, “You have got to know your boat’s limitations.”
If you are going to operate offshore, in addition to having a boat designed for offshore operation you should:
- Always wear lifejackets when underway
- Have a satellite communication device
- Don’t overload the boat
- Always file a float plan
- Always check the weather and tides
- Always post a lookout
- Don’t operate beyond your fuel range
Lifejackets
Type I PFDs, or offshore lifejackets, are the most buoyant PFDs and suitable for all water conditions, including rough or isolated water where rescue may be delayed. Although bulky in comparison to Type II and III PFDs, offshore lifejackets will turn most unconscious individuals to the face-up position. 
They range in sizes from adult to child. Type I PFDs usually have around 22 pounds of buoyancy, while Type II have only around 15 pounds of buoyancy. This is important because rescue often takes hours when you are offshore, while near shore rescues, being much closer to help, can take an hour or less. A Type II PFD won’t keep your head as high above the water and heavy waves found offshore.
Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) or Emergency Position Indicator Beacon (EPIRB)
While the VHF marine radio is a significant upgrade from visual distress signals, it, too, has its limitation, that being distance from shore, due to its line of sight only operation. The next step up is to use a satellite-based Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) or Emergency Position Indicator Beacon (EPIRB). The biggest difference between these two devices is that EPIRBs are registered to a boat while PLBs are designed for use by an individual. EPIRBs are mounted on the boat itself, while PLBs are usually worn on a PFD or carried in a pocket or “ditch bag” (a bag of emergency gear you can grab in a hurry). PLBs must be manually activated while a Category 1 EPIRB activates when submersed. A Category 2 EPIRB can also be manually activated. Newer model PLBs and EPIRBs have dual transmitting. They transmit at 406 MHz to the satellite detection system, and they have a 121.5 MHz swept tone homing signal. Other more advanced EPIRBs also have an Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmitter for localized rescue.
When triggered, the PLB or EPIRB transmits a unique serialized ID to the Cospas-Sarsat MEOSAR satellite system which can pinpoint your location anywhere on the earth’s surface. This is typically within minutes but can be up to 45 minutes depending on satellite coverage. The Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) then forwards the details of the emergency to the appropriate local Search and Rescue (SAR) services.
Satellite Phones and Satellite Messaging Devices
While PLBs and EPIRBs will always result in someone coming to the rescue, they have their limitations. They cannot indicate the nature of an emergency- they can only indicate that a person or vessel is in distress.
The SMS messaging device (orange) here can be used to send text messages, or it can be linked to your smart phone for using it as a satellite phone. The blue phone is a standard satellite phone. Satellite phones vary in cost. Some messaging devices and satellite phones allow you to inactivate their plans when not being used and then activate them for use during a voyage. The phones are not cheap to buy or use, but the messaging devices can do the trick and offer much better affordability. Not every phone or messaging device connects to every communication satellite, so you must ensure that the phone you choose will work in the geographic area in which you plan to operate. I have two friends who use the messaging devices and are quite happy with them.
Don’t Overload the Boat
Overloading a boat can drastically change the boat’s operating characteristics, including its fuel consumption rate. A boat that leaves port at near capacity could end up overloaded if you catch a lot of fish. Many boaters who operate offshore have dual engines. If one engine fails, they can usually limp back in on one. One important consideration when powering a boat with dual engines is to be able to get on plane with only one engine running. If you can get on plane with one engine, your trip back in will be much faster than if you can’t reach a planing speed. A 100-mile trip at 25 mph is only four hours long, whereas the same trip at 10 mph takes 10 hours. If you overload your boat, you might not be able to reach planing speed.
File a Float Plan
As mentioned in another column, the best float plan I have ever seen can be found as part of the U.S. Coast Guard smart phone app. It not only asks specific questions needed to help rescuers find you, but it will also email the completed float plan to up to two contacts. Float plans completed using the Coast Guard app can be saved and used as many times as you wish, and can be edited to fit the current situation, including date and time, itinerary, and persons on board. Anyone on the boat can file a plan. You do not have to be the Skipper. Even Gilligan, the Howells, Ginger, the Professor and Mary Ann could have filed a float plan. If you choose to file a float plan using another method, the following information should be provided to at least one contact:
- Your boat’s identification (registration number, length, type, type of propulsion)
- Your vehicle information (make, model, license plate number, launch location)
- Safety gear aboard (Life jackets, visual distress signals, food and water)
- Persons on board (name, age, gender, address, phone number)
- Itinerary
- Where will you depart from and what time will you depart
- Where are you going to and what time do you plan to arrive
- Any waypoints along the way
- Check in time (always have a check in time and don’t forget to call)
Always Check the Weather and Tides
Boaters should always check the local weather forecast before leaving the dock. Besides newspaper, radio, and television forecasts, boaters should get to know online forecasts published and updated frequently by the National Weather Service (NWS) and various private sector forecasting companies. Ships, marinas, and yacht clubs also may display storm warning flags. There are some good smart phone apps available. I use Storm Radar and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) app, NowCOAST. Both are GPS-based and track your location in reference to the maps.
Boaters should try to become proficient in recognizing weather changes when they are out on the water. They also should check the NWS forecast hourly on VHF-FM weather channels 1 through 10. Channel 1 is the active channel in the Galveston area. If you have a recommended marine radio, you can scan the weather channels in addition to the requirement to monitor channel 16, although the Coast Guard does give weather updates as well. Tides are important because if you are fighting an outgoing tide while trying to get back in, that tide can greatly affect your fuel consumption rate. Reducing speed can overcome the increase in fuel consumption due to fighting the tide.
Always Post a Lookout
Designate someone to watch for dangers that may come from any direction. Use all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions, including sight and hearing, radar, and AIS (Automatic Identification System, which uses transceivers on ships). Although you may have the latest electronic innovations such as GPS, radar, and infrared, your primary means of avoiding a collision remain your eyes and ears. One of the most important things you can do to enhance your ability to see obstructions is to slow down. You do not want to overrun the limits of your vision; that is, you want to be able to stop short of or steer clear of objects you sight in the water. Obstructions above the water include other vessels, land (yes, people run upon land all the time at night), jetties (a vessel with three persons aboard was recently rescued whenever they ran onto the Galveston north jetty), fixed objects such as gas wells (lighted and unlighted) aids to navigation (lighted and unlighted), crab pot floats, and debris in the water. Obstructions below the water include crab pots (that rope that is attached to the float will foul your prop and strand you), submerged pipes, sunken ships (we have MANY in our area), shallow reefs and shoals. Your methods of avoiding such obstructions should include studying an up-to-date chart of the area in which you intend to operate. If you have GPS, be sure to update your chart plotter so that the latest obstructions are included. When you have two lookouts in the daytime, one lookout usually focuses forward and the other focuses on aft observation. At night, you may want to shift their observation to forward on the port side and forward on the starboard side.
Don’t Operate Beyond Your Fuel Range
Inexperienced boaters may think that their fuel range is how far they can go on half a tank. Experienced boaters know that they often use less fuel going out due to favorable winds and tides than they do coming back in. The Coast Guard recommends that you consider your boat’s range to be the distance you can go on one third of your fuel, and that you keep one third of your fuel in reserve. If you find yourself in a low fuel situation, notify the Coast Guard immediately if within radio range. Reduce speed to conserve fuel and have an alternate port in your plan that may be closer than your destination.
A Word About Sunscreen
While it is important to use a good sunscreen when boating, keep in mind that the place to apply it is before you board the boat. First, it takes a while for the sunscreen to bind to your skin. The best practice is to apply it 30 minutes before venturing outside. Second, spilled sunscreen can cause a very hazardous slipping hazard if spilled on the deck of your boat or on the gunwales, especially if water or moisture mixes with the sunscreen. Third, many sunscreens form a chemical reaction with a boat’s gel coat, causing ugly stains that cannot be buffed out. Be sure to wash your hands after applying sunscreen so that you don’t leave slick handprints that also stain the boat’s finish.
Summary
I have only mentioned a few important considerations for operating offshore. Other considerations include having an experienced crew, crewing aboard another boat with an experienced captain so you can gain experience, and ensuring that all aboard are fit and healthy before leaving the dock. Paraphrasing a scene from “The Godfather”: leave the beer; take the water.
For more information on boating safety, please visit the Official Website of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division at www.uscgboating.org. Questions about the US Coast Guard Auxiliary or our free Vessel Safety Check program may be directed to me at [email protected]. I am available to perform free Vessel Safety Checks in my area, and I will come to your location to perform them. SAFE BOATING!
[Jul-5-2022]
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