Early on in my boat-testing career, I learned the hard way about what can happen when boating in unfamiliar waters. The boat company set up our test out of a beautiful Southwest Florida resort adjacent to Pine Island Sound. As I boarded the shiny new 30-foot cruiser and set to throw the lines, I asked the company rep where we should go to run the boat.

“I don’t know,” he answered. “I’m from Wisconsin.”

A dockhand happened to ­overhear and said that whatever we do, don’t veer outside the marked channels. So we idled out and then started ­collecting performance data between the safety of the red and green channel markers. All went well ­until we started running at speed in a stretch of water where the channel markers seemed at least a half-mile apart. I decided to try a hard-over turn at speed—­standard testing procedure—and wandered outside the designated channel by about 20 feet. Sure enough, we both heard and felt the whump of the bow ­slamming into soft sand, then the boat stopped moving. What was supposed to be a two-hour boat test turned into a six-hour one as we waited for the tide to rise.

Lesson learned.

When boating in unfamiliar waters, there are steps you can take to ensure that you don’t wind up high and dry—or worse.

Seek Out Local ­Knowledge

Unlike that boat test decades ago, a GPS and chart plotter now come standard on all but the simplest of boats. Make sure to update chart-plotter software to include whatever new waters you might be visiting, and also purchase a paper chart as a backup. But before you launch, ask around at the local docks and seek out people who regularly boat in the area. They will be able to share information about shifting sandbars, recent unmarked hazards, and quirky navigation tricks that might not be obvious. For instance, the spot where I ran aground gave away no telltale signs of being shallow, such as a color change, current seam or standing birds. To the naked eye, the water in the area looked exactly the same. We should have listened to the dockhand.

Another great resource is the Coast Guard’s Local Notices to Mariners, which can be found under the “LNMs” tab on its ­Navigation Center site (navcen​.uscg.gov). From there you can ­select a region and find out if a buoy or nav beacon is down, if a sandbar has shifted at an inlet, etc.

Read The Water

It’s not ­always the case, but often your ­surrounding environment will provide clues as to what’s happening around you. Breaking waves in an inlet typically indicate a depth change and should be avoided. A drastic color change in the water can also reveal a spot where deeper water transitions to shallow. More-­concentrated wind dimples can be a ­telltale sign of a depth change or a submerged hazard. Trust your ­senses; if something looks slightly off, it probably is.

Read Next: How to Avoid Underwater Boating Hazards

Stay the Course

You might think you’re safe just by monitoring your electronics and ­following the course laid out for you onscreen. But be sure to account for how wind and current affect your boat as you navigate. A crosswind or current can push you astray, even when you think you’re tracking true. And as we found out that fateful day, in some areas, straying even a few feet outside the channel can be the difference between safely reaching port and being hopelessly stranded.

The post Safely Navigating Unfamiliar Waters appeared first on Boating Mag.

It was a beautiful August afternoon in Maryland, and my fiancée, her granddaughter, and I decided to take my 28-foot cabin cruiser down the South River and out into the Chesapeake Bay to the picturesque Thomas Point lighthouse, 5 miles from the marina. Once there, we decided to visit Annapolis, about 7 miles farther across open water dotted with crab traps. We went down Ego Alley and meandered through nearby Back Creek before heading home. I had noticed the voltmeter reading low and slowly dropping, but I pushed on.

The seas had picked up to about 2 feet on our bow, making for a rough ride. Suddenly, the boat jerked and veered hard to starboard. I looked around and saw the anchor line leading behind our boat, pulling a crab-pot float (more on this later). The anchor had jumped off its hook and deployed. We stopped the boat, and I hauled in the anchor, which had its shank bent 45 degrees.

I went to restart the boat and nothing. Both banks of batteries were apparently dead. I thought about checking the engine compartment, but the boat was rocking a lot.

We donned life jackets, and I called TowBoatUS. I deployed the anchor again, but we kept drifting because it would not dig in. We were lying sideways to the 2-foot seas, and the cooler and refrigerator down below upchucked their contents. The granddaughter also upchucked her contents all over the cockpit.

Ninety minutes later, Capt. Greg with TowBoatUS showed up and towed us safely back to our marina.

We made it in before dark. Upon raising the boat on its lift, I noticed that there was a metal crab pot firmly wrapped around the prop. So, we would not have been able to make it home, even if I had found and fixed the loose battery connections that had prevented the motor from restarting.

Read Next: The Importance of Wearing a Life Jacket

What we did right: donning life jackets, keeping calm, deploying the anchor to slow our drift, and having three working cellphones and a handheld VHF. Had I gone into the engine compartment to troubleshoot, I could have been injured with the severe rocking.

What we did wrong: not fully checking everything before leaving the boat slip, not stopping in Back Creek to check the voltage drop, and not staying clear of the crab-pot area. I have since installed locknuts on the battery connections to keep them secure and tight.

Jim Anderson
Davidsonville, Maryland

Wanted: Your Stories
Share your boating mistakes and mishaps so that your fellow boaters might learn from your experience. Send us your first-person accounts, including what went wrong, what you’d do differently, your name and your city, to editor@boatingmag.com and use “ILAB” in the subject line. If your story is selected for publication, we’ll send you a $100 West Marine Gift Card!”

The post Ignoring a Warning Sign Ruins a Day of Boating appeared first on Boating Mag.

After months of extensive preparations, my friend Coy and I headed for the Bahamas from Brunswick, Georgia, on Makana, his 32-footer.

Prior to leaving for the Bahamas, we learned that the -autopilot on Makana was not functioning, so Coy had a marine-electronics technician come to repair it and conduct a test trip. It was now running great. Having cruised extensively, we knew the value of an autopilot for fuel and time savings and for reducing stress on the skipper.

We set off, heading under the Sidney Lanier Bridge before allowing the autopilot to take control. Within seconds, Makana veered sharp to starboard and started swerving erratically. I immediately disengaged the autopilot and took control of the steering.

Read Next: Compounding Mistakes Make for a Dangerous Situation

Coy was not happy and was talking about returning to the dock. The autopilot had functioned flawlessly just a few days prior. Why was it suddenly acting like this?

I had experienced a similar event before on a boat that had its fluxgate compass and controls in one unit. It worked great in stand-by, but if I hit the engage button, it would turn us hard starboard. I figured out that the external fixator on my wrist (used to repair a fracture I had sustained) was causing the problem, so I thought maybe we had a fluxgate-compass problem with Makana.

After a thorough search in the aft cabin, I located the fluxgate compass situated at the bottom of the aft hanging locker, next to a No. 10 tin can (110 ounces) of peanuts. We quickly relocated the peanuts, and the autopilot operated flawlessly for the remainder of the voyage. Sometimes the solution to a boat problem can be quite simple, and this, thankfully, was one of those cases.

Charles Wilsdorf
Brunswick, Georgia

[The key safety takeaway here is that Mr. Wilsdorf remained at the helm, despite using an autopilot. Had he left the helm, the boat may have struck something or a sudden turn may have thrown someone overboard. Always keep a helm watch when using autopilot. —Ed.]

Wanted: Your Stories
Share your boating mistakes and mishaps so that your fellow boaters might learn from your experience. Send us your first-person accounts, including what went wrong, what you’d do differently, your name and your city, to editor@boatingmag.com and use “ILAB” in the subject line. If your story is selected for publication, we’ll send you a $100 West Marine Gift Card!”

The post Troubleshooting Autopilot Interference appeared first on Boating Mag.

A floating traffic jam quickly developed as we joined a line of other boats, not unlike a solemn funeral procession, through a narrow channel behind a half-submerged vessel under tow and en route to a nearby boatyard, escorted by an entourage of local harbor patrol and Coast Guard vessels. 

Some of us feathered our throttles to keep idle speeds in check and remain well astern of the stricken vessel, the 100-foot ­hawser serving as the tow line, and the heavily burdened TowBoatUS as its captain skillfully negotiated the circuitous channel. 

All of the boaters cooperated in offering the tow boat and its ­tethered load a wide berth—­except, that is, for one impatient boater who ignored common sense and tried to pass on the north side of the channel between a shoal and the taut hawser. 

A piercing blast of a siren and a public scolding over the loudspeaker from one of the harbor patrol officers put a halt to this ill-advised shortcut, and the chagrined captain sheepishly backed away and rejoined the procession amid the disapproving scowls of other boaters.

Giving vessels in tow a very wide berth ranks as a key tenet of prudent seamanship. By the way, a vessel in tow also refers to one that is being pushed and hauled along the side (on the hip), as well as one being pulled. Whichever the case, the two vessels are often referred to collectively as a “tug and tow” or simply as a “tow.” In these scenarios, a vessel in tow lacks power, and sometimes steering, and the towing vessel is extremely limited in its ability to maneuver or adjust speed.  

A tow is always designated as the stand-on vessel. In any encounter, you are the give-way vessel. That means granting a tow the widest berth possible, giving it room to maneuver, especially when it’s one vessel ­pulling another, which is ­arguably the most dangerous to boaters. Navigate well astern of the tow and avoid crossing the bow at close range or, heaven forbid, cutting between a towing vessel and the one behind it. This has happened, and the results are almost always tragic. 

During daylight hours, recognizing a tow usually proves easy, although with a hawser ­stretching 200 meters or more between a tug and tow, inexperienced boaters might not associate one vessel with the other until it’s too late. 

That is why a vessel engaged in towing with a line exceeding 200 meters will fly a black diamond day shape. The towed vessel or object will show a black diamond as well. A vessel towing with a line that is less than 200 meters does not need to display a day shape.

Read Next: How to Safely Tow Other Boats

After dark, recognizing one vessel pulling another grows more difficult. In this case, the towing vessel is required to exhibit two masthead lights (three lights if the tow is over 200 ­meters) in line, as well as a yellow light situated over the stern light. The towed vessel must exhibit side and stern lights. Make sure you remember this when boating at night.

Fog presents the greatest challenge in distinguishing a tow, ­particularly one vessel pulling another, but a radar with good target separation will help you see the two in relatively close ­association, a sure tipoff of a tug and tow. 

An AIS overlay on the radar or a chart plotter will identify and confirm a tow. Press on the AIS on-screen icon to call up a page that describes the vessels engaged in towing, their size, speed, course, closest point of approach, and more. This will give you information you need to give the tow a wide berth.

The post Navigating Safely Around a Boat Being Towed appeared first on Boating Mag.

Whether you’re a spectator or a participant, nighttime boat parades featuring festive lights and creative boat and yacht displays can be one of the most fun and memorable traditions of the entire holiday season. From San Francisco’s famous Fisherman’s Wharf Holiday Lights & Sights Boat Parade to the Fort Lauderdale, Florida Winterfest Boat Parade, scores of cities and towns across the country light up the skies with dazzling Christmas-themed, floating showstoppers. Spectators only need conduct a simple internet search to find locally available parade sites and viewing times.

For parade participants, however, evening boat outings in the cooler winter months require special safety considerations. The Water Sports Foundation encourages boaters to plan ahead to stay safe as they participate in holiday boat parades by following these six safety tips.

Suit Up Like Santa: Wear Your Life Jacket! Drowning is the cause of death in 79 percent of fatal boating accidents where the cause of death was known; 86 percent of those drowning victims were not wearing life jackets. With parade participants often actively engaged in onboard movement and dance step routines, it’s important to be well prepared and suited up for safety. Boaters should all don U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets that are sized to fit: Choosing the Right Life Jacket – Water Sports Foundation. The great news is that there are many attractive styles and more streamlined designs now available for boating activities including new lightweight inflatables. Check your state law for mandates regarding life jacket usage and age requirements for children: NASBLA Life Jacket Requirements by State and Age.

Gear Up! Make sure all required boating safety gear is ready, functional and easily accessible. While signaling devices may already be tucked into your gear bag, consider a small, waterproof clip-on strobe light available from most marine stores that can be attached to your life jacket for extra visibility if needed. Always have a VHF radio on hand and know how to properly use it.

Dress for Success. Choose the right type of attire for local weather conditions and be prepared in case conditions change. Consider high tech fabrics to keep you toasty and dry. Remember, children lose body heat faster than adults, so bring extra layers of clothing in a waterproof dry bag, along with towels and blankets in case they are needed.

Always Designate a Sober Skipper. When it comes to holiday cheer, boaters need to be extra vigilant and understand the serious dangers and consequences associated with drinking and driving, which is compounded when navigating at night. The Water Sports Foundation recommends that boaters avoid impairment. If drinking is allowed by parade organizers, however, every boat should designate a sober skipper, a trained and experienced captain who agrees not to imbibe while operating the craft. Crew should be cautioned to avoid or at the least, minimize alcohol consumption to keep their wits about them while underway and onboard.

Learn the Parade Route in Advance. Most boat parade organizers provide a map of the parade route. Review the dock area along with the route and if possible, run your boat through the course in the daylight to spot any obstacles or challenges that may be harder to see with limited visibility.

Charge Your Batteries. Holiday boat parades mean colorful lights, music and lots of potential drain to your batteries. Make sure your boat batteries are fully charged and capable of handling the extra power demand associated with accessories like lights and stereo. Consider using LED decorative lights which use less electrical power, or a longer-lasting lithium-ion battery that is separate from your engine starting battery.

“We love holiday boat parades…they historically are great fun and extremely popular in boating communities across the nation,” said Water Sports Foundation Executive Director Jim Emmons. “By ensuring all your safety gear is aboard and in working order and adhering to a few simple boating safety practices, participants can maximize their boating fun and enjoy a great tradition with family and friends.”

About the Water Sports Foundation

Headquartered in Orlando, Fla., the Water Sports Foundation (WSF) is the non-profit educational arm of the Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA.net). The WSF National Boating Safety Media Center is produced under a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. For more information and to access boating safety resources, visit the new National Boating Safety Media Center at watersportsfoundation.com/media/ or contact WSF Communications Director Wanda Kenton Smith at Wanda@WaterSportsFoundation.com; text 407.697.8055 or WSF Media Relations Joel Staley at Joel@WaterSportsFoundation.com or text 407.242.9994.

The post Boat Parade Safety appeared first on Boating Mag.

Bowrise, or inclination, affects several aspects of your boat’s ride and handling. The basic thing to remember is that if the bow is up, the stern is down—and vice versa.

So, if you are navigating a ­shallow bit of water, it’s important to keep the bow down. As stated, keeping the bow down keeps the stern up. In this situation, we see many boaters with outboards and sterndrives who, properly, trim the drive up to reduce draft. However, just as many times we see the same boaters, and operators of inboard-powered craft as well, using too much power to go slow. Do so, and the trimmed drive—and built-in shaft angle of an inboard—depresses the stern, the bow rises, and the prop kicks up mud, sand, shells, or worse. Plus, operating like this causes the cooling water intakes to ­ingest more silt and sand.

Practice going slow at minimal rpm. It takes practice because operating at 600 or 800 rpm (for gas engines) doesn’t inspire confidence. It requires more ­attention to the helm, oversteering and correcting. Of course, in some situations, wind or current will dictate the use of higher rpm. But most times, operating slow at the least rpm helps the bow stay down and the stern stay up.

A boat carrying its bow too high while attaining plane can limit visibility forward and make for a bumpy, splashy transition before the boat levels out. Adding weight forward is one way to get your bow down quicker. For smaller boats, this might be ­accomplished by stowing the portable fuel tank forward, or having your crew sit up front, or even by the use of an extension ­handle to get the weight of the ­skipper of a tiller-steered ­outboard more ­forward.

Larger boats so equipped can trim the engine all the way in and deploy the trim tabs to help ­attain plane. Changing to a lower-­pitched propeller, or one with a larger diameter, can also help to get a boat planing sooner. Changing props will have other effects, though, so be aware of potential trade-offs, such as reduced rpm or top speed.

Read Next: How to Maintain a Boat’s Trim-and-Tilt System

Boats operating at ­planing speed can also suffer poor ­performance indicated by carrying their bow too high, or even too low. Ideally, and in general, a boat on plane will be most efficient at about 3 to 4 degrees of inclination. That number might be less for stepped hulls, the trim of which is built-in. So, once planing, retract the trim tabs and (if not inboard- or water-jet-­powered) begin ­trimming out the drive. Do this ­without changing throttle position much. Do so and you’ll watch the bow lift and rpm increase as you trim out. Too much trim, and speed will begin to fall off and the boat could start to ­porpoise. Too little trim, and you will be running bow down, aka plowing, producing a wetter ride and burning more fuel because there is more of the hull in the water to create drag.

Now, on rough days, you might want to trade off some efficiency and a drier ride for the smoother ride that a bow-down attitude might bring. Using the information in this article hopefully makes you aware of your choices, and the trade-offs, of boat trim.

The post Understanding the Basics of Boat Trim appeared first on Boating Mag.

I am a boat owner and also a recovery diver for the local sheriff’s office. The agency I work for received a call to assist a boat tangled in the shallow-water vegetation a few feet from shore of a 255-acre lake. We retrieved the body of a small child. The boy appeared frozen in time, as if he were in midkick of a swim when he died. Meanwhile, a bass boat was still humming a short distance away: Its trolling motor remained active, like the boat was still searching for the big catch of the day. This was, indeed, a tragedy.

Divers were ­unsuccessful in locating the adult of the boat. A fishing rod lay neatly on the foredeck, and children’s toys were strewn about. The boat’s GPS displayed its path, with a marked “event” near a finger of land. From there, the boat ran straight across a channel before reaching the far shore, where more circles and arcs appeared before the boat hung up in the weeds.

Two days later, the body of the vessel’s owner-operator surfaced. During the investigation, several major issues became apparent. Life jackets were stowed underneath the fishing platform, not within easy reach and, ­obviously, not worn. When investigators told the mother about the ­incident, she stated that she thought they had been gone longer than usual. So, apparently, no float plan was utilized. The now-widow also said that the father could not swim and the boy was still learning.

Read Next: How to Properly Read New Life-Jacket Labels

What exactly happened will remain a mystery. For the safety of all small-boat captains and crew, the necessity of wearing a life jacket cannot be stressed enough. If the captain cannot save him- or herself, how can he or she save the crew, the boat, or ask for assistance? Know how to swim, wear a life jacket, and file a float plan.

William Coleman
Parrish, Florida

[For details about float plans and who to leave them with, visit boatingmag.com/­how-to/filing-float-plan/. —Ed.]

Wanted: Your Stories
Share your boating mistakes and mishaps so that your fellow boaters might learn from your experience. Send us your first-person accounts, including what went wrong, what you’d do differently, your name and your city, to editor@boatingmag.com and use “ILAB” in the subject line. If your story is selected for publication, we’ll send you a $100 West Marine Gift Card!”

The post The Importance of Wearing a Life Jacket appeared first on Boating Mag.

From the front seat of my brother’s SUV, I smelled the faintest whiff of scorched metal but paid little heed—until, that is, we reached the launch-ramp parking lot, got out, and saw the sizzling-hot right wheel hub on the single-axle trailer. The bearing protector was MIA, the lubricating grease had vaporized, bearings and spindle had burned to a crisp, and the ­now-wobbly rim was barely attached.

We felt fortunate to make it this far, but clearly the hourlong return trip with the boat in tow was not in the cards. With a crippled trailer on our hands, the big question remained: What now? The good news is that we eventually came up with solution. I will explain more later.

In the meantime, it’s no exaggeration to say that most boat-trailer breakdowns ruin trips, and can leave you and your crew in dire straits and even ­life-threatening situations. 

Almost every trailer boater has had a breakdown, and those who have not probably will someday. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can begin preparing for such a possibility. A big part of the prep should focus on what could go wrong, taking measures to minimize the risks, and having the right items along in case of an actual emergency.

Common Catastrophes

A wide array of issues plague trailer boaters, but two of the most common are tire blowouts and burnt wheel hubs, according to Gary Jacobs, a BoatUS Trailer Assist provider, who has been manning a wrecker since 1986. Jacobs started in the mid-1990s as a provider for BoatUS Trailer Assist, which is an optional $15 annual upgrade available when boaters sign up for the TowBoatUS on-water towing services. A Trailer Assist provider will transport your trailer boat free of charge one time up to 100 miles if you suffer a trailer breakdown. 

Knowing that tire and bearing issues are major culprits in trailer breakdowns, Jacobs emphasizes the need to pay special attention to maintaining these elements. “Check your trailer tires for rot such as cracks in the sidewalls, and replace them immediately if they show this,” he advises. Sometimes trailer tires can rot from the inside, so it is a good idea to replace them every five years whether they look good on the outside or not, ­Jacobs adds. And make sure that you buy only trailer tires bearing the ST (special trailer) designation on the sidewalls. These have special sidewall reinforcements and other features specifically engineered to withstand the ­rigors of trailering.

Even with good trailer tires, make sure they are aired up to the maximum-rated psi designated on the sidewall, Jacobs says. Tires naturally lose air pressure over the months, so it is important to check the psi with a tire gauge on a regular basis. Underinflated tires can weaken sidewalls and lead to dangerous blowouts while on the road.

Jacobs also recommends ­inspecting the wheel ­bearings ­before every trip, looking for signs such as rusty-looking grease leaking out of the front or rear seals of the hubs (a sign of water intrusion) or wobbly wheels (an indicator that the bearings are shot). A complete wheel-bearing service at least once a year is mandatory, he ­believes. These steps help ensure that you spot any issues early, ­before they lead to a breakdown, Jacobs points out. 

Spare Parts and Tools

Even for boaters who practice fastidious maintenance, break-downs might still occur, so Jacobs suggests carrying a few spare parts and some tools to deal with these situations. Among the most basic is a spare tire to replace one that may have blown out, suffered a puncture, or become unusable due to road-hazard damage. You can carry the spare in the back of your truck or with a spare-tire carrier on the frame of your trailer. 

Jacobs endorses the idea of carrying a properly rated jack for changing trailer tires. “Forget about using the jack that came with your vehicle,” Jacobs advises. Many times these jacks prove insufficient for lifting a fully loaded boat and trailer. “Buy a 1.5-ton rolling floor jack and carry it when you tow the boat,” he says.

An alternative for trailers with tandem torsion axles is a ramp to lift the good tire, which also elevates the bad one.

“A true star wrench that fits the lug nuts on your trailer wheel is the best tool to change a tire,” Jacobs says. “Forget about those fold-down star wrenches.” Though fold-down versions are easy to stow, they will break on you at the worst possible time, the longtime wrecker advises. It’s also a good idea to periodically loosen and retighten the trailer lugs to help ensure that they do not become frozen with corrosion, especially if you launch in salt water.

Another item that Jacobs ­recommends is a spare wheel hub, preassembled with new bearings and seals, and packed with fresh grease. This can help salvage a trip if you burn up a hub but the spindle on the axle is still in usable condition. “­Changing a wheel hub is pretty easy,” ­Jacobs says, “but you will need a few tools, including some pliers to deal with the cotter pin and spindle nut, as well as a dead-blow hammer to remove and reinstall the bearing protector.” You also should carry a grease gun and plenty of clean rags to wipe up the grease, as well as a flashlight or headlamp in case of a ­nighttime breakdown. 

Also highly recommended is a set of reflective road triangles or flashing LED road lights to space out about 150 feet behind your rig if you need to pull over. These safety items help warn other motorists of your presence on the roadside as they approach, and are especially helpful at night.  

Read Next: Understanding & Maintaining Proper Boat Trailer Tire Pressure

Use the Right Lane

Knowing that a boat-trailer emergency can happen at any time, wise trailer boaters always use one of the right-hand lanes when towing on a multilane highway. Many states make these kinds of lane restrictions a legal requirement for any vehicle towing a trailer. 

The rationale is that these lanes are for slower vehicles such as those pulling a trailer, and that you can more readily reach the right shoulder or a freeway exit in case of an emergency. It also prevents the dreadful situation of being stuck in the emergency lane next to the center divider.

This practice saved my bacon a few years ago when the right front tire of my tandem-axle blew out. I was towing in the far-right lane on an infamous and unforgiving Los Angeles freeway, and so by staying to the right, I was able to expeditiously get over to the shoulder and safely change the tire.

Out of Harm’s Way

Jacobs offers strong warnings to trailer boaters who need to pull off to the side of the highway in an emergency. “Vehicle traffic is your biggest enemy, a danger that’s greatly amplified at night,” he says. “So be very careful, and try to get off the roadway as far as safely possible to help ensure that you, your passengers, and your rig are all of out of harm’s way.” 

In fact, the shoulder of the highway is so precarious that the veteran towing provider suggests that trailer boaters do their best to get off the highway altogether. “Don’t be afraid to keep going to the next off-ramp, especially if it’s fairly close,” he advises. “You might be dragging a flat tire, and you will need to slow down and put your hazard lights on as you limp to the next exit, but it will be easier and safer to deal with the emergency once you are completely off the highway.”

Once you do stop, be cautious when getting out of your vehicle. For safety’s sake, it might be a good idea to exit on the passenger’s side. Make sure your hazard lights are on, and put out those reflective road triangles or LED flashing lights behind your rig.

Calling for a Tow

Some breakdowns might exceed your ability to fix things on the spot. For instance, burnt spindles, broken springs, bent axles and busted crossmembers do not lend themselves to quick or easy roadside repairs. In such cases, you will need call for a tow to move your boat and trailer. 

But you likely won’t get what you need from a conventional ­auto-towing provider such as AAA. “A boat trailer is a totally different animal from a car or truck,” Jacobs points out. Boat trailers require different towing equipment and different thinking.

For example, a conventional tow truck—even one equipped with a hitch to tow a trailer—is fairly useless if the trailer boat cannot be towed. “That’s why nearly all BoatUS Trailer Assist providers use flatbed trailers,” ­Jacobs says. 

That brings us back to my brother’s boat. After assessing the damage, I asked, “Don’t you have the Trailer Assist option from BoatUS?” His eyes lit up. “I almost forgot,” he answered. “Yes, I do!” With the peace of mind that we could get his 17-foot G3 boat and trailer to a repair shop later in the day, we decided to limp over the ramp, put the boat into the water, and go fishing for a few hours.

Later, as we wrapped up our fishing session, we called the BoatUS hotline while still on the lake and arranged to have a Trailer Assist provider meet us with a flatbed truck in the launch-ramp parking lot. The operator gave us an ETA, and we had the boat back on the trailer just in time to winch onto the flatbed. We followed the provider to a trailer shop in the area that we had prearranged to handle the repairs. Everyone was super-friendly, and the whole process flowed like clockwork. Quite a relief.

Tall Order

With small, low-profile trailer boats, flatbed trucks work well. But some trailer boats—such as those with hardtops, high-profile power cats, and even pontoon boats—can be fairly tall, perhaps too tall when winched atop a flatbed truck to fit under highway overpasses, overhanging tree branches, or even overhead power lines. Also, as trailer boats grow in size, some might exceed the 24-foot maximum length for a flatbed truck.

In these cases, BoatUS Trailer Assist providers look to alternatives. To help in this process, the boat owner should know and advise the BoatUS operator of the maximum height and length of the boat and trailer. “In some cases, we might need to enlist the assistance of a specialty wrecker such as a low-boy trailer,” Jacobs says. “These are 2 feet lower than a flatbed truck and usually employed to tow heavy construction equipment.” 

Another alternative in such situations as busted axles is a dolly, which consists of a pan with wheels that is placed under the damaged portion of the trailer so that it rolls while being pulled by a conventional tow truck. 

Ultimately, if trailer ­boating is your game, preparation is the key—not only in avoiding ­breakdowns, but also in ­dealing with them if and when they ­eventually ­occur.

The post Planning for a Boat-Trailer Breakdown appeared first on Boating Mag.

Boat Fix, a recreational boating telematics company that provides a combination of real time remote monitoring, GPS tracking, sophisticated geofencing, and 24/7 live customer support, announced today its Admiral Club Member sponsorship of the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC).

“At Boat Fix safety is in our DNA and our goal is to promote safe, secure, and stress-free boating,” said Steve Pitsos, CEO, Boat Fix. “To support the NSBC at this level aligns with this vision. We are excited to be a part of the organization and thrilled to help them in their mission of advocating for a safer boating culture.”

“We are very grateful for the support of companies like Boat Fix,” said Peg Phillips, Executive Director, National Safe Boating Council. “Promoting safe boating takes constant education and outreach to the boating community. Only through the support of like-minded companies can we accomplish this vital mission.”

Boat Fix is more than a fleet management and monitoring solution. As a tool for safer boating and boat ownership, the Boat Fix app sends real time weather alerts and small craft advisories including wave height, visibility, and wind speeds based on the boat’s location; offers geofence protection; safety checklists of U.S. Coast Guard required equipment including calendar reminders with fire extinguishers and flare expiration dates and helps ensure that the correct number of life jackets are on board to be worn; pre- and post-departure checklists to help verify all systems are functioning properly; as well as remote monitoring of battery voltage – including ultra-low, low- and high-voltage which is critical for preventing degradation of battery life and avoiding potential fires or explosions. In addition, the Boat Fix app provides advanced navigation with NOAA charts with detailed navigation marks and depths, rather than industry-standard Google Earth maps.

Users of the Boat Fix Pro app can communicate with the 24/7 Boat Fix team at the touch of a button, through voice, text, email, or two-way video chat to answer questions and diagnose issues on the water. Every call is answered in seconds, in person, by trained professionals ready and willing to help. The industry-exclusive 24/7 Emergency Mechanical Helpline ensures boaters have immediate mechanical assistance over the phone if issues occur on the water. The 24/7 Boat Fix Control Center also monitors unauthorized use and boat-theft prevention and can share your boat’s exact location with law enforcement.

Founded in 1958, the National Safe Boating Council serves as a national catalyst for developing a safe boating culture by providing educational resources, outreach programming, and training opportunities for industry partners and the boating community to influence fun, safe, and responsible boating.

For more information on Boat Fix, visit boatfix.com.

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Crew-overboard situations require a clear head, a prerehearsed game plan, and the right gear to keep those in the water safe while waiting to be quickly retrieved. ­Eliminate one obvious concern by having those aboard wear personal ­flotation devices (aka life jackets). Prepare for the next action by having one of the following rescue devices aboard to alert and/or assist in retrieval.

Wireless Alarm

Fell Marine MOB+ Basepack Wireless Engine-­Cutoff Switch

The Basics: Offering more freedom of movement than the traditional engine-­cutoff-switch lanyard, wireless engine-cutoff systems combine a hardwired hub unit connected to a fob or wristband to stop the engine and trigger an alarm when the primary fob is submerged in 4 inches of water or travels out of range. An override mode allows other crew on board to restart the engine after six seconds.

Extra Credit: Additional fobs can be worn by crewmembers to alert the captain in the event if someone—or something—goes overboard.

Price: $220; additional bands $22; westmarine.com

Throwable

Jim-Buoy Type IV Ring Buoy

The Basics: The most basic, most essential piece of crew-overboard gear is a simple throwable. Coast Guard regs stipulate that all boats over 16 feet carry a Type IV throwable device, but be wary of the classic seat-cushion type that offers minimal flotation for someone struggling in the water. Opt for a brightly colored ring or horseshoe buoy that offers greater buoyancy and can be mounted within easy reach on a rail or bulkhead.

Extra Credit: Don’t forget to attach a retrieval line to quickly haul in an errant throw, as well as to reel in your ­crewmember once they’ve reached the throwable.

Price: $90; westmarine.com

Read Next: How to Get a Man Overboard Back Aboard

Rescue Sling

LifeSling2 Overboard Rescue System

The Basics: Rescue slings solve the most common issues with the standard throwable by combining a buoyant flotation collar with a 125- to 150-foot retrieving line. The combination allows the driver to circle around the victim and bring the line and buoyant flotation collar to them, rather than force a possibly tired crewmember, weighed down by clothing, to swim to safety.

Extra Credit: An exhausted crewmember can be difficult to get aboard. Combine with hoisting tackle to fashion a lifting sling with up to a 5-to-1 mechanical advantage to make it easier.

Price: $492; westmarine.com

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