Be Water Wise, “If in doubt, don’t.”
The US Coast Guard is reporting:
News Release: Coast Guard reminds boaters to “Boat Responsibly” during Labor Day weekend
SEATTLE — The U.S. Coast Guard anticipates an increased number of people will utilize Labor Day weekend to take advantage of the recreational boating opportunities available throughout Puget Sound, the Columbia River and along the coasts of Oregon and Washington.
To better prepare the boating community, U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and local marine law enforcement boat crews will be on patrol conducting safety checks on the water, and focusing on boaters who are operating their vessel in an unsafe manner or are operating their vessels while intoxicated.
Boaters, personal watercraft operators, paddlers, and surfers need to be aware of their surroundings, and are reminded to monitor the weather forecast continuously. Weather conditions can change instantaneously, especially during the summer months on throughout Puget Sound and the lower Columbia River region where rapidly forming fog, strong currents, wind and tide changes can hinder safe navigation.
Boaters are asked to remember one very important message this Labor Day weekend: “You’re in Command. Boat Responsibly!”
Here are three steps every boater can do to reduce the risk of accidents and/or prevent serious injuries and assure the boating community that “You’re in Command” and you will “Boat Responsibly.”
Boaters should always wear a life jacket. Wearing a lifejacket will increase the chances of survivability in a boating accident. The number one cause of boating fatalities is drowning, most often by sudden, unexpected entry into the water. The law states you must have a life jacket, or personal floatation device, for every person on board. The Coast Guard suggests you go one step further and wear your life jacket at all times. It is much more difficult to locate, access and don a life jacket at the moment the accident occurs.
DO NOT boat under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Alcohol and drugs affect judgment, vision, balance and coordination. Factor in boat motion, vibration, engine noise, sun, wind and spray and an operator’s impairment is accelerated. Intoxicated boaters can face both federal and state charges with penalties of up to one year in prison and fines up to $100,000. But, don’t be fooled into thinking that lesser amounts of alcohol consumption are OK, or that passengers aren’t at risk if they drink. The latest study on boating and alcohol indicates that the risk of a fatality rises significantly at amounts as low as .02 Blood Alcohol Content (BAC). (Legal definition of intoxication in Oregon and Washington is .08 BAC.)
Dress for the water, not the weather:
Water temperatures throughout the Pacific Northwest remain in the 50s during this time of year. Susceptibility to hypothermia is increased due to these lower water temperatures and survivability time in the water is decreased as a result. Wet suits and other personal protective equipment assist the body as an insulator, limiting exposure to dangerous water temperatures.
The complete USCG post is here.
Preparations in Portland, ME
Red Cross link is here.
RR
Just finished what I could to get ready for Earl… Some boats have moved but many are still here, and surprisingly with dodgers up, tenders in the water and items still on deck.
It’s a wait and see thing now.
Pray to Neptune for a good outcome.
M
(Ed. note: Maya C. is a regular BE commenter and has been a reader since or beginnings.)
King5.com is reporting:
SEATTLE – A Seattle diver captured Mother Nature at work in Seattle’s Elliott Bay.
Earlier this week, a fellow scuba diver told Koos du Preez that a giant Pacific octopus had just died and her eggs were starting to hatch.
Du Preez happened to have his underwater HD video camera with him and jumped at the opportunity to tape the underwater scene.
“It was just thousands of them out there, and you could see it looks like fairy dust almost, when you sit down they are just everywhere around you. It’s a pretty amazing sight,” he said.
The complete King5.com post is here.
(Ed. note: Thanks to BE reader Gerald Albertson for the link.)
This from friends in Portland, Maine
Track Earl via Wunderground, here
RR
I have been monitoring the hurricane discussions on weatherunderground all day. I called my insurance carrier for the boat to discuss coverage for hauling the boat and then had a lengthy discussion with our yard manager about the possibilty of hauling in the next 24 hours.
Given we are located in the 3rd largest anchorage ( 1200 moorings) on the east coast it’s unrealistic ( in my opinion) to think everyone can get hauled.
Tomorrow my plan is to reduce as much windage as possible on the boat, and stay in the anchorage…. For now. We have new tackle, new pendants, Kevlar chafe guards on the pendants and we are fortunate to be in a less populated area of the Falmouth anchorage. If the weather really changes for the worst and we cannot get hauled there is always, what I call, “plan c” which is to move to a hurricane hole. Time is certainly ticking….
Let you know more tomorrow…
M
1 . Load up beer (2 large ice chests full)
2. Have some beer
3. Load boat onto boat trailer
4. Have more beer
5. Drive real fast
6. Hit light pole (a solid one)
7. Boat will load itself onto truck!
(Ed. note: Thanks to BE reader Capt. Tim Delapp for this one.)
“looking for elvis,” snapped over the weekend
My all time favorite is, ”Wife’s Name”
These came in via Facebook
You’ve seen the sonar image of the Titanic‘s remains. Now, the video: here’s an eerie peek inside the debris of the most famous ship in history, shot by Expedition Titanic‘s new underwater remotely operated vehicle. Watch the chilling footage inside.
Katie, my collector
The Rules and Regs
Don’t run any water or flush until instructed.
What’s great about random drug testing is that it is indeed random. With only one week left in the summer season, yesterday was my day to visit the local clinic for a test. I asked if it was ok to snap a few shots with ye ole iPhone.
Here’s a little more information on Drug Testing, via Wikipedia.
(Ed. note: I did not use The Wizzinator.)
MV Clipper Adventurer (video)
CBC news is reporting:
Stranded Nunavut cruise ship passengers rescued
The Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Amundsen have rescued the passengers of a cruise ship that ran aground on an uncharted rock in Nunavut’s Coronation Gulf.
The MV Clipper Adventurer became stranded around 7 p.m. MT Friday while making its way from Port Epworth to Kugluktuk.
Efforts by the crew to dislodge the vessel during high tide on Saturday were unsuccessful.
All 118 passengers, as well as the crew, are safe and unharmed, cruise operator Adventure Canada said
The complete CBC news post is here.
(Thanks to BE reader Rod Pugh for the link.)
Unrelated Great White North Video
Location, just off the Friday Harbor Ferry Landing
Capt. Fritz prepares to dive on Andrew Z
Back on February 11, 2010 we made a post that this wreck at about 50′ had finally made the charts and notice to mariners. That post is here. The charts (electronic) and Notice to Mariners are free from the government.
Over the weekend a 36′ Cascade chose to drop the hook and the “Z” and was fouled.
