by CaptRR
Feb 19 2013 in Feeds, Guest Dock, Navigation by CaptRR
Salish Sea Pilot Salish Sea Pilot guides are in PDF format, and display in phones, tablets and PC, Mac or Linux computers. They also look great on paper! Use any device or medium that suits you. Gulf Islands cruising guide This free guide covers anchorages, moorings and marinas throughout the Gulf Islands and southeastern Vancouver Island. [...]
by Deborah Bach
Oct 1 2012 in Currents, Navigation, Seamanship by Deborah Bach
Boaters can learn about navigation and using radar from textbooks and lectures, but it’s hard to beat hands-on experience. That’s the idea behind the newly opened Pilothouse Learning Center at Port Townsend’s Northwest Maritime Center. The center uses a marine simulator and three large screens to create the experience of being at the helm. It [...]
Aug 17 2012 in Navigation by Jeffrey Smith
Recently I’ve heard a lot of people use the “Making Trees” system to figure out if they are on a collision course with another boat. At first I thought it was kind of neat. I’d never heard of it. Something about it didn’t seem right though. The basic idea of “making trees” is that if [...]
Aug 9 2012 in Navigation by Marty McOmber
Taking the picturesque Swinomish Channel is supposed to be the safer alternative for boaters to get to and from the San Juan Islands and points north compared with crossing the notorious Strait of Juan de Fuca. Not in my book. Sure, the chances of getting walloped by breaking seas and knocked down by gale-force winds [...]
by Ryan Langley
Jul 5 2012 in Navigation, Seamanship by Ryan Langley
For a sailor, there’s nothing quite as unpleasant as running aground. Boats are meant to float free, and when they become acquainted with a solid surface, the very purpose of a boat ― namely, to travel through the water ― is gone. Besides briefly getting stuck in the mud when leaving Lopez Island while sailing [...]
by Vincent Pica
Jun 21 2012 in Navigation by Vincent Pica
I’ve written previously about radar and its advances (click here and here) and I remain a devotee of the technology. But you need to understand what you are seeing, may not be seeing and why. This column is about that. Best Case – What Can It See? Radar is one of those technologies where math and [...]
by Deborah Bach
Jun 20 2012 in Navigation by Deborah Bach
Boaters planning to travel through Washington’s Swinomish Channel during their summer cruising will need to plan carefully and might even consider an alternate route. The 11-mile channel will finally get the dredging it is overdue for, but the work isn’t expected to start until sometime in August — when boating season in the Northwest is well under [...]
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