Offshore Safety - Ocean Navigator

24 Feb

Organizers Investigate Vessel Abandonments in 2024 Bermuda Race

Eric ColbyBoat Accidents, Navigation, Ocean Voyaging, Offshore Safety, Offshore Sailing, Racing News, Sailboat Racing

After three sailboats were abandoned during the 2024 Newport Bermuda Race and return trip, the Bermuda Race Organizing Committee has partnered with US Sailing and the Cruising Club of America to conduct an in-depth safety review. The goal was to gather facts, analyze the incidents and make recommendations that will contribute to safer offshore sailing races. After interviewing the rescued and rescuing crews, the BROC and US Sailing have released individual reports for the three vessel abandonments. The reports provide important insights and lessons learned, reinforcing the need for preparedness, training and seamanship in offshore sailboat racing. The sailing vessel…

11 Feb

The New Revolution in Tide and Current Predictions

David BurchNavigation, Ocean Voyaging, Offshore Safety, Offshore Sailing, Power Voyaging, Seamanship & Navigation, Seamanship & Navigation Newsletter

We had one tidal revolution in 2021 when NOAA announced that they were discontinuing the decades-long use of Table 2 lists of secondary station corrections, and that there will no longer be any sanctioned annual Tide and Current Tables. Plus there will no longer be any international tidal data published by NOAA. Going forward, the way we get official tide and current predictions is go to tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov and create a monthly or annual table for specific stations as PDFs and then print them. It takes four pages per year, per station. This is a superior system, as we rarely needed…

04 Feb

Keep Inflatable PFDs up to Date

Eric ColbyBluewater Gear, Boat & Gear News, Offshore Safety, Seamanship & Navigation, Uncategorized

In its January issue, our sister publication, Professional Mariner, reported that a crew member on a pilot boat perishing after falling overboard. Canadian authorities found that the crew member was wearing an inflatable life jacket but it didn’t inflate. Since we haven’t covered the topic of inflatable life jacket maintenance in a few years in Ocean Navigator, it’s worth revisiting. An auto-inflating lifejacket malfunctioning can most often be blamed on one of two things: the actuator doesn’t work right, doesn’t fully engage the CO2 cartridge or the actuator is out of date. If you have an inflatable life jacket, an…

28 Jan

New Anti-Collision System and Gyrocompass

Eric ColbyBoat & Gear News, Electronic charting, Marine Apps, Marine Electronics, Navigation, Ocean Voyaging, Offshore Safety

Artificial Intelligence company SEA.AI has added to its machine vision systems with the SEA.AI brain. It integrates the technology with existing thermal cameras on a boat. The company demonstrated its abilities in its new Watchkeeper series of modular safety systems at the Boot Düsseldorf Show in Germany in January. Starting at less than $5,200, the Watchkeeper lets boaters customize a SEA.AI system based on personal preferences. The system comes with a 4k low-light camera with a wide field of view of 135 degrees, providing a comprehensive view of the surroundings around the boat. With integrated GPS and Intertial Measurement Units,…

23 Jan

New Lagoon 38 Catamaran

Eric ColbyBoat & Gear News, Offshore Safety, Offshore Sailing, Press release

Groupe Beneteau has introduced the Lagoon 38, a cruising catamaran with new hull shapes that offer a voluminous interior and 360-degree views. The salon has space for 10 people around a large table. A full galley has ample countertop space for food preparation plus a larger refrigerator than typically experienced on a European boat. Below decks, the owner’s cabin has a forward berth with an aft head and large shower stall. The cockpit and deck areas have been designed for easy passage for all members of the family. Extended transoms at the trailing edge of each sponson make it easy…

21 Jan

Hands-On Training

Eric ColbyNavigation, Newsletter, Ocean Voyaging, Offshore Safety, Offshore Sailing, Seamanship & Navigation, Voyaging Skills, Voyaging Skills, Voyaging Tips

Most teachers or people in a training/instructing position will tell you that one of the best ways to learn something is by doing it. But even instructors start somewhere. Marc Hughston founded Santana Sailing in 2003 in Long Beach, Calif., but he took his first sailing lesson at the age of 14 and has been on the water for most of his life. He is a U.S. Coast Guard 100 Ton Master and an American National Standards Instructor/Assessor as well as a Mediterranean Sailing License and Credentials Instructor/Assessor. In 2007, he was working as an instructor and had a crew…

16 Jan

Proposed Boat Speed Limit for Atlantic Coast Withdrawn

Eric ColbyBoat & Gear News, Boat Accidents, Industry & Company News, Navigation, Ocean Voyaging, Offshore Safety, Offshore Sailing, Power Voyaging, Seamanship & Navigation

The National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Commerce Department have withdrawn a proposed rule that would have imposed speed limits on boats operating off the East Coast of the United States. The rule was originally published in the Federal Register on Aug. 1, 2022, to amend the North Atlantic right whale vessel speed regulations. “NMFS withdraws this proposed rule in light of numerous and ongoing requests from the public for further opportunity to review and engage with the Agency on the proposal,” the fisheries service said in a statement. “NMFS’s existing vessel speed regulations remain…

15 Jan

Keep up with Expiration Dates

Eric ColbyNewsletter, Offshore Safety

Many pieces of boating safety equipment have expiration dates for good reason. For some it’s a matter of ingredients for handling an emergency remaining effective. For others, it might be based on battery life. Let’s look at some products with expiration dates and why you need to keep up with them. Ask any captain and he/she will tell you that fire is one of the biggest threats to any vessel. The first line of defense in quickly quelling flames is a fire extinguisher or automatic fire-suppression system. Most canisters have an expiration dates stamped on the bottom or side. The…

14 Nov

Lifejacket Takes Top Honors in DAME Awards

Eric ColbyBluewater Gear, Ocean Voyaging, Offshore Safety, Offshore Sailing

Marine safety products manufacturer TeamO took the top honors at the 2024 DAME Design Awards for its 150N Hi-Lift Lifejacket & Harness. The announcement was made at the breakfast briefing at the METSTRADE marine trade show Nov. 19 in Amsterdam. The TeamO product won its category, Personal Equipment, and was then named the overall winner by the award program judges. The jury identified a total of eight category winners, nine special mentions and two environmental DAME Design Award winners. What sets apart the 150N Hi-Lift lifejacket is its twisted bladder design. It moves most of the wasted buoyancy above the…

14 Nov

New Safety Products Launched at METSTRADE Show

Eric ColbyOcean Voyaging, Offshore Safety, Offshore Sailing, Power Voyaging, Sailboat Racing, Seamanship & Navigation

ACR Electronics introduced its new ResQFlare PRO and Ocean Signal launched its rescueME EDF2 distress light at the METSTRADE international trade show for the recreational boating industry in Amsterdam Nov. 19 to 21. Nominated for a DAME Design Award in the Safety and Security category, the ResQFlare PRO distress light represents a step forward in distress signal technology. ACR said the light exceeds U.S. Coast Guard requirements and combines electronic and optical technologies to give the ResQFlare improved functionality compared to pyrotechnic flares. The buoyant electronic visual distress signaling device delivers a more powerful SOS distress alert system to ensure…