Seamanship & Navigation - Ocean Navigator

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…

10 Feb

U.S. Sailing Names 2024 Community Sailing Award Winners

Eric ColbyCruising Rallies, Offshore Sailing, Sailboat Racing, Seamanship & Navigation

US Sailing has announced the winners of the 2024 Community Sailing Awards. They were presented during a ceremony at the Sailing Leadership Forum in Coronado, Calif., on Feb. 9. “These awards honor exceptional individuals and organizations that have demonstrated outstanding leadership, innovation and dedication to fostering community sailing programs and expanding access to the sport,” US Sailing said in a statement. The award recipients were celebrated for their contributions to breaking down barriers to access, fostering innovation and building vibrant, inclusive sailing communities. This year’s honorees represent a range of achievements including program innovation, leadership and volunteer contributions. They are…

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blamed on one of two things: the actuator doesn’t work right, doesn’t fully engage the CO2 cartridge or the actuator is out of date.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…

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…

17 Jan

Charlie Dalin Wins Vendée Globe

Eric ColbyOcean Voyaging, Offshore Sailing, Racing News, Sailboat Racing, Seamanship & Navigation

On January 15, solo sailor Charlie Dalin at the helm of MACIF Santé Prévoyance crossed the finish line for the 2024 Vendée Globe around the world sailboat race, shaving more than five days off the predicted time. “I am the happiest man in the world,” he said 20 minutes after claiming victory. “I have never experienced such emotion, never experienced that in my entire life. It is the most beautiful finish line of my career with this daylight breaking through.” He arrived at the finish in Las Sables-d’Olonne, France, on January 14 at 8:24:49 a.m. local time, finishing with a…

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…

08 Jan

Cruising Club of America Awards Highest Honor

Eric ColbyNavigation, Ocean Voyaging, Offshore Sailing, Sailboat Racing, Seamanship & Navigation, Voyaging Skills

The Cruising Club of America has named Leiv Poncet of the Falkland Islands, the recipient of the 2024 Blue Water Medal. This accolade was established to honor exceptional seamanship and adventure by amateur sailors. It recognizes Poncet for his many high-latitude voyages around the world that were taken without fanfare. First granted 101 years ago, the Blue Water Medal is the CCA’s highest honor. Poncet follows in the footsteps of legendary sailors including Bernard Moitessier, Eric and Susan Hiscock, Thies Matzen and Kicki Ericson and Jean-Luc Van Den Heede. Poncet is the first to follow in the footsteps of his…

06 Jan

New Slow Speed Zones in Miami

Eric ColbyBoat Accidents, Navigation, Power Voyaging, Seamanship & Navigation

The Captain of the Port for Coast Guard sector Miami announced the establishment of a new regulated navigation area for parts of the Port Miami. It creates a slow-speed zone for vessels shorter than 164 feet long transiting through Fisherman’s Channel and the Main Ship Channel, also known as Government Cut. The new rule was published in the Federal Register on Dec. 30, 2024, and will go into effect on Jan. 29. “Recreational boating safety in our busiest waterways is incredibly important for both the safety of life at sea and the continuity of commerce that flows through our marine…

13 Dec

Cornell Announces High Latitude Challenge

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

Offshore sailing legend Jimmy Cornell has announced a sailing flotilla around the American continents including voyages to the Arctic and Antarctic. It starts in 2026 and registration is open. Cornell founded the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers nearly 40 years ago and followed that up with other flotillas around the world. Greenland, the Northwest Passage, the North and South Pacific, Cape Horn and the Antarctic peninsula are all planned to be part of the High Latitude Challenge. “In recent years, high-latitude voyages have become increasingly popular with sailors interested in more remote destinations,” Cornell Sailing said in a press release. “The…

05 Dec

Sailor Lost at Sea During ARC Rally

Theresa NicholsonBoat Accidents, Cruising Rallies, Ocean Voyaging, Offshore Sailing, Racing News, Sailboat Racing, Seamanship & Navigation

Second vessel abandoned after taking on water. The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers community, along with the extended sailing community, is mourning the loss of Swedish sailor Dag Eresund, who was lost overboard from Volvo 70 racing yacht Ocean Breeze on Monday. A mayday call went out at 2:30 UTC on December 2 from Ocean Breeze, sailing approximately 1,300 nautical miles east of Bermuda in challenging conditions with winds gusting more than 30 knots. A search was initiated by the vessel. The U.S. Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) in Norfolk, Va., (MRCC) put out an emergency alert to all shipping for…