Home › Columns › How To

Boat Handling

Boat Towing Tips

October 29, 2007 - 4:09pm — Katie OLeary
  • Boat Handling
      • Towing Tips BD ePub Fall 07Tow ratings can be a confusing subject, as there are several kinds of ratings and many things to consider when estimating the weight of your tow. Start by referring to your vehicle’s operating manual for maximum ratings. Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) is the maximum weight a specific vehicle can tow. When estimating the weight of your tow, be sure to include fuel, water and any additional gear you have stowed aboard. The Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) is most important because it combines the total weight of your tow vehicle, including passengers, fuel, luggage, gear, etc. and the weight of your tow. For your safety and trouble-free towing, do not exceed the ratings listed by your tow vehicle.

Volvo IPS 850

August 8, 2007 - 4:52pm — Dick Aarons
  • Boat Handling
  • Diesel
  • Propeller
      • The Volvo Penta IPS system is now offered by more than 60 builders worldwide and is installed on approximatley 450 different models. There will continue to be naysayers who gripe that having a forward facing prop will expose the propellers in case of a grounding or water debris. However, this magazine has conducted several tests (See “The Future of Power,” April, 2007) and has concluded that the benefits far outweigh this one issue. In fact, we’ll be following up with a story of a boat with IPS hitting a log in New York Harbor. Yes, the boat had to limp home on one engine, but chances are that log would have damaged a conventional boat as well. However, the best part is that the next day Volvo service changed the entire unit within two hours! No struts to remove, or shafts to align.

Anchors Aweigh : Technology makes it easier to get that anchor back in the boat : Windlass manufactures

August 8, 2007 - 4:02pm — John Brownlee
  • Boat Handling
  • Products
      • I’m often accused of carrying an anchor one size too large for my boat, usually by whoever gets stuck with dropping or raising it. I’m guilty as charged, and make no apologies for it, because when I drop the hook, I like it to stay where it’s dropped, and there’s nothing more frustrating than having to reset a dragging anchor again and again.

So You Want to Be a Coast Guard Captain? The Real Boaters Six Pack

June 15, 2007 - 4:54pm — Anonymous
  • Boat Handling
  • MAY 2007

      •  

       

       

       

       

       

      When you think of getting a six-pack not everyone in boating knows it can mean something other than reaching for a cold one. I don’t profess to have known the difference for more than a couple of years. I do know that earning a U.S. Coast Guard Six-Pack or Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) captain’s license made me a better captain.

True Colors : Proper Flag Etiquette is a Tradition Worth Preserving

June 15, 2007 - 4:27pm — George Sass Jr.
  • Boat Handling
  • MAY 2007
      • I knew a captain who had two rules, or you could be removed from the boat. The first is you always had to wear a knife on your belt while on board. This was a safety measure more than anything. I think with the introduction of the multi-tool, it also became a matter of convenience. If you see a loose screw, you’re more apt to tighten it if you have a screwdriver on the hip.

Docking Fundamentals : When backing into a slip in heavy winds, it pays to remember the basics.

June 15, 2007 - 3:59pm — George Sass Jr.
  • Boat Handling
  • MAY 2007

      • Have you ever screwed up a docking approach so much that you continue to ponder it for a few weeks afterwards? This one blemish seems to taint all the joy of the boating experience you had just moments before. Well, if you haven’t stopped reading, you can move to the head of the class. If you have and want a few more tips on docking, specifically when backing down into a slip around pilings, read on.

Sinkers : What To Do When Your Boat Slips Into Neptune's Domain

May 7, 2007 - 7:50pm — Dick Aarons

Captain, MY Captain : Education and comunication will lead to more fun on the water for the captain and crew

May 7, 2007 - 7:47pm — christine
  • Boat Handling
  • OCTOBER 2006
      • In my opinion, all good captains need to take input from any source available while out on the water. Then they have the tough job of sorting out info and making the best decision. It can be as simple as deciding which dockside hamburger joint to go to or as daunting as a paper chart that shows a different channel entrance than your electronic chart plotter. The decisions are all up to you. (except maybe the hamburger joint). As you progress in your boating career and the boats get bigger and more complex your crew becomes more important. Just the same as any team sport or running a business, you must be able to rely on your crew to do the job that they have been assigned. When your crew understands exactly how you intend to dock the boat and exactly what their job is and they have been trained to do it right, trust me life gets better on board.

How to use trim tabs

January 7, 2007 - 8:00am — George Sass Jr.