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You’re taking coffee in the morning and reading a newspaper. You’re just waiting for the rest of the family to get dressed before you all leave to sail in your newly purchased boat. Then you come across this article about a family who met an accident while on a boat trip. Then suddenly, you have second thoughts about having the trip.

Safety always comes first above everything else, especially if it involves your family. You don’t want to sacrifice their safety just to enjoy boat sailing. Attending a boat safety class may take your mind off that dreadful news articles that you just read.

There are plenty of boat classes around that you can enroll in. after all, you’ve spent a huge amount of money on your boat, why not spend a small amount for learning boat safety measures?

Knowing boat rules is the key to safe boat sailing. Being ignorant is not an excuse because you have a choice. If you choose to go on with your scheduled trip despite the odds, then your family will soon end up like the one on the newspaper. but if you’re responsible enough, you will postpone the trip and enroll in a boat safety class first.

There are many things to learn in a boat class. If you don’t want to do it alone, then have the rest of the family enroll in the class. It doesn’t have to get in the way of your present job because you can always have it scheduled after office hours. It’s even more fun if all your family members get to enroll in a boat class because all of you will have proper knowledge in boat operation.

You will be taught the importance of having a floatation device (like life jackets), and carefulness in boat maneuvering. There is no room for recklessness while sailing on a boat; or drinking too much alcohol because in just a blink of your eyes, accidents can happen.

There are certain rules to follow especially when you’re out sailing. here are some rules that you will learn in a boat class:

1. using navigation lights especially at night
2. obeying signs and buoys
3. don’t bow ride
4. observing the zones like the ‘no wake’ zone
5. weather conditions

People ride their boats to have fun, and sometimes too much fun allows a person to forget about safety considerations. It’s not wrong to have fun, but you should learn to set limits, and the level of awareness should always be present. You must always be ready for whatever unexpected events that might turn up.

Every year, there is always a boat accident reported. Perhaps if people only knew the rules of boat sailing, these accidents would have been prevented. Remember, without proper knowledge, you might be able to meet accidents which can cause injuries or worse, death.

Boat classes not only teach people how to be a smart boat operator or how to maneuver a boat safely, but they also decrease the cost of boat insurance. So if you attend a boat class, you will gain knowledge and at the same time save money.

Find a good boat class now. And you can enjoy boat sailing for the rest of your life with your family. It’s quite relaxing to see the sunset together with your family while you’re sailing, these are moments you’ll never forget.

Yes, safety always comes first. To learn more about boat safety, please visit http://www.boatsafetysite.com.

Boating is fun. It is an activity that you can do alone or with your friends. With today’s hectic lifestyle, many people are taking up hobbies, such as boating, to relieve stress. The fact that boating will help you relax is the reason why more and more people are taking up boating as a hobby.

However, you have to remember that boats are also vehicles that you should also treat with respect. You should know that boating is a fun hobby that can give you a great time while out at the open sea, but things can suddenly go wrong if you don’t know the proper way to handle a boat and the proper way to deal with emergency situations.

It is important for you as the operator and the owner of a boat to know about the different safety precautions when operating the boat. By knowing about this, you will prevent emergencies from happening or at least know what to do whenever an unwanted accident takes place when you are out in the open water.

To know about the different safety precautions, you need to take a boating safety course that is widely available in every state in the United States. By taking a boating safety course, you will know about the different ways on how you can handle a boat and also know how to handle emergency situations on the boat.

You will also learn how to properly operate the emergency equipments that you should have onboard. The different kinds of emergency equipments requirements for specific boats will also be taught in the boating safety course.

It is important that you should take this safety class in order to know about the different safety procedures that you should do when you are operating a boat. Always remember that safe boating means fun boating experience for everybody. If you are a responsible boat operator, you will be sure that you, your passengers and also other boaters will have the best time out in the water.

You will also learn how to properly navigate your way from the dock to the open water and back. You will be taught on how to use the compass, how to plot a course, and also how to use the GPS.

The course will also include the proper etiquette in boating. You will learn the different etiquettes about boating to ensure safety for every boater out on sea.

If you take this class, you will see that you will be a more responsible boater. By being a responsible boater, you can expect to have good clean fun with your passengers and your fellow boaters while you are out in the water.

After the class, you will be given a certification card that will say that you are a qualified recreational boater who knows all about operating a boat safely. You need this certification card in some marinas in order for you to operate a boat. With this certification card, harbor masters will allow you to operate a boat. Think of this certification card as a license to drive a boat.

These are some of the things you will learn when you take a boating safety course. By remembering everything you learned in this class, you can be sure that you will be a safe and responsible boater.

For more information on being a safe and responsible boater please visit http://www.boatsafetysite.com, where you will find a comprehensive course about boat safety.

“The best way to be a safe boater is to be a smart boater,” as declared by one of the members of a boating association. Along with this, it has been emphasized by most sailing organizations to ensure safety in every sailing event. Attending boat safety classes is one way to being a smart boater.

Learning nowadays is not confined in a four-cornered room although you can opt to be taught in a regular classroom setting. These days, especially with boat safety classes, you have the choice to enroll in a community class or via the internet.

Before you decide on going back to school, it is important to screen which courses you will take if you don’t plan to take the entire boating courses. To help you decide here are some of the common courses which are normally being taken.

General Boating Course

When you enroll on a general boating course you can expect that your teachers will teach you the basics of nautical facts such as history of boating, rules and regulation on boating which is usually dependent on your location. Most importantly, a little of everything about boating will be taught to you.

Boating Skills

Once you take a course on boating skills you will gain knowledge on the basics of how to properly handle boats. Additionally, rules and regulations in navigation are also included in boating skills courses. You will also be taught “boating language” so that you will have no difficulty understanding terms when you are in the open water.

Boating Safety Course

Due to many boating accidents, this course is necessary. It is important for every sailor to require themselves to take the course, experienced or not. Indeed, experience counts but it will make a difference if you are up-to-date with safety measures.

A course on safety boating generally talks about the dos and don’ts that you need to undertake once you are out in the water to keep you and your passengers safe. There are instances when first-aid trainings are being included along with boating safety courses.

After you have decided what specific courses you will get in, the next best step for you to do is screen your preferred institution where you will take your classes. You need to know if the institution is duly accredited. The internet is a good venue for you to recognize particular schools or organizations which can best help you with your ordeal. You can even get your boat safety class online.

It is also wise to ensure if lecturers and trainers are competent. Most often than not, competency will rely not just simply by knowing the theories behind every lesson, experience is a good partner of theories so that you have absolute knowledge and practice of what you are teaching. Hence, it is best to have teachers who know how to put into practice what they are teaching.

Going to school again should not be given second thoughts for you will not end up losing anything. You will gain knowledge which you can put into practice on how to ensure safety once you have sailed.

Be a smart boater. You can do it by being a responsible boater. Taking boat safety classes reflects that you are being responsible on your actions. As a boater, you cannot afford to let somebody be injured or worse die in your hands.

To learn more about boat safety courses, please visit http://www.boatsafetysite.com/safe-boating.html

“I just broke my leg!” I yelled at my fishing partners as I lay in the bottom of the boat. They seemed unconcerned about me, only anxious about the fishing tackle I had fallen across. “Those rods are not broken are they?” my friend Captain Steve asked, not concerned about me at all.

“No” I shouted, “But my ankle is!”

It was a beautiful warm, sunny, January morning and the Gulf of Mexico at Panama City, Florida was like glass, as smooth as far as the eye could see. The temperature at 8:00 am was in the low seventies. The morning mist from the gulf hid from sight the sea birds you could hear screeching as they fought each other for a morsel of food or any bait left by early fishermen. It was a perfect day and we were about to cast off for a spot about 12 miles offshore from the marina.

Previously Captain Steve, my buddy Jimmy and I had filled up the gas tanks of Steve’s 22 foot fishing boat, bought cigar minnows and squid for bait. Our rod and reels were secured in their holders with the rest of our tackle, cooler and refreshments in the bottom of the boat. Now it was time to head out to our secret hole somewhere in the Gulf, located by the coordinates that Steve had scribbled in his notebook.

Finally we were ready to begin our voyage on a mirror like sea. Everything was wonderful until I stepped from the dock onto the side of the boat and fell. My brand new tennis shoes gripped the bow as the boat shifted to the right. Unfortunately my feet were still pointed to the left. My right ankle sounded like a firecracker as it snapped!

For some this would have been the end of the fishing trip on such a glorious day in the middle of winter, but not for me. I jerked off my shoe and saw my foot swelling before my eyes. The more swollen it became, the more it hurt. The sight even subdued my fishing companions. They were scurrying around helping me find a seat, asking if I wanted to go to the hospital.

Even though there was no doubt in my mind that my ankle was broken, it would have been a disservice to the other two guys not to continue our trip after the money we had spent on tackle, bait, gas and grub. By now my foot looked like a balloon. Captain Steve went below and came back with a half gallon jug of rum. Medicinal of course!
“This will help with the pain as he grimaced at the sight of my foot!” he laughed as he handed me the bottle.

We shoved off and began gliding our way out of the harbor, maneuvering our boat around the many cargo ships that were anchored offshore of the Port of Panama City. After about 45 minutes we arrived at our location. Captains Steve’s navigational tools pinpointed an artificial reef of an old tugboat. These old tugs make perfect habitats for many types of fish, from grouper to flounder.

By the time we arrived, I was pleasantly sedated even though my foot still hurt. We caught a lot of fish that winter’s day. Seated on a deck chair with my right foot resting on a boat cushion, I had two lines dangling over the side of the boat. Sometimes both rods were bent with fish on each line. We had our fishing rigs baited with cut bait, cigar minnows and squid. We fished for about four hours and caught some of the largest flounder I have ever seen as well as red snapper and 2 small groupers.

By early afternoon my fishing companions were beginning to be more concerned about the state of my foot. The swelling never seemed to stop; nor did the pain. My foot hurt of course, but I didn’t care. We were catching a lot of fish and this made the whole trip worthwhile.
We stowed our tackling, put our fish in the ice chests and went back to our marina. I was immediately taken to the hospital where the doctors and nurses fussed at me for not coming in sooner. My ankle was broken in 2 places, insuring me of a cast and crutches.

All in all it was a memorable experience fishing in the Gulf, but then they all are!

Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, holiday eating and leisure living.
Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at:

http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

http://www.bobalexander.ws

We are into February and before you know it, it will be time for the boating enthusiasts to take their boats out of dry dock and get them ready for another big boating season. Now is the time of the year the boat owner should review the steps necessary to protect his boat from thieves and make this a crime free year.

Thieves are always on the lookout for easy targets. Many boat owners take a lackadaisical approach when it comes to their property. Do not make yourself and your boat an easy target. You can make your boat less of a target if you follow these simple steps:

. Never leave anything valuable on display, however small and insignificant it may seem. Thieves steal first and think about the value later.

. Don’t leave equipment or other items loose in the cockpit or on deck.

. Don’t leave your engine key in the ignition; always take it with you.

. Keep your other boat keys separate from your engine keys.

. Always keep your boat locked when no one is on board, even if it is for a short time.

. Use strong casehardened padlocks or rim locks on all your hatches, entry points and cockpit lockers.

. Consistently check and think of ways to improve the security on your boat. Do not take security for granted.

. It is a good idea to install an alarm and use a visible sticker to say that one your boat has an alarm system.

. Make sure your cockpit lockers are properly secured, and check that your main hatch and fore-hatch are strong, making it harder for thieves to get access to the interior.

. Also, think about having a strongbox or a hidden safe down below. If you don’t think something is secure, get it fixed.

IMPROVE YOUR SECURITY

Once you’ve tied up alongside, always do a quick security check before going ashore.

Always:

. Lock anything valuable out of sight in a strong locker secured by a strong casehardened padlock.

. Lock up any emergency money away from other valuables. A hidden safe can be handy here.

. Keep your curtains closed so that no-one can look in.

. Keep unused ropes, fenders and other items out of sight in your cockpit, lockers and cupboards and always lock them.

. Make sure that your life raft and outboard motor are secure, as these are valuable and attractive to boat thieves.

. When you go ashore using a dinghy, always remove your oars or paddles, row locks or pump, and secure the dinghy with a strong chain and padlock.

. If you are the victim of boat theft, call the police immediately and tell the harbor master or boatyard manager. Check to make sure that your boat is still seaworthy and hasn’t been badly damaged.

. And, if you can, check that neighboring boats haven’t been broken into as well.

Get to know other boat owners in your marina and work as a team to keep the marina secure. As a team or marina watch you can do the following:

. Keep an eye on other boats, as well as your own.

. Report any strangers at the marina to the harbor master or yardmaster.

. Don’t give your marina access card or key to other people for any reason.

. Never tell anyone else the access code to the marina.

. Don’t allow strangers into the marina, however genuine they may seem.

. Keep the marina gate closed at all times.

Don’t hesitate to act on these recommendations today. Tomorrow may be too late. Always remember that thought, planning and intentions are great but in order to accomplish anything you must take action.

Bill Wallmuller aka Mr. Merokee is the founder of Merokee Enterprises. Learn more ways to protect yourself at: http://www.personal-defense-technology.com/diversionsafes.htm