Women Taking Their Place in U.S. Boating

National Maritime Day took place this week to celebrate the Savannah’s first successful transoceanic, steam-powered voyage across the Atlantic in 1819, a dramatic change is sweeping across the U.S. boating world.

Women are quickly joining men in what has historically been a male-dominated industry. 

The irony is that in 1819, few women were aboard the Savannah. In fact, those on the voyage were required to be in separate facilities. The crew was made up entirely of men. 

Today, times are changing!

• More women are buying boats. More and more, women control the family purse strings and make recreational purchase decisions. Women make 85% of the general purchasing decisions for families and hold 60% of the nation’s wealth. By 2028, women are set to surpass men’s salaries. This trend now applies to boating. As of 2020, 75% more women are shopping for boats, according to Boat Trader. Women represent 23% of first-time boat buyers and that number is increasing each year.More women are renting boats, too. At Boatsetter, a platform with 10,000 listed boats, 32 percent of renters are women, the highest percentage ever.

• Female millennials are driving boat sales. Millennials make up the largest demographic segment in the U.S. and half of them are women. While these millennial women make up 21% of the population, they account for 31% of boat sales. Female millennials like boats because these young women are technologically savvy, confident and independent minded.

• Women boaters focus on their family. Many women boat owners use their boats with their children. Said one owner: “My kids are varying ages. The boat is one of the few places that once we get out on the water, my parenting blood pressure just lowers.” Said another: “I married a golfer, so that’s why I bought the boat. That’s why it’s my boat, for me and the kids. I’m very proud of it and I love it.” 

• Women are more active in the boating industry. More women are on yacht crews and are part of the management team in boating companies. Advocates for diversity, such as Jenny Mathews, creator of “She of the Sea,” are developing boating safety and ownership programs just for women.

• Women captains have become social media celebrities

Allison Anderson, social media influencer, has 537,000 followers and is an avid boater in Idaho. Sandy Yawn has a TV show called Below Deck Mediterranean. Betty Bauman founded Ladies Let’s Go Fishing in 1997, now the largest organization in the world focused on introducing women to fishing.

• The pandemic drives women boat owners. The lockdown increased household responsibilities for women. According to Boat Trader, these added responsibilities have led many women to seek COVID-safe options for getting out of the home with their children. Boating in the fresh air is seen by women as a fun and safe gathering place for families.

Lots of resources for women boaters

It’s no surprise, then, that the increase of women boaters has spawned many new organizations that support this trend. Here is a brief list:

• National Women’s Sailing Association: www.womensailing.org
• Ladies Let’s Go Fishing: www.ladiesletsgofishing.com
• Women Aboard – Network for Women in Boating: www.womenaboard.com
• U.S. Sailing Association, Women’s Events Calendar: http://www.ussailing.org/calendar
• Sea Sense Training School: www.seasenseboating.com
• Boat U.S. – Women in Boating: www.boatus.com/women

Boating will continue to draw men, as it historically has. But the future of boating will likely include both women and men, working together to ensure that boating grows and is enjoyed by as many Americans as possible.

The Black Sea: A Mariner’s Trip Back in Time

The Black Sea is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia. It sits to the east of the Balkans in Southeast Europe, south of the East European Plain in Eastern Europe, and north of Anatolia and west of the Caucasus, both in Western Asia.

While it appears landlocked, a waterway connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, first through Istanbul (the Bosporus Straight) and then through the Sea of Marmara (the Dardanelles Strait). And, after a journey of 1,700 miles, the Danube drains into it.

In ancient times, mariners avoided the Black Sea due to its difficult navigation, winter storms that make the water appear black, rumored monsters in its black depths and hosts of savage tribes along its shores. 

NGA Nautical Chart 55001, Black Sea, 36 inches by 48 inches.

Unusual facts about the Black Sea

What makes the Black Sea so unique…and seem so ancient? Here are some common reasons.

Waters on the Black Sea do, indeed, appear black.

1. It’s anoxic. The Black Sea water is, especially at its depths, without oxygen, or anoxic. Only slight mixing with the Mediterranean Sea has brought oxygen-rich water to the surface of the Black Sea, but not to its depths. No marine life can live much below the surface.

This lack of oxygen makes the water act as a preservative. Reportedly, remains of those who drown in the Black Sea never decompose and lie at the bottom forever.

2. Noah’s Ark may have landed there. Although still debated, a rising of the seas in Noah’s time may well have sent him sailing into the Black Sea. This leads to the logic of why remnants of his ark are said to have been found on Mt. Ararat in Turkey, bordering the Black Sea, after the glacial water receded.

3. Its rocks are old. Rocks around the sea date to the Precambrian era, the earliest time of the earth’s history—dating perhaps to the formation of the solar system! These rocks were around long before the first dinosaurs!

4. Greek mythology traversed the Black Sea. According to legend, Jason and the Argonauts set out to find the Golden Fleece in the land of Colchis, a kingdom at the sea’s eastern tip (now Georgia).

5. It’s big. The Black Sea is 7,257 feet deep and six different countries border it. The coastline, if stretched into a straight line, is three-fifths as long as the diameter of the earth. 

6. The Black Sea and Great Britain are cousins. Flooding from glacier melt 500,000 years ago (from a glacier that stretched from Ireland to Russia) put so much stress on the European continent that it broke off Great Britain into an island before it drained into the basin that is now the Black Sea.

7. The seabed is a museum of shipwrecks. Wooden shipwrecks dating back to the 3rd and 5th centuries B.C. have been discovered at the bottom of the Black Sea during diving expeditions. They are preserved perfectly due to the non-oxygen environment.

8. Some sea life exists. While most of the Black Sea water has no oxygen and cannot support life, the top 200 meters has varying amounts of oxygen deposited by rivers that drain into the basin. In that layer are zebra mussels, anchovies, common carp, round goby, bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, beluga whales and grey seals.

There are also some interesting facts about the Sea of Azov, which is north and connected to The Black Sea:

9. The Sea of Azov is shallow. In contrast to the depths of the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov is the shallowest sea in the world, with an average depth of 23 feet and a maximum depth of 46 feet.

10. The Sea of Azov is less salty. Due to lots of freshwater rivers draining into it, the Sea of Azov has a low salinity content, freezes completely over in the winter and has historically been a great fishery, with perch, sturgeon, whitefish, herring, plaice, mackerel, carp, mullet, bream, and anchovies.

New USCG Rule: Update Boat Fire Extinguishers by April 20

Beginning April 20, 2022, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) will require all boaters with vessels over 26 feet to have updated fire extinguishers, mandating that all extinguishers have a 12-year (or less) expiration date from the date of manufacture.

Why the attention on fire extinguishers? There were 767 boating fatalities in the United States in 2020, an increase of more than 25 percent from 2019, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. And, fires are a major contributor to injuries and deaths. In fact, Coast Guard data from 2018 shows over 150 fatalities and 200 injuries resulted from fires or explosions on vessels.

A summary of the new guidelines

Here is a simplified explanation of the new extinguisher requirements, which depend on the model year of the boat:

• Model year 2018 or newer: Extinguishers must be labeled as 5-B, 10-B or 20-B. Extinguishers labeled with B-I or B-II only are no longer acceptable. The manufacturing date must not be more than 12 years old.
• Model year 2017 or older: Extinguishers labeled B-I or B-II are valid, but the manufacturing date must not be more than 12 years old.

Typical marine fire extinguishers.

Beyond varying by the date of the boat’s model year, the guidelines also change according to the length of boat. Motorized boats under 26 feet are exempt as long as they have outboard engines, fuel is in a portable tank, and there are no areas in the boat that could trap fuel vapors.

In addition, the guidelines address the functionality of the extinguisher itself. Extinguishers must be “serviceable.” This means the pressure gauge must be in the operable range, the lock pin has to be in place, the discharge nozzle has to be clean and clear, and the extinguisher, itself, must not show signs of corrosion or damage. This flow chart by type of craft helps sort out the new USCG fire extinguisher requirements for boat owners.

A quick Q&A about the new rule

Here are some of the most common questions and answers about the USCG fire extinguisher rule.

Is any fire extinguisher automatically approved?

No. The label on the bottle should state “Marine Type – USCG Approved.” Underwriters Labs (UL) approves fire extinguishers on behalf of the USCG. (Further requirements are listed above.)

Are sailboats exempt from this new rule?

Sailboats are not necessarily exempt. The rule mainly applies to motorboats with permanently installed fuel tanks or a storage area where portable fuel tanks may be stored. However, the rule also applies to sailboats with spaces that are capable of trapping fumes, such as a galley, and to sailboats with auxiliary engines.

Where do I find the fire extinguisher expiration date?

Boaters often can find the manufacture date stamped into the bottom of the container or near the UL label. This may be two or four digits — if it is two, as in 08, that means 2008.

What is a Type B fire extinguisher?

A Type B extinguisher is effective with a gasoline fire, which is the most common type of fire on a boat. 

What does the number before the “B” stand for?

The number before the “B” in the new rating refers to the size in square feet of the potential fire the device is suitable to extinguish. So, a 10-B extinguisher can handle a 10-square-foot gasoline fire. A “C” rating means the extinguisher can douse electrical fires.

How many extinguishers are required?

Depending on the size of your boat, you may need more than one. Boats less than 26 feet have to have at least one B-1 fire extinguisher on board. Boats 26 feet to 40 feet need at least two B-1 fire extinguishers on board. If your boat is between 40 and 65 feet, you need to have either three B1 extinguishers or two B2 extinguishers. If the boat has a USCG approved fire extinguisher system installed for protection of the engine compartment, then the required number may be reduced.

Do extinguishers require any maintenance?

Every month, the extinguishers should be turned upside down and shaken to prevent clumping when they are needed.

Must the extinguishers be mounted?

It is highly recommended to mount the fire extinguisher, but it is not a requirement to mount the fire extinguisher. All portable extinguishers must be readily accessible.

What is the fine for being out of compliance?

States generally (but not always) leave extinguisher compliance to the USCG. The USCG is focused on boat operator safety and prefers cooperation to fines.

A Last Frontier: Mapping the Ocean Floor

View from the Mariana Trench, the deepest depths in the Western Pacific, 3d render illustration

Efforts to map the world’s ocean floors, once a tedious process that seemed never-ending, is now on a fast track. A new initiative, Seabed 2030, aims to have all mapping worldwide finished by 2030.

This incredibly ambitious project has a long way to go in just eight years. While oceans cover 70 percent of the earth’s surface, only 20 percent of the ocean floors have been mapped in the past 3,400 years, since the Phoenicians began ocean-going boating in 1200 B.C.

A bathymetric chart of Pt. Sur to Pt. Reyes off the California coast (chart 1307N-11M on OceanGrafix.com). OceanGrafix carries bathymetric chartsfor the U.S. Atlantic Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, the northern coast of South America,  and some portions of the Pacific Ocean.

Think of the consequences in this way: While you’re cruising the oceans (or, for that matter, the Great Lakes), there’s a good chance once you leave a harbor, you have no idea what is beneath you. 

Not knowing the ocean floor has immense practical repercussions. Often, we can’t find sunken things. For example, lack of a seafloor map prevented searchers from finding Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared in 2014.

The slow adoption of technology hindered floor mapping

Although efforts to map the ocean floor existed throughout time, they were crude until 75 years ago.

Up until that time, ships did mechanical soundings, such as when ships mapped the route of transatlantic cables in the 1860s. In those days, ships dropped lead attached to piano wire until it hit bottom. They winched up the wire and measured the length. Five hundred of these soundings by hand took over three years.

The actual scientific process of mapping the ocean floor (called bathymetry) finally began in 1957, using a crude type of sonar. Sonar mapping uses a kind of sonar beam that bounces sound waves off the ocean bottom. This tedious process required sonar-equipped boats to traverse every inch of the oceans. (Radar, bounced off satellites, would have been much faster, but sea water blocks radio waves.) 

Still, this early sonar was vastly more efficient than mechanical soundings. Today, as sonar is refined, multi-beam sonar ships can measure 500 soundings in one second.

This short YouTube video summarizes the history of seabed mapping.

Floor mapping has increased boating safety, knowledge of earth’s surface

Floor mapping has uncovered immense scientific knowledge about the earth’s surface, which is why the mapping effort is now on a fast track.

From the 20% we’ve mapped so far, here are some of the valuable things we’ve discovered:

• The earth’s crust moves. Sonar mapping showed us the earth’s surface (under the oceans) consists of ever-moving plates. Their shifting (called plate tectonics) helps explain things like mountain ranges, volcanoes and earthquakes (tsunamis). 
• The ocean’s deep! At its deepest (so far), the ocean is seven miles down, to 36,200 ft. at the bottom of the Challenger Deep gorge off Guam. That’s deeper than Mt. Everest is tall!
• Surface disruptions are predictable, making boating safer. The shapes on the ocean floor and the movement of the earth’s plates give us some anticipation of disruptions and predictions for such things as tidal waves, a good thing for a mariner to know. Tectonics allow for volcano prediction, too. Take Tonga, for example. As recently as January 2022, eruptions in Tonga spewed volcanic ash 25 miles into the air, sending tsunami waves 49 ft. high across the Pacific, all the way to the United States. We had short notice, but enough to prevent shipping disasters. 
• There’s plenty of room for all types of activity. The more we know about the ocean floor, the better we can segregate various marine activity, with room for everyone, and better protection of marine life. Mapping identifies the best places for mineral extraction, navigation, fishing, telecommunication cables and even defense systems. Separating them keeps most people happy.

Despite the complexity of our oceans and the task of mapping the bottom, the ocean floor is characterized by a limited number of disruptions. There are geologic scars (volcanic ridges, for example) human-made obstructions (shipwrecks), plus natural ridges, trenches and shelves. Otherwise, the floor itself is an amazingly flat plain.

Still more exciting discoveries will be made

Just recently, exploration of the seabed off Antarctica discovered ice fish, clear-blooded, almost transparent fish on the ocean floor that are the chief source of food for Weddell seals. Millions of them.

By the time the entire floor is mapped, scientists hope to better understand ocean circulation, tides and biological hotspots. According to Seabed 2030, the project provides “key inputs for navigation, climate change, forecasting tsunamis, exploration for oil and gas projects, building offshore wind turbines, fishing resources, and for laying cables and pipelines.” 

In just eight years, our knowledge of oceans will grow exponentially. Ultimately most important: accurate mapping will help us sustain the health of our oceans.

Has the Endeavor Been Found? See for Yourself!

Breaking News: February 3, remnants of Captain James Cook’s Endeavor, scuttled in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island 244 years ago, have been confirmed to be found!

Maybe.

Although still a disputed find, the ship appears to be the Endeavor

The truth of the discovery depends on whether you believe the Australian National Maritime Museum, which alerted the media to the find during a news conference in Sydney just days ago. Or, if you believe a contrary account by D.K. Abbass, executive director of the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project, the lead group in the Newport Harbor study, who said immediately: “Not so fast!”

Captain Cook was born in 1755. He joined the Royal Navy as a teenager (just 17 years old) and became famous for mapping the St. Lawrence River during the Siege of Quebec. This led to his assignment on the Endeavor to map the South Pacific.

Abbass agreed the find of the Endeavor is likely but says they have yet to identify indisputable data: “And there are many unanswered questions.” 

Even within the context of the dispute, mariners are ecstatic at the possibility of having found the Endeavor. Maritime officials are securing the site.

Cook’s famous ship sailed him to his death

What makes the Endeavor so famous is that it was James Cook’s last ship, with incredible history behind it. Launched in 1764 as the Earl of Pembroke, it was soon renamed the Endeavor. Cook sailed it to Tahiti, charted the coastline of New Zealand (where his crew killed Indigenous Māori people), claimed Australia for Great Britain in 1770 and made it to Hawaii.

There the ship and Captain Cook’s legacy diverge. Cook was killed by Hawaiian natives. His dismembered body parts were boiled (but not eaten). The ship was renamed Lord Sandwich and sent to fight for the British in the American Revolution, where it purportedly sunk off Newport Harbor…and may just have been found more than two centuries later.

Curious to see it? You can be part of history!

While the archeological site may be off-limits, you can sail close to it.

Your guide should be an up-to-date nautical chart of Newport Harbor (see illustration with the wreck location marked in a red circle; the red circle does not appear on the actual chart). The ship is around 500 meters off the coast. For now, you can navigate near the wreck. While it sits 14 meters below the surface and is buried in sediment and silt, you’ll still be able to feel the spine-tingling excitement of being so close to history.

According to recent news accounts, during the Revolutionary War, the British also used the Endeavor as a prison ship. Then the boat was intentionally sunk in 1778 – along with 12 other vessels – to prevent an invasion and capture.

NOAA Nautical Chart 13223, available from OceanGrafix. The red circle identifies the Endeavor shipwreck site, but does not appear on the actual chart.

The three-masted bark was about 100 ft. long and 29 ft. at beam and carried four cannons and 12 swivel guns. Now around 15 percent of the wreckage remains, as researchers look to preserve what’s left of the vessel.

The Endeavour is believed to be located near the La Liberté, another sunken ship found in Newport Harbor.

The three-masted bark was about 100 ft. long and 29 ft. at beam and carried four cannons and 12 swivel guns. Now around 15 percent of the wreckage remains, as researchers look to preserve what’s left of the vessel.

The Endeavour is believed to be located near the La Liberté, another sunken ship found in Newport Harbor.

Yachting or Sailing Through the Incredible Panama Canal

You don’t have to be a passenger on an ocean freighter or sightseeing boat to go through the Panama Canal. In fact, personal watercraft of any size, whether yachts or sailboats, can pass through the Panama Canal. There is really no minimum size. In fact, the smallest “vessel” so far was a man, Richard Halliburton, who swam the canal in 1928. His toll was 36 cents. 

Those who have made the journey say it’s a trip of a lifetime: surreal, thrilling, stressful, awkward and euphoric.

Panama Canal. Covered by NGA Nautical Charts 21602, 21603, 21604 and 26068.

Still, you’ll need patience. Once you arrive at the starting city, you can apply for a transit date. Even in the best of times, you might have to wait four to six days to begin the journey. The actual canal trip itself takes about a day. It’s 50 miles long, through 12 locks.

You can go north, starting in Panama City, traveling from the Pacific to the Caribbean, or south, starting at Colon.

The sweet spot for traversing in a pleasure craft is December until mid-January, when lines are shortest. At other times, especially in heavy shipping season, you could face delays of a couple weeks. 

It’s not cheap!

You must pay a transit fee to pass through the canal and that cost depends in part on the length of your vessel. Other fees are fixed. Among the other charges is an agent fee, and this is critical. You must have an agent onboard (an employee of the Panama Canal Authority) who handles the paperwork, slots you into the queue, guides you on-board for the entire journey, rafts you with similar craft (or moors you to a tugboat or small cruise ship), and deals with any official challenges. Yet at the same time, your vehicle’s captain (not the Panama Canal agent) is responsible during transit for the safety of the craft, navigation, meals and beverages.

Here’s the fee breakdown:

• Transit toll: $800 to $1300, depending on the length of the craft (fee categories are for vessels under 50 ft., 50-79 ft., 80-99 ft., and over 100 ft.)
• Inspection fee: $184
• Security fee: $130
• Agent fee: $350 to $500 
• Cruising permit: $200

Just to be safe, expect to pay a total of about $2,000 per craft.

Bring special gear…and patience

Plan for waiting several days to start the journey. During the wait, you’ll pay dock fees at local marinas (reserve them ahead of time).

You’ll need lines and fenders to maintain position as the water levels change. Managing the lines is tricky. The canal will offer line handlers for $100 each, unless you supply your own. 

While the docking and passage fees for your craft are expensive, be thankful you don’t need a tugboat to navigate the canal. They run $3,000 an hour.

Time while in the locks takes complete concentration

Passing through the locks is not a leisurely vacation, where you can sit on deck and watch the monkeys in the nearby forests. The journey takes the constant attention of the captain and line handlers.

Your craft is rising or falling while tethered to the canal walls. The water churns, creating currents that can twist the boat sideways, bringing you close to other craft. Line handlers need training. The goal is to maintain position as the distance to the cleats on the canal walls increases or decreases.

On deck of a sailboat passing through the Panama Canal locks. (Yachting World)

Even considering costs and hassles, it’s a trip of a lifetime

Even with the costs, paperwork, skill and patience needed to successfully navigate the Panama Canal, the trip itself is incredible. It’s a bucket list checkoff.

Watch this 1 ½ minute timelapse of the journey.

As you travel this engineering wonder of the world, you’ll see “mules” (more like heavy trucks on rails) pull and guide the ocean tankers. Twenty-six billion gallons of churning water raise or lower your craft during the crossing. You’ll pass Renacer Prison, which housed Panama dictator Manuel Noriega. You’ll see the world’s largest off-loading shipping crane. 

The natural wonders along the forests and bayous next to the canal include capuchin and spider monkeys, frigatebirds, brown-throated sloths, blue-footed boobys, tamarins and giant iguanas. Lake Gatun is full of crocodiles and manatees.

Finally, don’t forget the essentials (besides passports): sunscreen, hat and, most of all, a camera to record this trip of a lifetime.

Yacht and Sailboat Design Changes on the Horizon

When it comes to futuristic yacht and sailboat design changes, the future is here, now! Changes in technology, materials and liquid dynamics are reshaping boat designs and the boating experience, making boating safer and more fun. Here’s a look at changes coming to mainstream boating now and in the next few years.

YACHTING INTO THE FUTURE

Trends in yachting in 2022 and the future promise more comfort, more environmental sustainability and better efficiency. These changes can be enjoyed by everybody, from those who pilot superyachts all the way to those who pilot runabouts.

Less rocking and rolling

Gyroscope advances, primarily developed for space exploration, are being further adapted for boating. Their benefits translate into reduced boat jittery movement (up and down, side to side) by up to 95%. Combined with hull changes and more dramatic shock absorption, yachts with new gyroscopes can maintain their level in rough seas, reducing wear and tear on both the boats and the occupants.

Electric power

The battery technology developed by the automotive industry is bringing a “green” experience to yachting. Systems augmented by solar panels already power 33 to 68 feet boats at 3-5 knots, with diesel engines still necessary for power travel. Inboards and outboard engines with high-capacity DC charging are coming off the production line and hitting boat sales rooms. 

Big Boat Changes are Coming to Smaller Craft. The 2021 Candela 7 Electric Hydrofoil Speedboat runs 3-4 feet above the water, with zero emissions.

Electric boat power makes for a quieter journey, where the sounds of the water, birds and wind no longer are suppressed by the motor.

Reduced drag

Design and material changes are reducing weight and drag. Hull designs are moving toward more catamaran styles or foils to reduce contact with water. Carbon fiber materials are becoming more popular on traditional hulls, with less drag resistance than fiberglass. Foam core for interior hull structures is reducing weight and extending cruise ranges and speeds. What this means for pilots is less fuel, less structural failure and a quieter ride.

SAILBOATING CHANGES ARE COMING, TOO

Sailboat design changes are every bit as dramatic as yachting evolutions. Much of the innovation in sail boating is developed from ideas tested in the sail racing circuit and then applied to everyday sailing. Here are four of the top sailboat evolutions.

Hull design

Once racing rules relaxed, sailboat builders experimented with hull designs. For racers, “beamier” scow designs with more stern volume are becoming more popular because they reduce resistance when heeling, optimize waterline length and increase righting moment speed. Those who sail in lighter winds, or with motor support, are moving to spoon bows, whose decreased waterline area performs better at slower speeds. In short, hull changes for every type of sailing are becoming more dramatic.

Sail material

Carbon sails reduce stretch and increase efficiency.

Sail changes sound like something out of James Bond movies. Composite membrane sails are replacing the once popular Dacron. Many of these sails are 3-D printed. The new fabrics stretch less, wear longer, have better weight-to-stiffness ratios, heel less in comparable wind and better transfer wind power into forward drive with less fluttering and flapping on point changes. Plus, they’re quieter. New, inflatable wing sails self-align and reduce heeling as the sail falls to leeward. Some companies are offering carbon sails with sensors that provide helmsman and trimmers real-time performance data.

More foiling

Foiling takes airplane technology and adapts it to boating. Think of foils as wings. With stronger materials and nanotechnology, foils are available to sailboats that better control righting moment, reduce wetted surface and offer more lift. Retractable horizontal foils are helping to reduce weight midship.

Simplicity

Sailors have always been obsessed with orderliness on deck. The more organized the gear, the less chance for mistakes. Now, sailors are adding a new version: the less gear on deck, the lighter the sailboat. As more functions become automated and cloud-based, less equipment is needed onboard. New rope fibers, higher in strength and lower in diameter and weight, take up less space and perform better under high shock loads. Lighter, low friction rigging, like soft shackles, improve sail handling and reduce weight. 

These boating changes are just the beginning

As dramatic as some of these new boat design and material changes may seem, they will quickly become mainstream. Then, even more changes will be discovered and incorporated. Why? Rapid changes in material technology, faster adoption of high-performance boating gear to mainstream use, and greater ease in retrofitting will drive upgrades in boating in 2022 and for years to come. 

Why Mariners Use Knots Instead of Miles Per Hour

Why does a mariner (and, for that matter, an airplane pilot) measure their boat’s speed in knots, rather than miles per hour or kilometers per hour? The answer goes back to the 17^th century and remains true today.

The nautical mile has two origins

The answer as to why mariners measure speed in knots evolved from both a strange custom of measuring speed and how the circumference of the earth was measured. 

In times dating back to at least the 1700s, captains measured their ship’s speed by tossing a long rope in the water with “knots” tied at even intervals. The rope had a wood chip at its end to hold it in place where it was tossed into the water. Then, the number of knots pulled off the stern in a given amount of time, based on a certain amount of sand flowing through an hourglass, were calculated as “knots per hour.”

Illustration of a ship’s knotted rope to measure speed.

Over time, this custom aligned with the second, more mathematical way in which a knot was calculated. When the earth’s circumference came to be measured in “minutes,” then 60 minutes made one degree of the earth’s 360-degree circumference. Coincidentally, the time it took to travel one minute of latitude in one hour became one knot. So, a knot is a measure of speed, not distance.

Thus, these equivalents evolved: a nautical mile became 1.15 statute miles (or 1.85 kilometers), or one minute of latitude, which is the distance a boat travels in one hour going one knot. 

While the measurement technique using rope knots dates to the 17^th century, it wasn’t until 1954 that the U.S. adopted the exact measurement of the nautical mile. The U.K. didn’t come on board until 1970. Until then, each country had its own interpretation of what a speed of one nautical mile per hour meant.

The benefit of keeping with the knot measurement

Why haven’t the measurement gurus come together to decide on a uniform measurement for all travel (such as cars, boats, planes, and trains) in all cases?

The answer seems to have something to do with travel over the curvature of the earth. Cars and trains, known for shorter travel segments, use miles per hour or kilometers per hour. Boats and planes, which often travel longer distances affected by the earth’s curvature, use knots. Knots are a more accurate way of predicting how a boat (or a plane) traverses the face of the earth. That’s why nautical charts include and depend on longitude and latitude measurements. 

Because a nautical mile is longer than a statute mile, a ship going 20 knots is going 23 miles per hour. (Conversely, a small airplane going 173 miles per hour is traveling 150 knots.) If you are sailing in a hurricane, it may not matter to you whether the wind is blowing at a Beaufort 12, 78 mph, 124 kph or 68 knots. But mariners can more quickly understand conditions when stated in knots. Airspeed indicators on planes and boats show knots. Conveniently, the knot is used in meteorology, too.

Knots also are the preferred measurement for moving fluids, including water in rivers and oceans. Mariners are given the speed of a river current, wind speeds or tidal stream speeds in terms of knots, making it easier to calculate how their boat or ship must compensate for navigational direction.

And, of course, the numbers a boater sees on certain markers are in knots. For instance, a speed restriction buoy with the number “8” on it means speed in that area is restricted to 8 knots. 

For historical, astronomical, and meteorological reasons, then, the knot has become the standard for travel on our watery world, a standard that is likely to remain.

A Quick Guide to Boat Operator Licensing

Now that it’s the off season for a lot of boaters, it may be a good time to review boat operator licensing requirements and make sure you’re up to date. For recreational boaters in particular, the big issue in the eyes of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and many state licensing bureaus is safety education. 

Safety education and licensing is a multiple win: it gives boat operators the skills to keep passengers and vessels safe while avoiding fines and saving money on insurance premiums.

Here’s a rundown of operator license types, where they’re required, and when they are needed. (This list does not include boat registrations requirements, vessel insurance requirements, passport requirements and USCG life jacket requirements.)

1. Boater safety education, $55 to $65

Most states require this certification for recreational boat operators. 

Why is this “license” important? It teaches safe navigation. A boat safety course covers the proper steps to take in the case of capsizing, person-overboard, fire, sinking or collision. Not having this training often leads to boating accidents. In fact, the USCG estimates that 70% of the 7,700 boating accidents each year are caused by operator error. More than 80% of recreational boat operators involved in fatal boating accidents have not taken a boater education course. 

Only Maine, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska and Hawaii do not require boater safety education. Boat operators take a course, often online, and then obtain an I.D. card at a state licensing center. For many boaters, this is all that is necessary in terms of licensing, along with annual registration fees for your vessel. The certification serves as a “boating license.”

2. Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV), $900 to $1,500

You’ll need this license if you operate a vessel over 100 gross tons and with up to 6 paying passengers. These vessels usually don’t have to be inspected by the USCG Commercial Vessel Inspection Standards. The license is commonly for operators of, say, a small fishing charter or sightseeing boat.

To obtain the license, the boat operator first has to use the boat for 90 days, often under the tutelage of a licensed person. Actual hours need to be logged when on the Great Lakes or the ocean. This is followed by a course and evaluation exam, for which many boat operators use a tutor. Requirements don’t stop there. Operators also are required to have a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) from the Transportation Security Administration. Plus, they must complete an American Red Cross CPR course and a health exam, followed by a background check and drug test. 

3. Master License, $1,140 to $1,670

A Master License is required for an operator of a vessel carrying more than six passengers on a boat that also is required to pass USCG commercial inspection standards. The license itself varies depending on whether the vessel is 25, 50 or 100+ tons. Requirements are similar to the OUPV license, where you need CPR certification, TWIC, a background check, drug testing and a physical examination. Those with a Master License must, in many jurisdictions, sign up for random drug testing.

Some mariners prepare to qualify for the OUPV and Master License by working for a licensed captain to get the knowledge and experience required for certification.

Endorsements

The two most common required endorsements are for towing or for sailing, each obtained by attending additional courses at about $200 each.

Start the process by taking the safety education course

Given the importance of boating safety and licensing in particular, a lot of resources offer this training. Boaters can select from online, video or classroom formats. Times and locations for the safety education course can be found using the links below:

• U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary (click here to read about available courses)
• U.S. Power Squadrons
• National Safe Boating Council
• Boat-Ed
• Boat Safe
• Safe Boating America
• Mariner’s Learning System

Consequences of not having an appropriate license are stiff

Fines for those without the correct licensure depend on the level of required licensing but can easily be in the $5,000 to $40,000 range depending on circumstances. But the safety of the operator, crew and passengers should be the biggest motivation to make sure operator licensing is correct and up to date.

Protect Passengers and Your Boat From Fumes and Fire

Having adequate carbon monoxide (CO) detectors and smoke detectors is a simple and affordable step that can prevent serious harm to recreational boaters and their vessels. 

There have been 46 CO boating deaths in the last decade in the U.S. Plus, just in 2020, 316 U.S. boaters died of onboard fires, smoke and explosions. In 2019, in a widely publicized tragedy off the coast of California, 34 passengers in a dive boat died of smoke inhalation due in part to there not being smoke detectors in the accommodations area of the vessel. 

Yet it takes just a few pennies and minutes to install these alarms, update them or check batteries. As cold weather sets in, now is the greatest time of need.

CO and smoke detectors may be required soon on recreational boats

Surprisingly, the U.S. Coast Guard does not require smoke detectors on recreational craft. But the USCG relies on the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) chapter 46 guidelines to require that smoke detectors be installed in the sleeping compartments of all small, inspected vessels that carry paying passengers.

While international boating rules vary on the issue of CO and smoke detectors, the USCG is moving toward making detectors a requirement on recreational vessels. 

From PropTalk.com, May 2018

Currently, the USCG:

• requires boats to have at least one B-1 marine fire extinguisher on board. Boats 26′-40′ need to have at least two B-1 fire extinguishers on board.
• advises the owners of all inboard and sterndrive powered boats built prior to 1998 to inspect their CO detectors.

After July 22, 2022, the USCG intends to impose fire detection requirements on passenger vessels, because at that date new marine smoke detectors will be available that meet USCG testing requirements.

Here’s a look at suggestions for alarm placements:

1. Installing smoke alarms and fire extinguishers 

Fire is one of the leading causes of boat losses in the U.S. Shipboard smoke alarms, particularly in cooking and sleeping areas, issue ear-piercing alarms, alerting boaters and giving them time to extinguish the fire or evacuate the danger area.

Boaters are advised to place smoke alarms not only in cooking and sleeping areas, but in other onboard areas where fire dangers exist, such as in battery compartments, adjacent to the shore power inlet and cord, and near engine voltage regulators. 

2. Detecting gas vapor buildup that can cause a fire

A vapor detector is another important safety alarm to have. Fumes can accumulate during fueling or engine operation and ignite from an engine spark. Also known as “fume sniffers,” vapor detectors monitor for flammable gases such as gasoline fumes. If a boat has a gasoline fuel tank mounted below deck, a vapor detector alarm can be placed nearby. 

3. Placing CO alarms in vessels where buildup is most common

Deadly concentrations of CO are some of the most menacing gases because they can’t be detected by humans. CO has no smell, taste or color. The gas, when inhaled, prevents the body from retaining oxygen. Brains become foggy. People either die of asphyxiation or become disoriented.

Causes on a vessel of excessive CO often are traced to engine exhaust or cooking. Safety experts suggest that boaters examine the obvious areas where CO can be created and can build in concentration. Experts recommend that boat owners take time to:

• Check engine room seals and replace them if necessary.
• Replace faulty exhaust lines or clamps. 
• Add CO alarms near cooking stoves and make sure stoves are properly vented
• Check hatch vents above confined galley spaces and make sure the vents remain open even in inclement weather, so as not to trap CO inside. 

Efforts that recreational boat owners take to protect their passengers and their vessel by way of these alarms are relatively easy and can save lives.