The U.S. Coast Guard has received reports from crews, ship owners, inspectors and other mariners regarding poor reception on VHF frequencies used for radiotelephone, digital selective calling (DSC) and automatic identification systems (AIS) when in the vicinity of light emitting diode (LED) lighting on-board ships (e.g., navigation lights, searchlights and floodlights, interior and exterior lights, adornment).
The Local Notice to Mariners is a document published by the U.S. Coast Guard that contains changes to charts, and notices of activities in our local waters.
We know we need flares (visual distress signals / VDS) on board to both be safe & to satisfy the requirements of the law, but it can be a bit confusing…
Sailing involves Mother Nature and that can sometimes trigger a change in plans. For that reason, we strongly advocate the use of a “float plan.”
So you want to be called Captain? There are many reasons, professional and personal, to get a United States Coast Guard Captain’s License. In many cases the recreational mariner doesn’t need a USCG license, but would like to have one to improve their sailing resume, cement their knowledge of maritime rules and regulations, and pave the way toward sailing professionally. For sailing instructors, the USCG license can often be essential. While your ASA training and certification are what prepare you to be an excellent teacher of sailing, most instructors are also legally required to have USCG captain’s license. This is …
Cell phones and driving don’t mix–and that goes for driving a boat too. Recently USCG crew members were involved in two boating accidents due to the skipper’s use of a cell phone while operating the boat. And I’m not talking about kissing fenders; there were several serious injuries and one death as a result of these two accidents. If the vigilant Coast Guard is having these kind of problems texting while driving, I’m sure the rest of us are just as much at risk. The USCG has already issued guidelines about cell phone usage, but the National Transportation Safety Board …