Are you looking after the environment as well as your boat

 

New green campaign focuses on antifouling

Boat owners are being urged to ‘Protect, Collect and Dispose’ as part of a new initiative promoting best practice for antifouling vessels.  

The RYA and British Marine joint environment initiative, The Green Blue, has joined forces with the British Coatings Federation (BCF) and The Yacht Harbour Association in a drive to encourage boaters to seek the best method for protecting boats and the environment.  

Launched today (April 25) at the 2019 Marina Conference in Bournemouth, the Protect, Collect and Dispose campaign offers plenty of advice for those who antifoul their own vessels, as well as for marinas and boatyards which offer professional antifouling services.  

Kate Fortnam, Campaign Manager for The Green Blue, says: “We have developed guidance with the BCF for antifoul application, removal and disposal to ensure hazardous paint does not enter the environment during these processes. The guidance explains how to best protect yourself and the environment, especially with regard to collecting paint debris and disposing of waste.  

Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) – Deployment in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford

Marine Notice No. 09 of 2019
Notice to all Shipowners, Fishing Vessel Owners, Agents, Shipmasters, Skippers, Fishers, Yachtsmen and Seafarers

The ADP frames to be deployed on the seabed (image clearly showing the ADCP seabed frame with ADCP and Recovery Buoy inside the frame).

The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has been advised thatTechWorks Marine Ltd are planning on deploying 4 Trawl-resistant bottommounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) frames in Dungarvan, Co.Waterford,   at locations provided below and also shown on the accompanyingAdmiralty Chart (please refer to Appendix A).

TechWorks Marine Ltd intend to deploy the ADCPs on the next neap tide betweenthe 22nd and 26th April 2019 depending on the weather. If the deployment isdelayed due to the weather, the deployment will be carried out on the next viable tide and weather window.

The frames will be on the seafloor for a minimum period of one calendar monthand a maximum period of two months (weather permitting). The ADCPs will bemeasuring currents through the water column at each location over thedeployment. This data will be used to validate a Hydrodynamic model of the areabeing developed for Irish Water.

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Stepping Stones To Boat Financing - 10 tips on how to get a boat lo

How do you finance a boat purchase?

It’s almost prime-time boating season, and manufacturers are reporting that freshwater fishing boats, personal watercraft and pontoon boats are top sellers. What steps do you need to take to arrange financing for your dream boat? Here are 10 tips from the nation’s largest advocacy, services and safety group, Boat Owners Association of The United States.

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52nd Newport Bermuda Race to Open Downtown Newport HQ in 2020

A new Race Headquarters and Village will be established at Bowen's Wharf and Seamen's Church Institute on Newport's historic waterfront.

The Bermuda Race Organizing Committee announced today that the headquarters for the next running of the 635-mile Newport Bermuda Race will be centrally located on Newport's storied harbor.

The Bowen's Wharf Company and the Seamen's Church Institute, adjacent to each other, will anchor the race headquarters, providing easier access to competitors and a public profile for the race. Participant registration, Bermuda Customs pre-clearance, yacht tracker distribution, media communications, and exhibits will be included.

A convenient walking distance from most marinas and amidst the dozens of shops and restaurants on and near Bowen's Wharf, the downtown location for the Race will allow the 2,000 competing sailors as well as the public to fully enjoy the race activities and energy along the Newport waterfront.

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Bluewater Weekend set to inspire offshore sailors

Bluewater Weekend: 22-23 June 2019, Lymington UK

Rally organisers World Cruising Club, best known for the annual ARC - Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, have joined together once again with leading offshore yacht broker Berthon International, to host a weekend of conversation about bluewater cruising at Berthon's Lymington UK base in June 2019.  This popular weekend is designed to encourage visitors think about all aspects of living their bluewater dream, providing the opportunity to view a wide range of offshore cruising boats and meet experts in refits, sails, communications and boat equipment, all whist mixing and chatting with experienced offshore cruisers in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

The two day event is free to attend, but prospective bluewater sailors will need to pre-register. During the weekend, a selection of fine examples of bluewater boats will be open for viewing, hosted by experienced offshore skippers, many of whom have sailed the ARC or around the world.  Mix, mingle and chat about bluewater sailing is the aim of the weekend.

"There was great mix of people and a number of boats to have a nose around." said Chris Regnart who attended last year's event. He will soon be setting off on his own ocean adventures with ARC 2019, and circumnavigating with World ARC in 2020. "A really worthwhile event for anyone starting to plan a bluewater cruising trip. During the weekend, meeting other owners was really helpful and I got a few really useful tips to consider for my own boat. It was inspiring and well worth attending."

Balancing out the dockside chat will be a series of seminar presentations and discussions about how to embark on your bluewater dream. For those in the market, Berthon's brokerage team will share the story of a boat purchase and refit, drawing on their years of experience guiding purchasers through the process. Using practical examples, the session will cover the journey of a boat from a broker's cradle ashore to far afield cruising grounds, covering common questions on surveys, VAT, refitting priorities and budgets.

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Saint Lucia Welcomes the Return of World ARC Circumnavigators

Rally concludes with a special day of celebrations for round the world sailors

Fiji, Musket Cove

Round-the-world rally World ARC 2018-19 officially came to an end on Saturday 13th April with a special day of celebrations to mark the conclusion of this unique sailing journey. Returning to the shores of Saint Lucia, thirty-eight crew members of sixteen yachts completed their global circumnavigation that has seen them cross three oceans and visit in excess of eighteen countries during an unforgettable voyage supported by rally organisers World Cruising Club. Sailing in company to beautiful, fascinating and welcoming places and covering some 26,000nm has been 'a truly memorable experience', bringing together a diverse band of sailors from all over the world who now join a select group of people who have circumnavigated the world on board their own boats.

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To wrap or not to wrap? – that should not be a question - Preserving your headsai

Sails are an expensive part of a sailboats inventory, costing thousands apiece. As such, they warrant a modicum of due care and attention.

Wherever one goes, one will see boats where the headsail has been furled up with a triangle showing. It is assumed that there is some aesthetic reason for the skipper doing this. Then there is the lazy furling job. The headsail is furled, but the sheets are left loose.

Even though it may be thought to look good or perhaps seaman-like, the problem is that in either of these scenarios, the wind can and will catch the sail. It does not the even require a particularly strong wind for the headsail to become partially of even completely unrolled. The resulting flapping can and will cause catastrophic damage.

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New Research Shows Water Sports Participation Is on the Rise

 

According to new research released today (15 April 2019), more people are participating in water sports, a trend that has continued for the past three years.

The annual Water Sports Participation Survey showed that approximately 3.9m UK adults took part in one or more of 12 core boating activities¹ in 2018.  The overall activity rise of around 1.1% on the previous year, is thanks in part to 2018 being the UK’s joint hottest summer on record.

This equates to a volume increase of 700,000 people, with the highest participation rates for any activity coming from family groups. The number of young people and women also increased significantly in 2018.

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Not all navigation lights are created equal.

Navigation lights intended for use on power driven vessels may be different from navigation lights intended for use on sailing vessels. Although the horizontal arc of visibility is the same for all lights, the vertical divergence (i.e. vertical arc of visibility) requirements for lights on vessels under sail are larger to accommodate greater heeling. Manufacturer labeling may not discriminate between the different requirements. Navigation lights that claim compliance with the navigation rules1 may meet the vertical visibility requirements for a power-driven vessel, however, they may not comply with the vertical visibility standards for sailing vessels. Manufacturer labeling may not indicate that the lights are designed for use on power-driven vessels only.

Annex I (COLREGs section 10 and Inland 33 C.F.R. part 84.16 “Vertical sectors”) prescribes the degrees and intensities that navigation lights must meet on the vertical plane. Many boat owners may not be aware of the +/- 25° vertical light divergence requirement for sailing vessels, a 17.5° increase from the power-driven vessel standard. Installing a navigation light, designed for use on a power-driven vessel, on a sailing vessel may result in the light losing visibility when the vessel heels beyond the narrower +/- 7.5° vertical divergence angle established for power-driven vessels. A sailing vessel operator in this situation would likely not realize that the sailing vessel’s lights were not visible when heeling beyond 7.5°.

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Free Floating Health Care Clinics

Sea Mercy’s Mission

In the USA, one is blessed with the medical infrastructure and staff that is available to the majority of our population, but in the South Pacific, there are no roads, power lines, or phone systems to connect the smaller, less populated, islands to the same health care services offered on the more populated, primary islands. Sadly, these remote islands are left without even the most basic of health care services, creating an incredible disparity between the remote islands and primary islands in terms of overall health, infant mortality and immunization rates, and longevity.

Sea Mercy (www.seamercy.org) is a US based 501(c)

3 non-profit organization with a simple vision and mission to "stand in the gap" with a service delivery vessel, trained health volunteers, support equipment, and critical care services as our island nation partners develop their "outer island" health care infrastructure. Operating from a fleet of large sailing catamarans, Sea Mercy provides and staffs free Floating  Health Care Clinics  (FHCC) for our island nation partners remote islands.

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Coast Guard Academy celebrates Eclipse - the annual event designed to stimulate community dialog and promote a culture of respec

Eclipse, the annual event designed to stimulate community dialog and promote a culture of respect took place at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy April 5-6. Eclipse sessions embracing identity-related topics and encompassing race, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation were spread across the campus.

One of the main events was a keynote address by Dr. Beverly Tatum, former president of Spellman College and author of best-selling book, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations About Race.”

Before introducing Tatum, Academy Superintendent Rear Adm. James Rendón spoke to the large group of cadets, faculty, staff and visitors in attendance.

“We are in a position to shape our Coast Guard culture and I tell you truly, we must each do our part to help drive this institution and our Coast Guard to a place of greater equity and inclusion,” said Rendón.

“To be certain we will encounter setbacks, and we have encountered setbacks, along the way. We have and will confront difficult truths both past and present. And we will be confronted by tough questions as we examine our Academy and our service culture. We have started on this path, this journey, but it is oh so very necessary.”

Tatum began her address speaking about the cycle of racism and what happens when people from some groups are not included or represented in a given community.

“When you’re missing from the picture it has an impact on you different from people who are regularly included,” said Tatum.

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Hydrographic and Geophysical Surveys in the Celtic Sea and Atlantic Ocean during 2019

Marine Notice No. 08 of 2019
Notice to all Shipowners, Fishing Vessel Owners, Agents, Shipmasters, Skippers, Fishers and Seafarers

The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has been advised that hydrographic and geophysical surveys will be undertaken in the Celtic sea andAtlantic Ocean under the INFOMAR (Integrated Mapping for the SustainableDevelopment of Ireland’s Marine Resources) programme, between April andOctober 2019.

The vessels involved are as follows, Marine Institute vessels: the ‘RV CelticVoyager’ (Callsign: EIQN) and the ‘RV Celtic Explorer’ (Callsign: EIGB) and Geological Survey Ireland Vessels: the ‘RV Keary’ (Callsign: EI-GO-9), the ‘RVGeo’ (Callsign: EI-DK-6), the ‘RV Mallet’ (Callsign: EI-SN-9), and the ‘RV Lir’ (Callsign: EI-HI-2).

The ‘RV Celtic Voyager’ and the ‘RV Celtic Explorer’ will be towing amagnetometer sensor  with  a  single  cable  of  up  to  200  metres  in  length.  The  vessels  will  display appropriate  lights  and  markers.  The  vessels  will  be  listening  on  VHF  Channel  16 throughout the course of the surveys.

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TSA reminds travelers of REAL ID identification requirements

Enforcement begins in 18 months at all U.S. airport checkpoints

The Transportation Security Administration is reminding travelers that beginning October 1, 2020, every traveler must present a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, or another acceptable form of identification, to fly within the United States. TSA has launched a public awareness campaign about the upcoming identification changes to ensure that every traveler is prepared for the airport security checkpoint process when the REAL ID Act goes into full enforcement.

“TSA is doing everything we can to prepare our partners and the traveling public for the REAL ID deadline next year,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “The security requirements of the REAL ID Act will dramatically enhance and improve commercial aviation security.”

Travelers will begin seeing new signs at airports nationwide in the coming weeks to remind people that REAL ID-compliant licenses or other acceptable forms of ID, such as a valid passport, federal government PIV card or U.S. military ID, will be mandatory for air travel beginning on October 1, 2020. Critically important, on October 1, 2020, individuals who are unable to verify their identity will not be permitted to enter the TSA checkpoint and will not be allowed to fly.

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Lowrance®, Simrad® & B&G® Announce Products Will Not Be Affected by GPS Week Rollover

Lowrance, Simrad and B&G – leading brands in the design and manufacture of world-class marine navigation, autopilot, radar, communications and fishfinding systems – announced today that the 2019 GPS Week Rollover will not adversely impact their products. Experts in Research and Development from Lowrance, Simrad and B&G have been preparing for the upcoming event for months, testing a wide range of equipment and have confirmed that all current generation devices are 100-percent compatible with the GPS rollover event.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has its own date and time scale based on counting weeks and seconds within a week; however, the field that contains the week number is limited to 1024. A GPS rollover event occurs when this counter reaches week 1023 and then rolls back to week 0. The event happens approximately every 20 years, with the upcoming GPS Week Rollover taking place on April 6, 2019. This will be the second time the rollover has occurred.

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Recall, Bulletin, Advisory: What’s the Difference?

Recalls, bulletins and advisories often offer fixes for no charge.

BoatUS deciphers what these vastly different terms mean for boat owners

Safety recall, service bulletin, product correction bulletin, service advisory: What do these terms mean to you? Some use the force of law to require manufacturers to repair defects. Some are manufacturers’ goodwill offers for free repairs, and the others are simply internal notifications that may not be much more than an “FYI.” Here’s what each means to recreational boaters.

“Safety Recall” and “Volunteer Safety Recall”: Issued by the U.S. Coast Guard and often with a manufacturer’s cooperation, a “safety recall” involves a safety problem that relates to a boat or associated equipment that is less than 10 years old. The recall must pertain to a violation of federal safety regulations or “a defect that creates a substantial risk of personal injury to the public.”

An official recall notification can also be issued under a “service bulletin” heading, but will also be called a “safety recall” on the document. Regardless, if it says “recall,” it’s part of the Coast Guard program and manufacturers have to fix it at no charge, even if the boat’s defect isn’t discovered until many years after the recall is issued. A manufacturer can also issue a “volunteer safety recall” on its own, even after the first 10 years, and it still has the same weight as any other Coast Guard “safety recall.”

If a manufacturer goes out of business before the recall can be addressed, you are out of luck. If a new company buys the old business, however, it may be responsible for the repairs or it may repair the defect simply as a goodwill gesture.

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Greek Cruising Tax delayed by one month

The long running saga of the Greek Cruising tax, known as the TEPAI, was due for implementation on 2 April 2019 following the first attempt to introduce it in 2014. However, the Cruising Association (CA) reports that there has at last been a breakthrough regarding the TEPAI, with the Greeks agreeing to delay this new tax until 2nd May.

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