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Boaters Should Resolve To Learn Rules Of Road

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By FRANK SARGEANT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 6, 2008

One last New Year's resolution that would be a great help to hundreds of boaters around the Bay area would be to make 2008 the year when they finally get around to taking one of the excellent boating safety courses offered by the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the U.S. Power Squadron organizations.

While anything with "safety" in the title sounds like a recipe for a course that will put you to sleep on contact, these classes actually contain tons of practical stuff that every boat operator needs to know, every time he or she leaves the dock.

And the organizations, aware of the hurry of daily life for most of us, have compressed courses that used to spread over weeks into a single-day format, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

You don't get quite the hands-on instruction and depth of the longer courses but, for those who want to learn the basics, this is a quick, effective and nearly painless way to go.

Confusing Stuff

For many new to coastal boating, the maze of colored markers that dot our shallow waters seems daunting and confusing. And even knowing where it's safe to run your boat can be a challenge, because in some areas the west coast of Florida has depths of a foot or less, miles from the nearest shoreline.

The Auxiliary and Power Squadron courses take the boater from his driveway to the launch ramp, starting with tips on how to hitch up a boat trailer and back it down the boat ramp. (Quick tip: Turn the bottom of your car's steering wheel in the direction you want the trailer to go.)

The courses also provide instruction in all the basic knots needed to tie your boat to the dock once you have it in the water. And if you should ever leave it at the docks overnight, you'll also want to know the tricks of "springing" the boat in the slip, so it can ride up and down on the tides without slipping under the walkway.

You'll also learn how to securely anchor your boat. This is a biggy for anglers coming from freshwater to salt. The wind, current and depth combine to make it difficult to keep a boat in one spot over a rock pile where you suspect grouper are hiding, but the courses outline the "ground tackle" you need to hook bottom and hold, and also the magic formula for "scope" - the length of anchor line needed to hold bottom in a given depth of water. (Basically, it starts at three times the water depth, but can be as high as seven times the depth in strong winds; that is, in 100 feet of water, you need from 300 to 700 feet of rode or anchor line to stay put.)

They also teach what those pesky "aids to navigation" or channel markers mean. Basically, you'll learn the three R's: red, right, returning.

Red markers go on the right as you are returning toward port. The numbers on the markers also contain useful information; they usually start at 1 or 2, the marker nearest the open sea, and increase as you move inshore. And the odd-numbered markers should be kept on your port or left side as you are entering the harbor or heading back to the dock.

Get The Point?

The courses also offer instruction in marine road maps, known as nautical charts. These show all the markers and channels, allowing you to proceed from Point A to Point B by simply following the numbers and staying in the marked deeper water.

Just as important, the charts also show hundreds of danger points - rock piles, wrecks, shallow flats and the like - where your boat is likely to go aground if it's much larger than a kayak or canoe. These charts are also great fishing guides, because they show bottom composition - areas where there's grass, oyster or rock, all likely to attract the various saltwater species.

The boating organizations also offer a place to meet other boaters, participate in cruises and learn what's happening in coastal waters.

For links to boating groups in your area, visit the Web site www.boatus.org. Or go to the Apollo Beach Sail and Power Squadron's next meeting, Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lutheran Hall, 5309 U.S. 41 N. in Apollo Beach; (813) 785-5086.

The Tampa Coast Guard Auxiliary offers continuing courses that you can begin any Wednesday at its building at Gandy Ramp; (813) 835-4118.

The Brandon Coast Guard Auxiliary hosts its next one-day course Jan. 17 at 1516 W. Brandon Blvd. in Brandon. The $40 course fee includes textbook; www.cgaux74.org.

Completing any of these classes will make you eligible for a discount on your boat insurance, as well as making you a smarter, safer skipper.

This is the year to finally get it done.

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