From the Boathouse: Lay off the wine on the water

Ahoy!

Holiday boat parades are happening in numerous harbors up and down the coast this weekend, and I have a few helpful tips for decorating your boat and cruising in a parade.

I have been a professional captain for decades, and I have skippered in countless parades across the nation. An important obligation as a skipper is to make your cruise safe and enjoyable for your onboard guests.

However, let’s not forget a safe and enjoyable experience for the other boaters on the water as well, so I want everyone to boat smart and be courteous to others who are sharing the waterways. Begin with remembering that there is no need for speed, so cruising slowly is the plan for the evening. What’s your hurry, anyway?

Additionally, you still need to follow the inland rules of the road during a parade and the instructions from the parade officials.

The skipper needs to see where he is going, so be certain that decorations are not obstructing the view from the helm or covering the vessel’s navigational lights.

Furthermore, decorations should not prevent the deployment of the required safety equipment aboard your vessel, such as the ring buoy, life rafts, life jackets and fire extinguishers. So, do not wrap a string of lights around your throwable ring buoy, making it useless if someone falls overboard.

Every skipper should have a plan before leaving the dock, so refresh your memory by reviewing the parade route and estimated times. If you are in the parade, follow the route and jump in and out of the line. Otherwise, steer clear of the route and travel slowly with the flow of traffic. Do not barge through oncoming traffic.

Be aware that what you do with your boat will affect the other boaters around you. Therefore, before you turn your boat, look behind you to see if your actions will be clear of any vessel abaft your stern. Also, don’t stop in the middle of traffic flow except, of course, for safety reasons.

Parade officials will be monitoring a marine band VHF working channel, so find out what it is to be able to hear any instructions. Importantly, you will still use channel 16 for emergencies and for hailing any commercial vessels.

You will notice in the bigger harbors that most of the larger yachts and the commercial boats will usually cruise mid-channel at a slow speed, and you will want to give these vessels sea room. At a slow speed, the wind and current will have an effect on these vessels that will take time to counteract. So recreational skippers need to observe the wind and current (tide changes) to make this calculation.

The vast majority of accidents during parades are caused by skippers getting distracted. Again, one of the most important obligations of the evening is the safety of guests, and this can be accomplished by paying attention to safe navigation and following the rules.

Therefore, skippers need to be aware of their surroundings and be sober. Do not let the experienced skipper become drunk, only to be replaced by someone inexperienced in operating a boat in a dark and very congested body of water. No one can legally operate a recreational boat with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or higher in California. My rule is that anyone operating a boat during a parade must have 0.00 while at the helm.

All licensed captains, whether on a commercial boat or a private yacht, cannot have a blood alcohol level over 0.04. Nor can they consume an alcohol beverage less than four hours before taking command.

Finally, watch your guests. You do not want someone to fall overboard from overindulging.

Tip of the week is for all skippers on recreational boats to have a brief safety chat with your guests before you get underway. Actually, show your guests the locations of the life jackets, fire extinguishers, ring buoy and other safety equipment.

I always designate someone who will help me with the lines and fenders and assist should a situation arise onboard. Find someone in your group who might have any boating experience and can understand your requests (orders).

As always, just keep an eye to the weather for any changes. Please be boat smart and boat safe. Lastly, please boat responsibly and look behind you before you turn the wheel at the helm.

The original boating program, “Boathouse TV & Radio Shows,” has stretched from coast to coast for more than two decades. See the details at https://www.boathousetv.com, https://www.facebook.com/boathouseradio and https://www.twitter.com/boathouseradio.

Safe voyages!

MIKE WHITEHEAD is a boating columnist for the Daily Pilot. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to mike@boathousetv.com or go to https://www.boathousetv.com.