BoatUS continues to be the nation’s leading advocate for boating safety and offering Boating Safety Classes is a big part of their work. SSECN is proud to have BoatUS as a SPONSOR!

NEWS From BoatUS
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
When Things Went Wrong, Teen Boater Kept Cool
The Case for Taking a Boating Safety Course

15-year-old Matt Mainzer kept his cool when his flats boat started to sink. He says taking a boating safety education course gave him the knowledge to ensure everyone’s safety aboard.

TAMPA, FL, April 9, 2015 ‘“ When 15-year Matt Mainzer decided to take a couple of friends out boating one Sunday afternoon in late March, little did he know that he would find himself and his friends floating in life jackets hanging on to the overturned hull of the teen’s 17-foot flats boat awaiting rescue. But according to Mainzer, his boating safety education would help him survive the day. A graduate of the no-cost online boating safety course provided by the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, Mainzer said, ‘˜I wouldn’t have known what I needed to know if I hadn’t taken the boating safety course.’

Of course most folks would recognize Mainzer’s ability to keep his cool and being prepared as the reason for the young trio’s successful rescue. According to Mainzer, as water started to fill the boat through a rapidly widening crack in the hull – eventually causing the three teens to jump overboard – the quick thinking Mainzer had everyone in life jackets.

Using a cell phone in a waterproof case, Mainzer had also already advised a friend of their predicament initiating a rescue response. Once the three teens were floating in the waters of the Tampa Bay, he remembered keep everyone hanging on to the boat’s hull, of which only a small portion of the bow was above water. And his boating guests, two female teens, also remained calm and followed their captain’s instructions. Rescuers were on scene in minutes.

`Matt’s ability to stay calm and take decisive action saved them from harm,’ said BoatUS Foundation President Chris Edmonston. `And I’m sure Matt’s parents instilled in him a great sense of respect for boating safety. But we are also very pleased he was able to take away some key knowledge from our online boating safety course, like always having life jackets accessible and ready to go. Once water started entering the boat they were easy to put on. So often boaters keep them hidden in places that essentially render them useless.’

Mainzer, who has been boating since he was a two-year old, added, `The BoatUS Foundation Online Boating Safety Course was easy to take and wasn’t boring. I learned a lot.’ As the boating season begins, boaters can find the BoatUS Foundation online courses at BoatUS.org/courses.

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The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national leader promoting safe, clean and responsible boating. Funded primarily by donations from the over half-million members of Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the non-profit provides innovative educational outreach directly to boaters and anglers with the aim of reducing accidents and fatalities, increasing stewardship of America’s waterways and keeping boating safe for all. A range of boating safety courses ‘“ including 33 free state courses ‘“ can be found at BoatUS.org/courses.

BoatUS continues to be the nation’s leading advocate for boating safety, including spring launch preparations. SSECN is proud to have BoatUS as a SPONSOR!

President’s Corner –
From BoatUS President, Margaret Podlich

As the daffodils start to peek through my mulch, I know it’s time to take a peek under the boat’s shrink-wrap and find a warm weekend afternoon to conduct the Spring Right of Passage, Spring Commissioning!
Thankfully, our experts here at BoatUS have put together a thorough checklist of all that is needed to ready your boat for another season out on the water, including this video walk-through on a cabin cruiser.

A proper Spring Commissioning may prevent your boat from sinking at the dock, as many owners are unaware of leaks and water on board after heavy winter snowfall and spring rains. In this article, we question what may have caused a 20′ runabout to sink before the season began. Lesson learned? Take an hour or two to check on your boat’s condition before you head out.

See you on the water!
Margaret

Click Here for the rest of the news.

A Book Review
Posted to Global Maritime Analysis with Joseph Keefe (by Joseph Keefe) on March 24, 2015

Marine Fire Prevention, Firefighting, and Fire Safety by Captain Sean Tortora, USMS

Firefighting probably will never be a (hot) topic for discussion at the breakfast table, during leisure time or possibly any other venue. On the other hand, I can think of few things more important to a merchant mariner ‘“ or any seafarer, for that matter. That said; (Captain) Sean Tortora’s comprehensive text entitled Marine Fire Prevention, Firefighting, and Safety, published just this past year, is a worthy and compelling `read.’ Comprehensive in its coverage, concise in its delivery, the 176-page manual is simply the most complete and readable firefighting guide that I have ever come across.

Tortora is a Master Mariner with twenty-five years experience at sea and also has earned an unlimited Master of towing vessels and Master of underway replenishment vessels. During his career at sea, Capt. Tortora had command of many different classes of vessels, including tankers, dry cargo, break bulk, ammunition, ocean towing and salvage, special mission, as well as underway replenishment vessels. Capt. Tortora has had extensive experience combating serious shipboard fires, including major engine room fires and cargo hold fires. The SUNY Maritime graduate holds a BS in Marine Transportation and MS in International Transportation Management. Today, he is a professor in the Department of Marine Transportation at the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York.

Fighting a fire or addressing an emergency aboard ship should be an organized and standardized event. Nevertheless, how that evolution occurs on board a U.S. Navy Ship and a merchant vessel will vary, sometimes simply as a function of the number of people (or paucity thereof). I can remember attending firefighting school in the early 1980’s in Freehold, NJ, along with an entire section from a U.S. Navy ship. And, I’ve done it within the last five years, in accordance with STCW requirements as part of a Basic Safety Training (BST) course in a commercial setting. The two events could not have been more different.

And then, there is the U.S. Military Sealift Command structure, where civilian mariners ‘“ typically in much larger concentrations than that which a standard commercial vessel would allow ‘“ work on board and alongside U.S. Navy personnel. The mix in styles is, at a minimum, an interesting thing to observe ‘“ a hybrid approach to things that you don’t often see in the commercial world. Tortora has seen and done it all and he understands how it all comes together. Lesson 1, dedicated to Shipboard Organization, ties it all together.

I admit to having a bit of a soft spot for Tortora since much of his sea time was spent on Military Sealift Command tonnage and a good portion of that on underway replenishment vessels. That’s where I started and because of it, I vividly remember the fire and emergency drills aboard my MSC vessel(s). And, that’s what I like most about Tortora’s Study Guide: he has experienced and understands the differences inherent in the approach to firefighting on board both government and commercial vessels. He also understands that the basic concepts of the task don’t necessarily change, no matter what kind of vessel you sail on or who you work for.

Tortora’s guide was prepared for use with U.S. Coast guard-approved Marine Fire Fighting and Safety courses and meets the requirements of the IMO’s Standards of Training, Watchkeeping (STCW 1978), as amended. Beyond this, the text was produced so as to modernize, streamline, and simplify the original text, Marine Fire Prevention, Firefighting and fire Safety, published by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration, in 1972. Today, the U.S. Government Printing Office no longer prints the document. Never fear: Captain Tortora happily stepped into the breach.

In the end, the guide updates readers on the equipment and techniques that have since been developed in the last forty years. That’s no small task, but Tortora breaks it down into 12 easy to follow lessons which include learning objectives, key points of emphasis and in a manner that that minimizes the busy work while maximizing the course content. Professional mariners and educators alike, if contemplating just one professional reading purchase this year, should put Tortora’s Marine Fire Prevention, Firefighting, and Safety at the top of their list. ‘“ MarPro.

Note: Published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. / ISBN: 978-0-87033-635-5

Joseph Keefe is the lead commentator of MaritimeProfessional.com. Additionally, he is Editor of both Maritime Professional and MarineNews print magazines. He can be reached at jkeefe@maritimeprofessional.com or at Keefe@marinelink.com. MaritimeProfessional.com is the largest business networking site devoted to the marine industry. Each day thousands of industry professionals around the world log on to network, connect, and communicate.

Of special interest to our off-shore cruisers is this article from Tucson News Now by Dan Bronis.

The Gulf Stream is weakening, bad news for the East Coast
Posted: Apr 05, 2015 8:04 PM EDT
By Dan Bronis

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) – The mild climate in Europe may soon be getting colder, matching the climate of the northeast United States. The reasoning for this looks to be the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Gulf Stream brings milder winters to Europe than what other places at the same latitude experience, especially in winter. But this could all be changing as it appears the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic Ocean is getting weaker, allowing deeper lows to move over Europe.

The Gulf Stream is a “river” of water in the Atlantic Ocean that rides up the East Coast of the United States into the northern Atlantic Ocean. This “river” is warmer than the surrounding water and can help bring warmer weather to Europe in winter. The Gulf Stream over the last century has weakened, allowing Europe to experience colder winters. With most of the weakening occurring since 1970.

Credit: NASA. The Gulf Stream riding north along the East Coast.

The Gulf Stream is not the only ocean stream in the world. Every ocean has streams of warm and cold waters, all of these play a major role on the climate of the Earth. Climate change has been debated on whether it would have an impact on these ocean “rivers” but it is becoming more clear that climate change is weakening and strengthening some of these streams.