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USCG
Auxiliary column
Be
prepared for bad weather on the water
If you have been boating for any length of time, you
have probably had some experience with bad weather, and have learned
that it is always more fun on the water in good weather than bad.
I’ve certainly had my share of rough weather and have learned that
it can turn from good to bad to awful in a very short period of
time.
Know before you go
Most commercial radio and television stations,
especially those located around coastal areas, give marine weather
broadcasts during the boating season. Around here, weather reports
by the media draw a lot of attention by most viewers on a daily
basis. Make a habit of listening to these broadcasts the night
before you plan to go boating to get an idea of what you may be
facing. If you have a VHF marine radio, you can check the local
weather by tuning in to a weather channel for your local area.
Channels 1-10 are the weather channels. Take a quick check before
leaving the dock to get the very latest reports. Don’t have a
radio? Then you obviously missed earlier articles dealing with the
importance of these relatively inexpensive gadgets that should be on
every boat.
“Read” the skies
Have you ever heard the old mariner saying “Red sky
at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky at morning, sailor take
warning?” Did you also know that this phrase comes from the Bible?
In Matthew 16:1-3, we find the following; “And the Pharisees and
Sadducees came up, and testing Him (Jesus), asked Him to show them a
sign from Heaven. But He answered and said to them, “When it is
evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’
“And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, For the sky is
red and threatening.’ ” Mariners have been utilizing “sky watching”
for a very long time.
Cold and warm fronts
Fronts form when air masses of different temperatures
collide. When a cold air mass catches up with warm air, the heavier
cold air pushes under the warm air mass and lifts it, causing stormy
weather. Cloud formations that result are called “cumulus” clouds
which are white, puffy, and build vertically to very high altitudes.
They are also known as “cumulonimbus” clouds when the lower portion
of the cloud contains rain. Cold fronts move at speeds of 10-50
knots. A fast moving cold front may be preceded by a squall line, a
roll of black, threatening clouds with violent storms. Wind shifts
are common and wind velocities increase dramatically. Behind the
squall line are heavy rains, then clearing.
Warm fronts are quite different. In this case the
warm air and the cold air are traveling in the same direction, with
the warm air climbing up and over the retreating cold air mass.
These clouds thicken and lower as the front advances, and winds
increase steadily. As the clouds lower, rain begins to fall,
continuing until after the front passes. Behind the warm front are
thick, low stratus clouds and possible more rain. Once the front
passes, the skies clear.
If you’re caught
Make sure that everyone aboard is wearing a life
jacket. Secure all loose gear, closing hatches or ports. Determine
your location and best course back to shelter, and slow down. Keep a
sharp lookout for other boats and obstructions. If the storm hits,
try to take the heaviest gusts of wind on the bow, not abeam.
Approach waves at a 45 degree angle to keep the propeller
underwater, to reduce pounding, and for a safer and more comfortable
ride. If there is lightning, stay low, keep away from metal objects
that aren’t grounded to the boat’s protection system.
Our “Boating Skills & Seamanship” course covers
weather in much more detail, but this should give you a flavor of
what to look for and how to handle the situation should you
encounter bad weather.
Boating courses set for the
summer
Boating safety classes are now
available for recreational boaters. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Flotilla 22, Marietta.
The Boat Georgia/About Boating
Safety course is set for the Roberts School Community & Education
Center, 4681 School St., Acworth.
The eight-hour course is
certified by the National Association of State Boating Law
Administrators. It is designed for new boaters and experienced
boaters who would like a refresher on safe boat operations, federal
and Georgia state legal requirements, and basic boat parts and
terminology.
Cost is $30.
The course is recommended for
boaters age 12 and up.
Boat Georgia/About Boating
Safety classes will be offered on August 2 and September 6.
For more information or to
register for the course, please e-mail
boatingclasses@usa.com
or call (770) 421-9902.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
provides safe boating classes to the public, provides free vessel
safety checks to boaters and personal watercraft operators, patrols
inland waters, and supports the U.S. Coast Guard’s missions.
Membership in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is open to citizens of
the United States and its territories who are at least 17 years old.
For more information on the
Auxiliary, please visit the Flotilla 22 website at
http://a0700202.uscgaux.info/ or the Flotilla 29 web site at
http://a0700209.uscgaux.info/index.htm.
Roy Crittenden is public affairs officer, Division 2,
member, Flotilla 29.
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