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I think the sea has thrown itself upon me and been answered, at least in part, and I believe I am a little changed — not essentially, but changed and transubstantiated as anyone is who has asked a question and been answered.” — Hart Crane One thing I’ve noticed as I age is acceleration in the passage of time — not day-to-day so much as year-to-year. 2015 is rushing by so fast that I sometimes feel captive in a speeding vehicle, watching the scenery whoooosh by: snow, snow, snow, mud, forsythia, tree buds, lilacs, leafy canopies, heat waves shimmering on the horizon … STOP! As far as I’m concerned, we’ve arrived. Summer is the destination, but Time, that runaway vehicle, won’t slow down. I am seriously considering opening the door…
My initial outrage came with the verdict to award the families of the deceased $19 million of taxpayer money for a loss that was 100 percent Michael Cornett’s fault. That may sound harsh, and I don’t want to diminish the tragedy, as the loss of this family is immeasurable, but this was not the fault of the Coast Guard or U.S. taxpayers. Be that as it may, the court saw things differently and made its award. The good that came out of this was the effort put forth to improve the Coast Guard’s infrastructure and manpower. My outrage continues. Why? The government, taxpayers and the Coast Guard stepped up and did their part to assure this type of failed rescue may never happen. Today, practically every American has a cellphone.…
The Maverick Boat Co. created the Cobia 277CC around a specific goal. “Deliver big-water performance and features in a manageable package,” says director of marketing Charlie Johnson. “It has seating for up to 10 and real creature comforts, but it still is a tournament-capable fishing boat. Conversion to and from a family boat to a serious fishing boat is easy and without sacrifices.” An electronic bow table lowers under power to become flush with the deck, and the stern bench seat folds to become flush with the raised fishing station. Rather than a side console door, the builder placed the console/head entry forward to keep the side decks clear. Anglers will appreciate the single-level deck, wide-open cockpit, dual oversized fishboxes with macerators and the tackle station with a 42-gallon live…
Test your knowledge with these Coast Guard license exam prep questions from the National Captain’s Institute captains.com 1. INTERNATIONAL RULES: Your vessel is underway and fishing with trolling lines. Which statement is true? A. You must sound one prolonged, two short blasts. B. You must keep out of the way of sailing vessels when there is risk of collision. C. You have the right of way when overtaking power-driven vessels. D. all of the above 2. INTERNATIONAL RULES: A vessel sounding one short blast indicates: A. the vessel intends to alter course to port B. the vessel intends to alter course to starboard C. the vessel is altering course to port D. the vessel is altering course to starboard 3. INTERNATIONAL RULES: A distress signal: A. consists of 5 or…
If you follow environmental news, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by reports about the damage and stresses we humans put on the world’s oceans. The past 10 years, however, have also seen some bold initiatives by governments and conservation groups to preserve and protect the ocean’s bounty. Earlier this year, the British government, in collaboration with Pew Charitable Trusts, announced its intent to create the world’s largest fully protected marine reserve in the waters surrounding the Pitcairn Islands, a United Kingdom territory in the remote central South Pacific. At 322,138 square miles, the Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve is the largest continuous area of protected ocean on the planet — and about three-and-a-half times the size of the U.K. Within these waters lies one of the best-preserved ecosystems — a community…
One racer was missing and the bodies of five others had been recovered as Alabama authorities and the Coast Guard began investigating the deaths of six sailors after nearhurricane-force winds pummeled the Dauphin Island Race on Mobile Bay. An organized line of severe thunderstorms marching east along the Gulf Coast from Texas and Louisiana bore down on the bay with 60-mph winds about 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, as some of the 112 sailboats were finishing the 18-mile course from Mobile to Dauphin Island and others were returning home. The race, scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m., was postponed an hour due to a misunderstanding between race officials at host Fairhope Yacht Club and their Web administrator, who in a garbled phone conversation thought he had been told to…
