Plan for the unexpected. Photo by Ted Morgan Ever been in this situation? You’re out there on the water, enjoying the day, and 20 minutes later all hell is breaking loose. The weather abruptly turns far worse than you’d expected. The seas pick up markedly. Your engine starts to sputter. You hit your knee on a cleat and can’t move around. And your passengers don’t know the first thing about how to operate a boat. If you didn’t think about this before you left port, you may be in big trouble. Experienced boaters take a few minutes to assess the risks before they go out, and they change their plans before they get underway. Sometimes they just say no: they won’t go out with the boat, crew, and conditions they have. Staying in port certainly flies in the face of the self image that many mariners have. According to lore, people who take to the sea are dauntless and intrepid. We’ll set sail in almost anything, and cope with the consequences when they arise. We consider it a challenge to overcome anything that comes our way. Somehow everything will work out all right. But that isn’t always true for captains of big ships, and it certainly isn’t always true for recreational boaters, who generally have smaller boats, far less experience, and greener crews than commercial vessels do—and there isn’t any requirement we must get underway no matter what. There are times when we shouldn’t be leaving the slip at all. There are some formal procedures to use in assessing the risks we’re likely to encounter. The Coast Guard requires its crews to go through a checklist and assign numerical scores, both to the potential dangers and the ability of their boat and crew to handle them. The total decides whether they may go or they must remain in port. Crews need permission to waive the result. Although experienced boaters learn to go through a similar procedure for longer transits and even day trips, you don’t have to be that formal if you’re only going out for an hour or two. Sometimes just using common sense will suffice, provided you take care to think out (candidly) what you’re facing and how well you’ll be able to cope with it. Have you plotted a course; decided where to anchor or tie up; and spotted an alternative harbor in case of bad weather? Here, based partly on the Coast Guard’s checklist, are some of the factors you’ll want to consider: Your trip: Is it an hour or two on the water for water-skiing or enjoying the day? A trip down the river or across the Bay? Will it require piloting and navigation skills? Will you cross busy shipping channels? Motor under bridges or overpasses? Travel near shoals? In bad weather or fog? At night? Will you stay overnight? Where? Conditions: What’s the short- and medium-term weather forecast? The predicted air and water temperatures and humidity? Likelihood of rain, snow, or ice? Wind and sea conditions? How much daylight will there be? Proximity of potential navigational hazards, shoals, and other potential obstructions? Planning: How much planning have you done for this trip? Have you plotted a course; decided where to anchor or tie up; spotted an alternative harbor in case of bad weather; made provisions for enough water and food; and gone over your charts, chartplotters, and other navigational devices? Have you calculated the fuel you might need—and filled up your tanks? Your crew: How fit is your crew—and how ready is it for the tasks ahead? Is everyone able to do the jobs that he or she might be asked to do? Do your crewmembers have any serious health problems? How about the balance and grip to get around the boat safely? How competent are they at boating? Have they been on your vessel before? Are they well-rested? How many of your crew members can locate and operate the emergency gear you carry: VHF-FM radios, fuel shutoff switches, fire extinguishers, lifejackets, personal locator beacons, rescue equipment? (If they can’t, you need to show them how before you shove off.) And you should conduct a pre-departure check to make sure all your gear is working. Yourself: How fit are you? Do you have any health problems about which you should tell your crew? How competent are you as a mariner and as a captain leading others? How able would you be to handle the boat in rough weather? Do you know the Rules of the Road? Do you know what to do in case of fire or other emergency? Your boat: What are the characteristics of your boat, her structural integrity, her seakeeping ability? How does she handle in rough weather, high winds, choppy seas, and sharp turns in narrow channels? Does she have adequate flotation? All the required safety equipment? Now: take a hard look at what you’ve reviewed. Should you really be setting out in the face of the conditions you may encounter, and the kind of boat—and crew—you have? Are you ready to handle whatever comes up? Do you need to revamp your plans? Or should you abandon them altogether? Thinking about whether you can handle what’s likely to come up isn’t the sign of a weakling. It’s a hallmark of a prudent mariner. by Captain Art Pine