From Gene Grossman, Magic Lamp's Skipper

After 30 years of boating and producing more than 30 videos on everything from Coastal Piloting to Celestial Navigation, (plus Maintenance and Cruising tips, Using Single Side-band Radio and many, many more, including the official video operation guides for numerous marine electronics manufacturers’ lorans, plotters and fishfinders), I’ve come to the conclusion that there are basically only three boating safety tips you must follow:

1) keep the water out of the boat;
2) keep the people in the boat; and,
3) try to not get lost or hit anything.

There are a lot of ways to accomplish these three rules, both on sailboats and powerboats, but most of them involve plain old common sense. It’s like trying to lose weight... there are thousands of books published by people who claim to know the secret, but they all agree on the same basics: don’t smoke, reduce fat and do some exercise. Well, it’s the same with safe boating. Everyone will agree with these simple boating concepts:

1) don’t drink and drive;
2) have someone else on board who can take over, if necessary;
3) a PFD (personal floatation device) for every person on board;
4) don’t overload the boat with people;
5) know how to operate your VHF and monitor channel 16;
6) learn essential routine maintenance to maintain seaworthiness;
7) no shouting or whining;
8) if going out for more than a day, file a float plan; and,
9) a child must always wear a PFD.

If you’re really serious about safely boating and building your confidence as a skipper, then you should invest some time in nautical education. There's no shortage of books and videos on the market that will teach you everything you need to know, but that may not be enough: after you take an evening course with the U.S.C.G. aux. or U.S. Power Squadron, you should watch our 2-hour video on Coastal Piloting. I wrote the book on Coastal Piloting and I still watch that tape each year and see myself, telling me things that I forgot from last year! Every time you plan a trip with some guests, make sure that at least one of them watches that video before you depart, so that you’re not the only one aboard who can plot a course or tell the Coast Guard where you are... and you may be surprised how fast kids soak up that knowledge: I know a lot of boat-owners who rely on their children as navigators. The kids also enjoy having the responsibility. In addition to our video on Coastal Piloting, you should have a copy of Chapman’s - it’s available at any marine store or catalog house. If you can’t find one, send me an e-mail and I’ll make sure that one becomes available to you through our boating website. Most importantly, be courteous out there to other boaters and to people on your own boat: many domestic situations have deteriorated greatly during attempts to dock the boat. Don’t be up tight - the only things you’re going to damage while putting the boat into the slip or the trailer are your gelcoat and your pride... and gelcoat can easily be repaired.

After a while, you'll discover that the real difference between beginning boaters and experienced boaters is that when they drift into their neighbor's boat while docking, the experienced boater will come up with a great excuse, like "damned clutch is slipping again," while the beginning boater will only sheepishly look at his neighbor with an apologetic look on his face, and try to think up some excuse that will blame the accident on his wife, who was standing at the bow with a line in her hand.

Thanks for taking the time to check out our page on Boating Safety tips and remember: Safe Boating is No Accident! Send me an e-mail if you’re a beginner with some questions and I’ll try to refer you to a video that answers your questions as perfectly as possible.

Sincerely,

MAGIC LAMP BOATING VIDEOS
http://www.boatingvideos.com
Email: videopage@earthlink.net