RULES TO FOLLOW OFF THE WATER

If you own a trailer boat, chances are you’ll be preparing for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend or summertime vacation. There are a few thing to keep in mind before heading down the road. Some simple rules and guidelines should be followed before this trip between the garage and the water. I call it a pre-boating checklist.

• check cold tire pressure on the tow vehicle

• make sure you are towing the trailer at a level altitude

• make sure the lug nuts on the tow vehicle and trailer are tight. Lugs nuts should be tightened to a specific torque setting with a torque wrench. Don’t use an impact wrench. If you have a flat, they will be hard to get off by hand.

• all safety equipment should be stowed in the boat.

• check the trailer jack. in salt water they break down very easily. keep it greased

• test all your wiring and fix any lighting problems

•Secure all items in the boat. Don’t leave a trail of life preservers and cooler tops on the bridge.

These are just some simple things that if followed, can make for a more pleasant boating experience. Oh yea, one more thing before you put your trailer and boat into the water, walk to the back of the boat and put the plugs in. This will eliminate that sinking feeling.

Until next time, be safe and see you on the water.

Written by Captain Alan Stewart of the Laguna Madre Maritime Training Center
For Information on the Laguna Madre Maritime Training Center please call 956-639-8697


STAYING IN TOUCH

For most boaters, the best communications device to have on board is a cell phone. That is as long as you have a signal or close enough to a tower. You get off shore about 5 miles and boom, it’s gone. Most true off shore fisherman and guides know about Globalstar satellite.
Only until recently, you had to use the IMARST system and that was very expensive.
Globalstar satellite telephone service is delivered through special multi-mode phones, which work like traditional cellular phones when you are in an area with cellular coverage. Globalstar phones look and act like mobile or fixed phones with which you’re familiar.
When you need to communicate from outside the area covered by ground-based systems, such as offshore, the phones switch to Globalstar satellite mode. It uses 48 Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites and transmits your calls to a cellular based station.
After looking at a map of availability, the whole Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean is covered.
If this info has excited you, check this out. I got some prices and the Globalstar phone systems range from $199.00 to $799.00 depending on what you want. The monthly plans start at $29.00. This is definately not a commercial or am I endorsed in any manner, but this is a system that can save lives when other communication systems can fail. Next week, I am going to talk about another system that is required on all inspected vessels and is endorsed by the Coast Guard and uses satellite signals also.


Written by Captain Alan Stewart of the Laguna Madre Maritime Training Center
For Information on the Laguna Madre Maritime Training Center please call 956-639-8697


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