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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 course set for August 16
Flotilla 29 of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Lake
Lanier, announces a one-day, seven-lesson “About Boating Safely”
course. The course is set for August 16 at the Coast Guard Auxiliary
Operations Center, Lights Ferry Road, on the left just before
entering Aqualand Marina. The course also serves as a PWC certified
course for children under the age of 16.
Classes run from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Cost is
$30. Class size is limited.
Contents include:
• Know your boat
• Before you get underway
• Navigating the waterways
• Operating your vessel safely
• Legal boating requirements
• Boating emergencies
• Enjoying watersports
Successful completion of this course may result in a
reduction in your boat’s insurance premium.
For additional information and information on
registering for this course, please contact Dave Wall, Public
Education Officer, Flotilla 29, at (770)904-6340 or
auxiliaryclass@bellsouth.net.
For additional
information on the Auxiliary and its missions on Lanier, contact:
• Flotilla 29
Lake Lanier at (770)425-4252 (our web site is currently under
renovation.)
• For information
about public education courses, please contact Dave Wall, Flotilla
Public Education Officer, at 770 904-6340 or email,
auxiliaryclass@bellsouth.net.
Roy Crittenden is public affairs officer, Division 2,
member, Flotilla 29.
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