Reduce the Risk of Fires Onboard Your Boat with These Fire Safety Tips

Avoid Boat Fires with Boating Safety

Boat fires are one of the scariest and most dangerous accidents that can happen onboard a boat out on the water. But they are also preventable with boating safety knowledge and fire prevention knowledge. Due to the extreme danger of boat fires, the Sea Tow Foundation has offered boaters several important tips in an effort to help prevent fires onboard.

The Sea Tow Foundation Fire Safety Tips

Fire Extinguisher Safety:  Make sure to have fire extinguishers on board your boat and in easily accessible locations in the event of a fire. It’s important to know the proper size fire extinguisher that you need for your boat and depending on the boat’s size, you may need several. Have your fire extinguishers inspected regularly.

Fueling Safety:  Before you begin fueling your boat, shut off all flames onboard the boat and have all passengers exit the boat. You'll want to shut off all stoves, grills, ovens, etc.; anything with a flame. Next, you’re going to shut all windows, doors or any openings on the boat in order to keep any fumes from entering the boat. Make sure to keep the fuel nozzle in contact with the tank of your boat while fueling in order to prevent any sparks.

Avoid overfilling the tank, allowing the fuel some room to expand while you’re running the boat’s engine. Make sure to wipe up any fuel spills (if they happen) and then promptly and carefully dispose of the rags. When you’re done fueling your boat, open all of the doors and windows back up and let the exhaust blower run for about four minutes.

Perform a “sniff” test before starting the engine. If you still smell fumes, then let the exhaust blower run for a bit longer until the smell of fumes is gone. And of course, NEVER smoke while fueling your boat.

Electrical Safety:  Regularly inspect or have your electrical connections inspected by an electrical inspector. You’ll also want to have any power connection lines on shore inspected before plugging your boat into them. If you see frayed wiring or see sparks, shut off the power source immediately. Do not attempt to use again until you have the issue repaired.

Heater Safety:  Never leave a heater unattended when in an enclosed space and of course, be cautious even while attended.

What to Do if a Fire Breaks Out Onboard

1. Have life jackets readily available and accessible. Make sure that everyone onboard puts on a life jacket right away.
2. Try to position the boat in a way that keeps the fire downwind if this is at all possible. Keep the passengers upwind and away from the fire.
3. Remember to NEVER use water on a grease fire, oil fire or gasoline fire because this can cause a fire to spread. Also, do not use water on an electrical fire. This can cause an electrical shock and is extremely dangerous and deadly.
4. Grab your fire extinguisher and use the PASS method to put out the fire. P – Pass. A – Aim at the base of the fire. S – Squeeze the handle. S – Sweep from side-to-side.

Have you ever seen a boat on fire?

How to Support an Outboard or Sterndrive While Towing

Good boating safety starts before you ever get your boat in the water. Making sure that your boat and outboard motor are secure on your boat trailer is just as important as following safe launching procedures and paying attention to the navigational markers on the water. Unsecured, your outboard motor can shift back and forth while you're trailering your boat, affecting your steering and even potentially damaging your motor. Better to make sure your motor is supported while towing. Here's how:

1. Transfer the weight of the motor. Rather than having the outboard motor hanging loose from the back of your boat while it's on the trailer, transfer the weight of the motor to the boat trailer's rear cross member by using a device like the Swivl-Eze 4000 Transom Saver (or something similar). Such devices are inexpensive and easy to install.

2. Snug it down. When you have the motor centered, use the automatic tilt to snug it down reasonably tight, but not too tight. Position the motor in the cradle of the transom saver to minimize the motor's flopping from side to side.

3. Don't use the Flip-Lock. You don't want to use the flip-lock feature when the boat is on the trailer to keep it from moving from side to side. This feature is designed to be used when the motor is in the water. The force of motion when towing will likely break the device. If you aren't using a transom saver, merely tilt the motor up to clear the pavement.

Extend the life of your motor and prevent a potentially hazardous situation by making sure to support your motor or sterndrive each and every time you tow your boat. It only takes a few minutes, but it could save you by protecting your motor and maybe even your life.

5 Tips for Navigating a Boat at Night

Taking your boat out after dark can be romantic, relaxing and picturesque. Those pre-dawn hours can also be when some of the best fishing takes place. However, boat navigation at night presents some additional risks not encountered during the daytime. To keep safe on the water at night, be sure to follow these five boating safety tips:

1. Check your navigation lights before you leave. Your boat's green and red navigation lights help other watercraft be able to place you and your course at night on the water. They are required by U.S. Coast Guard regulations to be visible at least a mile away. Make sure your lights are burning brightly and aren't obstructed by fishing gear and other equipment before  you leave the dock.

2. Look, listen and scan. Good navigation--at night and during the day--requires you to be alert and ever vigilant to the condition of the water, the other craft around you, navigational markers and the changing weather conditions. It's also wise to listen for the sounds of other craft. Some, smaller boats are not required to have navigation lights. Others may have lights that have malfunctioned.

3. Trust your instruments. It's easy to get disoriented out on the water at night. Rely on your instrument readings. Your eyes can play trick on you, especially in the darkness, whereas, your instruments are rarely, if ever, wrong. If your boat is equipped with a GPS device, it's a good idea to rely on its output. If this data conflicts with your visual indications, stop your boat until you can reconcile the two.

4. Avoid using your spotlight. Spotlights are designed for boat captains to see objects far in the distance. Used constantly, they can blind other boaters and can be very dangerous. Plus, the reflection from the water caused by the spotlight can hamper your own sense of space and distance. Use your spotlight sparingly, if at all.

5. Don't rush. One of the most important safety tips for navigating a boat at night is to slow it down. Although it's tempting to want to get home as soon as possible, reduced visibility at night makes it a good idea to take it down a notch.

This season when you go out on the water at night, be sure to practice good boating safety, not only for you and your passengers, but for the others out on the water.

Ready To Go Fishing? Not Without A Fishing License

If you own a fishing boat in Maryland and want to make use of that new fishing rod, you need to know about fishing rules and fishing licenses in Maryland. Except for a couple of free fishing days in the spring, most everyone over the age of 15 who fishes on public waters in the "Old Line State" needs to have a fishing license or risk expensive fines.

How to get a fishing license in Maryland

Maryland offers a variety of fishing licenses for sports fishermen. Fishing licenses for Maryland residents are valid from January 1 through December 31. Below is just a sampling of the available licenses:

• Fresh water sports fishing (age 16 through 65) -- $20.50
• Coastal and Bay sports fishing (age 16 through 65) -- $15
• Resident consolidated (fresh water, tidal bays and Atlantic Ocean) sports fishing, age 65 and older -- $5
• Resident crabbing license -- $5
• Resident senior crabbing license (for holders of consolidated sports fishing license) -- $2

You can order Maryland fishing licenses online or purchase them at one of dozens of DNR service centers throughout the state.

To read more about Maryland fishing license requirements, visit the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website.

Maryland fishing license exemptions

Those who are exempt from having to obtain a fishing license include anyone under age 16, persons on military leave with orders, passengers on a commercial fishing charter, persons with a commercial fishing license and persons with a Potomac River sports fishing license. In addition, anyone can fish without a license on Maryland's free fishing days, which are usually over one weekend in early May.

Complimentary licenses are issued to blind residents and to disabled veterans and former prisoners of war.
Maryland offers diverse fishing opportunities, from the state's many rivers and streams to the Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic Ocean. Before you head out, just make sure that you have the proper license.

7 Nautical Knots You Should Know How To Tie

Knowing how-to keep your boat "where you left it" will help give you peace of mind (either while away or at anchor overnight). Here are 7 nautical knots we think all Captain's, and First Mates, should know.

Ashley Stopper Knot (Oysterman's)



Uses: The Ashley Stopper Knot is the name now commonly given to a knot described by Ashley as the Oysterman's Stopper. It is an excellent bulky stopper knot. Ashley's description is that the knot "...has three rim parts, and these are quite symmetrical when viewed from the underside". This 3-lobed structure can be seen in the final Frame.

Advantages: As a bulky, secure, stopper it deserves to be more widely known. It is far less prone to shake loose than the figure 8 knot and is the bulkiest of the simple stoppers.


Bowline Knot



Uses: The Bowline makes a reasonably secure loop in the end of a piece of rope. It has many uses, e.g., to fasten a mooring line to a ring or a post. Under load, it does not slip or bind. With no load it can be untied easily. Two bowlines can be linked together to join two ropes. Its principal shortcoming is that it cannot be tied, or untied, when there is a load on the standing end. It should therefore be avoided when, for example, a mooring line may have to be released under load.

Shakes Undone If Not Loaded: A bowline makes a poor safety knot for a swimmer. When a bowline is unloaded, it can very readily work its way untied - I know, it has happened to me! Fortunately I only lost a scrubbing brush.


Chain Splice

Uses: The Chain Splice is a modification of the Eye Splice. It is particularly useful when a chain/rope combination passes over a windlass and descends into a chain locker.

Durability: By its nature, a chain splice may be subject to heavy load and chafing. It should be inspected if used frequently and a worn splice should be cut off and remade a few inches further up the rope. However, in many yachts where the anchor is only used occasionally, the chain may rust and become untrustworthy long before the splice shows significant wear!


Cleat Hitch (Dock Line)



Uses: The Cleat Hitch secures a rope to a cleat.

History: "Belaying a rope" means securing it or making it fast. Before cleats were common, a rope used to be secured to a vertical pin in a wooden beam called, of course, a "Belaying Pin".


Figure 8 (Flemish) Knot



Uses: The Figure 8 provides a quick and convenient stopper knot to prevent a line sliding out of sight, e.g., up inside the mast. Its virtue is that, even after it has been jammed tightly against a block, it doesn't bind; it can be undone easily. This virtue is also, occasionally, a vice.

Comparison: The Figure 8 should be compared to other common stopper knots. It is much better than the simple Overhand Knot which is smaller and can bind so tightly that it can be really difficult to undo. However, both the Double Overhand Knot, and the Ashley Stopper Knot, make better Stopper knots because they are larger and more stable.


Running Bowline



Uses: The Running Bowline is a valuable way of tying a type of noose which will not bind and can be slid undone easily. In boating it is recommended for use when retrieving lumber or rigging which has fallen overboard and in climbing for retrieving objects in places such as crevasses.

Advantages: Using a knot like a bowline is that it will not close up and bind on the standing end. So long as the rope is under tension, the running bowline will grip its load.


Square Knot (Reef Knot)



Uses: It is intended to be a binding knot and, tied in the right material against a curved surface, the first Half Knot may bind – but it cannot be trusted. That is why surgeons use an extra turn in the first Half Knot – to achieve the binding required while they prepare the second Half Knot.

Teaching: Experience of tying a Square Knot teaches the fundamental process of tying a Half Knot or Half Hitch.

What's your go to knot while boating?

How To Choose The Right Pop-Up Cleat

When it comes to boat equipment, choosing the right pop-up cleat is an important one. There are many types of cleats available in the market and you have to choose the one that suits you best. Here are some pointers that will help you choose the right cleat for your boat (and remember, if you have any questions, our experts are here to help!).

Size and Quality

First and most important aspect is the size of the cleat which you must choose based on the size of the boat. If the cleat is too small, it may be incapable of keeping the boat tied up in place. The best material for a strong and durable cleat is 316L stainless steel. Other alloys or other types of steel would rust and may even begin to destroy your boat. Pop-up cleats look very neat as is, and you really don’t need to go for a classic design either. There are a lot of stylish cleats to choose from - and they’re just as effective as any old fashioned cleat. Choose a style that is in tune with your boating lifestyle.

Fit and Finish

Make sure you get a backing plate with locking nuts along with the cleat assembly. This keeps them in place even when under stress. Lifting cleat models are also available separately, so you must buy them if you need to lift the boat using the cleat. Most modern pop-up cleats come with facility to hold and drain water. The water collected should be safely discarded at an appropriate place. Water dripping here and there would surely spoil your boating experience. And of course, make sure your pop-up cleat fits completely so that there are no issues after installation.

Buying a pop-up cleat is not at all complicated, but these are just a few things that one must keep in mind. You don’t buy boating hardware every day, so make sure you do it right the very first time.

Have you installed pop-up cleats on your boat?

Boat Safety Equipment To Always Keep Onboard

There's nothing like a day on the Chesapeake Bay with your boat. All is takes is one experience of the boating lifestyle, and most people are hooked. But from a first time boater to a seasoned pro, there's one aspect of boating that can never receive enough attention - safety. There are a few things you should always keep on board your boat to make sure you get the most out of your boat.

Life Jackets

A life jacket is probably the most crucial piece of boating safety equipment, but one that people neglect the most. When people are out on a boat, they want to enjoy the sun and spray - so many go without a life jacket. When most people think of a life jacket, the big, bulky orange block comes to mind. Today's life jackets are a lot more comfortable than most people would think, though. They're available in slim, flexible styles that don't really inhibit movement. Even if you have them stowed somewhere in the boat, accidents often happen at a very quick speed, and there's not time to react and reached a stowed vest. So keeping your vest on is key. A report from the United States Coast Guard says that simply having a life jacket would have saved over 80 % of boating deaths.

A First Aid Kit

Minor accidents can and almost certainly will happen on your boat - as with any other recreational activity. And when they do, you want to be prepared. You may be some distance away from medical help, so keeping a first aid kit onboard can make sure everyone stays safe. Also, a minor accident could become more serious if you don't have proper care onboard. Keeping a kit handy can make sure you're able to have a fun and safe day on the water.

Drinking Water

Sure, there's plenty of water around. But can you use it? Keeping a supply of drinking water onboard can keep everyone safe in the event you have mechanical trouble a long way from shore. Since most boating is occurs during warm and sunny weather, it's best just to have water around to keep everyone cool. People can get dehydrated a lot more quickly than they think while boating. You have direct sunshine, a possible breeze and fun activities that uses energy. Keeping drinking water onboard ensures everyone's safety and health.

What safety equipment do you alway keep onboard?