Skyway Yacht Works - Boating Tips

Sailing Etiquette
Written by Mark Matthews

Yachting is over 300 years old; according to John Rousmaniere's The Annapolis Book of Seamanship, older than baseball, tennis, golf, and almost every other outdoor sport. Tradition in the sport has evolved as part ceremony and part necessity. Boat etiquette has been developed not to one-up your neighbor with esoteric knowledge, but rather to establish a standard set of rules and boathandling skills that instill confidence in you and your fellow boaters.

Are you prepared for a Coast Guard Inspection?

When it comes to having the correct flare inventory here are some things you should know:

All your Flares must be Coast Guard approved.
All Flares must have an expiration date stamped on them.
All Flares expire in 3 ½ years from date of manufacture- be sure you are buying a current lot.
You must have at least 3 Flares which are approved for day or night use. Examples include:
- Red Aerial Flares shot through a 12 gauge pistol
- Red Aerial Flares shot through a 25 mm pistol
- Hand held Red Signal Flares
- Red Parachute Flares

Bottom Painting Tips

If you are planning on painting your bottom this year, there are a couple things to keep in mind.

First, if you want to keep the bottom of the boat relatively smooth, you really should put an 80-100 grit scratch in the existing paint. This will help the new paint adhere to the old stuff and, in the process, you will likely knock off any loose paint that needs to go.

Cabin Mildew Abatement

A good way to keep your boat smelling nice and fresh all through the summer is to use a winterizing product. Winterize your cabin this summer with Damp Rid canisters to absorb moisture and odors. Use Mildew Gas hanging bags to take care of mold and mildew. It is an inert gas that is activated by the presence of mildew or mold and eradicates both. If you have no mold or mildew, the gas is not expelled. The bags are non toxic and come in pleasant fragrances. Both products decay as they are used up, so when they are gone, just throw them away and replace with new. We sell DampRid in our ship store for $5.95 per 10.5 ounce unit and Starbrite MilDuGas for $11.95 each.

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