
EPIRBS Alone Do Not Save Lives
I love EPIRBs.
When asked what one thing I would take with me offshore, I always answer: an EPIRB.

I love EPIRBs.
When asked what one thing I would take with me offshore, I always answer: an EPIRB.

When I was in the U.S. Coast Guard, I couldn’t say this; but I believe the phrase “Always wear your life jacket” is terrible advice.

When people fall overboard, more often than not it’s at the marina when boarding or stepping off the boat.

Last week in Lifelines, Mario Vittone dispelled a massive myth in his post Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning, which went viral and will save lives. This week, Vittone tackles the fallacy that untrained, but otherwise competent swimmers, can’t make an attempt to save someone who’s drowning and tells us how to (safely) do it.

Mention drowning and we all tend to envision a person in the water waving his hands, splashing and screaming for help. That’s not even remotely close to what a drowning person looks like, writes Mario Vittone in this week’s Lifelines: Safety And Rescue At Sea blog.

At a meeting with 250 boaters last year, I asked for a show of hands: “How many of you have registered your DSC radio and have an MMSI number?

You don’t have to be able to deadlift 400 pounds, but you do need to be able to keep your cool under pressure if you want to become a Coast Guard helicopter rescue swimmer, writes Mario Vittone in this week’s Lifelines: Safety And Rescue At Sea blog.

The Coast Guard uses a computer model — among other tools — to aid in the determination of whether it should continue searching for someone. Mario Vittone discusses the factors taken into account when calling off a search in this week’s Lifelines: Safety And Rescue At Sea.

No one likes to change when it comes to new rules or regulations that restrict free will. Professionals should decide for themselves what is right or wrong, based on their knowledge and experience, and apply it to operate their vessel safely and effectively. The only problem is just how often that model fails. Mario Vittone explains why experience is a rotten teacher in this week’s installment of Lifelines: Safety And Rescue at Sea.

Ocean racing is dangerous. That’s what everyone tells me, anyway, and I believe them. Racing around the world in sailboats that are purpose-built to be

How the WSIA’s Wake Responsibly initiative is keeping riders on the water — and lawmakers off their backs.

Henry Egan paints a historic J Class racing yacht to create the sensation of being aboard.

A historical portrait of America’s best-known sail training vessel.

A weekend on this river near Narrangassett Bay remind us that good cruising is sometimes just around the corner.

The Tiara 39 LE makes a case for getting out on the water more often, in every kind of weather.

Seventy years after the first hull splashed, the Dyer 29 is still built and repaired by the people who know it best.

How CEO Terry McNew is reshaping a respected brand.

At 70 years old, the builder that defined the long-distance trawler is still going strong.

These owners chose specific designs that allow them to explore the country, and even the world.

Sailing Hall of Famer, America’s Cup legend, and founder of CNN dies at age 87.