We occasionally hear boaters racking their brains over where to go for a fun, boating- related vacation or long weekend. When you stop to consider that thousands of people vacation or relocate to Southwest Florida each year specifically for the vast boating opportunities, you certainly should include our home waters among your options.
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission sent this bulletin at 02/22/2017 09:52 AM EST (Original Article)
Manatee deaths related to watercraft reached a record 104 in 2016, causing some to push for additional regulation.
The Southwest Florida Marine Industries Association has put together a few facts and comments and a graph that puts some perspective on the state of the manatee population in Florida. Special thanks to Bob Atkins, President of Citizens for Florida’s Waterways, and a designated Boating Public member of Governor Scott’s Boating Advisory Council for providing much of the data and commentary.
There are few things that keep avid boaters off the water, but strong, chilly winds during a Floridian “winter” can be one of them. If you’ve got an itch to get on the water but the weather isn’t agreeing, check out the boating and fishing related activities listed here to hold you over.
Read more “Cold Snaps Have You Landlocked? Here’s a few things you can do in the meantime.”
With a number of boat shows happening this time of year, there are a good number of new boaters or, at least, new boat owners out there who might not be 100 percent certain or comfortable with everything that comes along with boat ownership. That’s natural.
Most boaters agree the best time to buy a boat is during the winter boat show season. They also agree that boat shows are great opportunities to take advantage of manufacturers’ incentives on new boats—as most manufacturers run promotions to correspond with winter boat show season. Even if you aren’t in the market to buy a boat yet, boat shows make a great family day to just have fun and take it all in.
Spend a considerable amount of time boating in Florida and, one day, you just might happen upon a stranded or in distress vessel. When this happens, there are some things you will want to know to make sure you do the right thing AND do it the right WAY.
In many parts of the country, summer boating safety tips revolve around the increased number of boats and activity on the water. In Florida, we experience that issue between Thanksgiving and Easter during what we affectionately refer to as ‘season’. However, summer boating in Florida does come with its own set of seasonal challenges, which are either heat or weather-related. Let’s start with weather…
Read more “Summer Boating Safety: Staying calm, cool and hydrated”
The VHF radio is still the communication device of choice for a boater. It is the standard and, as it is universally used, it is arguably one of the most important piece of safety gear you can have aboard. But here are some questions many ask as they consider what to use and how to use it:
Today’s hand-held VHF radios are very versatile and convenient—plus they have the distinct advantage of not being dependent of the boat’s electrical system. In some emergencies, that power may not exist.
As boaters in Southwest Florida, we need to keep in mind the challenges and hazards of fueling our vessels. Bigger boats often have quite large fuel tanks—much larger than cars—meaning where there’s more fuel, there’s more to cause problems if you’re not careful. Dock-based gas nozzles often pump fuel faster than those at automobile service stations. And, gasoline fumes are extremely flammable. In fact, most fires and/or explosions on boats happen during (or immediately after) fueling—so please take as much care as possible when at the pump.
Read more “Where and how to fuel up: Gauging your responsibility and options.”