Where the Fugawi?
GPS has made a world of difference for offshore fishermen. Easy global navigation means more efficient use of fuel, and a way to return home in bad weather WHEN THE GPS IS WORKING.
Unfortunately, modern-day sailors often take GPS reliability for granted. But they shouldn’t. GPS units can break, and when land is out-of-site, you’d better have a backup plan. We used to carry a spare hand-held GPS with extra batteries, but that’s been replaced by our smart phone with the Navionics Chart app. We are also familiar with navigation using compass and dead-reckoning if required.
Seamanship
Clearly, you should not be going offshore in a small boat if you have any doubts about your ability to handle the boat in rough seas, or the seaworthiness of your vessel . The US Power Squadron and US Coast Guard Auxiliary offer training courses on rules of the road and basic boat handling, but in the end, there is no substitute for time on the water.
Being able to deal with short period swells, high winds, and large quartering following seas are all essential skills, as is some knowledge of interpreting weather signs. These are all skills that any offshore boater needs, but become super-critical for skiff owners.
Traveling at Night or in Heavy Fog
Offshore fishermen often travel at night or in low visibility. Skiff fishermen may not sleep overnight on the water, but will often launch in the wee hours in order to get to the fishing grounds in time for the early morning bite. Toy Boat 2’s typical departure time is 4:30am, earlier if we can do it.
This raises the question of how best to travel at night or in heavy fog. There have been numerous internet discussion threads about the topic, and at least one article in a major publication. To summarize:
- Slow down & have everyone maintain a constant watch.
- Know your navigation lights, especially the configurations for vessels under tow, fishing vessels, and submarines.
- Radar is nice if you have it. Some people felt it was a necessity, others did not. If you don’t have radar, a radar reflector is a good idea for foggy days or at night, so that boats with radar will be more likely to see you, even if you can’t see them.
- All hands must be prepared for a man-overboard situation (stay tuned for Part 3 of this series: “Man Overboard!“).