Thursday, August 8, 2019
Each year, an estimated 18 billion pounds of plastic is dumped into our oceans from coastal regions. According to a study by the World Economic Forum, at the current rate of pollution, there will be more plastics than fish, by weight, in the ocean by 2050. To help reverse this trend, here are three tips from the nonprofit BoatUSWednesday, August 7, 2019
Want to learn the basics of powerboating or brush up on your skills? The nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water together with Freedom Boat Club Grand Haven offer a choice of two fun on-water boat training courses taught aboard single-engine powerboats: Intro to Boating and Women Making Waves, Saturday, AugustFriday, August 2, 2019
There is no questioning the effectiveness of live baitfish as a means to catch fish, but careless use of minnows can also cause irreparable harm to a fishery, including those established in inland waters as well as the Great Lakes. For example, the state fish of New York, the brook trout, has been pushed out of much of its originalThursday, August 1, 2019
The NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries include more than 600,000 square miles of marine protected areas, from the rugged Olympic Peninsula of Washington to the “shipwreck alley” of Michigan’s Thunder Bay and the turquoise-hued shallows of the Florida Keys. These national treasures present great opportunities forTuesday, July 30, 2019
Question: I recently read that distracted boating can be as dangerous as distracted driving. Is this true, and what’s your best advice for avoiding distractions while at the helm? Answer: What you read is true. In fact, increased use of personal electronic devices by vessel operators is such a growing problem thatWednesday, July 24, 2019
Whether your watercraft is large or small, motorized or non-motorized, following some easy inspection steps each time you retrieve your personal watercraft or boat will help slow the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS), maintain the quality of recreational waters, and protect aquatic life habitat. CLEAN Before entering andTuesday, July 23, 2019
As water levels reached record highs across the Great Lakes earlier this summer, boaters in several states were prompted to be sensitive to the wakes their watercraft leave. That’s especially true in designated no-wake zones, where high waters have exacerbated the erosion problem caused by boat wakes. One example isWednesday, July 17, 2019
All across America boating season has begun. With some help from the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, here are six ways boaters can help keep waters clean and be good environmental stewards all summer long. Cleaning and waxing: When making your boat sparkle, understand that some general cleaning soaps may haveMonday, July 15, 2019
Boating season is in full swing. Have you given thought to what would you do if you broke down out on the water? Could you do a quick fix on something aboard your boat should you experience a malfunction? While in many cases of breakdown you could get a quick tow back to where you presumably have more in the way of tools and parts,Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Lessons in boating safety are too often learned the hard way. With a healthy fear of the power of the lake comes attention to boating safety. In the tone of tough love, a skipper I know quips to new passengers this curt, morbid “safety speech”: “If you fall overboard, you will die.” Everyone chuckles, but the
