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Your Brother's Keeper

This is a great article by Eric Sorensen regarding the 4th of July sinking of the 34 Ft. vessel which tragically resulted in the death of three children.  

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/home/521163-special-report-analysis-of-a-capsizing

It contains a lot of technical details regarding the physics of stability that may be of interest.  In addition, the author reminds boat captains of their responsibility to make tough decisions in order to ensure the safety of everyone aboard their vessel.  As the Vol Navy sets sail this football season, you may want to consider Sorensen's conclusions in planning your next voyage:

So what lessons are to be learned from this tragedy? The first is that there is no substitute for what the Navy calls using an abundance of caution. Deliberate action is the watchword when voyage planning. Making sound decisions is the crux of safe boating — how many people, whom to take and whom not to take, based on whether you think they would be a liability or an asset in a crisis; what route to use; what time of day and tide to leave or return; whether engine maintenance can wait until afterward. It may be a burden at times, but making good decisions is one of the great satisfactions of boating. It is up to the skipper to acquire the knowledge needed to make these sound decisions.

A good start in building a foundation for decision making would be taking Coast Guard Auxiliary orU.S. Power Squadrons courses, which teach the basics. The next level in understanding how boats work might be taking the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology’s Elements of Technical Boat Design course. “Chapman’s Piloting and Seamanship” is another excellent resource. You can’t protect against all risk at sea, but you can mitigate it through education and being able to evaluate the suitability of your boat’s design, physical condition and outfitting for a given use.

The boat operator must be able to make sound decisions based on fluid circumstances. Running at night adds a major complication if something goes wrong, and collisions at night with objects of all descriptions are much more likely. Having more people on board not only reduces stability, but it can add enormous complexity and difficulty for the skipper if a problem develops. Managing your risk includes managing your passenger list.

There are times when you ought to be especially selective about not only how many but whom you bring along. Some trips should be made only by experienced boaters with the right instincts and skills and who are in good physical condition. Don’t invite kids or people who are more apt to be a burden in a crisis. Having a dozen 12-year-olds on board who weigh the same as five adults may have the same impact on stability, but keeping them safe will present exponentially more of a challenge in an emergency.

The safety and security of the vessel and passengers ultimately and solely are the responsibility of the skipper, who should always be thinking about the very worst thing that could happen at any moment. No matter the circumstances, the skipper of a Navy ship that runs aground or collides with another ship is almost certain to be relieved of command. There is no evasion of responsibility, and this ground rule is clearly understood when an officer accepts command of a ship. Stack the odds in your favor with experience, education, a little humility and healthy fear, and a well-found boat properly employed. And remember that when at sea, you are your brother’s keeper.

Be safe and go VOLS!  

HBG

Knoxville area lakes

We are fortunate to have so many lakes within the Knoxville area that our opportunities to explore different waterways are endless!  Here is a great site to find more information are these lakes:  knoxlakes.com.

Work. School. Music lessons. Sports practice. Ever feel like your family is being pulled in a million different directions? Bring them back together with boating. Time spent on a boat is quality time. Whether you're fishing, swimming, tubing or just cruising along taking in the scenery, you're having fun boating together. You're not waiting in long lines, under the hot sun, bickering about what ride to go on next. Out on the water there are no distractions. You can focus on each other. You can have conversations. Share stories. Laugh. Reconnect and create memories that will last a lifetime. Life really is better on a boat - Discover Boating -