What Are Boating Terms?
Often times you will see a boat on a fish get into a pattern of back and forth, with forward and reverse moves as the fish gets closer, losing and gaining line in a cyclical fashion. The fish is doing what we call “pinwheeling,” a typical behavior with tuna. The fish circles with its body turned sideways in the water column and the angler’s line straight up and down. Imagine an upside-down cone, with the boat at the pinnacle on the surface, which is the tip of the rod, and the fish swimming the diameter of the cone in the water column. This practice displays the operator’s lack of competence, experience and understanding of how the boat reacts.
I always let everyone on board know before we ever leave and again when we return that hands and feet should stay in the boat around the dock. If you take in the 3 driving tips shown above on how to drive a pontoon boat, there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t be up and running in minutes. Here are some of the best videos that I have found on YouTube for first time pontoon boat driving tips. Your speed should be slow, even, and steady giving you just enough power to get the pontoon boat driven into the slip space.
Boaters can get information from VHF marine radios, commercial radios and television stations and newspapers. As a boater, you need to be aware of the types of advisories and take action before a storm hits. Warnings range from small craft advisories, with winds of 18 knots or less, up to hurricane warnings with winds of 74 miles per hour or greater.
When traveling at planning speeds and especially when running at very fast speeds, make steering adjustments slowly and smoothly. Jerking the wheel one way or the other can cause sudden shifts that can catch your passengers unawares, and turning very rapidly at high speeds can be downright dangerous. When driving a boat in close quarters to maneuver yachting up to a dock or into a slip, turn the wheel while the boat is in neutral. Shift into gear until the boat begins to respond as desired, and then shift back into neutral. Eliminating any power or steerage between adjustments allows for much more precise handling.
When in coastal and inshore waters, these preparations can help take the search out of search and rescue. Part of the alert is the MMSI number, which will identify your vessel automatically. Boats 16 feet and longer must be equipped with one Type I, II, III, or V personal floatation device plus one Type IV throwable device. Boats that are 16 feet or less must have one Type I, II, III or V PFD for each person aboard. All boats must be equipped with one Type I, II, III, or V personal floatation device for each person aboard. Boats 16 feet and longer must also be equipped with a Type IV throwable device.
The demands of the photographers, clients and environments in which I operate have chiseled me into a paranoid boater. The slightest errors can result in lost shots and lost time. Bigger errors can cost thousands of dollars and garner the attention of insurance companies. Success comes from proper training, years of experience and a good dose of telepathy.