Water Wise - Safety for the Recreational Boater

by Jerry Dzugan and Susan Clark Jensen

University of Alaska Sea Grant & U.S. Marine Safety Association
ISBN 1-56612-058-6


This book is geared to operators of large and small recreational boats, it presents the information skippers need in a very readable, direct way. Water Wise is designed to help recreational boaters, novices and veterans alike, to recognise and correct conditions that can threaten vessel and crew.

My copy arrived while I was following on the Internet, the One Person on a Boat Around the World Alone Sailboat Race. Isabelle Autissier of France had capsized in the Southern Ocean at 55 deg S, 1,000 miles from New Zealand, 1,000 miles from Cape Horn and some 600 miles from the nearest commercial shipping lanes. She was rescued by a fellow competitor Giovanni Soldini who sailed 200 miles to her GPS position in some 20 hours. When he got to the GPS position "I look around and I don't see nothing, I really started to worry" said Soldini. While the wind had dropped to what is considered a gentle breeze in the Southern Ocean (25-30 knots), amongst the 30 ft waves, Autissiers inverted 60ft boat showing only its hull and keel was difficult to find. Soldini started a square search, and found her. "The operation was successful, but it was because we were well prepared", said Gio Soldini later. On a dark and stormy night, with a life at risk, is not the time to work out how to do a square search, I opened Water Wise, and there was a square search illustration, I still have to practice it next time I am off-shore, while I am not 'well prepared' to Giovanni's standards, at least I am better prepared than I was!

Remembering that Around Alone sailors plot a course to 'low pressure' centers, as that's where the wind is! And plot to avoid 'High's' as that's where the wind isn't.....! When not racing or in a hurry, a compromise makes for an easier time for boat and crew, I zeroed-in initially to Chapter 2: Reading the Weather.

To locate the center of a storm, the authors advise use of Buys Ballot's law of wind and pressure. In the Northern hemisphere, face the true wind (not the apparent wind caused by the combination of true wind and wind caused by the vessel's forward motion) and stretch out your arms. The center of the low pressure will be to your right and somewhat behind you. The center of the high pressure will be to your left and somewhat in front of you. Wind in your face, low to your right- helps you to track the path of the weather system.

On weather maps, high pressure and low pressure systems have lines - isobars - drawn around them
to connect places of equal barometric pressure. Isobars not only show the shape of a weather system, but also give some indication of surface wind strength. Closer isobars mean stronger winds because there is a greater difference in air pressure in a shorter distance.

In the Northern Hemisphere air flows counterwise around low pressure systems, and clockwise around high pressure systems. If you are not already weather chart literate, Chapter 2 Reading the Weatherwith its explanations and symbols for cold/warm/ occluded/stationary front's, will quickly make you so.......

Signaling with a pocket mirror using the hand as sighting aide is covered in Chapter 6 Signaling for Help , together with VHF, SSB, Cell Phones, EPIRB mounting and maintenance and other signaling devices.

Other Chapters cover First aid including the essential 6 Steps for a Life Threatening Medical Emergency, Fatigue & methods of preventing Seasickness. Surviving in the water, how to extend your in-water survival time. Choosing a PFD and Immersion suits. Overboard and retrieval methods. Survival rafts. Abandon Ship. Helicopter Evacuations. Shore survival. Fire fighting/Prevention. Safe Seamanship. Bringing another Vessel under tow. Understanding weather broadcasts and maps. 200 pages complete with excellent grahics.

There were some 800 Recreational Boaters that died in US boating accidents in 1998.

A great book with the potential of saving lives, one of which could be your own.



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