New "C-Map 4D" to change the way boaters see the world.

Saturday, October 24, 2009 by Ron Ballanti
Boaters lucky enough to be at the 2009 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show will be the first in North America to experience Jeppesen Marine’s new C-MAP 4D cartography — the latest advance in electronic charting technology that will change the way boaters see the world.

This innovative approach to electronic charting gives boaters control over their navigation solutions in ways never before possible.   Using one cartridge, customers can select the coverage area and the content segment that best meet their boating needs. Customers can select the Max segment which includes all the popular features of the existing C-MAP MAX product, or they can choose the 4D segment of C-MAP 4D which includes a variety of breakthrough features, including:

“4D” Charting — Take the most advanced 3D land and ocean mapping database in the world and add the 4th dimension of time.  Based on a continuous update process, C-MAP 4D gives boaters access to a personalized navigation experience with up-to-date data for safe navigation.

True View & Photos — C-MAP 4D includes a realistic navigational perspective with satellite photos and hi-resolution coastal imagery that can be overlaid on accurate and up-to-date 3-D vector data, plus thousands of extraordinary photos of popular marinas and areas of interest.

Nautical Paper Charts — For boaters who enjoy the traditional look of paper charts, C-MAP 4D delivers the exclusive ability to overlay electronic versions of raster charts onto multi-dimensional shaded relief cartography for a new boating experience.

This revolutionary charting technology will be available for use as soon as chart plotter manufacturers are able to implement it onto their units.

2 Comments »

It's Showtime!

Friday, October 23, 2009 by Ron Ballanti
Check Out New C-MAP 4D and Other Charting Products at 2009/2010 Boat Shows.

Boat shows are a great way to catch up on all the latest gear, whether you’re looking for a new vessel, the latest electronics or the best boating and fishing accessories.

As usual, Jeppesen Marine will be out in force at some of North America’s biggest boat shows.  Starting this fall and running through spring 2010, we’ll be busy showing our wares and meeting with boaters like you to help with your electronic navigation needs. 

We have some big news to share with navigators across North America and around the world.   The 2009 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show will be the North American public premiere of Jeppesen Marine’s revolutionary C-MAP 4D cartography. 

This advanced C-MAP cartography will change the way boaters see the world.
C-MAP 4D will be available as soon as chart plotter manufacturers are able to implement it onto their units. Visitors to the show can experience the 4th Dimension at kiosks in the Jeppesen Marine booth, which is located in the marine electronics tent, booth M21.

If you can’t catch us in Fort Lauderdale, we’ll be showing C-MAP 4D at other key boat shows, along with the entire line of Jeppesen Marine electronic charting products and accessories.   Stop by and visit us.  We’ll be happy to teach you about this exciting new charting technology, discuss the easiest way to update your charts (Club Jeppesen Marine) and help you with any electronic navigation questions you may have.  Find us at the following shows:






0 Comments »

Better Freshwater Fishing with Electronic Charts

Thursday, October 22, 2009 by Ron Ballanti
Most serious ocean fishermen wouldn’t dream of heading offshore without their high-tech marine electronics, especially their electronic chart plotter and digital cartography.  Why?   Because they count on their marine chartplotter and electronic charts for a wealth of information that helps them find and catch more fish.

In growing numbers, freshwater anglers are also “tuning in and turning on,” spurred by increasing availability of smaller sized, affordable electronic chart plotters and fishing charts for popular freshwater lakes and rivers.  For about the cost of a high-performance stainless prop, freshwater anglers can install a GPS/chart plotter and add satellite boating navigation and detailed waterway maps to their arsenal of weapons.

Today’s best marine GPS receivers can pinpoint your position to within three meters anywhere in the world, allowing you to navigate with accuracy and – most importantly – return to “fishy” areas.   And with the proliferation of inexpensive, hand-held GPS units that can fit in a tackle box, many fishermen are “steering by the numbers” to do just this.

Using an electronic chart plotter, however, adds a whole new dimension.    Electronic chart plotters add marine map technology capable of showing your boat’s position and movement over a digitized map of the lake or river’s bottom.  Depending on the level of detail, this digital cartography can include submerged creek channels, drop-offs, points, brush piles, sunken islands and other structure items that are critical to fishermen.

With a little imagination, it’s easy to see how a real-time representation like this can help the freshwater anglers.   By really knowing the layout of the lake and where your boat is positioned in relation to key structure, you can spend more time fishing where the fish are.  And by correlating what you see on the electronic chart plotter with information from your depth-sounder, you won’t have to wonder what’s under your boat.  In fishing, knowledge is confidence.  And confident anglers catch more fish.

Of course, an electronic chart plotter can only provide as much detail as is contained on the digital cartography it is running.   Companies like C-MAP have come a long way in the development of extremely detailed electronic charts for the nation’s most popular freshwater fishing areas.   The company’s MAX Lakes catalog of specialized freshwater fishing charts was developed with one purpose in mind — to help freshwater anglers catch more fish.  Today, C-Map MAX Lakes fishing charts are available covering  thousands of popular lakes and waterways in every U.S. state.

There are many ways savvy fishermen use this electronic chart data to their advantage.  For example, walleye anglers can use their electronic chart plotters to focus and fine-tune their trolling presentations.  Successful walleye trolling is based on precise boat positioning, boat speed and bait presentation, and a plotter gives you an extra high-tech tool.   If the fish are hanging along an edge or suspended over an underwater riverbed, you can position your boat precisely, track your progress on the map and make adjustments for wind and current.

Say you’re a bass fishermen, and you’re working a steep drop off a submerged point with a pig-and-jig or live bait.  Same idea – you can monitor your boat’s progress in relation to the shoreline and the bottom, and make small adjustments as necessary.   And with the accuracy of today’s marine electronic GPS, you can keep working productive water by marking where you hookup and returning to this area through subsequent drifts.

These are just a few of the ways an electronic chart plotter and specialized fishing charts can make a wizard out of any freshwater fisherman.   Whether the name of your  game is largemouth, walleye, trout, crappie or stripers,  C-Map charts will help you catch more fish.    Visit your boat dealer or electronics store and get turned on to the world of electronic charts.  

0 Comments »

Electronic Charting to become mandatory for most Ocean-Going Ships

Thursday, October 22, 2009 by Jim Rhodes
The Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has voted to establish new international regulations that will eventually require most cargo and passenger ships to be equipped with an approved Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS).

The new regulations are embodied in amendments to the international Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Treaty and will enter into force January 1, 2011. ECDIS will be mandatory on any new ship whose keel is laid after that date, and the carriage requirement will be extended to cover existing ships on a phased schedule over the next seven years, starting with passenger ships, tankers and very large cargo ships. By 2018, all passenger ships over 500 gross tons (gt), all tankers over 3,000 gt and all other cargo ships over 10,000 gt will be fitted with ECDIS.

ECDIS products have been on the market for quite some time and are currently in use on hundreds of ships, often interfaced with radars and Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) for a composite picture that shows radar targets and ID information superimposed on the electronic chart display. Some advanced fleets have gone so far as to eliminate the use of paper charts altogether, shifting to ECDIS for route planning, navigation and piloting (this is permitted under current IMO regulations only if the ship is equipped with two independent approved ECDIS systems for built-in redundancy).

The performance standards and technical specifications for ECDIS are lengthy and detailed. All ECDIS products will have to be type-approved by an organization recognized by the IMO as a certification body (e.g., the U.S. Coast Guard).

Now that the IMO carriage requirements, standards and deadlines have been established, marine electronic manufacturers are making plans to bring new products to market in time to meet the mandatory dates. At the same time, international hydrographic offices are rushing to complete their database of Electronic Navigation Chart (ENC) coverage over the world’s major shipping routes and ports. Meanwhile, the shipping industry is coming to grips with the need to establish formal training requirements, standards and courses for seafarers to operate these increasingly complex pieces of computerized equipment.

If you’d like to know more, you can download a brief guide to the IMO ECDIS regulations here: (IMO ECDIS regulations).
2 Comments »

Never tell a lie

Thursday, October 22, 2009 by Jim Rhodes
In the Navy, we had an expression “gundeck,” which referred to falsifying logbooks and records after the fact. We used it as a verb – as in “to gundeck.”

As Quartermaster of the Watch, I had to maintain a number of different logbooks and records, in addition to maintaining the navigation plot on the chart. The Quartermaster’s Log contained a minute-by-minute record of everything that happened on the ship, including every change in course or speed. I also had to keep a magnetic log comparing the gyro-compass and magnetic compass at least every 30 minutes and after every course change, and detailed weather observations every hour. Sometimes, especially during high-tempo operations (for instance, when at General Quarters), I might fail to record log entries immediately as required. At the end of my watch, before being relieved, I might “gundeck the log” by adding entries after the fact. This was of course against regulations, but probably relatively benign in most cases. There’s a big difference, however, between gundecking and deliberately falsifying the ship’s records after an incident to escape culpability.

Here’s a case in point, as reported in Safety at Sea International (www.safetyatsea.net).

The MS Atlantic Eagle, a 74,086 dead-weight ton bulk carrier loaded with wheat, struck Maude Reef off Western Australia in July 2008, seriously damaging its hull, rudder and steering gear. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigators determined that for more than 40 minutes prior to the grounding the ship’s position was not charted by the bridge team. The investigators said the second mate “… had little appreciation of where the ship was or would be with respect to navigational dangers ahead.”

Now the mischief begins. The ATSB found that entries in the ship’s bridge log book had been made in pencil and included erasures, while the official deck log was completed in pen by the master at a later time. Positions on the chart were falsified. “Log books and records were then completed in a manner aimed at ensuring consistency with the chart rather than being accurate, factual and indisputable as required,” said the report.

In the future, it will be a lot harder for a watch officer to gundeck or falsify logs, as manual record-keeping is replaced by electronic logbooks. Most merchant ships today are required to carry a Voyage Data Recorder (VDR), which is similar to an aircraft’s “black box.” The VDR interfaces with the ship’s navigation and control sensors, as well as microphones on the bridge and VHF radio, and stores this data in a hardened waterproof and fireproof capsule for later retrieval to be analyzed after an incident at sea. You can download a helpful guidebook explaining VDR technology at Sperry Marine’s website (VDR technology guidebook).

0 Comments »

Electronic charts keep you on the right side of the line – and the law.

Thursday, October 22, 2009 by Ron Ballanti
Electronic charts keep you on the right side of the line – and the law.

Anybody who fishes ocean waters off California is aware of the state’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) and what this law means to recreational anglers. In a very complex process, various groups have been working on ways to achieve the conservation goals of the act, which was passed to protect the state’s marine resources. What this will mean to the layman is a growing network of no-fishing and/or restricted fishing zones up and down California’s 840-mile coast.


Southern Californians are familiar with this already; Marine Protected Areas have been in place around the Anacapa, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands for several years. Closures are on the way for the rest of the state, as well as an even greater network of no-fishing zones for Southern California islands and coastline areas. Battle lines are being drawn right now, with a variety of competing marine maps vying for the approval of the state Fish and Game Commission.

However these marine maps end up coming out, it will be the fisherman’s responsibility to know and obey the law. There aren’t any floating warning signs telling you where you can or can’t fish, and printed charts with GPS boundaries of closed areas aren’t much use either. 

Without a doubt, an electronic chart plotter with updated digital cartography is the best way for anglers to remain inside the law — and outside closed areas. A marine chartplotter will allow boaters to graphically see their GPS position relative to specific closed areas (most electronic GPS units allow users to customize the electronic chart display to mark general boundaries on the marine map.

Since the first closures were put in place around the Channel Islands several years ago, C-Map charts by Jeppesen Marine have had existing no-fishing zones clearly marked in red. This means that boaters can fish with confidence that they won’t accidentally cross into areas that could cost them a hefty fine. By using the electronic chart plotter’s proximity alarm feature, they can be alerted if they get too close, even if they are off the bridge and busy fishing in the cockpit.

Another advantage C-Map charts offer is the confidence to fish in close proximity to these closed areas, while remaining legally outside. These areas were selected because they are productive fish habitat — and anglers without this electronic edge are often too concerned to take their boats anywhere near them. I’ve experienced this first hand, catching quality bottom fish in an area adjacent to (but safely outside) the Carrington Reef closure area at Santa Rosa Island while other boats chose to steer clear of the whole area.

Closures like these will begin expanding up and down the state in 2010. Additional Marine Protected Areas totaling as much as 400 square miles are in the works for the Southern California region alone, depending on which marine map gets approved. Other coastal states, as well as the federal government, are also looking at similar networks of protected areas and fishing closures to manage marine resources. Don’t think this trend only applies to the Golden State. 

Like it or not, more closed and restricted areas are in our future. Having a marine electronic GPS and quality electronic cartography will become increasingly important as the wide-open ocean becomes less open to anglers.  This is why I’m glad that Jeppesen Marine updates its navigational charts and fishing charts at least twice each year.  As a law-abiding boater and fisherman, I want to be sure I’m navigating with the most accurate electronic chart data available.
0 Comments »

Melting ice caps open up shipping routes

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 by Richard Allen
By Kim Murphy
Los Angeles Times

Traffic is up, isolation down in Nome, Alaska

Most days in Nome, you are not likely to run into anybody you did not see at the Breakers Bar on Friday night. More than 500 roadless miles from Anchorage, rugged tundra and frigid Bering Sea waters have a way of discouraging visitors.

So it was a big deal when the World - a 644'long residential cruise ship with condos costing several million dollars apiece - dropped anchor during the summer for a two-day look-see.
 
“We never had a ship anywhere near this size before,’’ Chamber of Commerce director Mitch Erickson said. “My guess is they’ve probably been everywhere else in the world, and now they’re going to the places most people haven’t seen yet.’’


That’s about to change.

The record shrinking of the polar ice cap is turning the forbidding waters at the top of the world into important new shipping routes. 

Four other cruise ships also docked in Nome recently. The Coast Guard deployed its first small Arctic patrol vessels last year. Fleets of scientific research vessels steamed north all summer, while ships surveying the vast oil and gas deposits under the Arctic seabed have talked of using Nome as a base.
 
In fact, this town of 9,300 on the edge of the Bering Strait sees itself as the gateway to a newly accessible maritime frontier. Nome’s ship traffic is eight times what it was in 1990, and the town recently spent close to $90 million renovating its port to accommodate bigger ships.
 
To the north, Kotzebue would like to build its own deep-water port a few miles outside town. And Barrow, a remote Eskimo whaling village that sits at the very top of the continent, has had cruise ships full of German tourists and Coast Guard patrol boats docking near its rudimentary landing facility the past few summers.
 
“We can no longer assume,’’ Governor Sean Parnell said at a congressional hearing, “that the Arctic is an impenetrable barrier.’’
 
The coming shipping boom has intensified concerns about how to regulate maritime operations and protect one of the most fragile and least-understood environments on earth.
 
Binding international rules on what kind of vessels can operate in the Arctic do not exist. Nor do uniform regulations for routine waste discharges from ships, or reliable protocols for cleaning spills in extreme ice conditions.
 
Detailed terrain maps that meet international standards exist for only about 9 percent of the Arctic floor, and there are no reliable high-frequency communications systems.
 
The Coast Guard has just two operable ice breakers in its fleet, and its closest refueling station is 1,000 miles to the southeast in Kodiak, eight hours away by rescue helicopter should a cruise ship founder on an iceberg.
 
More than 6,000 ships now ply the Arctic waters, according to one of the first comprehensive studies of shipping in the region, completed by the international Arctic Council in April.
 
The fabled Northwest Passage - linking the Atlantic and Pacific across northern Canada - saw a period of ice-free navigation in 2007 and 2008. Climate forecasts predict there could be 120 or more largely ice-free transit days each year by the end of the century. And last year’s record-breaking ice melt for the first time opened the Northwest Passage and the Northeast Passage, above Russia, for several weeks.
 
The Arctic Council found that growing worldwide demand for minerals hidden in the Arctic is playing an even bigger role than climate change in the opening of new shipping routes in the far north.
 
Red Dog - the largest zinc mine in the world, about 90 miles northwest of Kotzebue - operates the only major US marine cargo port in the Arctic. Some of the largest ships in the world pull up off the mine’s barren stretch of frigid coastline, bound for markets all over the world.
 
Operators said they have no plans to expand operations or reroute their Europe-bound vessels through the Northwest Passage as part of their current operations. They currently travel south through the Panama Canal.

0 Comments »

UK. Actisense makes smarter connections to increase sales and expand in global marketplace

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 by Richard Allen
By BYM 
www.bymnews.com

Actisense, the market leading marine electronics brand from Active Research Limited, based in Poole, in the UK has had a busy and exciting year with sales up 27% and opportunities to expand into new regions and markets.

Highlights over the last six months include Actisense producing a bespoke solution for distributing GPS signals on a fleet of over 600 buses in New South Wales, Australia. The transition from water to wheels has been a great success, with over 2,000 units ordered so far, the Actisense team is confident that this is just the start of diversification into other transportation fields.
 
Actisense is also delighted to have moved into Romanian markets and is represented by Navtron SRL. With such a depth of knowledge in the leisure and commercial markets, the Actisense brand is a perfect fit with the products and services Navtron offers in the region.   
 
In addition, Actisense have also introduced a range of new products for 2009, including the NGW-1 NMEA 2000 Gateway. The NGW-1 makes it possible to convert between NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 data. Actisense is delighted that 100 units have been sold while the product is still in beta testing and a further 200 units are already on order.
 
The NGW-1 will be demonstrated at the Actisense stand at METS 2009, along with the new NGT-1 NMEA 2000 PC Interface and a range of NMEA 2000 connectors.               
 
Phil Whitehurst, Managing Director, Active Research said, “Achieving the order from one of Australia’s largest transport companies has been fantastic and we anticipate more interest from other transportation businesses.  This has been just one highlight in a busy and exciting time for us. The much anticipated release of the NGW-1 next month means we have a lot to look forward to.”


0 Comments »

Jeppesen Marine striper showdown nets some big Cape Cod stripers.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 by Ron Ballanti
Successful Tournament “Brings ‘Em Back Alive” for Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT
 
Mashpee, MASS., September 25, 2009 — The Jeppesen Marine Striper Showdown September 19th saw some impressive catches weighed in at the host Osterville Anglers Club, including the winning 37.30-pound striper weighed in by Captain Bryan Pieros from Team Michael’s Bait & Tackle.    
 
Winning 37 pound striperThe top fish, reeled in off Block Island aboard Pieros’ 27 Contender, was big enough to win both the tournament and the 1st Place Calcutta in this American Striper Association (ASA) sanctioned event. Captain Greg Nunn of Team Hapi Daze rolled in with his 32-foot Fountain and weighed in a very respectable 29.30-pound striped bass that was good enough for 2nd Place in the tournament. Captain Bob Fitzgerald of Team Comstock Regulator placed 3rd with a 26.95-pound striper, fishing aboard his 26-foot Regulator.  Captain Ken Zwirko of Team Bunker Down used his 21-foot Contender to catch and weigh in a 24.75-pound striped bass, which was good enough to land 4th Place in the tournament.
 
What made this event special — a side from the nice weather, good overall fishing and jumbo stripers weighed in — is that the four largest fish were brought back alive and donated to the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Connecticut. The collection of these large adult stripers played an important role in the facility’s ongoing program of live exhibits and other interactive efforts to educate people about the marine life and unique environment of Long Island Sound (striped bass are a prevalent species there, as well). The fish were kept alive at sea and cared for by Jack Schneider, Curator of Animals/Director of Education for the Maritime Aquarium.  

Schneider was on site with a specially equipped truck to transport the four stripers from the Osterville Anglers Club on Cape Cod to the their new home in Connecticut.   Schneider reported later that the fish had survived the journey, were actively feeding and were adjusting well to their new surroundings in the Maritime Aquarium exhibit. 
 
“We were honored to sponsor this event and to host all the activities at the beautiful waterfront facilities of the Osterville Anglers Club,” said Jeppesen Marine Business Development Manager Ken Cirillo — an avid local striper angler himself.   “Fall is a great time to fish the waters off Cape Cod, as evidenced by the large winning fish brought to the scales. The fact that we were able to help the Maritime Aquarium with its striped bass collection efforts made this tournament all the more rewarding. I hope to get down there to visit them sometime soon,” added Cirillo.
 
For more information about Jeppesen Marine’s electronic charts for cruising, sailing and fishing, visit www.jeppesen/lightmarine. To learn more about the Maritime Aquarium, visit www.maritimeaquarium.org.   
 
About Jeppesen Marine
Jeppesen Marine is a market-leading provider of vessel operations services and digital navigation solutions, based on worldwide vector chart data type approved to ISO19879, meteorological information and transmission technologies. Jeppesen Marine offers a wide range of navigation and operations products and services to both light and commercial marine markets. Safety-conscious boaters and operators, that range from inland and coastal towboats to SOLAS class vessels, rely on Jeppesen Marine, which is chartered with the same underlying values that launched Jeppesen in 1934 – improving safety and efficiency through innovative navigation solutions.
 
For 75 years, Jeppesen has made it possible for pilots and their passengers to safely and efficiently reach their destinations. Today this pioneering spirit continues as Jeppesen delivers essential information and optimization solutions to improve the efficiency of air, sea and rail operations around the globe. Jeppesen is a subsidiary of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services, a unit of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Jeppesen corporate information is available online at jeppesen.com. 
0 Comments »

“BUG” ME, PLEASE

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 by Ron Ballanti
October Marks Opening of Southern California’s Recreational Spiny Lobster Season; Electronic Chart Plotter With Detailed Digital Cartography Helps Find The “Bugs”
 
When the days grow shorter and the nights grow colder in Southern California, many boaters put away their fishing rods and head out into the darkness in search of the Pacific Ocean’s ultimate night stalker – the spiny lobster. Chasing these tasty bottom dwellers — affectionately referred to as “bugs” by recreational fishermen — has become somewhat of a craze along the coast and the waters off Catalina Island.  A lot more people are doing it, and it’s gotten a lot more competitive. Still, those with good marine electronics and the knowledge to use them have a definite edge.
 
Diving for lobsters with scuba gear has been going on for decades.  It takes a special breed of person to don a wetsuit, jump into the cold winter Pacific waters and feel their way along the bottom in the dark, peering in to cracks and crevices with flashlights for these scary looking creatures.  There’s a reason they’re called “spiny” lobsters — their shells (and especially their muscular tails) are covered with sharp points. And one more thing, you have to grab them with your hands. Even with diving gloves, they’re quite a handful.
 
For the rest of us who are not that hearty breed of sportsman, there is another method of catching lobsters that is much more civilized. The activity of lobster “hoop netting” has also been around for years, but it has seen a boom in activity over the last five years or so.
 
Netting lobsters involves lowering special weighted hoop nets baited with cut mackerel, bonito or other oily fish and placing them on the bottom around breakwaters, jetties, wrecks and other structure in 20 to more than 100 feet of water.  Just drop your nets (think oversized basketball hoops) on the sand bottom near the structure, wait about 15 minutes and pull ‘em up.  If you’re lucky, you’ll haul a net full of flopping bugs over the gunwale. 
 
Hoop netters and divers must have a valid California sport fishing license and an approved lobster measuring device to ensure that all bugs meet the minimum size (3-1/4” from the rear edge of the eye socket to the rear end of the body shell).  Each person must have his own measuring device with him. 
 
Whether you dive or take them in a net, finding good lobster habitat is always the first step. These structure loving creatures spend the day hiding inside rockpiles, reefs, wrecks and any other kind of structure, crawling out only at night to look for food. Finding hidden structure spots can be the secret to success, particularly as the season goes on and boat pressure takes its toll. A marine chartplotter with quality electronic charts is an important tool to help anglers find and focus on structure spots. The C-Map charts I use contain valuable data on rocky outcroppings, natural and manmade reefs, shipwrecks and other bottom structure where lobsters like to hang out.
 
My electronic chart plotter also provides an excellent visual record of where I “net” my best lobster scores, by allowing me to mark the locations of the most productive nets. Over time, I’m able to see, for example, that one particular end of a reef produces best during an incoming tide.  
 
Spiny lobsters don’t have claws, but they can reach upwards of 10 pounds and provide a huge, meaty tail. With a recreational season lasting more than five months (October 3, 2009 to March 17, 2010) and a daily bag limit of seven lobsters per angler, it’s easy to see why chasing lobsters is so popular.   Pass the butter! 
1 Comments »

USA. Jeppesen Marine provides electronic navigation cartography for Around Americas expedition

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 by Ron Ballanti
The sailing vessel Ocean Watch, which just left New York City and is making its way to Charleston, S.C. as part of its mission to raise awareness of the effects of climate change, is relying on C-MAP MAX Pro cartography from Jeppesen Marine for safe navigation.
 
The Around the Americas expedition has just completed the first leg of its historic voyage – a west-to-east transit of the Northwest Passage above Alaska and Canada – and is currently sailing down the U.S. East Coast. Their route will take them down the Atlantic Coast of North and South America, around Cape Horn, then back up the Pacific Coast of both continents to its starting point in Seattle, Wash.
 
“The performance of the C-MAP by Jeppesen cartography on Nobeltec’s Admiral software has been impressive,” said Mark Schrader, captain of Ocean Watch and Around the Americas expedition leader. “The Northwest Passage transit was a difficult and often nerve-wracking navigation challenge. We were constantly having to recalculate routes and passage plans to deal with dynamic sea ice conditions. The highly accurate electronic charts were critical tools in our successful transit.”
 
“We chose Jeppesen Marine as one of our key partners because of their worldwide coverage, highly accurate and trustworthy electronic charts and feature-rich functionality of their cartography package,” added Schrader.
 
“We are pleased to acknowledge Ocean Watch on the successful completion of this important milestone,” said Michelle Buckalew, senior marketing manager, Jeppesen Marine. “Their safe transit of these difficult and remote waterways is a strong testimony to the skills and perseverance of the captain and crew.”  VIEW ENTIRE ARTICLE 
0 Comments »

Mapping the Future of the Ocean - The Nature Conservancy

Friday, October 9, 2009 by Richard Allen
 Collaborative effort can improve energy projects. Moving in the right direction!

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON — October 2009  —  Wind power. Tidal power. Wave energy. People have turned to the ocean for millennia for food, recreation, transportation and spiritual sustenance. We are increasingly turning to the ocean to meet our renewable energy needs.

How do we satisfy all these needs while maintaining a healthy ocean?

The leadership of the West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health launched on Oct. 5 an 18-month collaborative process to develop a report that will inform future permitting and siting of renewable energy projects along the entire west coast of the United States.

The states of California, Oregon, and Washington, with support from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency, came together in 2008 to develop an Action Plan to improve our marine resources.

The three states, along with The Nature Conservancy, NOAA, and the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service hosted a two-day workshop in Seattle Oct. 5 and 6 to discuss what data, information and tools should be considered in siting ocean renewable energy projects.

“Our oceans are a vital resource,” Gov. Chris Gregoire said. “It is imperative we take care of our waters, and understand how future development may have an impact on wildlife and recreation. I am pleased we are bringing together a group of experts to identify thoughtful strategies to accommodate new uses such as renewable energy, while ensuring a healthy ocean.”
VIEW ENTIRE ARTICLE

0 Comments »

The View From The Bridge

Friday, October 9, 2009 by Jim Rhodes
I have been to sea on ships and boats of all sizes. My first tour was on a large naval tanker nearly a football field in length. Our bridge wings were about 50 feet above the waterline (when we were carrying a full load of oil). I have also been craftmaster of a 100-ft. patrol craft and a 65-ft. fast combat patrol boat. And I have sailed as navigator on an ocean-going sailboat. 
 
I am telling you this because I think this breadth of seagoing experience gives me a certain perspective on what happens when big ships and small boats end up sharing the same waterways. 
 
Everyone knows (at least I hope so) that the rules of the nautical road govern the required actions of vessels relative to each other in different scenarios. But you won’t find in any of the published rulebooks the one that I call the “Law of Gross Tonnage.” In a nutshell, it says that if you are operating a smaller and more maneuverable boat in the presence of large heavy ships, it makes sense to stay out of their way. 
 
I have seen countless incidents in which small powerboats and sailboats cruise blithely across the bow of an approaching merchantman, no doubt confident in their “right of way” as the stand-on vessel under the rules of the road. I have sometimes wished I could energize a transporter device that would beam these poor ignorant souls up to the bridge of the approaching ship, so they could see the situation through the eyes of the ship’s watchkeeper.
 
I can tell you that the view from the bridge, which is usually placed at the aft end of most modern ships, is severely limited when it comes to small targets on the surface of the water forward of the ship’s heading. And small fiberglass boats make poor radar targets, even when they’re equipped (as every small boat should be) with a radar reflector in the rigging. There’s a visual and radar blind zone under the bow.
 
What this means is that if you’re driving a small boat, you cannot safely assume that the watch officer on the bridge of that containership can see you at all, much less intuit your intentions. In a crowded waterway, it’s impractical for the ship to exchange VHF calls with every boat surrounding it. 
 
You should also remember that a fully loaded cargo ship traveling even at a moderate speed of 10 knots or less cannot stop on a dime. Even with its engines fully reversed it may take hundreds of yards to come to a full stop. And don’t forget that the shiphandler may be maneuvering to avoid other shipping traffic or to stay in deep water.
 
If this subject interests you, I suggest you visit the Confidential Hazardous Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP) website at www.chirp.co.uk. The aim of CHIRP is to contribute to the enhancement of maritime safety in the UK, by providing a totally independent confidential (not anonymous) reporting system for all individuals employed in or associated with all types of marine craft. CHIRP’s quarterly newsletters are filled with frank reports and commentary on collisions, near-collisions, accidents and other incidents at sea. Many of them involve the interaction of small pleasure craft with large cargo ships. 
0 Comments »

Boating Navigation and Safety

Friday, October 9, 2009 by Richard Allen
Skillfully navigating the waterways is not only rewarding, but essential to boating safety. Learn how to navigate the waterways using a marine GPS, compass, RADAR, and nautical charts, and boost your boating confidence by knowing the Coast Guard Navigation Rules.

• Navigation Center - US Coast Guard
• Boating Safety Resource Center - US Coast Guard
0 Comments »

United States Yacht Shows

Friday, October 9, 2009 by Richard Allen
Did you know that The United States Sailboat Show is the oldest boat show celebrating its 40th Anniversary and is recognized as the best and biggest in the industry for new, in-water sailboats? The Sailboat Show is followed by the 38th Annual United States Powerboat Show, the oldest in-water powerboat show in the country. Both show are held in October in historic Annapolis, Maryland. The newest show, The Annapolis Nautical Flea Market, held at the Navy-Marine Corp. Memorial Stadium will be a great place to find previously owned boats and well-loved nautical items. See you there!

United States Yacht Shows presents:
• United States Sailboat Show – October 8 - 12, 2009, Annapolis, Maryland
• United States Powerboat Show – October 15 -18, 2009, Annapolis, Maryland
• Bay Bridge Boat Show – April 22 - 25, 2010, Stevensville, Maryland
• Annapolis Nautical Flea Market – May 23 & 24, 2010, Annapolis, Maryland  
0 Comments »

Bismarck Dinius Found Not Guilty.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 by Richard Allen
Thanks to our friends at Latitude 38.

At 11:30 this morning, the Lake County jury came in with their verdict in the trial against Bismarck Dinius: Not guilty of felony BUI resulting in death. Not guilty of BUI. And 11-1 for acquittal of operating with a BAC over .08. That charge was later dismissed by District Attorney Jon E. Hopkins, who finally saw the writing on the wall and then quickly fled the courtroom.
 
For those not familiar with the case, on the night of April 29, 2006, Bismarck Dinius was invited to go for a quick sail on Clear Lake aboard Mark Weber's O'Day 27 Beats Workin' II. Both had raced on other boats earlier in the day in the Konocti Cup, both had enjoyed the post-race party, and both thought a leisurely night sail would top off a great day. Several other people went along for the ride, including Weber's 51-year-old fiancée, Lynn Thornton.
 
Toward the end of the short voyage, those onboard heard a speedboat approaching — fast. In a matter of seconds, off-duty Lake County Sheriff's Deputy Russell Perdock's 385-hp Baja Outlaw had plowed into the starboard aft quarter of the sailboat, launched itself over the top of the cabin and landed on the other side, taking the mast and the life of Lynn Thornton with it.
 
Russell Perdock admitted to flying along that pitch black night at about 50 mph — to this day he insists that such a high rate of speed is perfectly safe when you can't see your hand in front of your face — but claimed the sailboat's running lights were not on. Those on the sailboat — as well as several witnesses onshore — said they were.
 
Sailors around the world were flabbergasted when Lake County District Attorney Jon E. Hopkins announced that his office would prosecute Bismarck Dinius for vehicular manslaughter and felony BUI that resulted in injury or death. Not the man driving a speedboat at unsafe speeds at night, not the skipper of the sailboat, but the man who happened to have his hand on the tiller.
 
For two years we've railed against this travesty of justice, as have the friends and family of Lynn Thornton. But regardless of the public outcry, the trial began on July 28. For three weeks, we've watched as Hopkins presented what we continue to believe was a preposterous case against Dinius. And today, after seven hours of deliberations, the nine-man, three-woman jury found Bismarck not guilty of the felony BUI charge, which if convicted could have landed him in jail for three years. After finding him not guilty, they then had to consider two lesser charges: boating under the influence and boating with a BAC over .08. They found him not guilty on the first charge and deadlocked on the second — 11 jurors wanted to acquit, with one holding out. The judge found that they were hopelessly deadlocked and ordered a mistrial on that count. Thankfully, Hopkins dismissed that charge.
 
Not to pat ourselves on the back too much, but we at Latitude broke this story to the sailing community — which led to much greater general exposure — and predicted this outcome from Day One.  Tell us what you think.
0 Comments »

San Francisco Harbor Pilot Gets Prison time for Navigation Errors.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 by Jim Rhodes
John Cota, the San Francisco harbor pilot, who was navigating the cargo ship Cosco Busan when it struck the Bay Bridge in a thick morning fog on November 7, 2007, has been sentenced to a 10-month prison term. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston imposed the maximum term proposed in the plea agreement reached with Cota in March. He agreed to plead guilty to two offenses: negligently causing discharge of a harmful quantity of oil in violation of the Clean Water Act passed by Congress in the wake of the Exxon Valdez grounding in 1989, and also of causing the death of a protected species of migratory birds.  
 
You may remember the Cosco Busan incident, which got a great deal of play in the press. The 901-foot ship, registered in Hong Kong, struck one of the bridge towers, spilling some 53,000 gallons of diesel fuel, which spread along 26 miles of shoreline and killed approximately 2,400 sea birds. The ship was making its way out of San Francisco harbor in a pea-soup fog, which was so thick they couldn’t even see the bow of the ship from the bridge. In fact, six other ships had decided to stay in port that morning, waiting for the fog to lift. After the collision, the pilot insisted that it was caused by malfunctioning radars, which forced him to rely solely on the GPS positions as shown on the electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS). He claimed that he confused the electronic chart symbols, causing him to mistake the bridge tower for the center of the channel under the bridge. A replay of the ship’s recorded radar pictures after the event showed that both radars were functioning normally. Coast Guard watchstanders at a nearby vessel tracking station apparently observed the ship as being off course but failed to radio a warning that it was in immediate danger.
 
The National Transportation Safety Board report, issued in February, revealed a number of contributory factors, but concluded that the primary blame rested on the shoulders of the 61-year old Cota, an experienced pilot who had been navigating ships through San Francisco Bay since 1981. Prosecutors at the sentencing hearing pointed to the fact that Cota had failed to disclose medical conditions and prescription drugs on his required annual forms submitted to the Coast Guard for his license renewal.
 
It’s a shame. By all accounts, Captain Cota was a veteran pilot with more than 25 years experience and seemed to be good at his job. The Cosco Busan incident destroyed his career and sent him to prison. I have talked to other harbor pilots, who are friends of mine, and they believe he was unfairly victimized. They point, for instance, to the inherent difficulty of communication between an English-speaking pilot and Chinese-speaking master. The master and crew were new on the ship, and were not thoroughly familiar with the bridge equipment. The Chinese master, they say, had the ultimate authority and responsibility for the safe navigation of his ship. He was the one who decided to get underway in spite of the heavy fog, probably (my pilot friends tell me) under pressure from the ship management company to keep to schedule.
 
There’s no doubt he made a series of errors, and I am sure he deserved his sentence – if for no other reason than that he lied on his license renewal forms. Still, I can easily envision myself on the bridge of a large merchant ship, unable to see my familiar visual piloting aids in the dense fog, surrounded by officers who don’t understand my language, struggling with radar and ECDIS screens that don’t seem to make sense to me and feeling awfully, awfully lonely and exposed. The sea, alas, is an unforgiving master. So are federal courts, especially when it comes to spoiled. 
1 Comments »

Catch Your Drift.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 by Ron Ballanti
 Tips for More Effective Drift Fishing

It doesn’t matter if you’re in freshwater or salt, East Coast or West, drift fishing can be one of the most effective ways to get hooked up with your quarry. It’s certainly one of the easiest ways.   After all, fishing from a moving boat allows you to cover plenty of ground in your effort to find fish and present your baits/lures.
 
Don’t get the idea, however, that all that’s required is to randomly pick an area, drop your lines and wait for a bite. Just like any other style of fishing, there are subtle tricks and techniques that separate top “drifters” from everybody else.
 
Remember that your boat is an extension of your rod, reel and terminal tackle, and plays a key role in your presentation. This is true whether you’re drifting over soft bottom for halibut or fluke, or working a piece of structure for bass. It’s important to analyze how your boat drifts. Even under similar wind/current conditions, vessels can behave differently based on factors like length, beam, draft, windage and weight distribution.    
 
Ideally, every vessel would drift sideways to the wind, providing a slow speed and plenty of room to spread out lines.  In reality, many boats drift bow first, stern first or anywhere in between.   Using your GPS will provide an accurate drift speed over ground based on given conditions.  
 
What can be done to change the drift characteristics of your vessel? To slow down, cut down on your vessel’s windage by putting down Bimini tops or removing canvas enclosures on your flybridge. You may also be able to change your drift angle by turning the outboard motor, outdrive or rudder.
 
If more adjustment is needed, a sea anchor can be deployed to both slow your vessel and alter its drift angle. Sea anchors work like underwater parachutes, catching water to create beneficial drag. How it effects your boat depends largely on placement. Tie it off to the bow and the boat will ride bow into the wind/swell. Tying off to the windward stern quarter will help the boat drift in a more sideways fashion, more desirable for fishing. If you tend to drift stern to the wind, placing a sea anchor off the bow quarter will help you remain more sideways.
 
Once you have a feeling for how your vessel behaves, you’ll be better at setting up each drift. There are two key factors that cause your boat to drift — wind and current. You have to take into account the speed/direction of both. A piece of ribbon or light fabric tied to your VHF antenna acts like a tiny wind sock, helping you predict the effect wind movement will have. If current isn’t visible on the surface, try dropping a shiny nickel over the side to gauge which direction it flutters.
 
Precise drift positioning is very important when drifting over a wreck, rockpile or reef. If you don’t start far enough upwind/current of the spot, you’re likely to drift past before your lines enter the strike zone. After you make a pass or two, check the track lines on your boat’s GPS/chart plotter and see how they relate to the bottom contour/structure you’re fishing. Having this graphical representation allows you to fine tune your drift over an area, making minor adjustments that can result in major payoffs.
 

 
0 Comments »

Mako My Day — Experiencing Southern California's Trophy Shark Fishery.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 by Ron Ballanti
For several years now, Capt. Steve Quinlan has been successfully targeting trophy mako sharks in Southern California waters aboard his 29-foot Pro Line Super Sport Strike Zone. A shark tournament veteran, Quinlan has caught seven makos over 700 pounds and three over 800 pounds, including an 1,175-pounder that stands as the largest fish ever caught on rod and reel in California waters. Quinlan recently retired from the tournament scene to focus on running catch-and-release trophy shark charters (www.trophyfishcharters.com).
 
I’ve written about Quinlan’s unique sight-fishing shark techniques previously in the pages of Pacific Coast Sportfishing and Salt Water Sportsman magazines, but until recently never had the chance to experience the excitement first hand. I took that chance on August 28, when I set out with the goal of getting some good action photos while getting my 15-year-old son Greg his first trophy mako shark.
 
My earlier articles detailed just how important navigation electronics are to Quinlan (he’s sponsored by Jeppesen Marine and Simrad). On our trip, we ran about 20 miles out of Marina Del Rey Harbor to an offshore high spot known as the 270. Using his Simrad CX44 chart plotter and bathymetric C-MAP Fishing Contour Charts, we ran to an area several miles upwind of the 270.   We “power chummed” (idling forward while dragging a chum bucket) back towards the 270 for a couple of miles, then set up to precisely drift back over the high spot.   When we added a stream of fresh chum using Quinlan’s homemade “chum churn,” we soon had a nice slick behind the boat that eventually reached 8 miles in length.


Over the next several hours, nothing but two large blue sharks came into the slick. This is why Quinlan never puts a line in the water until he sees the fish he wants. You don’t want to be goofing around with a blue shark when a fired up mako charges the boat. Finally, around 3:30 in the afternoon, a fat male mako came to the back of the boat, aggressively attacking a nearby blue shark. My son baited up the mako with a light stand-up outfit, and the game was on.
 
Quinlan had often told me that sharks have individual personalities, and that sometimes a particular mako will seem to be demon possessed. Long story short, this was one of those sharks. It put us through the ringer for more than two hours, refusing to come to the surface where we could handle it. Still, by using the stout rod and stand-up harness, my son did a great job wearing the fish down. The fish gave his all during the fight and because of its exhausted condition, we decided to take it (mako is an excellent eating fish on par with swordfish). While not a giant by Southern California standards, my son’s first mako was a very respectable fish of 200+ pounds.
I was able to get some great photography “in the can” for a future magazine article and my son put an exclamation point on a great summer. I know there are much bigger makos prowling the coastline of Southern California. I’m looking forward to hitting the water again soon with Captain Quinlan in search of a monster, and reporting back to you with the results. 
 
0 Comments »

Be my guest.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009 by Ron Ballanti
10 Steps Towards Being a Better Boating Buddy
 
I am at the moment, boatless. A person who depends on the kindness of friends and family to get his fishing fix and time on the water. In less civilized circles we’re known as “boat ho’s,” — but I wear the label proudly. 
 
When I owned my own boats, I quickly learned the value of buddies who could share in the fun and make boat ownership easier and less expensive. Now that I’m on the other side of the fence, I work hard at being on the top of my friends’ call list when they’re putting together inshore or offshore fishing trips off Southern California. 
 
Here are 10 easy ways to be a better “boating buddy.” If you follow these general rules, you’ll probably be invited back again and again. 

1. Pitch in for expenses. Owning and operating a boat is a serious expense. Not just trip-related costs like fuel, food and bait, but also insurance, registration, slip fees, maintenance, etc. that come up all year long. Guests who ask up front how and how much they can contribute usually rise to the top of the list when putting together fishing trips.  
 
2. Get involved in the planning. Help with planning the trip, whether it’s researching where the bite is, picking up needed tackle or equipment, or getting the boat ready. There’s also nothing wrong with being proactive and suggesting outings. Some of my best trips happened because I picked up the phone and called my boat-owning friends. Most of the time, they’re looking for a good reason to get out on the water and your call may just be the right incentive.
 
 
3. Be punctual. Nothing gets a trip off to a bad start like waiting around for somebody to arrive. Be sure you know exactly when and where you’re supposed to meet, and be there 15 minutes early. If you’re not familiar with the marina/launch ramp, get directions the night before (or use your vehicle’s GPS). Make certain you have the skipper’s cell number, so you can call well ahead of time if you are unavoidably detained.  
 
4. Don’t bring too much “stuff.”  Don’t be the guy who shows up on a 21-foot center console toting 10 fishing rods, a tackle box, ice chest, boom box, video camera with tripod, etc. Make sure you discuss in advance how many rods the boat can accommodate and what gear you really need to bring. I keep a soft-sided tackle bag that I pack with the basics and bring on other people’s vessels.
 
5. Be a crew member. Ask the skipper what you can do to help in managing the boat and the day’s activities. Having a role is part of the fun, even if you’re just stowing the dock lines or hosing off the deck. The more trips you go on, the more of a “well oiled” machine you become (and the more responsibilities you’ll have). When you’re asked to take a turn at the helm or help in setting the anchor, you’ll feel some of the same pride you felt as a boat owner.  
 
6. Hands off the electronics. As a rule of thumb, I don’t lay a finger on my friends’ electronics without asking first. The captain may have them set up a certain way and will not appreciate your changing the gain on the echosounder, adjusting the radar settings or playing with the VHF.  As you become an accepted crewmember, you may need to do these things (such as jogging the autopilot to avoid an obstacle), but it’s always best to take an “ask first” approach.
 
7. Respect the Captain’s authority.  —As a member of the crew, it’s your job to respect the captain’s authority and do what you’re asked. This includes obeying the captain’s rules regarding smoking, drinking and general personal conduct.
 
8. Bring your fishing “A game”. The boat owner/captain generally feels great pride when his crew catches fish.  It’s a sense of accomplishment that can’t be matched, even by catching fish himself. As a member of the crew, you’re expected to bring your fishing “A game” every trip.  This means having all your gear prepped and in good order, being well rested (not hung over) and fishing hard all day.
 
9. Be supportive. As crew, you can provide input as to the fishing plan for the day, but ultimately, it’s the skipper’s call on where to go and what to fish for. Sometimes his choices pay off, sometimes they don’t. It never pays to “second guess” the captain’s choices.  Instead, be supportive and express appreciation for a day on the water. “We’ll get ‘em next time!” is a good motivator and lets him know you’re ready to sail with him again.
 
10. Help with clean up. The fishing day isn’t done until the fish are cleaned and the boat is washed up and put away.  ‘Nuff said.
 
0 Comments »