Ground-bound traffic snarls and fumes.
Bridges leap skyward.
Joy of joys, spring is springing and the fleet is heading back out to the lake.
To the boat!
But take a deep breath and settle down. Before zooming wild-eyed into the deep water, take stock of your boat’s equipment.
Make sure those things you were “going to get to over the winter” have been gotten to. Don’t forget the bits and pieces, tools and bric-a-brac you count on to keep engines running, sails drawing and the water out of the boat. Also make sure you’re covered as far as law-enforcement agencies are concerned.
“The first thing everybody forgets is their state registration and documentation,” said Warren Levins, who conducts courtesy marine inspections for the Coast Guard Auxiliary. “And the documentation needs to be the original. Make sure you have everything that’s required by law (for safety equipment).”
Among the required equipment, flares and smoke canisters expire. Fire extinguishers may need to be recharged. Life jackets taken off the boat in the fall should be checked for wear and, if in good condition, put back aboard (replace them if flotation material is falling out), along with life rings, slings or throwable cushions.
One of the biggest hazards of spring boating comes from the long layoff.
“You have to keep an eye out for stuff you’re not used to. You forget how high you have to step, and when you walk on deck watch out for open hatches,” Levins said.
Levins says, boats longer than 12 meters (about 39 feet) need a written plan for garbage disposal. The key is “written,” but a typed note stating that trash disposal is the responsibility of the owner is considered acceptable.
Boats longer than 16 feet with a galley require a placard stating there is no dumping of garbage.
Boats longer than 26 feet must have a 5×8-inch or larger placard stating that discharge of oil or oily waste is prohibited. There is specific terminology required for this placard, so please check with the Coast Guard. The fine for illegal discharge of oil is $5,000.
“Some people start to worry about getting the inspection,” Levins said. “What they should know is, if they’re missing something, all they have to do is get it and I can give them a sticker (indicating that the boat has passed a courtesy inspection).”
Courtesy inspections are free, he added.
Levins also recommends that boaters make sure all the through-hull fittings that are supposed to be capped or plugged are, and any point where water could enter the boat–especially stuffing boxes on inboard engines–aren’t leaking.
“When you put the boat in the water, check to make sure it’s not taking on water. People have dropped their boats in, gone off for a while and come back to find the boat has sunk,” Levins said.
So use common sense, check all the legislated requirements and don’t be afraid to carry more equipment than required if you think you might need it. It’s tough to get to the marine supply center for odds and ends when your boat is sinking mid-lake.
Information, including how to get a courtesy examination for your boat, is available through the U.S. Coast Guard’s boating safety hot line, 800-368-5647.
Opening day
Chicago’s harbors open May 15. Boats with assignments in the harbor system can arrive this month, but no services (power hookups, etc.) are guaranteed.
In April Chicago River bridges open for the boats on Wednesdays, starting around Halsted Street at 9:30 a.m. and moving east, getting to the downtown area around 11 a.m to noon; Saturdays and Sundays the runs begin at 9 a.m. getting downtown about 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
May boat runs begin at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Saturdays, they begin at 8 a.m., getting downtown about 10 to 11 a.m. and at noon, getting downtown at 2 to 3 p.m. They begin at 9 a.m. Sundays. June runs follow the April schedule.
The boats head west to east, so if you get stuck at a bridge, go west to miss it.
For information, visit www.cityofchicago.org/transportation and select “boating season begins.”
Flotsam and jetsam
Random things of interest:
– Sailmakers Sobstad and North continue their patent-infringement battle. Sobstad won Round 1 with a judge finding that North’s 3DL sails, featured on many America’s Cup boats, infringed on Sobstad’s patent rights. A March 31 court order for North to cease 3DL production was lifted April 7, but Sobstad has requested an appellate review of that move. Results of the review are expected before mid-May. Contact a patent lawyer and your favorite sailmaker to get into the mind-numbing details.
– The oft-renamed harbor under construction in the Chicago River turning basin has its official name. According to Scott Stevenson, of Westrec Marinas, which operates the harbors for the Chicago Park District, the official name will be Du Sable Harbor.
– The April 1 Safety Seminar and Flare Shoot with the Coast Guard Auxiliary at the Chicago Yacht Club brought record response from the Chicago Police. At least four squad cars responded to a 911 call about a “boat in distress.” The fire department was turned back en route. The bright side is people recognized the flares and smoke canisters as distress signals and called for help. Planners are reconsidering the wisdom of holding such an event on April Fool’s Day.
Nauti-bits
A few terms to toss around the dock to make your pals believe you’re a nautical pro:
– Flotsam is wreckage that floats to the surface after a ship sinks.
– Jetsam is cargo or equipment tossed overboard to lighten a ship in trouble.
– Visual signaling devices, such as flares, smoke canisters and orange flags, are used to attract attention to a boat in distress.
– Nautical mile equals one minute of latitude, roughly 6,076 feet. A statute mile (the type landlubbers use) equals 5,280 feet.
– Pennant is the line used to tie a boat to a mooring buoy (some folks also call this a pendant).
– Lazarette is a storage area near the stern.
– Bitter end is the last part of a rope or line.
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Contact Mike Esposito at mesposito@tribune.com.
