by Ann Backus – Jan. 27 will mark five years since 53-year-old Bill Meldrum died off the coast of New Jersey aboard the 65′ Lydia J after being pulled into his vessel’s rotating drum winch. After that incident, I was determined that no one else would suffer that kind of death. In 2012, my colleagues …
Category: Safety
FISH SAFE: Take steps to avoid accidental EPIRB activations
by Ann Backus – Whether you fish commercially for lobsters, scallops, groundfish, or other species, you probably own an Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB). These instruments are vital for helping the Coast Guard locate you and/or your vessel in times of distress. Both vessel and personal EPIRBs are now available at a reasonable cost. …
SAFE-BOAT SMART-BOAT: Electrical systems – Batteries, cables, safety
by Fred Mattera – Batteries are an integral power source on fishing vessels. They provide power to the vast majority of our pilothouse electronics and are a power source for alarms and startup and shutdown systems for main engines and gensets. Be sure to install batteries so they are capable of withstanding vessel roll, pitch, …
FISH SAFE – Follow mariner’s ‘three rules’ to avoid storms
by Ann Backus – Early in June, Andrea, the first tropical storm of the season, slammed into Florida and then proceeded up the East Coast into New England. She won’t be the last. Hurricane season is now in full swing. Regardless of what the weather is when you leave port, be prepared to deal with …
SAFE-BOAT SMART-BOAT: Electrical systems – Vent, ground, protect to prevent onboard fires
by Fred Mattera – Faulty or compromised electrical systems are a primary source of engine room fires. These fires are often exceedingly hot, allowing you little or no time to manually extinguish them. So, let’s talk about some steps you can take to be sure your boat’s electrical systems are properly installed, used, and maintained. …
SAFE-BOAT SMART-BOAT: Know, maintain, register your EPIRB
by Fred Mattera – EPIRB requirements apply to all commercial fishing vessels operating more than three nautical miles from the coast of the US. Vessels 36′ or greater in length must have on board a float-free, automatically activated Category 1 406 MHz EPIRB stowed where it can float free if the vessel sinks. Vessels less …
FISH SAFE – Prevent flooding: Keep an eye on your hatches
by Ann Backus – On Feb. 4, the 47′ Capt R M Chace began flooding off Chatham, MA. This story had a good ending. All four crewmembers donned survival suits and were rescued by personnel from the local Coast Guard station. The boat was dewatered and towed to port, the catch was offloaded, and the …
SAFE-BOAT SMART-BOAT: Using flares – Safe handling, firing, training
by Fred Mattera – I am often asked what to do with old, expired flares or if I want them. Actually, I do take and use them to conduct hands-on flare training. I also tell captains to consider keeping an expired flare kit in a container marked “for training purpose only,” distinguishing them from the vessel’s …
FISH SAFE – Students redesign knives, banders, oilers
by Ann Backus – In my last article (CFN November 2012), I described an industrial design class at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in which students were asked to innovate gear for the lobster industry that would be both serviceable and reduce the risk of injury. This process, called “prevention through design” in …
SAFE-BOAT SMART-BOAT: PFDs save lives – if you wear them
Recently, I read a Coast Guard report about another crewman lost at sea in a man-overboard incident. This one happened on Oct. 30 from the F/V Miss Lindsey II. The search was suspended on Oct. 31. “It’s always difficult to suspend a search,” said Lt. j.g. Marie Haywood, command duty officer at the Coast Guard …
BOATS of the YEAR 2023
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