Hull types determine how a boat behaves.
“Displacement hulls push water away and create a bow wake, planing
hulls skim across the top of water at speed, and combination (semi-displace-ment)
hulls do a little of both,” Ashey says.
Long-distance cruisers seeking efficiency and range typically feature dis-placement
hulls. Boats built for speed for water sports, fishing, or simply
getting there more quickly likely have planing designs, which are found on
everything from small center consoles to large sport fishing yachts com-monly
called battle-wagons.
The four basic engine types — outboard, inboard-outboard (stern-drive),
inboard, and jet — dictate vessel behavior. Outboards and stern
drives offer directional thrust and are more maneuverable in confined
spaces than most inboards, which must keep a certain speed to maintain
steerage. Jets, commonly seen on personal watercraft, are tricky and
counterintuitive in turns.
“Due to their inherent instability, personal watercraft, while a lot of
fun, are the most dangerous vessels on the water,” Ashey says.
Bob Licursi, another Auxiliary instructor, is well versed in navigation and the “rules of the road,” which tell boaters
what to do when encountering another vessel. These rules are voluminous and detailed in various seamanship tomes
typically studied by budding professional captains. Most need only a working knowledge of the basics and a touch of
courtesy to safely enjoy our waters.
“Navigation aids are those red and green things all over the place that tell us which way to go, and regulatory
markers alerting us to hazards, swim areas, no-wake zones and the like,” Licursi says. “Rules of the road tell us how
to behave when encountering other boats head-on, crossing, and overtaking.”
Boating laws and conventions apply to all vessels, defined as any floating object that transports people or goods
from one place to another.
“This definition includes paddleboards,” Licursi says. “Trying to reach the
paddleboard community is a big problem right now.”
Speed limits do not exist on the water per se. Pilots are expected to use
common sense and adjust to conditions.
“There are no speed limits other than no-wake zones,” Licursi says.
“Weather, visibility, tide, congestion, wind and vessel type control
your boat. You must always maintain a proper lookout and safe speed.
Boating requires you to think ahead and have backup plans.”
Don’t look only at what’s in front of you. Be mindful of your sur-roundings,
including and especially those behind you — to your aft.
“Always mind your speed,” says Nick Giachino, fleet commander for
the Wrightsville Beach Coast Guard Auxiliary. “If you run aground at high
speed, ugly things can happen.”
Like a driver navigating a rainstorm, a boater who encounters unfamiliar
waters or experiences hesitations should slow down.
Boat retailers and rental companies aren’t required to check compliance with the
state’s boating safety laws, but many promote compliance and offer courses of their own.
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WBM june 2018