Posts from — April 2009

Unlike open water or coastal navigation, rivers have a nearby shoreline all the time. Local lore often outweighs good piloting since the rivers beds and edges are constantly changing.

Most rivers have very easily identifiable marks and landmarks, so knowing where you are is not all that difficult. The big problem is avoiding hazards.

Problems:

Water Level changes quite often in rivers – spring waters are usually much higher while summer and fall waters become low. Also, in the spring you need to be aware of flooded areas and debris that runoff waters brings to the river.

The US Coast Guard maintains Aids to Navigation in most rivers. They use lights, buoys, daybeacons and ranges to keep you in deeper water.

Right and Left Banks of a River are designated as such by a downstream direction. So, left or port is determined by your downstream direction. Still facing the direction of the stream, the right side is the starboard side. The exception is the New York State Canal System where the sides are determined when you are heading west.

Mileage Markers are shown in many of the rivers and are very helpful in determining where you are. Unlike coastal navigation, usually the mile markers are in statute miles.

The big thing to watch for is Floating Debris. If you are traveling at high speed a lot of damage can be done when you hit a floating refrigerator (and it has happened).

Generally, when a River Bends, the outside of the bend is usually deeper water, while the inside of the turn will be shallower water.

Unlike a car, you should not always hug the right side of the road (channel) while navigating with a boat. Of course, in a heavily traveled channel with lots of traffic, you want to stay toward the right side and have oncoming traffic pass to your port side. But, if you have the opportunity, you would be prudent to stay toward the windward side of the channel. Current also should be a factor in the decision on where you should be steering your boat.

Staying to the windward side, or the side from which the current is flowing, is very prudent and can be looked upon as “defensive navigation.” You always want to anticipate what you would do if something went wrong with your power:

1) In a power boat, any engine can stop operating at any time.
2) In a sailboat, any sail can suddenly malfunction at any time
This is basic Murphy’s Law.

By being on the side of the channel that upwind or up current, you have a lot more room and time to handle the dilemma. And if you go aground, the wind and/or current will help you get off. Had you been on the leeward side, the wind and/or current would get you stuck even worse.

Sounds easy enough, right? Just push until you are clear of the dock and off you go. But, if your boat is rather large, and there is a lot of wind or adverse current, it is not that easy.

If the wind or current is moving parallel to the dock, this is a pretty easy scenario. Then you simply need to use a spring line and good fendering. The spring line should be used on the opposite end of the oncoming current or wind. For example, if your bow is into the wind/current, then you would put a spring line from your aft cleat and go forward on the dock. Just release the bow line and hit reverse a bit and the bow will swing out. Once clear, motor forward and retrieve your aft spring line.

(Note, if there is no one on the dock to undue your mooring line, here is a good tip. Have a dock line that has a clean end – no knots, kinks or unravelling. Then for your spring secure the line to your cleat, around a piling or cleat on the dock and back to the original cleat. Once you have sprung the boat off the dock, untie the clean end and let it go. Then retrieve the line. The clean end will slide around the dock cleat and back to the boat)

If the wind is perpendicular to the dock and blowing on to the dock, this is a much more difficult situation. You best bet is to spring your bow line. Use hard rudder in the direction that will kick your stern out and away from the dock. Once the stern is out far enough to clear, reverse rudder and engines and retrieve your bow spring line.

If you are looking for some great New Jersey fishing articles this season, check out the huge repository of informative articles maintained on the NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife’s site here:

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/featarts.htm