Introduction to Polar Diagrams and Optimum VMC
A polar diagram is a graphic presentation of a sailboat's sailing performance in various wind conditions. But how do you interpret it? The same information is also often presented in the form of a table or spreadsheet, which…
A Closer Look at Diesel Fuel
This article was originally published in the April 2022 issue of 48° North. In my last column (February 2022), we talked about oil’s function and filtration in a marine diesel engine, and noted that it is one of several…
Beacon Background: The Heceta Head Lighthouse
If you see one lighthouse in Oregon, let it be the beacon at Heceta Head. For more than a century, mariners have relied on its light for safe passage along Oregon’s central coast. This is a seascape dotted with rocky islands…
How to Print NOAA Custom Charts
Traditional paper charts are in the process of being replaced with electronic navigational charts (ENC) and a new form of paper chart called NOAA Custom Chart (NCC), based on these ENC. In this new system, the user designs…
Two-Day Class Will Give Whidbey and Fidalgo Boaters Washington State Boater Education Card
A pair of Saturdays is all it takes to get started in boating and earn the required Boater Education Card. You'll meet some great folks, too. As a new boater, sometimes it can be hard to know where to start... Well, one…
Collision Avoidance Using AIS
As AIS becomes ubiquitous amongst boats of various sizes, it's important to know how to use it to avoid a collision. David Burch of Starpath Navigation offers a good tutorial here. Most navigation programs (electronic…
Three Sheets Northwest: After Nearly A Decade, A Boat Is Reborn
This article was originally published in the September 2021 issue of 48° North. Some things just can’t be rushed. So it was with the renaming of our boat, the vessel formerly known as Meridian. We knew when we bought our…
NOAA Discontinues Tide and Current Books — What Do We Do Now?
The short answer for many mariners is: nothing changes — but that takes some explaining. The official NOAA tide and current books of 1995 to 2020 looked something like these below from one particular printer—but there were…
Tech Talk with SeaBits: Adventuring with Satellites
This article originally appeared in the June 2021 issue of 48° North. Many of us use boating as a way to disconnect from life on land or the daily grind, but when something serious happens, we want to ensure we have a way to…
Wind Forecasts: Understanding & Interpreting this Essential Tool
This article originally appeared in the May 2021 issue of 48° North. Before the Wind by Jim Lynch, is a book about a Ballard-based family of boat builders and Olympic-class sailors. Youngest of the clan, Ruby Johannsen, had…
