Modern Day Boating Disasters, Tragedies and Calamities along the California Central Coast By Captain Joseph R. Rodgers PRELUDE Names of places have always fascinated me. Especially names of points along our rugged and at times treacherous California seashore. We all know that Pigeon Point was named after the sailing ship Carrier Pigeon that missed the Golden gate in 1853. The clipper ship Carrier Pigeon was 129 days out of Boston when she struck the rocks of what was then referred to then as “PUNTA de la BALLENA”. A navigational error of just 60 miles. The ship along with its beautiful fi ..read more

-from the desk of Senior Staff Writer John Parvis, Brownsville Yacht Club Let me start out with a confession.  I have had an A/C breaker that has been tripping out on me for more than several years.  It is the breaker that supplies power to my three battery chargers.  The 20 Amp breaker was probably adequate initially for two chargers, but when a third one was added to charge the thruster batteries, problems arose.  If I disconnected one of the chargers, everything worked just fine.  After the house and start batteries had charged up a bit, I could plug in the third ch ..read more

Are you ready for, rain, wind, snow or whatever else Mother Nature has in store for us? Vessels that are stored in hurricane prone areas require hurricane plans & caretaker information from the insured by their marine insurance company. Whether you own a vessel that is stored on a trailer, or in the marina, we should all visit the vessel to make sure things are secure. Here are a few things to consider. Dock lines, power cords, fenders, canvas, cushions, tenders, sails, canvas covers, port lights & hatches. Is your 12v battery system in good shape to make sure bilge pumps are working ..read more

Welcome to the Argo Not So Weekly Newsletter! By Captain Craig Hanson ***Update – 12/17/2021 – Department of Fish & Wildlife have approved the use of “old style” crabpots. One out of two isn’t too bad – One, crabbing is solid with limits on every trip. Two, we’re still not allowed to use standard crab traps/pots because of potential whale and turtle entanglement according to the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). The next DFW announcement of when, if ever, traps will be deemed safe is December 15. No reason to hold your breath, you’ll only turn blue. Procuring the crab is a bit of ..read more

Comments by Sally Kraft finance specialist The boat buying market has been competitive over the last couple years.  Many buyers paid cash and although they are thrilled with their new boat, they may wish they still had some of that cash.  They can! With a cash recapture loan, a boat buyer can obtain a boat loan within 60 days of closing on their new boat.  The main factors for determining the terms of the loan are the loan amount, age of the boat, client’s credit history, and the loan-to-value. Boat loan rates are at historical lows and financing is a great way to replenish your ..read more

Portable heaters come in many different types and sizes. One can find alcohol, solid fuel, propane, electric, diesel, forced air, and forced water as the more common sources of portable space heaters. Each of these different types has their own benefits and issues. The ABYC (American Boat Yacht Council) considers space heaters as unattended appliances and therefore must meet certain special requirements for marine use. As a general rule, electric heaters are considered safer than the fuel burning type. Whether you have propane, alcohol, diesel, kerosene, or a solid fuel heater, all of these gi ..read more

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