Inspect your life jackets
The United States Coast Guard wants to remind all vessel operators to routinely inspect their life jackets to ensure they are suitable for service. Recently, Coast …
BUI laws carry tough penalties
By Tim Akpinar As boaters look forward to summer, they will sometimes hear public service announcements about the risks of operating a vessel under the …
Spring 2015 photo contest winner
At the 2015 Annual Meeting in Jacksonville, Florida, last week, members voted for their favorite photo in The Ensign’s Looking Forward Photo Contest. Alan Epstein …
Know your VHF channels
If you carry a VHF radio onboard (and you should), you must maintain a watch on channel 16 when the radio is on and not …
Make a winterizing to-do list
By Rex Allen Holden With the end of another boating season fast approaching, it will again be time to haul and winterize my sailboat. Every …
4 steps to fix a leak on your boat
By Keith Dahlin Back in the early ’90s, I lived aboard my Columbia 28 while attending university. I often walked down the dock like a …
Explore Florida’s rivers by kayak
By Joe Belanger Fifteen years ago, my wife, Lee, and I began an RV retirement trip with a twist. Our goal was to see the …
