Interesting Boating Tips and Facts - Part 4:
Shifting Gear
Balancing Act
On most planing boats, stow heavy gear to maintain a center of gravity on plane that's about 60 percent of the boat's waterline length aft of the bow.
12 seconds
Discharge time for the average fire extinguisher. So aim at the base of the fire and get as close in as you can before discharging. Better yet, carry two or three.
Lineup
Bow and stern lines should be as long as the boat, spring lines 1.25 times the length. This will accommodate even the most extreme tidal ranges.
Big Eyes
The eye splices in your dock lines should be at least two feet long to make them easier to place over a piling and to put less strain on the splice.
Long Horn
Allow one inch of cleat horn length for each one-sixteenth inch of rope diameter. This provides enough room for the rope to make a gentle curve without pinching, which weakens the line.
Hey, Big Fender
How big a fender do you need? A good guide is one inch of diameter for every five feet of overall length. A 25-foot boat needs at least a 5-inchdiameter fender.
We hope that this series has been informative. Thanks for reading!
Related Articles: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Source: http://www.lakestclair.net/index.php?/topic/95698-interesting-boating-tipsfacts/