Firstmate Controls

Boating navigation rules are essential for every boater to know because they establish a consistent way to navigate safely and avoid collisions when two boats are crossing paths, are on course to meet head-on, or when one boat wishes to overtake another  Since collisions are the number one type of accident on the water, Firstmate Controls wants to share with you these basic navigation rules that all boaters should know. Passing Another Boat To overtake another watercraft going in the same direction, the craft being overtaken must maintain its course and speed. The passing watercraft must keep a sufficient distance to avoid a collision or endangering the other craft from its wake. Meeting Head-On Two watercrafts approaching each other head-on must alter their course to the right to avoid a collision. If the two watercraft are far enough to the left of each other, no change in direction is needed. Crossing Paths If two watercraft approach each other at a right angle, th...

Each year hundreds of lives are lost, thousands are injured, and millions of dollars of property damage occurs because of preventable recreational boating accidents. Too often pleasure outings turn tragic all because of carelessness and recklessness. While high-speed boating is a rush for many, it can be dangerous. You may be excited to get out on the water and get to your destination, you have a responsibility to yourself and to others around you to practice boat safety, especially when boating at high speeds. Take a look at some of the safety tips you should be following when boating at higher than normal speeds. Watch Your Speeds and Stability Running your boat at high speeds can create stability issues. Always keep an eye out for larger waves that can throw off your stability, and know whether the water ahead is rough or smooth before you drop the throttle. Keep an eye on the tachometer for any signs of instability. If the tach is jumping around, you may be losing stability....

The sun is shining and it's a beautiful day to get out on the water! But what to do once you're there? Sure, you could just idle your way downstream and enjoy soaking up the sun. But when there are so many other activities you could be doing instead, why wouldn't you take advantage of the opportunity?  Firstmate Controls  has some great boating activities for you to try out - check them out! 1. Spend the Afternoon Fishing You already know how the fishing is at your normal go-to spot. Spend the day visiting different fishing spots, or you can simply drop anchor at a new spot to see what you can catch. You never know, you may stumble upon a sweet spot and catch some of the biggest fish you've ever caught! But even if you don't come home with anything, the day is not wasted when you get to spend time on the water casting a line. 2. Get Adventurous with Water Sports Going out on the boat doesn't have to mean just sitting on the boat. There are plenty of ad...

When you buy a boat, seldom are you taught the boating rules of the road or launch-ramp etiquette. Ramp rage is a real thing and is often provoked by boaters who don't know the rules of the ramp, or worse, don't care that they're inconveniencing other boaters waiting in line. So, this week, Firstmate Controls is sharing with you a few boat ramp etiquette rules to follow to avoid ramp rage from ruining your day on the water! Don't Block the Ramp if You're Not Ready to Launch There are a lot of things to check and recheck before launching your boat. Waiting until you’re in the middle of a long line at a busy boat ramp is not the time to perform these tasks. When you pull into the parking lot, move to the side and let others go ahead and dump their boats. Put your plug in, take your straps off, take your motor toter off, plug in your graphs, put your lights in—whatever you have to do—before clogging up the line. Not only does this drastically help the flow of tra...