EDITOR'S LETTER

Matt Winter

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Ahh, yes. Summertime on Charleston Harbor.

Blowboats tacking every which way. Wake-jumping Jet Skis buzzing like gnats. Container ships bearing down. Sportfishers in a hurry. A conga line of center consoles heading back from the jetties.

Drunk, sunburned chuckleheads zig-zagging down the channel after a day of debauchery on the islands.

The family man inexplicably towing a tube loaded with kids through heavy weekend boat traffic.

Your buddy grounded on a sandbar : again.

Now, I certainly can't claim to be the most experienced boater out there, and I must admit to my fair share of on-the-water follies. But I know it never hurts to keep reminding ourselves of a few basic boating guidelines, especially now that the summertime scene has reached a boiling point.

Aside from knowing the rules of the road (uscgboating.org is a good place to start), Charleston boaters might do well to keep a few other things in mind:

WAKE UP: Maritime law can be a tricky thing. But there's one area that's crystal clear: "You are responsible for your wake."

If you throw a wake big enough to capsize a small boat or damage a vessel launching at a ramp, you'll quickly become an expert on this aspect of the law.

Even if you get away with it, nothing screams "rookie" or "jerk" like somebody plowing past a boat ramp with their stern digging in.

When you don't want to throw a wake, slow down until the boat levels out completely, then proceed with just enough headway for steerage. Simply slowing down a few knots isn't enough; you'll usually throw a bigger wake than if you just sped by on a plane (don't do that, either).

JUST FIND ANOTHER SPOT: If you want to fish the Grillage or Dynamite Hole, don't complain about (or to) the crowd. Accept it, or fish another spot.

If you're pulling up to a less-well-known area and someone's already there, keep moving. This shouldn't be a problem, if you know what you're doing. The best anglers always have plans B, C, and D.

CLEAR THE RAMP, REALLY: Unless you actually enjoy ticking people off, please stay sharp at the boat ramps. Look around you. If your vehicle or vessel is holding folks up, move it.

Boat ramps (the actual ramps) are the wrong place to stow gear, chat on the cell phone or admire fish in the cooler.

Want to win the respect and grateful admiration of your fellow boaters? Launch like a champ, quickly and efficiently, then get out of the way. When hauling out, pull completely away from the launching area before stopping to mess with gear.

BOOZE CRUISE: Truth be told, enjoying a cold beer or two while out on a boat can be a mighty, mighty fine thing.

But when you're driving a boat, you need to stay sober. Period. You owe it to your family, your friends and yourself to behave responsibly.

If the threat of bodily harm and criminal charges aren't enough to keep you in line, think of the fringe benefits of moderation:

Drunks are hard on the gear, and sober people catch more fish. It's a fact. You'll make better decisions, pay more attention and ultimately have more fun.

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In the two-and-a-half years since we launched Tideline, I've been fortunate to meet many fans of the magazine - folks who share my love of the water and enjoy reading our publication. In many conversations with these readers, a few questions keep cropping up: "Does it come with my paper? Can I get it at home?"

Until now, I've had to explain that Tideline is a free, stand-alone publication, distributed at about 200 locations throughout the greater Charleston area, Georgetown and Beaufort. Because of our relatively small size, we couldn't offer subscriptions.

But : I'm happy to announce that for some, getting Tideline delivered to their home is now an easy option. Starting this month, we're rolling out an optional delivery service to subscribers of The Post and Courier newspaper, which publishes Tideline.

You'll still be able to pick up a free copy of Tideline at our many distribution points. But if you prefer to have it delivered to your home as part of your newspaper, we can do that, too, for just $1 per month.

To sign up, just call 843-853-POST (7678) and ask about Tideline.

- Matt Winter, Tideline senior editor