Posts by Paul McCabe

Very careful consideration should be given to whether you buy a Diesel or Petrol powered boat?  The exact cause of the explosion is unknown but it would appear to be a petrol powered boat at a fuel point. It only takes one spark in a confined space full of petrol vapour to cause such an explosion. In fact it doesn't need to be full of…

Did you know Most chart plotters and electronic aids to navigation, just like your car SatNav, carry a warning when you first turn it on and you usually need to 'Accept' in order to progress to the main screen. Electronic charts are made for the leisure market and although all possible effort and care is taken to display the most up-to-date and accurate information, they are…

Lets all go boating   It's been a long wait but many boaters are now able to get back out on the water.  Whilst we all want to get straight out and enjoy this great weather it is important to remember that before heading out we should be making sure everything is ship shape and ready to go.  The last thing we want is to…

Making the most of these troubling times Whether in self-isolation or unable to go to work for the next few weeks; now could be a good time to crack on and do those online courses that you have been promising yourself to do.  For many, 'Time' is a rare commodity, work and family pressures can easily consume our daily lives and somethings just never get…

Many boaters will be aware of, and possibly will have used, the CG66 boat registration scheme. CG66 was a scheme whereby a boater could register a boats details with the MCA.  Registering the vessel would greatly assist the Coast Guard in identifying the vessel in the event of an emergency or Search & Rescue situation. The CG66 registration scheme is being replaced by the 'Safe…

  Mendez Marine are committed to educating boaters to make boating both safe and fun.  Every now and then we find something worth sharing... Associated British Ports (ABP) have produced a very useful guide for leisure boaters navigating in the Southampton area.  As the port of Southampton and its adjacent waters get busier with commercial traffic it is important that we, as leisure boaters, understand…

Southampton Notice to Mariners No.5 (T) of 2020 -Calshot Dolphin What are RYA Instructors, examiners and trainers going to use now?  One of the local resources used by many RYA Recognised Training Centres is no more.  The 'dolphin', just south of Calshot Spit, had been used for many years as a test of practical navigation, at night, for both sail and power students; a favourite…

So the nights are drawing in, the weathers not as warm as it was a few weeks ago; it must be the end of the boating season.  For many, it makes sense to put the boats to bed and settle down to normal winter activities around this time of year.  Maybe a little off season maintenance, or an upgrade or two if the weather is…

It is sometimes obvious, when we are out on the water, to see how some boaters either have little knowledge of their obligations under COLREG's or are mis-interpreting them.  The most obvious mis-interpretation is regarding 'Right of way'!  To hear two boaters arguing about a near miss situation can be quite informative.  When one party shouts "I have right of way" you just have to…

As an RYA Recognised Training Centre we exist to train and educate boaters at all levels. The RYA Yachtmaster qualification is an aspiration & goal for many leisure boaters and also a pre-requisite for progression for many professional boaters. We see many candidates from both groups coming through Mendez Marine, most with all the pre-requisite knowledge and practical skills and occasionally a few without. The…