From the Boathouse: Don’t get in hot water with careless barbecue handling

Ahoy and belated happy birthday, America!

This weekend is one of the busiest for boating in the nation, especially with the Fourth being on a Friday and creating a three-day holiday for many people. You need to keep nautical safety in mind and, before you untie your docklines, explain to your onboard guests the safety equipment and procedures.

Tip of the week is to remember to be careful if you barbecue aboard your boat. I like to fire up the grill, and many yachts are equipped with an electric grill so you do not have to mount a portable one on the gunwales. Furthermore, the charcoal grills are disappearing from boats’ inventories in favor of propane gas grills, which are much safer when cooking on a rocking deck.

I know that I will receive some emails pointing out that charcoal makes the food taste better, but I like the convenience and safety of electric or gas aboard a boat. No matter what type of fuel source you are using, be sure your grill is securely mounted, and never set a barbecue directly on the deck.

Have you ever seen melted fiberglass? I do not like the freestanding or tabletop barbecue grills aboard boats because it only takes a wake from a passing boater to ruin your day.

Keep in mind the wind direction and the airflow through your boat’s cabin spaces. Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer, so only grill outside in a well-ventilated area and not in your main salon.

Barbecue grills designed for boats come in many models, so do not try to outdo your neighbor with the biggest and baddest on the market. This can create a dangerous situation, especially on smaller vessels, so buy two smaller grills to mount on your stanchions. Now you can cook at two different temperatures and really impress your friends.

Keep an eye out for your feathered friends, because I have seen sea gulls take food directly off the grill. While on the topic of sea gulls, advise your guests not to feed them while you are trying to eat, or the flock will arrive and you might end up being awash in bird poop.

Our weekend weather conditions look great for outdoor activities, and the morning June gloom might linger into the mostly sunny afternoons along our coast. The daytime air temperatures will remain comfortable in the mid to high 70s with nighttime temperatures dipping into the high 60s. I am not expecting patchy morning fog, but a slight temperature change can pull the fog in during the early morning hours.

For those traveling seaward of the line of demarcation, I anticipate that the swells will be a 2-foot west that might drop a foot by Sunday and a 2-foot south just to mix the seas up a little. The seas should be comfortable for any landlubbers aboard. And keep your eyes open for sea creatures because a pod of pilot whales was spotted a month ago in our coastal waters.

The afternoon winds will be light, reaching only to 10 knots and creating 1-foot wind waves in the afternoons. The morning winds will be variable and under 5 knots from the southwest, but watch for clocking winds to more of a westerly as the clouds dissipate later Saturday and Sunday.

Boaters who wish to round Point Conception will find the fog, and they need to be extra careful when cruising just 12 to 15 nautical miles north of Conception. Here lies Point Arguello, which battles with Point Reyes for the title of the foggiest point on the Pacific Coast, and Arguello will be foggy this weekend.

However, the winds will gust to only 15 knots with 2-foot wind waves, which are decent winds for this area of the coast. Seas will be mixed with 4 to 5 feet from the west-northwest and a 2-foot south-southwest.

Cruising uphill (northbound) can be in most skippers’ float plans to round Point Conception, and the downhill conditions look favorable, but as I always say, you will need to determine if the conditions are safe for you, your guests and your boat.

As always, just keep an eye to the weather for any changes. Please be boat smart and boat safe. Lastly, please boat responsibly and look behind you before you turn the wheel at the helm.

Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, “Boathouse Radio Show,” broadcasting live coast-to-coast on a syndicated network. See times at https://www.boathousetv.com https://www.facebook.com/boathouseradio and https://www.twitter.com/boathouseradio.

Safe voyages!

MIKE WHITEHEAD is a boating columnist for the Daily Pilot. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to [email protected] or go to https://www.boathousetv.com.