Welcome Aboard Sea Moss

Please read the following information which has been compiled to make your trip with us as enjoyable as possible.

Boating Laws & Safety

This is your captain speaking …

It is the captain’s responsibility to keep his vessel and crew safe. He decides based on tides, current, weather, and general conditions on trip destinations and required time tables. Plans may change unexpectedly as circumstances may warrant a change of venue, an aborted trip or a longer trip to wait out a storm.

• Life Vests

  • Children 12 and younger must wear a properly-fitting life vest while the vessel is underway.

    • Bring your own if you have one or one will be provided for your use

  • Adult Life Vests are a required provision on the vessel

    • one per person is supplied on board

    • Life Jackets are on the fly bridge or stored in a white safety bag located in either the front cabin or the shower stall – verify location prior to departure

• Man Overboard

  • While underway, a person must stay well inside the boat (No person’s feet may hang over the bow, i.e. front, of the boat. No “Titanic” snapshots while underway.) It is recommended that you sit on the front cabin or floor surrounding the front cabin if you wish to ride in the bow area.

  • Use the handrails around the vessel as you move within the boat – you never know when an unexpected wake will severely rock the boat causing a loss of balance

  • Overhead handrails are available in the main cabin / salon area

    • Do not grab for the coffee table which is a moving target as it swings, raises and lowers

  • If someone does fall overboard,

    • Yell “man overboard” as loudly as possible

    • Keep your eyes on the person in the water at all time (they quickly become hard to relocate when the boat is underway)

    • Continually point at the person

• “Throwables”

  • A throwable life ring is available in the stern (back) of the boat

  • Throwable, floating seat cushions are on the flybridge

  • Toss a life-saving device upwind of a person in need of assistance

• Footwear – Remember: Slippery When Wet

  • Decks are slippery from the Ocean Spray especially when descending the fly bridge steps

    • Bare feet are not recommended while underway

    • Rubber-soled boat shoes / sneakers should be worn

    • Hard-soled shoes / sandals leave scuff marks on the boat and do not provide enough protection from slipping on the wet decks

• Diesel Fumes

  • While idling at the dock, diesel fumes collect in the back of the vessel. Avoid inhaling fumes by moving to

    • the bow / front of the boat,

    • the fly bridge, or

    • inside the cabin with the back sliding door and back windows on port and starboard side closed.

Swimming Do’s and Don’ts

• Rule #1 – Check with Captain Clark before proceeding into the water for the following:

  • Water temperature

  • Speed of current

  • Depth of water

  • Recommended Safety Procedures

  • Hidden Hazards like Submerged Rocks and Pilings

• Jumping from the back of the boat into the water is permitted but

  • HEAD FIRST DIVING DOWN IS NOT RECOMMENDED

Preparing for the Cruise

As mentioned above, departure and arrival times are approximate and subject to change due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances. Supplies may be required for longer than initially anticipated. Plan ahead. Bring extra medications if needed.

• Clothing Recommendations

  • Shorts and T-shirt

  • Bathing Suit – for swimming or “get wet” activities like a ride in the dinghy

  • Long pants, sweater / jacket – it gets cool at night even in July

  • Sunglasses

  • Rubber-soled shoes – no hard-soled sandals or shoes which leave scuff marks and no high-heeled shoes which are dangerous on a rocky boat

• Personal Other

  • Sunscreen

  • Any medications you may require including motion sickness remedies

  • Beach Towels

  • Water shoes / scuba boots / waterproof flip flops – for that trip to the beach

  • Camera (optional)

  • Sun hat for the beach (optional) – it becomes very windy underway; unsecured hats are not recommended as they blow overboard

  • Beach toys (optional)

• Food Considerations

  • If you have special dietary needs, please inform the captain / first mate prior to the cruise

  • Generally we have one meal on board (either lunch or dinner depending on cruise times); snacks / munchies such as cheese and crackers, fruit, or vegetables and dip are also made available for longer duration outings

  • We ask that you bring food to share with your captain and crew members

    • Please discuss with the captain / first mate know what you intend to bring so the menu may be coordinated before the voyage begins

  • Cooking / re-heating Options are limited only one electric appliance at a time. We have the following:

    • Small microwave capable of holding a 10” diameter, round, microwave-safe container no more than 3” tall

    • 2-slice toaster oven

    • Stir fry wok (electric)

    • Propane stove and oven (option of last resort in summer due to heat generated and duration of cooking time)

  • Bring food in easily-stored, small-sized containers

    • If they need to be re-heated, try to bring food that will not take “forever” to reheat – either bring slightly chilled or at room temperature.

    • Remember; if the microwave is to be used, bring food in microwave-safe containers (please remember it’s a small unit).

  • Cooking utensils, plates, silverware, and napkins are available on board.

• Beverages

  • Water is available on board

  • Guests are requested to provide their own coffee, tea, soda, juice, milk etc in spill-proof containers; preferably in their own cooler with ice (the refrigerator is a small-capacity unit and reserved for perishable foods). Open containers of coffee are not recommended.

  • Alcoholic beverages are permitted in moderation – the captain does not drink and does not supply alcohol to passengers

• What to Avoid

  • Paper plates are not used on board – they blow away, turn upside down and cause large messes

  • Strong-smelling foods tend to linger and may upset other passengers’ stomachs (see section on motion sickness). Please consider this when deciding on menu items to bring on board.

  • Ice-cold food that needs to be heated or steaming-hot items that need to be chilled

Crew Activities

A lot of work goes into making a comfortable and safe cruise. The crews’ help in preparing the vessel before departure and “putting it to bed” upon return is greatly appreciated. Here are some ways you can help:

• Carry items down from the house that need to be loaded on board including coolers, bags of food, towels, water cooler, etc. Items to be carried down from the house are placed next to the sliding glass door. Grab items and take them down when you go.

• Unzip windows on fly bridge to get the air flowing before cruise, zip windows closed at end of cruise.

• Remove seat covers from upper helm / fly bridge area before cruise; cover seats at end of cruise. Seat covers are folded and stored inside the small white table on fly bridge.

• At end of cruise, any charts, binoculars, drinking glasses, towels, blankets, etc that moved up to the fly bridge must be properly stowed down below.

• Towels and blankets must be either folded and stowed, if able to be reused, or brought to the house for cleaning.

• Binoculars must be put in their case.

• Meal-related items are kept in the galley / salon area; all other personal gear must be stowed in a state room. Please be sure to take home all your personal belongings at the end of the cruise.

• All windows and doors must be closed and locked including the little portholes in the 2 staterooms and the head.

• On hot, humid days hatches may be opened to allow extra air flow through the vessel. All hatches must be closed and locked at the end of the voyage.

The Crew’s Comfort – While on Board

• Stow your Gear

  • Please stow your gear immediately upon boarding the vessel

  • Non-food related gear must be stowed in the guest state room on the port (left) side of the vessel

  • Food-related items should be placed in the salon / galley area by the stove/ sink or on the coffee table; please inform the first mate if anything must be kept cold in the refrigerator

  • Coolers skid around under heavy rocking; non-skid mats are available to prevent movement / scratching of the wood floors. Please ask the first mate for one of these non-skid mats for each cooler.

• Sleepy Time (naps are a common occurrence on board due to gentle rocking)

  • 2 Beds with pillows and blankets are available for use during the cruise

  • Upon request, blankets are available for use on the fly bridge – don’t hesitate to ask

• Motion Sickness

  • Gentle or occasionally more severe rocking occurs during a voyage, be prepared.

  • Medications / Remedies are not provided. Since we do not need them, they typically expire before ever being used. If you are prone to motion sickness, bring your own remedies.

  • Many corrective options are available and include the following:

    • Dramamine – should be taken before the trip for best results

    • Ginger – products with ginger like Ginger Snaps and Ginger Ale

    • Wrist bands with pressure points

• Cups

  • Plastic, disposable cups and a black marker are available to mark your cup for easy identification.

  • The boat rocks constantly; hold onto your drink; do not leave half-filled glasses sitting unwatched on tables or floors

• Screen Door

  • Screen door is closed when vessel is underway to prevent items from blowing overboard. Two green strings hang down and swing to indicate the screen is closed (too many feet have gone through the screen to count). Please beware of the screen to prevent walking through the closed “door”.

• Ocean Spray

  • With high speed and a good wind, an ocean spray is inevitable. Unfortunately, when windows / hatches are open that means the inside of the boat can get very wet. Please close windows or hatches where water is coming in, or tell the captain / first mate immediately for assistance.

• Report Anything Out of the Ordinary

  • Report any spills, unexpected odors, breakage of / damage to items on board, or any other items of concern to the Captain or First Mate

“The Head”

• The restroom / toilet on board is referred to as “the head”. The following special instructions must be adhered to for proper operation.

  • The head works on a vacuum basis. To flush, step firmly on the foot treadle on the floor to the left of the toilet and release after 2 seconds. A popping sound is made when the treadle is depressed.

  • The head is ready to be reused when the green LED is lit; if within one minute after flushing, the green light does not appear, notify the captain.

  • A second flush may be required and can be done as soon as the green LED lights.

  • An improper seal on the toilet will cause a sucking noise; quickly depress and release the foot treadle a second time or notify the captain / first mate for assistance.

  • A toilet brush is available to help items go down.

  • Do not put anything in the toilet besides human waste and the toilet paper provided inside the cabinet under the sink.

  • A garbage can is available under the sink for any other waste items.

Water for Washing

• 2 sinks are available for hand washing; liquid soap is available at both locations

• Hand towels are available in the head

• One gray hand towel is available in the kitchen / galley area for drying hands (other towels are for dishes)

• 2 outdoor / showers are available, one hot and cold at the stern and one cold only at the bow

  • Please rinse off salt and sand from swimming / trips to the beach before entering the main salon

• Water supply is limited on board (see boat trivia below) and hot water even more so; however, if an inside warm shower is required for some reason, please discuss use and operation of the inside shower with the captain / first mate before using.

Sea Moss Trivia

Vessel Description

• Mainship 350

• 35’ length fore to aft; 39’ LOA including swim platform and anchor pulpit

• 14’6” beam

• 3’8” draft

• Upper and lower helms

• Twin 230 HP Turbo-charged inter-cooled 4 cylinder Yanmar Diesel Engines

• 2 main engines and 1 3-cycle Yanmar used as part of the generator generally only used when air conditioning is required underway

• 2 state rooms, 1 head with sink and shower

• Capacity of the vessel is limited to 12 adults due to laws requiring life jackets for each person on board

• Grand staircase up to fly bridge

• 300 gallons fuel held in 2 150-gallon tanks on each side of vessel

• 60 gallons potable water

• 60 gallon holding tank

Vessel Equipment

• GPS (upper and lower helms)

• Radar (up only)

• VHF Radio (upper and lower helms)

• Depth Finder (upper and lower helms)

• Compass (upper and lower helms)

• Boat intercom – upper to lower helm discussion

• Propane Stove

• Refrigerator

• Inverter providing 110 power electricity for light and household appliances generated from 6 golf cart batteries with 240 amp hour capacity

• Microwave

• Toaster Oven

• Electric Wok

FAQs

• Can I steer? Yes, ask the captain and he will tell you when it is safe for you to pilot the boat. Generally this requires calm waters and daylight hours.

• Does the sofa foldout? No, it has storage space under it and does not fold out into a bed.

• How many can sleep on board? The boat sleeps 4 comfortably and 5 in a pinch if the sofa is used. Benches on fly bridge can also accommodate people who do not mind waking at dawn when the sun begins to shine brightly.

Glossary

Aft – behind

Beam – width of boat

Bow – front of boat

Buoys – Red and Green, lit and unlit floating navigation aids marking the channel; Red is on Right when Returning inland

Charts – nautical maps of the waters showing obstacles / hazards / water depths / navigation aids

Day Markers – channel markers generally locally maintained

Draft – depth of water required for boat to float, i.e. not run aground

Fly bridge – raised area used for piloting boat

Fore – front

Galley – kitchen

Hatch – overhead window

Head – toilet / rest room

Helm – area for steering the vessel

LOA – length overall

Port – left side

Salon – living room area

Starboard – right side of boat

State Room – bedroom

Stern – back of boat