SMALL FIRE / IMPORTANT LESSONS This document presents recent lessons learned resulting from a casualty investigation and may be useful to vessel owners and operators in addition to marine inspection personnel.

As part of an effort to bring convenient communications to mariners worldwide, KVH Industries, Inc., and On-Waves are partnering to make cell phone service at sea a reality for crew and passengers on vessels around the globe. Using KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadbandsm network and TracPhone V7 satellite communications system along with the On-Waves maritime cell phone service, crew members, passengers, and onboard contractors can easily and affordably use their own cell phones to make and receive calls to and from anywhere in the world. Cell phones alone usually lose reception about 15 miles offshore, when vessels travel outside the range of land-based cell towers.

Fall is here, and winter is fast approaching. You know what that means; time to start winterizing your boat! Winter weather wreaks havoc on a boat not adequately prepared for hibernation.