Putting your boat aground can be a terrifying experience that can be avoided very easily. You've seen those pics of boats high and dry on the rocks in the middle of the open sea.....? Well how could that have been avoided? Here's a few tips:
1. Use the "Mark1" human eyeball which you should be doing anyway for a "proper lookout" to notice any changes in watercolor, wave pattern, eddies and other visual indicators of shoal water.
2. Spend a few minutes with your chart plotter or charts and visually search along your intended route (expanding the chart plotter range scale to show maximum detail), to reveal rocks reefs or shoal water so you know to avoid them.
3. Even if you are just cruising about in your local Bay, take the time to familiarize yourself with the hazards on the chart plotter. For example, my home BaySan Diego Bay, is 2050 feet deep for 95% of it's area, but that 5%.....!!! I know where those shoals are. Do you know what the depth is in your bay or waterway?
4. Know what the tide is doing. If your chart shows a datum depth of 4 feet but you are on a high tide of 6 feet, then, if your boat draws 5 feet you'll clear the shoal by 5 feet and will be OK. If it's a low tide of 0.5 ft, you'll go aground.

Be prepared for the psychological impact of the boat grounding! it can be terrifying but the punishment that a fiberglass boat can take is astounding even as it slams into the sand or mud.

Enjoy the commentary and please like and subscribe and leave your comments.
Thank you.
David

Please visit my website www.RoyalNavyYachtmaster.com
You can hire me to come out on your boat and coach you in docking and undocking, as well as safety areas of anchoring, navigation, collision rules, VHF etc.

You can also purchase my online course on the Collision Rules (Rules 119, the Steering and Sailing Rulesthe ones you actually use every second you are driving your boat)