LIFE ON THE WATER
Whether yachting, boating, or sailing, the term “boating” holds many lifestyle cultures and hobbies under one umbrella term while having one thing in common: all participants love being on the water. If someone references “boating,” they could mean a casual ride on their Boston Whaler, day fishing on their Radon, or commercial fishing. The term Sailing could refer to either competitive sailing or leisure sailing. Next, there’s Yachting, which opens up the conversation of what distinguishes a yacht from a boat. Then, we have “liveaboards,” which are an entirely different breed of boating enthusiasts and sailors. Many choose to live life on the water to experience freedom beyond land, enjoy nature, live simply, and explore the edges of what they are capable of, while others choose to enjoy boating as a day hobby vs lifestyle.
Santa Barbara Harbor, located in Southern California, is a magical place for all boating enthusiasts. Where some harbors house a particular group of boaters, Santa Barbara Harbor houses four marinas that include a nice balance of sailors, yachtsmen, commercial fishermen, and liveaboards. Locals refer to winter and summer anchorage as Marina Five, located between Santa Barbara Pier and East Beach, depending on the season. This is where many liveaboards reside, braving the elements in the open water, riding on the trust of their rhode and anchor placement.
Before arriving in Santa Barbara in 2021, I knew nothing about boating, harbor life, or living on the water. I was amazed to learn of the different lifestyles within the boating community. Whether you enjoy yachting, sailing, ocean fishing, or living on the water full time, everyone is expected by state law to understand boating 101 fundamentals on how to stay safe on the water before boating, not only for your safety but for everyone around you.
As of January 2025, California requires all operators of a power-driven vessel, regardless of age, to have a California Boater Card. While many of us may know how to operate a power-driven vessel through first-hand trial and error or casual lessons from a friend or family member, I highly recommend taking the online course and acquiring your boater card. Having passed the course myself, I appreciated learning a lot of educational information on safety how-to’s and legal law requirements beyond what I had learned over the past three years in the harbor. All Top Tier Yachts employees were enrolled in one of California’s online boating courses to better serve their clientele and harbor community.
“Every sailor is the king of their castle, however, here at Top Tier Yachts, we believe in education and strive to become better boaters. Everyone here at Top Tier Yachts has enrolled and completed their boater card, many of whom strive to continue their education and get their USCG-issued Captain License. We strive not only to provide excellent service but to extend the olive branch of knowledge to our clients and show them the best practices for the best outing on the water.” - Captain Quincy Briscoe.
Whichever boating group you consider yourself to be part of, one thing every group has in common is the need to survive every trip made on the water, whether sunset cruising just outside the harbor or circumnavigating the globe. While everyone should know how to swim if they decide to go out on the water, knowing how to swim is not legally required for boating activities. Regardless of your swimming skills, California law does require all vessels to have proper personal flotation devices (PFDs) for everyone on board before leaving the dock. There are five types of PFDs, each of which is required for different vessels, reasons, and circumstances. No matter how goofy we may feel wearing a PFD, aka “lifevest,” we all know that during an emergency, we would be glad to have one for everyone on board, including ourselves.
Whether racing in a regatta, hobby, or commercial fishing, enjoying a peaceful day sail with your friends, or catching an evening cruise to watch dolphins at sunset, upholding safety on the water and in the harbor is the top priority. If you’re new to the boating world and would like to learn more, please look into enrolling in a California boater program (listed below). No matter how educated you may be in any area of life, there is always a benefit to learning more than you know, regardless of age and experience level.
Until next time, we’ll see you on the docks!
Acquire Your Boater Card:
- Official California Boat License - Online DBW Boating Safety Course: bit.ly/3Ca4dgC
Top Tier Yacht’s Suggested PFD:
- Onyx A/M-24 Automatic/Manual Inflatable Life Jacket, U.S. Coast Guard Approved: https://amzn.to/4g4Akwo
(low profile, compact design, manual convertible inflation option)
