Offshore Captain Services

06/01/2026

Before any longer run this summer, somebody on board should know where you're going and when you're due back. That's a float plan, and it's the cheapest safety gear you own because it's free.

It doesn't have to be formal. Who's aboard, the boat's description, your route, your departure and expected return time, and who to call if you're overdue. Leave it with someone ashore who'll actually notice if you don't check in. If something goes wrong, it's the difference between searchers knowing where to look and starting from nothing.

I wrote up a simple template for this, built from the First Mate's seat, if you want a starting point.

How to file a float plan, what goes on it, and the First Mate's role in making sure the right person ashore is holding it before the lines come off.

05/30/2026

A fair number of people bought a bigger boat over the winter. Now it's May, the boat's in, and the slip suddenly feels a lot tighter than it did on the broker's lot.

That's the right time to call me. Captain's Coaching is built for exactly this: docking and departures, running the boat, anchoring, reading conditions, all on your boat, in your home water, at your pace. No judgment, no white knuckles. Just the reps that turn a new boat into your boat.

If you moved up this year and want a few hours with a captain before the busy weekends hit, send me a message or give me a call.

05/29/2026

Season's open. There's a particular quiet to the first morning back on the water, before the marina wakes up and the wakes pick up. Coffee, a clear river, and a list of the season's runs in my head.

Out of Grosse Ile, from Lake Erie up to Lake Huron, this is the stretch I get to call an office. Whatever's on your calendar this year, a delivery, a coaching session, or just getting comfortable on a new boat, I hope your first morning out felt like this one.

05/22/2026

For those of you that are new to boating on the Detroit River...

I've spent time with several new boat owners that are also new to the area to start the 2026 season. They've not had the opportunity to spend any time on the river they are now preparing to run for this summer season.

Here is a good read for those of you that would like to understand a bit more of what the Detroit River is like - and what to watch out for.

One of the busiest commercial shipping corridors in the country runs through SE Michigan. What the Detroit River actually asks of recreational boat owners.

05/20/2026

Memorial Day is fast approaching. Take 3 minutes and read the latest article from Offshore Captain Services web page. This is pulled out of the "From the Helm" segment of the website.

Captain Tom on the first weekend of the season — cold water, crowded marinas, rusty skills, and five things worth getting right before you untie the lines.

05/19/2026

Memorial Day weekend is six days out. For a lot of us, that's the first real run of the season; the test cruise that tells you what winter did to your boat.

Before you push off: open the engine room. Check fluid levels, look at your strainers, run the blowers, listen for anything that doesn't sound right. Test the horn. Pull a life jacket out and make sure your crew knows where they are. Check your flare expiration dates while you're at it.

Takes 20 minutes. Skipping it costs a lot more than that.

See you on the water.

— Captain Tom

05/13/2026

So, you're finally planning your very first trip through Lake Huron this summer? Excellent! Beautiful water!! Here is an article taken out of "From the Helm" section from the Offshore Captain Services website that you will enjoy.
Check it out here.

A working guide to crossing Lake Huron by boat — the main routes from SE Michigan, the seasonal weather patterns, and the harbors of refuge worth knowing.

05/12/2026

Planning a run up to Mackinac, around Lake Erie, or anywhere else this summer? The best time to plan it is now; not the week before you leave.

Reservations at the popular stops fill up. Fuel availability isn't the same at every port. Some bridges and locks operate on schedules you need to know in advance. And the weather window for crossing open water comfortably is narrower than most people think.

I help owners build voyage plans every spring. Day-by-day, port-by-port, with a Plan B for the days the weather doesn't cooperate. If that's on your list this season, let's talk.

— Tom

Expert consulting on boat purchases, travel planning, and whatever else you need. 36 years of marine industry experience from a USCG Master licensed captain.

05/11/2026

A few things I'm seeing this spring boating season:

Strainers clogged with last fall's leaves. Bilge pumps that worked fine in October but not now. Batteries that held a charge all winter on a tender but won't hold one under load.

The first time you start the engine isn't on launch day. It's two weeks before, in the slip, with the strainer open and a careful eye on everything that moves water or carries current.

If you want a second set of eyes on yours before the season really gets going, that's what I do. captainoffshore.com

— Tom

05/05/2026

The Spring Launch Checklist: A Two-Week Countdown to Splash Day
Splash day is not the day to start thinking about splash day. Here's the two-week countdown I run with my own boat — and what to do if you find a problem at each stage. Check out this link to read more...

A spring launch checklist organized by timeline, not by system. Captain Tom walks through what to do two weeks before, one week before, the morning of launch, and on your first run — with the specific things that go wrong if you skip a step.