Dempsey Marine Services, LLC

07/03/2026

Trucks don't float well...

Not confident with your trailering ability? Back down the ramp and launch your boat with confidence! Trailer training topics include planning and communication, back down, launch boat, retrieve boat, ramp techniques, trailer maintenance, and more! Don't let this happen to you!

06/26/2026

Your boat could be here!

The Bahamas are less than a day's run from South Florida — but only if your vessel gets there safely.

Dempsey Marine Services handles Bahamas deliveries with the same care and preparation as any offshore passage:
-- weather routing
-- Gulf Stream timing
-- proper safety equipment
-- and full communication with you throughout.

Your paradise. Delivered professionally.

📞 (772) 529-0880

06/24/2026

The Bahamas are 50-70 miles from Florida. They might as well be another world.

The water turns that impossible turquoise.

The anchorages are postcard-perfect.

The fishing is ridiculous.

The pace of life drops down three notches the moment you clear customs at West End.

But getting there means crossing the Gulf Stream — and the Stream doesn't care about your plans.

Timing your crossing, reading the weather, understanding current direction and sea state — that's the price of admission to paradise.

I've delivered boats to and from the Bahamas. I know that crossing.

Want your boat there? Let's talk.

06/23/2026

Before you cruise the Bahamas, here are five things you need to have sorted:

1. Customs documentation — You need a cruising permit. Get your paperwork right before you go.

2. A courtesy Bahamian flag — Fly it. It's not optional, it's etiquette and law.

3. Spare parts — Parts availability in the Out Islands is limited. What would stop your trip if it broke?

4. Shallow draft awareness — Bahamian water is beautiful but often very shallow. Know your draft. Know it exactly.

5. A working watermaker — Fresh water access is limited in many anchorages. A reliable watermaker changes everything.

I can walk you through all of this before your first crossing. That's what preparation looks like.
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06/22/2026

Insurance companies are increasingly requiring proof of training before they'll cover larger vessels. Did you know that?

Some policies now require a licensed captain's endorsement, documented sea time, or completion of a recognized course before you can insure a boat over a certain length or value. And in some cases, if your captain isn't properly licensed, a claim can be denied.

Private instruction with a USCG-licensed captain doesn't just make you a better mariner. It may be exactly what your insurer needs to see.

Worth a phone call to check. And then worth a session with me.

(772) 529-0880

06/19/2026

Navigation has changed dramatically with modern electronics — but the fundamentals haven't.

GPS will tell you where you are. It won't tell you to look at the depth sounder. It won't remind you that the chart is only as accurate as the last survey. It won't stop you from following a plotted route directly over a shoal that appeared after the last storm.

Good navigators use technology as a tool — not a crutch. They cross-reference. They watch the water color. They read the buoys. They maintain situational awareness that no screen can replace.

That kind of seamanship is exactly what I teach.

06/17/2026

Anchoring looks simple until you're dragging toward a reef at 1am in a squall.

Proper anchoring is an underrated skill:

- choosing the right bottom type
- calculating correct scope
- setting the hook with confidence
- knowing when to use a second anchor and how to rig it

And then knowing how to monitor your position overnight so you sleep instead of worry.

I've anchored in beautiful Bahamian flats and in lumpy, rolly cuts where getting it wrong would have been expensive.

I've learned from every single one.

Ask me to show you. It's one session that will change every anchorage you ever visit.

06/15/2026

Understanding your boat's systems isn't just smart — it's a safety requirement.

What do you do if a raw water pump fails offshore?
Can you bypass it or get to a marina without overheating the engine?
Do you know where your fuel shutoffs are, which breakers control what, and how to switch fuel tanks if one runs dry?

These aren't quiz questions. They're the situations real boaters face. And the best time to learn the answers is tied to a dock in calm conditions — not at anchor in a 20-knot blow trying to figure it out by feel.

Systems training is part of what I do. Let's get you informed.

06/12/2026

The most common thing I hear from new boat owners:

"I'm okay once I'm out there. It's the docking that terrifies me."

Here's the truth: docking is a skill, not a gift.

The captains who make it look effortless aren't born with it — they've just put in the hours.

They've learned their boat's pivot point, how current affects the bow, when to use reverse and when to use a burst of forward to control the stern.

It's learnable. I can teach you. And once it clicks — and it will click — you'll wonder why it ever seemed hard.

One session. Let's fix the docking anxiety.