Blog 2016

A float plan, is a pretty simple way to ensure the safety of everyone aboard your vessel, whether on a multi-day adventure or an afternoon outing. I know many of you will say its not necessary you aren’t going far and you will be where everyone can see you. But suppose you are on an ordinary getaway to your favorite destination; suddenly the fog rolls in, the engine dies, or the wind quits blowing. Or worse, your back goes out while you’re attempting to raise the anchor and you can’t move. You realize you have no cell phone reception. You are either literally or figuratively up the creek without a paddle. All those people who see you, won’t know you are in trouble; and no one will know where to look hours later.

 Whether temporarily stranded or in need of medical attention (when every second counts), you’ve increased the chances of a timely rescue because you shared your float plan with a family member, friend, or someone at the yacht club or marina. Once you fail to return at the time you assigned, the nautical wheels are set in motion to bring you back to port safe and sound.

A float plan may be as simple as a note saying, “I’m heading to Tranquil Cove today and expect to be back around 7:00 pm.” It can also be detailed — yet not very time consuming. There are templates available so you can fill in never-changing information including your boat type, length, color, and vessel name. Attach a photo of the boat and duplicate the semi-completed plan. Then you only have to jot down who’s aboard, the particular day’s destination, and an expected return time before handing it to a responsible person. Safety experts advise you not to leave the float plan on the dashboard of a car or a boatyard bulletin board, as someone with disreputable intentions will see how far away from home you’ll be and for how long.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has a mobile app with a float plan component among its safety features. Personal information is stored on the phone but not transmitted unless the user chooses to send it, so authorities are neither tracking you nor logging your location unless a need arises.

Occasionally a boater will confess that he or she never bothers with a float plan. The usual excuse is that they only boat in popular local areas where they’d be spotted in case of an emergency and rescued immediately. That may sound reasonable, but does a boat bobbing on the hook in a cove convey outward signs of distress while the skipper’s down below feeling woozy or in pain?

“I don’t want to bother — I just want to hitch my boat to the trailer and go!” is another excuse. What would a loved one say to the authorities if they eventually suspected you might be in trouble but had no idea how to narrow down the search area? Without helpful information to narrow the search, precious time ticks away (and the weather or your predicament may worsen) while the USCG issues a non-specific “missing mariner” notice to all rescue crafts, boaters, and volunteers.

Once you grasp all the things that might happen because you kept your boating plans hush-hush, we’re betting you’ll  spill the beans every time you head out (don’t forget to give your land lookout a heads up when you return to shore after a fun and safe day).

The Internet has opened the world up as a market for boat shoppers, and most boats sold that way are transportable. But no matter the boat's size, you're still facing the unsettling option of purchasing it without having seen it in person.

But there just happens to be an accredited group of experts around the country that can help. Marine surveyors have served as qualified eyes and ears in the boat-condition and boat-valuing business for years, and they're typically hired by a prospective buyer to assess the value and overall shape of a boat. Even if you have never hired the services of a surveyor, counting on your own experience in the past, if purchasing sight unseen, it’s a worthy consideration. I’m sure most buyers have paid to have a marine mechanic look over engines on boats they were considering buying, not trusting their own skills in that area.

So when faced with the dilemma of a long-distance shopping trip, search for a surveyor in the boat's listing area. From the locator listing provided at the website for the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS), select the state where your targeted boat-for-sale is situated, note the contact information for the surveyor based nearest the boat's location, and fire off an email or call.

Most marine surveyors will acknowledge that not only is business brisk in the small-boat-survey segment, but that like many of his peers in the profession, they offer consulting services precisely for off-site boat buyers who want a qualified "quick look" to determine whether a road trip — or a sight-unseen purchase — is justified. I must stress that the preliminary inspections are very basic and should not be confused with a traditional pre-purchase "condition and value" survey, which are very comprehensive.

Most preliminary inspections include a quick inspection of basic systems, the overall condition of the hull and deck, and operating the engine — equipped with water-muffs — while checking starting, shifting, steering, and cooling functions. More comprehensive checks can be done as desired.

Photos are an important part of what such a consultation should include, as well as a recommendation based on the client's expectations and how and where the boat will be used. Surveyors typically know the quirks of certain models and can help you avoid those that have a bad reputation. The prospective buyer should expect a six- to eight-page written report accompanied by photos of the boat illustrating the findings — positive and negative — as well as a summary of what the consultant thinks of the offering and how the purchase may or may not be worth pursuing based on its condition, price, and the purchaser's situation and expectation.

IS A CELL PHONE ADEQUATE PROTECTION                            

You’re on your boat and you are in distress….

Cell phones are no substitute for modern GPS-equipped 406 EPIRBs or PLBs. They must be within range of a tower, often are not waterproof, and don't give a continuous signal that will be picked up by an RDF on a rescue vessel. However, if you have a signal, and the circumstances allow cell phone use, do it. A better alternative may be to use your properly connected, programmed, and registered VHF if in range, which will tell the Coast Guard who you are, and what boat you are on. Depending on the nature of your distress, the Coast Guard may have you shift communications to a cell phone, or activate your EPIRB or PLB, to assist in locating you and to be sure they don't lose contact if your cell phone or VHF dies or you lose the signal.

I recommend the EPIRB.

Thanks to a proven track record of high reliability, EPIRBs remain a top choice for sending out an emergency signal to SAR personnel today. Since EPIRBs interface with Cospas-Sarsat international SAR (search and rescue) satellites that calculate your position via GPS, triangulation, or a combination of the two, they are essentially unlimited in range. EPIRBs are also equipped with a strobe light for quick visual acquisition, can be activated either manually or automatically, are required to float and be completely waterproof, and can be mounted with hydrostatic releases.

I often get asked what is the best way to remove bottom paint?  

For me, there's no good way to completely remove bottom paint. Every method risks damaging the underlying gelcoat. Sanding works until you reach the fiberglass, then you're sanding the gelcoat, which you don't want to do unless you are repainting. Chemical strippers can be even  worse. The kind you find in paint and home-supply stores cannot tell the difference between paint resin and polyester resin, so when they get through the paint, they will literally start dissolving your boat. So-called fiberglass-safe strippers can work, but are only safe if you're meticulous in how long you leave them on, which is often insufficient to fully remove the paint. That brings you back to sandpaper. Boatyard staff may recommend sandblasting, but sandblasting fiberglass boats damages them, no ifs, ands, or buts. Blasting with a softer medium, such as baking soda, is probably the gentlest removal option, but you're going to have to find someone who does this and it will not be cheap.

So typically I recommend not removing the bottom paint just because you no longer need it. If the color bothers you, then prep the bottom and paint it with white bottom paint (Pettit Vivid). This will be virtually undetectable except by close inspection, and can actually make the bottom easier to keep clean, and that could be beneficial if you use your boat for vacations where it stays in the water for days rather than hours.

How To Stop A Boat From Sinking

Great article By Michael Vatalaro for BOATUS

Quick action — and these three items — can keep your boat afloat in an emergency.

Putting Archimedes' "Eureka!" moment aside, a boat can be said to float because there's more water on the outside than on the inside. And while the concept of displacement might baffle some of us, it's a safe bet that every boater knows when the water on the outside starts becoming water on the inside, something has to be done, and quickly. Here are three ways to stop a sudden leak, before your boat ends up looking more like Archimedes' bathtub.

Cram It: TruPlug                                                  

Designed as a replacement for traditional wooden bungs, which often need to be hammered into place to staunch the flow of water, TruPlug is made from closed-cell foam, the elastic type that springs back into shape after you compress it. Like foam earplugs, TruPlug is designed to be installed by hand.

Yes, in a perfect world, should a hose pop off your raw-water intake, you'd just close the seacock. But in reality, these valves are frequently neglected and stuck in the open position. Or perhaps, in a truly disastrous turn of events, a heavy battery or piece of equipment breaks loose and shears off an aged, corroded, or fatigued seacock. In such a case, you'd be glad to have the flexibility of TruPlug's foam, which can conform to somewhat irregular shapes.

But you don't have to imagine a worst-case scenario to find a reason to keep this $20 item in your toolkit. The plastic "mushroom"-style thru-hulls through which scuppers, bilge pumps, and livewells drain overboard are notorious for cracking and leaking after years of UV abuse. Having a plug handy to jam into one of these openings might just get you back to the dock without having to bail all the way home.

Wrap It: Rescue Tape

I've had an engine-cooling hose burst while underway. It's not pretty. When I opened the engine-compartment hatch, water — under pressure from the engine's circulating pump — was spraying from a gash in the hose all over the engine compartment. The boat in question was a twin-engine cabin cruiser, so the solution was to shut down the port engine and continue on one engine. But if I'd had Rescue Tape aboard, I could've wrapped up the busted hose and been back underway at normal speed.

Rescue tape is self-amalgamating silicone. It comes with clear backing that you have to peel back as you go. To repair a leak, stretch and wrap the tape over the hose and itself, overlapping each wrap by about half. Don't be shy on the stretching — the tighter you pull the wraps, the better the seal. Using the tape to cover an extra few inches on either side of the leak should allow you to seal just about any leaking hose or pipe in an emergency, even high-pressure hydraulic lines. However do read the packaging for limitations, such as for common rail pipes or pipes from injector pumps to injectors. For $10 to $12 per roll, this tape is cheap insurance.

Mend It: Epoxy Sticks

These epoxy putties can be mixed by hand to create a self-hardening patch for repairing small holes or gashes in the hull or an outdrive. They even cure underwater, though you may have to hold it in place for 5 to 10 minutes to give it time to set up. It's easier to find uses for this type of repair tool when your boat is out of the water. But if your boating takes you to remote places or you value self-reliance, throw a $24 package of this in the toolbox, just in case.

Smoke Detectors

The American Boat and Yacht Council, ABYC, recently issued a Technical Information Report,  typically written when the subject doesn't rise to the level of a requirement, concerning smoke alarms — a great idea, especially for boats with cabins, engine spaces, and other enclosed areas where there might be sources of ignition. The time between ignition and detection of a boat fire is critically important.

Unfortunately, no "marine-approved" smoke alarms are currently available. It's a chicken-or-egg scenario: Manufacturers don't make them because the industry doesn't require them, but they can't be required unless someone makes them. It's too expensive for a manufacturer to build a marine smoke detector, unless they are required, because it has to pass numerous UL tests specific to boats. The marine industry hopes that by modeling smoke alarms used in the RV industry, which already have to meet some of those requirements, they can be made to sell at a reasonable price for boats. Due to this work, boaters will likely soon see another life-saving device designed specifically for boats.

But why wait?

Remembering how we got the Star Spangled Banner

The Defense Of Baltimore

After Washington, D.C. was burned by the British, the British headed for Baltimore, home to pro-war fervor, innovative clipper-ship builders, and privateers responsible for capturing more than 500 British merchant ships. Long expecting an attack, Baltimoreans had fortified land approaches to the city with earthworks, guns, and cannons. Lieutenant Colonel George Armistead and his troops readied Fort McHenry, which protected Baltimore's harbor, for a naval assault.

Early on September 11, lookouts spotted 50 British warships approaching Baltimore. The British were preparing a two-pronged attack that would unfold over the next three days. Ships anchored just out of range of Fort McHenry's guns would pound the fort with cannons, mortars, and rockets. Another force would land at North Point to take Baltimore. On September 12, those troops met fierce resistance. The British commander was killed, and facing American defenders numbering 10,000 strong, his troops later withdrew.

The bombardment of Fort McHenry fared little better for the British. Armistead flew an enormous flag with 15 stripes and 15 stars above the fort. As long as it swayed in the wind, no one doubted that Fort McHenry remained in American hands. Anchored not far away were Americans detained by the British, among them Francis Scott Key. They watched the bombardment all day, heartened at the site of the large flag above the fort. Then nightfall came and with it suspense: Would the flag be flying in the morning? At daybreak, Key not only saw the stars and stripes still flying above the fort, but the British weighing anchor. The city of Baltimore remained free. Key was so moved he wrote a poem on "The Defense of Fort McHenry," and our national anthem was born.

The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail links historic sites important to the Battle of Baltimore and the Chesapeake campaign. Among them are North Point State Park and the star-spangled buoy that marks the spot where Francis Scott Key spent the night at anchor, just north of the Key Bridge. Boat ramps at Turner Station Park and Southwest Area Park offer access to the Patapsco River. Marinas in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Fells Point, and Canton provide transient dockage. Water taxi service is available to Fort McHenry.