Blog 2021

Do you know what to do and say if you see a USCG vessel in the vicinity and hear their voice on VHF channel 16 (or across the water) hailing your vessel and ordering you to bring your boat to a full stop?

You have been stopped by highly trained federal officers who will soon impress you with their professionalism. Before they even step off their vessel onto yours, the very first question they will ask you is, “Without reaching for them or touching them, do you have any weapons on board?” Subtly but powerfully, the tone is set:  “I am polite. I am professional. And I mean business.” Let’s assume (and hope) that the answer to that question is “no” since an affirmative answer sets up a scenario outside the scope of this article.

Once your boat is boarded, the officers will be seeking compliance with regulations, starting with those applicable to all boat sizes:

• Your actual registration needs to be aboard and current. If you just have a copy, that’s a problem, but if you have no registration, you have a much bigger problem.
• The Hull Identification Number needs to be the same on your registration and on your boat (embossed into the transom, low on the starboard side). If they don’t match, you’ve got a lot of explaining to do.
• The registration numbers must be at least three inches, appear as a contrasting color to your hull, and be the most forward of any numbering or lettering on the boat.
• If you have a Marine Sanitation Device (aka head or toilet), it must conform to regulations. As Long Island is a “No Discharge Zone,” an over-board, through-hull holding tank must be in the locked/closed position and the key must be under the control of the captain (no exceptions unless it can be seized closed or the handle can be removed in the closed position).

Based on an article by Natalie Sears an owner of a boat-detailing company in Seattle.

That half-full spray bottle of glass cleaner you grabbed on your way out, just in case you needed to do a bit of cleaning on the boat, isn't going to cut it! Here are some tips for getting your boat shipshape quickly and easily.

Wash Your Boat

Wash your boat, or at least hose it off well — the last thing you want to do is grind dust and dirt into your gelcoat while cleaning! This will also take off the main layer of dirt and bird droppings so you have a better idea of what condition your boat is really in and the areas that may need extra work. To clean off all of Buck's shoe marks and other scuffs on the nonskid, wet a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pad in your bucket of soapy water and use it to remove marks and stains. These work well, but never use them on smooth gelcoat or you'll remove all wax and shine and leave a noticeable faded spot. They're great, however, on rubber, plastic, and vinyl.

Clean The Canvas

Now's a good time to tackle the canvas while you still have your wash gear out. Wet down the canvas and run your deck brush over it to lift and remove loose dirt and bird droppings. Rinse well. Then use a mildew remover/cleaner spray to treat any sections where mildew has grown. Spray it directly on the mildew, scrub it in with a brush, then rinse well. If you live in a wet or humid climate, use a mildew treatment (such as Yacht Brite's Mold Away) that can be left on the canvas to prevent mildew from coming back. Spray the treatment lightly over the canvas and around the edges, and leave it on. It will keep mildew at bay for several months.

Cleaner Wax Touch-Up

The stains you'll find in smooth gelcoat can easily be removed with cleaner wax. This includes scuff marks from shoes, bird droppings, leaf stains, water streaks on vertical surfaces that didn't completely come off with the wash, and gray-water stains on horizontal surfaces. To remove these stains, squeeze a small amount of cleaner wax on a cotton rag, then rub it on and around the mark or stain until it comes off. Use a microfiber rag to wipe off the hazy wax residue. This is a great way to remove stains in between annual wax jobs. Not only are you keeping your boat looking good; you're also adding a bit of wax back to extend the life of your wax job.

You can also use cleaner wax to clean and polish your stainless steel. Use a waxy terrycloth rag to spread the wax over all the stainless steel, then use a clean microfiber rag to wipe it off. This will remove salt spray, rust, and dirt and will protect your stainless from the elements.

Exhaust stains can turn a white transom gray and make an otherwise clean boat look dirty. As you probably already know, exhaust stains don't always come off in the wash. Some spray cleaners are strong enough to remove exhaust stains; however, if they're strong enough for that job, then they're probably also strong enough to eventually strip that area of wax, only making it harder to clean the exhaust stains off over time. The best way to remove exhaust stains from gelcoat is to wax them off. This is something that can easily be done by hand with cleaner wax. Use a terrycloth rag to apply the wax, and wipe or rub it in until the exhaust stains are gone. Then use a microfiber rag to wipe the hazy wax residue off. If the exhaust stains cover a large area, you'll want to use several terrycloth rags as you go, so you're not rubbing the exhaust soot from the rag back onto another section of your boat. When you're finished, you'll be left with a clean, white surface, and it should be a little easier to wipe exhaust stains off next time because they'll be sitting on top of freshly waxed gelcoat.

Clean Vinyl, Rubber, And Plastic Surfaces

Clean vinyl seats with soap and water using a wet sponge or rag. Lightly use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pad to remove any stains or marks. Then use 303 Aerospace Protectant to protect them and give them a light sheen. 303 Aerospace Protectant sounds like something you might use to keep your rocket ship shiny, but it's actually intended for boats. It offers the same kind of UV protection as Armor All, but it packs a bit more of a punch and lasts longer. It can be used on vinyl seats, the rubber pontoons of your tender, plastics and plastic windows, leather, and the dashboard area of your helm station. It helps keep dark colored plastics, such as the helm station, from fading. Those little black specs of spider droppings on vinyl seats can also be removed this way. Spray with water or a multipurpose cleaner spray, let it soak in for 30 seconds, then wipe off

Get The Right Surveyor

You wouldn't hire a plumber to rewire your house; the same goes for surveyors. Finding a qualified marine surveyor or a specialist is a matter of knowing where to look.

• Marine surveyors are not regulated or licensed, so virtually anyone can call himself a surveyor, and many unqualified people do. A good indicator of competence is a surveyor who has professional affiliations with the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), plus either the National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS) or the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS).
• Choose a surveyor who is familiar with the type of boat you're interested in. Some specialize in power, some in sail, others in wooden or metal boats. " A surveyor should have absolutely no affiliations with boat brokers, dealers, boat repair shops, or others whose living depends on the sale or repair of boats — especially the one you're about to buy.
• Don't rely upon a survey prepared for a previous owner, even if it was done recently. A survey is a snapshot in time and a boat could have run aground or suffered other unnoticed damage since the last survey.
• Engine surveys are typically performed by someone with vast experience in repairing gas and diesel engines. The best bet is to hire a certified technician who works for an authorized dealer. That way, they'll be able to research the boat's warranty and dealer service work, too. Hire an engine surveyor with experience on the make and model of the engine you need inspected.
• Rigging surveyors tend to be a little harder to find, but most marine surveyors can recommend one. They typically make their living building and repairing masts, booms, and associated rigging.

The Story of the Fourth of July

The Declaration of Independence

We celebrate American Independence Day on the Fourth of July every year. We think of July 4, 1776, as a day that represents the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States of America as an independent nation.

But July 4, 1776 wasn't the day that the Continental Congress decided to declare independence (they did that on July 2, 1776).

It wasn’t the day we started the American Revolution either (that had happened back in April 1775).

And it wasn't the day Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence (that was in June 1776). Or the date on which the Declaration was delivered to Great Britain (that didn't happen until November 1776). Or the date it was signed (that was August 2, 1776).

So what did happen on July 4, 1776?

The Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. They'd been working on it for a couple of days after the draft was submitted on July 2nd and finally agreed on all of the edits and changes.

July 4, 1776, became the date that was included on the Declaration of Independence, and the fancy handwritten copy that was signed in August (the copy now displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.) It’s also the date that was printed on the Dunlap Broadsides, the original printed copies of the Declaration that were circulated throughout the new nation. So when people thought of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 was the date they remembered.

In contrast, we celebrate Constitution Day on September 17th of each year, the anniversary of the date the Constitution was signed, not the anniversary of the date it was approved. If we’d followed this same approach for the Declaration of Independence we’d being celebrating Independence Day on August 2nd of each year, the day the Declaration of Independence was signed!

What to Expect

No matter who you choose to do your marine survey, you should expect professional treatment. At Roy Scott Marine you can always expect that we will:

• Be on Time for Appointments (or at least call to explain any unforeseen delays)
• Inspect Your Boat Thoroughly.
• Treat You Respectfully.
• Respect Your Boat.
• Avoid Conflicts of Interest.
• Under Promise & Over Deliver.
• Explain the Survey Process.
• Prepare a Comprehensive Marine Survey Report.
• Deliver the Survey Report Quickly – Normally Within 24-48 Hours.
• Respect Your Privacy.
• Be Available for Questions and Follow-Up.

Our practical approach allows you to get a good picture of the boats’ condition the day we inspect it. We go through all the parts of the boat in a systematic way, pointing out systems and issues and jotting down our observations and recommendations that we then use to create the survey. We encourage buyers and owners to be present at a survey.

REMEMBER  Your Boat's Wake

You can save a lot of aggravation, some money and avoid being the recipient of some not so nice gestures from other boaters by using a little common sense and courtesy. This means coming completely off plane when you enter a no-wake zone or any area where your wake could compromise the safety of other boats. All too often the skippers react to a no-wake sign by slowing the boat slightly and then plowing through with the boat's bow up in the air and the stern dug down into the water. Instead of reducing the size of the boat's wake, this token reduction in speed — not quite on plane — increases the size of the wake.

No wake means NO WAKE. The first rule is to slow down so that the boat is level (without using trim tabs) and the size of the wake is negligible. Look back at the wake you're creating. You can help to reduce the size of your boat's wake by positioning passengers toward the center of the boat to keep it level. Too much weight aft lowers the stern and increases the size of the wake. Finally, keep an eye on your depth sounder; shallow water increases the impact of your boat's wake.

Damaging wakes can also be caused when a skipper waits too long to pull back on the throttle. A good example is the young skipper in New Jersey who was tying up at a marina gas dock when he encountered someone who was "cursing and accusing me of not having any respect." Words were exchanged, gestures were made. The young skipper's cruiser, it seems, had created a large wake that bashed several boats at the marina against pilings and finger piers. He had "slowed" just before reaching the gas dock, so he reasoned that the damage must have been caused by "some other boat's wake."

WAVE BASICS

No matter what boat — power or sail — you frequent, you have to be prepared to take on waves.

The first and best tactic is to stay out of large waves, with "large" being relative to the boat's size, shape, power, ballast, and structure. Tactics to avoid large waves include staying in the lee of a windward shore for as long as possible, traveling with wind and current running together, timing the entrance and exit to inlets and rivers so that the current is running with the wind and waves, waiting until slack tide before navigating strong inlets or rivers, or simply staying in port until conditions improve.

Second, don't take waves on the beam. If possible take them on the bow, or it may sometimes be better to take them directly astern or at an angle to the stern rather than the beam. Usually, when heading into waves, it's better to meet them at an angle off the bow to minimize pounding, hobby horsing, and burying the bow. If taking waves astern, it's extremely important to avoid losing directional control as the wave overtakes you. This may require a high level of seamanship skills. If you must change course, watch the waves carefully; time the move when you see a group of smaller waves or a long trough that you can turn in before the next wave comes.

When heading into waves, try to take them at an angle off the bow to minimize pounding.

Third, don't get caught in breaking waves. Breaking waves can occur when the wind is opposing a strong current, when waves are passing over a shallow bar, when they are ricocheting off a shore or rocks, when they reach a height too tall to sustain themselves and when they are leaving deep water and meeting shallow ground. Do everything you can to avoid areas where breaking waves might form.