Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
48 | Gift Guide
Cool new gear for your
holiday wish list
76 | Docking Smart
How to nuzzle your
boat up to any dock
December 2013
Magazine
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contents
BoatU.S. Magazine
December 2013
40
features
Great Escapes Special Section
40 | Flying (To) Fish
By Mike Vatalaro
By Tania Aebi
18
Your old light bulbs may be costing you more than you think.
Heres a primer for switching to efficient LEDs
54 | Shootout In The Ozarks
By Chris Landers
54
50
departments
6 | Reader Forum
10 | BoatU.S. Reports
81 | At Your Service
63
18 | American Boater
Dolphins, Racers,
And Killer Bs
24 | Government Affairs
New Boating Laws In 2013
By Nicole Palya Wood
Are the rules changing in your state?
28 | Advocate
Should You Buy An
Extended-Service
Contract?
By Charles Fort
The answer used to be a simple no.
Manufacturers are trying to change that
33 | Good Foundation
Alternative Outboards
By Chris Edmondston
Putting the latest environmentally friendly
outboards through their paces
37 | Electronics
Apps To Keep You Safe
By Lenny Rudow
From flashlights to float plans, your
smartphone has an app for it
76
this month
BoatUS.com
Photos, Top to bottom: John Horn, Marcus Floro, Yamaha, Leo A. Dilling (Photo Contest 2012)
4 | At The Helm
on the water
U n f o r g e t ta b l e m o m e n t s
*Call 877.799.8755 or visit www.moorings.com/boat-us for a chance to win a FREE 474PC for the event.
At the
helm
VOLUME XIX, No. 6, December 2013
december 2013
When only the best materials, craftsmanship, and service after the sale will do...
the choice is clear.
December 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 5
Reader
Forum LettersToEditor@BoatUS.com
Battery Topper
In Watering Batteries (Ask The Experts, Oct. 2013), Don Casey
replied to Ron Beitelspacher that he was unaware of a solution for
topping off, and not overfilling, batteries in a confined space. A perfect solution for me has been a battery-watering system that interconnects all the cells together with neoprene tubing to a central refilling
hose, which is commonly done to maintain golf-cart batteries.
Jim Wolfe
Germantown, TN
From Don Casey: Weve heard from a number of BoatU.S. members about
various plumbed solutions for inaccessible batteries and have passed along
this new enlightenment to Ron in Loreto.
members
Gallery
Keeping A Lookout
Loretta Lynn
Wooldridge writes
that her 15-month-old cat Mink, seen here with friends Rainey Just,
and Michael and David Laquara, loves going out on their 42-foot
Coastal Cruiser. This picture was taken at Ripley Light Yacht Club, in
Charleston, South Carolina. Just dont let the cat chase the light.
December 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 7
resources in particular, the navigation aids that delineate the channel. Ive traveled the ICW in both directions several times, Bahamas,
and parts of the Caribbean. Id never rely totally on a chartplotter!
Just as an example, pulling into Alice Town, Bimini, from the south. If
I followed the chartplotter, Id be on land! To be fair, there was a sidebar, Planning To Travel The ICW, that does say to check with other
navigation aids when the magenta line conflicts with the surrounding landscape. But why would anyone follow a line on a chartplotter
instead of navigating by the channel markers?
Pat Lynch
Harpers Ferry, WV
From Bill Parlatore: Thanks for your comments. It appearssomemay have
taken me out of context or assumed we followed themagenta line over other
aids to navigation. Yes, this is a wonderful tool to get a sense of the general
route one takes when traveling north or south on the ICW, but it is not to
be used as a primary navigation tool, as I hoped to affirm in the article.
The magenta line is not now, nor was it ever intended to be, an accurate
depiction of a course line on which one can place waypoints. It is simply
a broad brush of the Intracoastal Waterway. Boat owners today have a
variety oftools from which to navigate, includingbuoys, paper charts,
chart books,electronic plotters, even iPads. The prudent mariner uses them
all but fully relies on none.
A Familiar Scene
Gary Halford got a surprise when he opened the last issue of the
magazine and saw his own boat, Sandpiper. Turns out, when a
photographer snapped the shot, Gary and Sandpiper were en route
to Paddle for the Border, a kayaking event that goes from the
Virginia state line to the Dismal Swamp State Park in North Carolina.
The North Carolina Tourism folks liked it enough to send it out, and
we liked it enough to run with Bill Parlatores Magenta Line story.
We arent looking for royalties, Gary writes, just the great satisfaction that Sandpiper was chosen for the spot.
A Rare Cruiser
Jim Hornung sent in a shot
of himself, Simba Jo, and
Lil Simba enjoying the sunset after arriving in Kemah,
Texas, from Fort Lauderdale.
And they were traveling
first class, aboard his former U.S. Navy Yard Patrol
boat, YP 655, which has
been converted to a recreational boat. He says there
are about four of these
wooden boats still afloat,
the last of the wooden
Navy. His was decommissioned in 1992.
A Family Affair
Speaking of navies, Bobby Shore, from Mechanicsville, Virginia,
sent in this photo of the fleet his family is amassing on the lower
Potomac River. From left to right thats Bobbys daughter Amber,
sister Deborah, and brother Brian. Also from left to right, thats two
kayaks, a 9-foot hydroplane, a 16-foot Chris-Craft, Bobbys 24-foot
Superboat, and a Glacier Bay with two 90-hp Yamahas. The boating
tradition all started with my father 45 years ago, Bobby says, and
it has been passed down to me and my family. Every summer finds
us having fun on the water with our boats.
Lesson Learned
I thought Charles Forts article, What A Yacht Broker Can Do For
You, was very well written and I hope your members read and understand it. As a yacht broker, I did take exception to the idea that selling
your own boat can save you 10-15 percent. Most of these owners will
learn and come running to a broker to help them sell their next boat.
The brokers have the tools to do it. Dick Sciuto
Mattapoiset, MA
8 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
inReach SE from DeLorme. The next generation of the most affordable, waterproof satellite
communicator that sends and receives text messages when offshore or out of cell phone range.
Give your family and friends the peace of mind knowing you can be tracked, reached, and rescued
anywhere in the world. And with access to our unlimited, downloadable NOAA charts and maps,
you can pair inReach SE with your smartphone or tablet and always know exactly where you are.
And, if you should need it, directly contact the BoatUS 24-hour dispatch service for assistance.
december 2013
Compatible with
Smartphones
& Tablets
BoatU.S. Magazine | 9
boat
u.s.
10 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
Catching The
Christmas Comet
Stargazers are in for a treat
this winter, thanks to ISON
December 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 11
Boaters (and
marinas) have
more to smile
about thanks to
the almost $21
million returned
to transient
boating facility
development in
2013, through the
national Boating
Infrastructure
Grant program.
Photo: USCG
n Ohio light aircraft pilots wallet is nearly a half-million dollars lighter after U.S. Coast Guard investigators linked
him to a false mayday report over Lake Erie last March. After
takeoff from an airport near Cleveland, Danik Shiv Kumar, 21, radioed
that hed seen a fishing boat in distress shooting off flares and counted
four people aboard.
That set off both
U.S. and Canadian
Coast Guard vessels and aircraft rescue operations that
found nothing. After
admitting to the false
report, a judge fined
Kumar $489,007 for
search costs and sentenced him to three
years of supervised
release plus 250
hours of community
service. R.L.
12 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
A
Photo: Kentucky fish & Wildlife
Photo: Yamaha
BIG
projects
for 2013
included:
december 2013
processing plant in Wickliffe, Kentucky, began shipping to overseas customers this summer. The product? Processed Asian carp. The nuisance fish is caught
nearby and headed for China, where its considered a delicacy. Two Rivers Fishery
had just opened in May of this year, and by August the plant was processing around 6,000
pounds of carp a day. The first shipment to China totaled 40,000 pounds, with an order
pending for another million pounds. Plant manager Jeff Smith told a local radio station that
the company planned to bring on more fishermen to fill the large order.
Asian carp may be desirable elsewhere, but in the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and the
region around them, the fish are a serious nuisance, destroying local ecosystems and even
causing injury to boaters. The fish grow to be 20 pounds and launch themselves out of the
water at the sound of a boat motor, sometimes with damaging consequences for the passing
boat and its occupants. And in the Upper Mississippi and Illinois river watersheds, they are
the cause of an intense battle over the best way to keep them from populating the Great
Lakes and destroying native fish there.
In a statement at the plant opening in May, CEO Angie Yu touted the economic and
environmental benefits of the companys plan. We are thrilled to be a member of the
Wickliffe/Ballard community, said Yu. After years in the international fish importing and
exporting business, we have realized our dream of creating our own factory. Our hope is
that this facility benefits Kentuckys waterways as well, removing Asian carp from the rivers
and turning them into a positive resource. Chris Landers
Womens
Sailing
Convention
Marks 25
Years
The Southern
California Yachting
Association will
celebrate the 25th
year of its Womens
Sailing Convention
when it meets on
February 1, 2014.
The convention
(which BoatU.S.
sponsors) will be
held in Corona del
Mar, California,
and is open to all
women with an
interest in sailing.
www.scya.org
BoatU.S. Magazine | 13
47,000,000 48%
Americans fished in 2012, up
from 46.2 million in 2011
Fished from
a boat
A Dramatic
Makeover!
Hurricane Sandy changed the landscape of large parts of the East Coast, rendering charts out of date and leaving mariners guessing about depths
and shorelines, like these before-and-after photos from Mantoloking, New Jersey. Now, new surveying efforts by NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey,
and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers aim to bring those charts up to date. Using disaster-relief funds from Congress, the three agencies will be
measuring water depths, looking for submerged debris, and mapping altered shorelines in areas that present a danger to navigation. The results
of the surveys will be open to the public and will be used to update charts, replenish beaches, remove debris, and plan for future storms.
C.L.
14 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
Photo: USGS
EXCEPTIONAL VACATIONS
V A C AT I O N S
www.marinemaxvacations.com
BoatU.S. Magazine | 15
oggerhead
and green sea
turtles in the
Southeast are nesting
in record numbers
these days as a result
of 30 years of federal
protection, according
to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
At Hobe Sound
National Wildlife
Refuge on Floridas
southeast coast, a
mid-August green
turtle count of
1,147 more than
doubled the 2011
record of 543. At
Archie Carr National
Wildlife Refuge, near
Melbourne Beach on
the central Atlantic
coast of Florida,
greens had built
10,420 nests, topping
16 | BoatU.S. Magazine
disorients turtles, as
well as seawalls. The
ability to construct
cages around nest
sites in the refuges
also protects against
predators. Where necessary, nests can be
relocated on a refuge
to prevent them from
washing away.
Sea turtles take
20 to 30 years to
reach sexual maturity, which is why this
years nesting gains
Photos, Top Left: Mariners Museum, Top Right: Allied Artists, Bottom Left: Kacey Luensman/Mote Marine Laboratory
december 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 17
American
Boater
sharing a love for the Water
Bowler and football superstar with 15 NFL seasons under his belt would become
a passionate boater whos owned seven boats in the past 15 years? Not that he
started out small. My first boat was a 57-foot Ferretti named Truly Blessed,
says Taylor. From there, we moved to a 99-foot Hargrave that I named Katina
after my wife.
18 | BoatU.S. Magazine
Then Taylor moved out of yachting, opting for smaller boats that he runs himself.
He now owns a 43-foot SeaVee named Pocket
Nines, which is powered by four outboards,
and a 24-foot Pathfinder bay boat. He finds
every moment he can to spend time aboard
with his wife and three children. This is our
lifestyle, and not something we have had to
force, he says. My wife loves it, too, so it
was a natural fit for us from the beginning.
In 2007 Taylor was named Walter Payton
NFL Man of the Year and in 2012 he played
his final game against the New York Jets,
december 2013
BRAND NEW!
December 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 19
20 | BoatU.S. Magazine
rankly, youd think hed be too busy. Between being 2012 IndyCar champion
(he finished the 2013 season in the number seven position), becoming a new dad,
and being a global envoy for the LIVESTRONG foundation, its amazing Hunter-Reay
has any time to get out on the water.
Boating has been my life outside of racing, he says. I started racing at 12 years old,
but Ive been on boats with my dad and my family since I was 5. I feel very fortunate to have
been raised that way. Its what makes me really happy outside the race car. And hes been
pretty happy in the race car in recent years. In 2007, Hunter-Reay accelerated onto the racing scene when he became the IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year, despite only competing in
six of 17 events. The following year it was Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors, and
december 2013
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december 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 21
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Government
Affairs BoatU.S. Special Report
Multiple Boardings
a brief glance at some state law trends from the 2013 legislative sessions that BoatU.S. has been monitoring, and a
passed laws this year that will affect how you use it. Heres
BoatU.S. Magazine | 25
Boat-Friendlier Taxes
Kansas boaters can now keep their boats in
Kansas and pay a personal-property tax rate
similar to that of surrounding states. Gov.
Brownback signed a law that will reduce
personal-property tax rates on boats from 30
yo pro com
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26 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
2014 Forecast
States will continue to leave no stone
unturned in their pursuit to find the necessary funds to keep waterways safe and navigable. States that havent raised their boater
registration or titling fees recently may look
to raise revenue for projects once maintained
by the now underfunded Army Corps of
Engineers by increasing these fees. This will
be particularly true for states maintaining
large dredging projects, or those that have
ith boats and boating activities changing every year, state laws must
evolve. BoatU.S. will be here for you along the way, working to ensure
that proposed changes are practical and realistic. If youd like to receive
a heads up on boating proposals that may affect you, please sign up for BoatU.S.
Government Affairs email alerts, and check out our website for more information
on all government affairs issues affecting you: www.BoatUS.com/Gov
06714_SS_1213_AD_BOATUS_HALFPAGE.indd
december 2013
10/30/13 9:09
BoatU.S. Magazine | AM
27
The Advocate
BoatU.S. CONSUMER PROTECTION
BY CHARLES FORT
benefits for buyers, and navigating the exclusions and other confusing
Fact 2. Service contracts have limitations that true warranties dont. Over
Buying an extended
service contract may
help you avoid paying
for repairs later.
Refillable
Offer valid 11/20/1312/15/13 only. Coupon is not valid on previous purchases and may not be combined with other
coupons or offers (including Mail-In Rebates). Not redeemable for cash or gift cards. Limit one coupon per customer,
per transaction, per day. Sale-priced, discontinued and excluded items listed below do not contribute to threshold limits
when figuring discounts and will not be discounted by this coupon. Excludes PLUS Plan extended warranties,
memberships, services and gift cards. Excludes sale-priced and discontinued items, plus Mercury Marine, Penn,
Shimano, Minn Kota, Cannon, Humminbird, Daiwa, KVH, Torqeedo, Xantrex, JOBY, Dubarry of Ireland, FLIR,
YETI Coolers, Avet Reels, GoPro, LEHR, Marine Dynamics and select Garmin, Shakespeare Fishing, Calcutta
and Harken products. Discount does not apply to taxes, shipping and handling charges or similar processing charges.
Offer valid for retail transactions only. Offer void where prohibited by law.
ift Card
MK0 0 0 0 0 3 2 4 4 1 0 0 1 5 0 0 AS
OFF
A REGULARPRICED PURCHASE
OF $100 OR MORE
West Marine
has the gifts
YOU want!
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Gift Card
Refillable
BoatU.S. Magazine | 29
1-800-368-2734
geico.com/disc/boatus
Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Discount amount varies in some states. One group discount applicable per policy. Coverage is individual. In New York
a premium reduction may be available. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image 1999-2013. 2013
GEICO.
30 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
In the past few years, customer satisfaction surveys from J.D. PoweR have noted a
steady decrease in the number of problems reported for marine engines.
insurance companies usually write the contracts, and manufacturers and dealers typical-
december 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 31
online Extra
For more on whether you
should buy an extended warranty, see this article online,
www.BoatUS.com/Magazine
need to pay a prorated amount of the contract. In that case, the seller may get a refund
of the same amount, which can be used as
part of the negotiations. But beware, not
all contracts are transferable. Manufacturerbacked programs are usually pretty straightforward and charge a small flat fee, but also
require an inspection from a dealership for
the new owner to qualify. Find out the details
before you buy the contract, not when you
sell your boat.
Fact 10. You may be able to cancel the
contract within 30 days of purchasing
prorated amount plus a fee. Review the companys contract to see how it works.
Most defects in new boats and engines
show up within the warranty period, so
spending money up front on a service contract may not make sense. If you decide to
buy, manufacturer-backed service contracts
typically provide better coverage and more
accountability, though they may cost more.
Consumers also need to look into the reliability history of their vessels and engines.
Some models with higher-than-average problems might benefit from a service contract.
The BoatU.S. Consumer Protection Database
contains thousands of firsthand reports about
boats and engines. This invaluable online
resource, created by consumers for consumers, is available only to BoatU.S. members at
my.BoatUS.com/consumer
For more information about boat buying,
warranties, and service contracts, download our
free BoatU.S. Guide to Buying and Selling
a Boat, at www.BoatUS.com/Guide and
BoatU.S. Guide to Marine Service,
at www.BoatUS.com/MarineServices
32 | BoatU.S. Magazine
www.greatlakesboattop.com 877-867-7861
10/30/2013 3:20:22 PM
december 2013
Good
BoatU.S. Foundation For Boating
Foundation Safety & Clean Water BY CHRIS EDMONSTON
Gasoline
Putting the
Torqeedo
Travel 1003
through its
paces.
more (and greener) choices in outboards than ever before. Even traditional gas
engines meet environmental standards that were out of reach not that long ago,
and now manufacturers are adding alternative fuels to the mix.
To find out how these outboards performed, we took several of them out on a variety of
boats in Annapolis Harbor. We used three commonly available brands (Mercury, Lehr, and
Torqeedo) using three different fuels (gas, propane, and electricity), and sent them
out with boaters who had a wide range of experience. The boats we used were a
Mercury Marine 9.9 hp
Weight: 84 lbs.
12-foot jon boat, a 10-foot rigid hull inflatable, and an 18-foot daysailer. Parts
Fuel: 87 octane gas
of our testing were empirical, but we also wanted to find out the operators
MSRP: $2,239
impressions of how the engines performed. As with all Foundation Findings,
December 2013
| 33
Lehr 2.5 hp
Weight: 37 lbs.
Fuel: 110 octance propane
MSRP: $1,049
Propane
Propane engines are similar enough to gasoline outboards that there are conversion
kits available to switch smaller, gas-powered
outboards over to propane use. Why do that?
Propane burns 50 times cleaner than gas, its
domestically produced, and propane engines
generally start more easily than a similar gasoline engine because the fuel is pressurized.
Propane is also easier to refuel than gasoline
just screw the tank in, no sloshing around
at the fuel dock and there are no issues
with water (or ethanol) in your fuel or the
long-term storage of fuel.
The propane engines we used were built
by Lehr, the first manufacturer to build an
outboard specifically for propane. As with the
The propane-powered
Lehr engines are clean
and efficient, without
being too unfamiliar.
Electric
Lehr 9.9 hp
Weight: 92 lbs.
Fuel: 110 octane propane
MSRP: $2,600
Easy to service
Least expensive up front
Wide array of brands & sizes
Boaters are familiar with gas
engines, so theres higher initial
confidence
34 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
DANIEL STEIGER
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BoatU.S. Magazine | 35
one meter,
and both
Torqeedo Cruise 2.0
display curWeight: 38.6 lbs.
rent speed, range
Fuel: Two 12v batteries
at that speed, and
MSRP: $3,299
battery life. Thats
good because battery
life was a concern to
our operators. With
the smaller Torqeedo,
our consumer editor
Charles Fort said, Theres some anxiety
about the range, but with the gauge right
there, you know what the range is. You
dont have to guess. Operators did manage to drain the battery of the Travel 1003
in less than an hour at wide-open throttle,
and it requires 15 hours to fully charge. The
only options for more power on the smaller
36 | BoatU.S. Magazine
Conclusions
No engine is perfect for every situation, and
while price, size, and the boat are certainly
key factors, you also need to consider how
the boat will be used, how the motor will be
online Extra
For the complete Foundation Findings
on alternative outboards, including
more results and testing methodologies, go to www.BoatUS.org/findings/52
december 2013
Electronics
hot new app favorites
By Lenny Rudow
a smartphone in their pocket. In many ways this situation leads to distraction, frustration, and annoyance. But in other ways, the miracle of the
modern cell phone can be a true blessing aboard and even a lifesaver.
Cell phone and tablet apps can be harnessed by boaters in a number of ways:
weather prediction, navigation, and maintenance logging are a few prime examples.
And in the past, weve told you about apps that can help you accomplish these things.
But there are a number of new or updated apps which focus on making boating
safer. Lets have a look at some of those that could even yes, its true save your
life some day.
Lightning Finder This app was previously only available to iOS users, but went live
for Android this summer. It does exactly what
the name would lead you to believe, displaying
lightning strikes in near real-time, on a map.
It also tells you how far you are from nearby
strikes, and how long ago they
took place. You can even set
this app up to send you a text
alert when lightning starts
striking within a certain parameter. Obviously, this app can
significantly boost your safety
margin, but it isnt cheap, in
app terms. Theres a yearly
subscription. Cost: $5.99
Flashlight And Morse SOS Well bet youve seen the free Flashlight app for iOS and Android
before it sure does come in handy when you drop your keys in the darkness but you may not think of
it as a safety app. Think again. Simply by making your screen as bright as possible with a white light, the
Flashlight app can turn your cell phone into a signaling device. Similarly, the Morse SOS app
(also free, and also available for both iOS and Android) turns your cell phone screen into a
signaling device. But instead of a mere white light, it becomes a flashing, nonstop SOS. This
has already proven a lifesaver, and was credited with helping the Coast Guard spot a sinking
boat with six people aboard at night including an infant and a 9-year-old this past July
on the Niagara River. One of the boaters downloaded the app and began using it on the spot
when they saw the lights of a 25-foot USCG response boat in the distance. We would have
had a hard time locating this boat because of the darkness and the location without the SOS
signal, Petty Officer First Class Tyler Benson said. Cost: Free
Float Plan This app (for both operating systems) has been around for a couple of
years now, but its such a good idea we wanted to make sure everyones heard about it. It
helps you create a float plan with all of the important information needed, like destinations,
vessel info, crew info, and ETA. Then at the click of a button, your float plan gets emailed
to a pre-programmed person of trust. We think the price is a bit steep considering how
simple the app is, but if you dont already have another method of reliably filing a float
plan which is the best way to ensure help is sent if you dont reach your destination and
you cant communicate with people on land this app is something you should consider.
Cost: $2.99
December 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 37
online Extra
See this article online for more great apps to make you feel like your cell
phone is running your boat as well as your life. www.BoatUS.com/Magazine
38 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
BoatU.S. 2.1 And finally our favorite app ever. Yes, of course were a bit
biased, but naturally we love the latest
version of the BoatU.S. app, which was
released earlier this year. Its still based
on one essential function: You can use
it to call for a tow when in need of onthe-water assistance, and when you
activate this feature, our crew will get
critical information automatically (such
as contact info, boat type and size, location, and whether you have a working
VHF onboard). But the BoatU.S. app also
allows you to share your location, letting
your friends know where you are via text
message or email, with your latitude,
longitude, and a Google Maps link included. And, it also gives you 24/7 access to
the BoatU.S. directory. So, whats new
about it? Between versions 2.0 and 2.1,
the app can
now be used
with tablets,
graphics have
been updated,
the app runs
faster, and yes,
there were
also a few bugs
we squashed.
Cost: Free
BoatU.S. Magazine | 39
Great
Escapes
Know Before You Go:
Bimini
Antarctica
Grenadines
Photos: Pat Ford (main, Far Right and Lower Left), Michael Vatalaro
Browns Marina
www.BrownsMarinaBimini.com
305-831-4335
Seasonal and transient slips
available to 150 feet
Bimini Big Game Club
www.BigGameClubBimini.com
800-867-4764
Fishing or dive charters,
lodging, restaurant, watersports
Rooms from $159-$300 per night
Sunrise over the docks at Bimini Big Game Club. Top left: Wahoo on board means
fresh fish for dinner. Signposts point to just a few of the local attractions. Above
left: Pilot Adam Schewitz of Tropic Ocean Airways at the seaplane landing near
Browns Marina. Above right: Eagle Eyes Fred with a happy customer.
december 2013
ad I seen our pilots passport photo before our flight, I may never have gotten
aboard the little five-seater floatplane. Adam, whod pilot our flight to the island of
North Bimini in the Bahamas, lacked none of the customary self-assurance associated with pilots. He carried himself like any other young guy with an incredibly cool
job. But in his passport photo, he looked 14. Even the customs officers gave him a
hard time about it. Im glad I went, though. Flying to the island from Fort Lauderdale or Miami takes
less than 30 minutes and makes it abundantly clear how close this corner of the Bahamas is to
South Florida. But the best part was landing in the recently dredged channel off North Bimini and
taxiing directly to the beach across from a Bahamian Customs Office annex. Step off the plane, into
the sand, and cross the street to clear in. Couldnt be easier.
My wife Stephanie and I had flown in for a weekend of fishing and exploring ahead of the Miami boat
show. On the plane we met Michael Weber, general manager of the Bimini Big Game Club, a legendary
fishing lodge. On the beach we met Robert Levine, owner of Browns Marina, another fixture in Bimini, its
docks immortalized in Hemingways Islands In The Stream. The next day we would be trolling for wahoo
on Levines 50-foot Riviera sportfish, and deep dropping with electric reels in the afternoon. Day two,
the plan was to chase bonefish on the flats with a guide. In the meantime, we relaxed dockside at Browns
before heading from Alice Town north toward Resorts World Bimini where wed be staying.
There are few cars on Bimini; most people, locals and tourists alike, travel by golf cart. The roads are
narrow, the distances short (the whole developed portion of the island spans maybe three miles) and gas
expensive. Traveling from Bimini Bay to Alice Town at the far end of the island takes 15 minutes. But those
minutes bridge the old Bimini, where buildings constructed in the 1930s saw their heyday in the 60s and
70s, and the modern Bimini Bay complex. The complex includes two marinas, several restaurants, the
newly opened casino, plus a pool, tackle shop, grocery store, and, of course, unit after unit of condos and
single-family homes, many available through the rental agency.
December 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 41
online Extra
Watch video of a floatplane take
off from the channel on North
Bimini from a unique perspective. See this story online at
www.BoatUS.com/Magazine
Its really a tale of two cities, with the five-star resort on the north
end of the island and the old fishing village in Alice Town at the south,
says Levine. The resort is just another focal point of change on an
island thats seen its share of ups and downs through the years. When
we were growing up in the 60s, my father would take us over by boat.
This is before LORAN and GPS. You had to dead reckon over there,
says Levine. We were there during the drug years, during the humansmuggling years. The island bounces up and down through prosperity. When they announced the plans for what became Bimini Bay,
my father had romantic notions about the Browns Hotel. He bought
the place, but passed away in September 2010, and left it to my
brother Alan and me to run the place. Their father, I. Stanley Levine,
is remembered as a champion of the arts in Miami, and a co-chair of
the Lincoln Road Task Force that revitalized the pedestrian mall at the
heart of South Beach. But besides the arts, his other enduring passions
were fishing and diving, loves he passed along to his sons.
Bimini is made up of two inhabited islands, North and South,
that stick up from the western edge of the Great Bahama Bank.
This huge area of shallow water drops off to thousands of feet just
offshore, making it a prime location for big-water gamefish. On a
sunny Saturday, we motored the short distance out the channel and
dropped lines at the color change. Trolling along the drop-off, we
hoped to entice a wahoo or similar predator lying in wait for baitfish
swept over the shelf by the outgoing tide. After boating a cuda, and
a nice wahoo, we decided to deep drop for a while.
42 | BoatU.S. Magazine
Photos: Robert Levine, Michael Vatalaro (Above left), Pat Ford (Above Right)
Browns Marina
and Alice Town.
Right: A Lindgren-Pitman reel
for fishing very,
very deep. Far
right: Spectacular diving can be
found near the
island.
Great Escapes
By Bernadette Bernon
ties that you hope, if youre ever presented with one, you wont start
making excuses to turn down. We looked at each other, went inside,
and slapped down a credit card.
The next morning, with every piece of Smart Wool we owned,
plus new waterproof pants wed found in town, we boarded a Quark
Expeditions ice ship with 90 other travelers, and set off across the
unruly Drake Passage toward the bottom of the world. For a dayand-a-half, we got to know our fellow passengers everyone giddy
and hailing from the four corners of the globe. On the journey, we
listened to wildlife lectures from the Quark guides, and scanned the
vast Southern Ocean for orcas and humpbacks, hoping this treacherous body of water south of Cape Horn, with its monstrous history,
would stay calm. Luckily, it did.
Landfall Antarctica
On day two, an announcement rang over the loudspeaker, ICEBERG!
Iceberg at one oclock! The first bergs were emerging from the mist
ahead some reaching high into the sky like cathedrals of ice, others stretching out in amorphous shapes, striated with 1,000-year-old
sediment, looking like great vanilla layer cakes. Despite the cracking
cold, everyone piled out on deck, awestruck, as our sturdy vessel
ghosted along our minds adjusting to the stunning scope of the
scenery coming into view as we passed from the familiar realm of
humans into a mystical realm of nature.
When wed anchored at the Antarctic Peninsula, and it was time
to go ashore, everyones adrenaline was pumping. On went the layers of clothing warm, wooly long underwear, thick socks, woolen
sweaters and pants, waterproof over-pants, Quark-provided thick-tread
Wellingtons and insulated foul-weather jackets in neon yellow, a smart
touch to find us if we went astray. Next went on the hats and gaiters
and gloves, the camera bags and tripod straps, the sunglasses, the life
jackets. Dressing for Antarcticas below-freezing summer temperatures,
was a theatrical production.
When we dinghied ashore and actually set foot on the continent,
two things were instantly striking first, the enormity. The soaring
white mountains and blue ice faces, the bergs, the extreme beauty of
it all. Tears rolled down my cheeks as it hit me I was really here
and seeing it with my own two eyes, this place Id only ever dreamed
about. The next thing that struck me was the astonishing activity level
of the animals and birds. What drama! By February, all the species
had given birth and were hurrying to fatten their offspring to grow
and strengthen in the short window of the southern-latitude summer.
Soon, as temperatures start to plummet, theyd have to leave.
Baby gentoo penguins, chubby from mamas constant feedings,
strained to shed their fluffy feathers, so they could learn to swim.
Black-robed chinstrap penguin parents, with fish in their gullets, ran
around the rock ledges at top speed, letting themselves be chased
by their hungry babies. Closer and closer the parents enticed them
to the edge, until the little ones fell in and flopped around in shock.
The parents then torpedoed in after them and kept them close
from predators, until all were back on the safety of the ledge, the
exhausted parents lesson finally sinking in to junior about where his
dinner really comes from.
Baby seals stalked the beach crying for their mothers, who were
out at sea hunting. Skuas soared above, high over the ice fields, then
down to the nesting grounds, on the lookout for unattended eggs or
weak infants nature up close and gritty. Everybody was on a mis44 | BoatU.S. Magazine
online Extra
Ice Pics & How To Get Antarctic Discounts
For more details about the ship, highlights of the trip,
and a great slideshow about the Bernons Antarctic
experiences, PLUS info on half-price discounts, visit
this feature online. www.BoatUS.com/Magazine
sion, their instincts screaming at them that the window was closing,
that winter was on the doorstep, that it was time for the fledglings to
learn, to fatten up, to toughen up. It was do-or-die time for youngsters whod soon have to take to the water or air for the first time,
head out to sea for the winter, and survive on their own. Higher-thannormal snowfalls during the last few years have been wreaking havoc,
shortening the breeding seasons. This has tightened the time frame
for bringing up baby, which means that many late deliveries will have
december 2013
Great Escapes
Two Legends In
The Caribbean
The Grenadines
By Tania Aebi
Flash Forward
So there I was on my first charter, lots of sailing miles later, finally
exploring the Grenadines for myself with a group from the womens
sailing school I co-owned in my job leading overseas charters
with seamanship lessons thrown in. Though Id already dropped
anchor in many other fantasy islands around the world, that week
in the Grenadines was my first solo charter without my business
partner Jill London skippering a second boat. The day before, five
women from around the U.S., and spanning multiple decades in
age, had come aboard in one of the craggy jungle bays of Grenada,
full of excitement for a great week. Its a pretty self-selecting bunch
of people wholl sign up for a sail in a relatively small space with
strangers. But it works out well, with new friendships forged
46 | BoatU.S. Magazine
online Extra
Read about what happens when
Tania unplugs her two teenage
boys and takes them cruising for a
year by visiting this story online.
www.BoatUS.com/Magazine
quickly and many intense new memories created. These trips are
so much fun that for a while there, when my kids were young and
he was my favorite author, Jill and I used a Dr. Seuss quote as a
logo: Its fun to have fun, you just have to know how.
So my plan to sail from one beautiful anchorage to another unfolded. From Carriacou, we sailed up to Union Island, then across a narrow
channel to Palm. It was on the way to Palm that one of the women told
a story that made a profound impression. In 1946, she said, after World
War II ended, a young soldier named John Caldwell was stranded in
Panama after trying unsuccessfully, for way too long on ships that kept
getting recommissioned, to return to his new wife in Australia. Without
any prior sailing experience, he was frustrated enough to buy a derelict
29-foot sailboat to carry him back Down Under. In 1949, the classic
he wrote about that harrowing journey, Desperate Voyage, became an
international bestseller. He and his wife Mary had two children, and
continued sailing, eventually arriving in the Caribbean. In 1965, they
bought a 99-year lease to the 135-acre Palm Island, with a vision of
turning it into a beautiful resort and home.
Turns out, John Caldwell and I both had experienced unlikely solo
sailing adventures in our younger lives, and so once my charterboat
arrived at Palm that day, he and I were brought together and chatted
about everything from solo sailing at a young age to home-building
december 2013
Johnny Coconut
Everyone called him Johnny Coconut because when he and Mary
arrived in the Caribbean, they were dismayed by the lack of coconut
palms, which were ubiquitous in the South Pacific. John knew that
these fast-growing trees quickly made themselves indispensable as
food, drink, fuel, and building material, and decided to introduce
them to Palm Island. So, while building his paradise, Johnny sailed
up and down the island, planting coconuts everywhere he went.
By the time we visited the island, the trees were towering and
plentiful, and the resort was a picture-book version of what one imagines when dreaming of a tropical paradise. I soaked up this character
of legend, wondering how a person could accomplish as much as
he had by 80.
Finally, we pulled ourselves away from Palm and sailed on, up to
the Tobago Keys, a cluster of islets surrounding an enormous and
december 2013
GoPro Hero 3
There were stupid human tricks before Letterman,
and theyll continue long after hes off the air. But
far more acts of bravery/stupidity have been captured on a GoPro. These go-anywhere cameras
shoot fantastically clear HD video in a variety of
formats, including very wide angle, and high-frame
rates. Use the underwater housing for a different
angle or while diving (its waterproof to 60 m).
The Black Edition is Wi-Fi enabled, which lets you
control the camera remotely, either with the handy
remote (included) or with your smartphone and
the GoPro app. $399 | WestMarine.com
Holiday
Gift Guide
By Chris Landers
Wooden Charts
These layered, laser-cut charts from thin
sheets of birch are hand-colored to show
underwater contours, framed, and protected by ultra-clear Plexiglas. Stick
with GPS for navigation and hang
these lovely framed charts
on your wall. From $128
BelowTheBoat.com
Nantucket
Diddy Bagg
Were pretty sure Joseph Conrad once said, Where did all this ditty come from and
where the heck am I going to keep it? The answer comes, as it always must, from the
storied former whaling shacks of Nantucket. Designed by a master carpenter (but also
popular, according to their website, with knitters), this ditty bag (or, as they would have
it spelled, diddy) holds everything you need for wooden-boat building and/or knitting, and converts to a tool roll or backpack. $169.95 | NantucketBagg.com
december 2013
Sweet Sloops
Harbor Sweets offers
handmade chocolates
in whimsical nautical designs sloops,
schooners, sand dollars, seashells in an
assortment of clever
packaging. Their newest
creation, Salt & Ayre
truffles, could be the
perfect way to remind
a boating friend of the
best parts of summer
boating when youre
stuck in winter dry dock.
OpenROV
This little underwater robot requires a little assembly.
OK, a lot of assembly. And some soldering skills, and ...
Look, maybe you should just study the website before
you invest in this. If youre up to the challenge, though,
the payoff is pretty high. You get a customizable,
remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) for a
fraction of the price of the preassembled kind, and you
get to be a part of an active (and helpful) community
of people all doing the same thing. Its basically an
entire new hobby that is semi-related to the one you
already have. $849 | www.OpenROV.com
From $10 |
HarborSweets.com
Breitling Emergency II
That old saying about cameras applies just as well to
personal locator beacons (PLB) the best one is the
one you have with you. The Breitling Emergency II is a
classy watch with a built-in antenna. When activated,
it broadcasts your location to COSPASS-SARSAT at
125 and 406 MHz, just like a regular EPIRB. Its a heck
of a lot more expensive than a dedicated PLB, but its
definitely a more versatile fashion choice. And if you
were to, say, get washed off the deck of your megayacht, leaving your PLB in your other tux, the price
might not seem so bad. $16,000 | Breitling.com/en
BoatU.S. Magazine | 49
bulbs are spectacularly bad at what they do, which ostensibly is producing light. Only five percent of the energy that goes into an incandescent
bulb becomes light. Thats a staggering inefficiency that makes the internal
combustion engine look positively thrifty. Moreover, the penalty for this
inefficiency spills over in ways you might not have considered.
50 | BoatU.S. Magazine
52 | BoatU.S. Magazine
TIP: Look for bulbs with a one- or twoyear warranty. Bulbs that dont feature
CCC typically dont offer warranties of
this duration.
Above, choosing warm white LED lights for interiors brightens up woodwork
and provides a traditional look. Right, OceanLED makes underwater lighting
with a controller that can change the color of the light to any color in the visible spectrum. Blue is popular, but orange, purple, or green are also possible.
Going All In
If you arent wedded to your existing fixtures,
you throw the doors open to a world of possibilities, particularly if youre willing to drop
the headliner or fish some new wires. Remote
switching, dimming, recessed fixtures all
of these options come into play.
When we talk to customers, we ask what
their motivation is, says Kinder Woodcock,
project manager at Imtra. Is it to save power?
Do they have maintenance concerns? Or is it
heat or safety issues? Some just want to modernize the look of their boat. LED light has
a certain look to it; it just sets things apart.
If youre only concerned about power and
not fussy about the color or intensity, bulbs
are a great solution. Theyre easy; you just
swap them out. The downfalls would be that
theyre only so bright and most of them dont
have the ability to dissipate heat, so they are
limited to a certain amount of output.
A well-engineered LED fixture offers several advantages over replacement LED bulbs,
including more intensity, better or more
Getting Started
Making the changeover to LEDs doesnt have
to be an all-or-nothing proposition. If power
consumption is your primary concern, you
can start with the lights you use most or that
draw the most amps. If you want the look of
LEDs, start with exterior fixtures, such as courtesy lighting, spreader lights, or cockpit lights.
If you decide to start with bulbs, first
youll need an inventory of the existing bulbs
december 2013
here are only two reasons to install underwater lights to catch more
looks or to catch more fish. If youre not about bling or bait, skip to the end.
A big trend were seeing right now is that these lights help catch fish, says
Don DeMott, general manager at OceanLED. The light will bring in bait and concentrate it at the boat. Our pro staff guys run the blue lights during the day as well.
It creates a strobing effect and makes the predator fish curious, turning the hull
into a giant teaser.
Planning an underwater light install typically takes a little more consideration
because you need to drill holes to run
power leads and choose locations that
keep the lights submerged in order to
dissipate heat. At the same time, you
want the light to have a clear path into
the water. The color light you choose
is mostly about preference. However,
some colors work better in clear water;
some do better in brackish or stained
water. OceanLEDs website features
useful tutorial videos; it helps to have
a picture of your transom handy when
you start the planning process.
Another factor is how you store
your boat. If your boat is on a trailer or
lift, a light designed to be submersed
only part of the time will suffice, such
as OceanLEDs Amphibian series. If
you keep your boat in the water, youll
need one with a housing designed
to resist fouling, like their Pro series.
The Pro series also are brighter for a
given size fixture: for
example, 800 lumens
for the Amphibian T12
versus 1,300 lumens
from the Pro series A12.
I always tell people to
buy the brightest light
they can comfortably
afford, says DeMott.
Ultimately, youll
be happier with it.
Shooto
In The Ozarks
BY CHRIS LANDERS
t starts out as a low rumble, a single boat making its way across the still
lake at the break of day, like an alarm clock for the crowds that will gather later, in
the water and ashore. Elsewhere in the Ozarks, people are playing golf and going
on wine tastings, but for the thousands of boaters who turn out, this weekend is
dedicated to having fun, and about things that go very quickly through the water.
As the TV announcer will later say, over and over again on the big screens outside
Captain Rons Bar and Grill, Its the Shootout!
Over the years, the Shootout has grown from a weekend event to a full week of boating festivities. But the signature event is racing down two dead-straight miles that have been cleaned of
debris by crews whove been working to make it safe since before dawn. The object is to go as fast
as you can past the radar gun, which is stationed halfway down the closed two-mile course. The fastest of the fast takes home the Top Gun trophy. Ask any racer what brings them to the Lake of the
Ozarks Shootout, what causes them to drive across the country to a lake in the middle of Missouri,
with million-dollar machines strapped to boat trailers the size of semi trucks, to compete in a twomile race that offers no prize money, and they will all tell you they do it for charity.
There is some truth to this. The event started out, 25 years ago, as a small fund-raiser for the
local fire departments and has grown to the point that this year they raised $115,000 for two dozen
charities. Charity isnt the whole story, though. If it were, they could all stay home and write a
check. Something Dorsey Schroeder said, when he was emceeing the first inductions into the new
Shootout Hall of Fame, rings closer to the truth: To break that barrier, to push it further down the
road, thats what we do. Racers like two things: They like fast and they like loud. And if you dont
like fast and loud, youre in the wrong room.
The fast and loud theory explains some otherwise inexplicable things, like the remote-controlled boat race, the mini-shootout, where the winners speed was 119.4 mph. It explains why I
54 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
ut!
Why, for the past
25 summers, does
a race with no
prize money keep
drawing thousands
of boaters to a lake
in the middle of
the country? We
sent one of our
editors to find out
December 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 55
saw a Shootout racer go 114 mph in a pontoon boat. It explains why visiting boaters
created a raft-up three miles long. And that
was only the first row. It even explains how I
came to love the paint job on Mike Maasens
cigarette boat. But more of that later.
A Homegrown Event
december 2013
Meanwhile, along the shore, under the watchful eye of the Water Patrol, thousands of
people anchor and swim, and listen to the
radio for the speeds from the radar gun the
only number that matters.
The current Shootout record of 209 mph
(no knots here) was set in 2007 by Dave
Callan, racing on the old Shooters 21 course,
after which he pretty much stopped racing.
His coy responses to reporters have kept
people guessing as to whether he will jump
back into the fray this year to defend his title
from Canadian Bill Tomlinson, whos made
the trek from the Thousand Islands, trailering his 50-foot Mystic catamaran My Way
and talking a big game about his boats twin
3,000-horsepower turbine engines. In 2011,
The Shootout
The Shootout is a difficult event to spectate.
The best seats are at the bar at Captain Rons
place, next to the beach volleyball court, with
a cold beer and a good view of the screen.
december 2013
A Note On Safety
Shootout organizers pride themselves on the events safety record, and on the precautions
they take to keep drivers and spectators protected. Theyve never had an accident in the
Shootouts 25-year history.
The closed racecourse is 400 feet wide. Theres a safety zone 400 feet beyond that.
So race boats remain at least 700 feet from spectators.
A no-wake zone extends the length of the track.
Boats in the Shootout always race one at a time, never against one another.
Water-patrol personnel are everywhere, keeping spectators within the safety zone, and
monitoring their activities.
Life jackets and helmets are required for all racers in the Shootout.
The U.S. Coast Guard is on the water in full force monitoring the event, as well as
Homeland Security personnel, and six different fire departments and emergency crews.
TowBoatU.S. Lake of the Ozarks is also on standby for all the events.
Rescue divers from local fire departments also stand ready to jump in from helicopters;
their demonstration dives were a real crowd pleaser. C.L.
BoatU.S. Magazine | 57
78 Seaworthy
Salty Or Sweet?
John Adey: Sure! If youre trailering the boat or leaving it in the water for short periods
(a week on vacation may be OK) and you rinse it with lots of low-pressure water, it should be
fine. If you use a power washer, do a thorough low-pressure rinse first, then follow up with
pressure to remove dirt and grime (power washers push the salts into seams and crevices on
an aluminum hull and can cause long-term issues). Give your trailer the same treatment as
well. If this is permanent season-long use, you may need a professional. There are multistep
processes to bottom paint an aluminum hull, requiring the right prep followed by the right
primer followed by the right paint. Copper bottom paint will attack the aluminum galvanically unless the right procedures are used. Some manufacturers say the bottom is paint ready
and recommend a type of paint to use. Check with Lund; you might be able to do it yourself.
Enjoy the saltwater.
Safe Power
Id like to safely plug my Guest dual-bank charger into 30-amp shore power while at the dock
to keep my batteries charged overnight. I do not have other AC power needs. How can I do
this economically? Robert Pietrantonio
Macomb, MI
Can I put an aluminum boat such as a Lund in saltwater? If so, what are the
safeguards other than a freshwater wash-down?
Dennis Ward
Cincinnati, OH
58 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
Bugged
I come back to the boat a day or two after a
nice long cruise up the Potomac River and
there are dead bugs everywhere. Im forever
vacuuming them up and wiping them away.
How do I keep the bugs out?
Fred Wilfert
Springfield, VA
Mushy Mounts
A survey found moisture in the stringers
under our engines. Short of tearing them out
and replacing them, is there something we
can inject into the stringers that will solidify
and maintain structural integrity?
Ron Puckett
San Ramon, CA
BoatU.S. Magazines technical editor, Beth grew up powerboating, waterskiing, and fishing on Lake Ontario. Since 1992, she and her husband
have completed two circumnavigations by sailboat, doing all maintenance themselves. They also installed the systems on their 47-foot
aluminum sloop. Beth has written The Voyagers Handbook, the how-to
bible for offshore sailors, and hundreds of technical articles.
Tom Neale
Hes cruised long distance with his family for most of his adult life. He
can take apart and fix almost every system aboard, has written two
books, filmed a two-set DVD on East Coast cruising, written for top
marine magazines, and has won nine first-place awards from Boating
Writers International and many other awards for his technical writing.
Don Casey
One of the most consulted experts on boat care and upgrades for 30
years. He and his wife cruise their 30-footer part of the year in the
eastern Caribbean. His books include Don Caseys Complete Illustrated
Sailboat Maintenance Manual, and the recently updated This Old Boat,
the bible for do-it-yourself boaters.
John Adey
The president of the American Boat & Yacht Council, John has been in
the industry since 1990, with experience from a yacht brokerage and
boatyard to owning a marine supply store. He and his family sail their
classic 1976 Irwin ketch, a boat he completely restored.
Stripping Gelcoat
What is the best way to remove bottom
paint? Id like it off because I dont keep the
boat in water.
Russel Solgot
Clay, MI
A Screw Loose?
inlet, but your question has important implications for all inlets. Inlets can be treacherous;
for example, if the current is running out into
an onshore sea, it can break all across. If the
inlet is shallow, onshore waves can hump up
and break as you go in or even before you
reach the sea buoys. This may not be every
wave, but the wave that gets you is the wave
that counts. Shoaling is frequently a problem,
Inlet Info
Hat
60 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
online Extra
Frozen bolts and stripped screws
driving you crazy? For tips on how to
remove them, see this article online,
www.BoatUS.com/Magazine
866-937-8797
www.westsystem.com
BoatU.S. Magazine | 61
Electric Upgrade
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Practical Projects
Boater
You Can Do It in a weekend
By Tracy Leonard
Dazzle
the bow while the elves look on, each one starts with a design. A powerboat
is longer than it is tall, so it supports horizontal designs well. A sailboat works
64 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
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december 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 65
online Extra
For tips on boating at night, see this story
online at www.BoatUS.com/Magazine
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66 | BoatU.S. Magazine
View from
the Corner
Ofce Along the
Great Loop
GreatLoop.org
877-GR8-LOOP
december 2013
take your show on the water. Just as decorating a boat requires special attention to detail
and safety, so does operating a boat during
a light parade. The excitement, cold, and
darkness that often characterize a boat ride in
December can sometimes lead to accidents.
To refresh your knowledge of the Navigation
Rules, see this article online at www.BoatUS.
com/Magazine. Follow man-overboard (MOB)
procedures your parade organizers give you.
Captains should review first aid for hypothermia, emergency procedures for putting
out fires, and retrieving a man overboard
with their crew. Guests should also know the
location of safety equipment. Its good policy
on parade night for everyone above deck to
wear life jackets, even on large boats. Warm
december 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 67
Practical
Boater
BY BETH A. LEONARD
big trends that will shape our boats over the next few years. Lets take a look
at the most interesting.
The World At Your Fingertips
Picture standing at your helm with a couple of
large flat-screen displays before you. Youre about
to dock, so you punch the docking option in
on one of the displays. The screens split, with
68 | BoatU.S. Magazine
cameras looking fore and aft, bottom contours and depth, and the engine instruments
including your RPM. Your helm controls
automatically switch to the joystick, and you
nudge the boat into the dock fully informed
and with fingertip precision. The Innovation
Award-winning Volvo Penta Glass Cockpit
brings together different technologies to create a touch-screen experience that makes
docking as easy and intuitive as working
your iPad.
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Minimum loan amount for boats $25,000. For details, email Loans@BoatUS.com. Rates and terms subject to change. Lower rates are available based on credit score, down payment and/or term.
December 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 69
70 | BoatU.S. Magazine
providing a more car-like driving experience, making it safer to turn the helm over
to a less experienced boater. For anglers, the
Lowrance HDS-12 Gen2 Touch widescreen
color multifunction display brings together
the best in navigational and fishfinding technologies, allowing you to scroll back in sonar
history for a closer look at bottom structures
or fish targets and to pinpoint locations with
a waypoint.
Syntec Industries award-winning Smart
Wheel solved a problem most boaters didnt
know they had. Unlike in their car, the steering wheel on their boat doesnt have a horn,
let alone controls that can be bluetoothed
to a smartphone or radio. Thats because
december 2013
Boat Bling
Whether its screen savers, smartphones, or
cars, these days its all about customization
and personalization. For instance, now that
LED lights have become mainstream for most
lighting needs aboard, theyre starting to be
used to liven up the boat.
New IBEX products included LED strips
that create a soft, continuous accent light
(ITC Incorporateds LunaTM LED FlexLight)
and an LED multicolor control with a microphone that not only lets you pick your color
but also flashes in sync with the musics beat
(Audiopipe Marine Multicolor Control).
Speaking of music, award winner Fusion
Electronics will allow boaters to bring their
this Christmas!
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Send her a
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december 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 71
Airline_BoatUSAd_10-12.qxd:Layout 1
10/18/12
4:14 PM
Page 1
72 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
Practical Do It Yourself
Boater
Engine Troubleshooting
By Tim Murphy
itself: the force that restricts flow. Whats a circuit? Its the chain of six components
that powers a device: a power source (battery or distribution panel), a conductor
(wire), a switch, circuit protection (a fuse or circuit breaker), the device, and the
return path to ground (another wire). If the VHF works only intermittently or not
at all, chances are one of those six components is letting you down. The DVOM
will let you sort out whats at fault. Heres how to go about it.
December 2013
The first step is to determine if the boats power source is good, and exactly
how much voltage it can supply, using the open-circuit voltage test to determine the batterys state of charge. A reading of 12.6 volts or more indicates a
full charge; 12.3 volts, a 75-percent charge; 12.2 volts, a 50-percent charge;
12.0 volts, a 25-percent charge. Readings below 11.7 volts indicate a discharged battery. Follow the steps below.
1. Turn the DVOM selector switch to DC volts (scale for less than 20 volts).
2. Turn all circuits on the boat OFF (battery selector switch to OFF).
3. Engine and charging system OFF.
4. Touch and hold the DVOM black lead (COM port on the DVOM) to the
batterys negative terminal, and the red lead (DC volts port on DVOM) to the
positive terminal.
You should get a voltage reading that indicates your batterys state of charge.
Write it down. If its above 12 volts, continue to the next test. If not, charge
the battery.
SAFETY WARNING
Many boats have alternating
current (AC) systems installed;
these are supplied by shore
power or an onboard generator or inverter. Operating
at 120 volts or more, these
AC systems can be lethal
if you allow your body
to complete the circuit.
Before starting, be certain that the system
youre measuring is
DC, not AC.
wire gauges. If the voltage reads zero, youve of properly sized wire to complete the circuit.
got continuity issues.
5. Connect your probes to each end of the
conductor.
Checking Continuity
A beep or a meter reading near zero indicates continuity. OL indicates overload:
december 2013
An amp clamp
can measure
current without
disconnecting
the circuit.
UN
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measuring DC current, make sure you understand your DVOMs directional component.
Some come with a plus sign and an arrow,
showing which side of the meter should face
the batterys positive terminal. Consult your
manual. Second, youll need to measure
current through just one conductor particularly, the positive conductor (usually red).
On marine DC systems, youll sometimes
find duplex wire, which contains both the
positive and negative (usually black or yellow)
conductors inside a single sheath; youll need
to separate them to do this test.
1. Identify the positive conductor of the
circuit youre testing.
2. Set your multimeter to DC amps, at the
proper scale.
3. Open the jaws of the amp clamp, then
encircle the positive conductor. You should
get a reading to record.
For more detail on these and other tests, see
Ed Shermans Powerboaters Guide to Electrical
Systems or take the online course Basic
Marine Electricity and Marine Corrosion
Prevention, created by Ed Sherman and
yours truly (www.abycinc.org).
Tim Murphy is the co-author of Fundamentals
of Marine Service Technology (ABYC, 2012).
december 2013
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BoatU.S. Magazine | 75
Practical Skills
Boater
Techniques & best Practices
By Michael Vatalaro
ocking makes boaters nervous. Throw a little wind and current in the mix, and you can find yourself overwhelmed with things
to worry about. Your technique shouldnt be one of your worries.
Steps 1 & 2
Slowly approach center
of desired berth
This procedure is for outboard- or sterndrive-powered boats. Hopefully youve had enough
time at the helm to know how your boat pivots when you throw the wheel hard over in either
direction. Many beginning boaters are surprised at how much the stern swings or slides out
when they initiate a turn. If youre not familiar with your boats tendencies, to get a feel,
practice by approaching a buoy or crab pot marker as though it were the dock. Once youve
got that down, choose which side you want to tie up, deploy fenders, and youre ready to
make your approach. These instructions are for a portside tie.
Step 1 Line Up Your Approach: When approaching the space on the dock where
you want to come alongside, first judge wind and current. If the wind or current will be pushing you toward the dock, a shallow angle will help you keep control and not strike the dock
with the bow of the boat. If the wind and/or current are conspiring to keep you off the dock,
as so often seems to be the case, youll need a steeper approach to carry enough momentum
to get you into the dock. Start with a 30- to 45-degree angle as you learn what works best for
your boat. Aim your bow toward the center of your landing point.
30-45
Step 3
Wheel to starboard,
engine in forward
Step 2 Come In SLOWly: Theres an old saying, Never approach a dock any faster than
youre willing to hit it. Bump the boat in and out of gear to maintain slow progress toward
your chosen spot. On twin-engine boats, use one engine at a time to creep in.
Step 3 Time Your Swing: When your bow is within, say, half a boat length, swing
the wheel over hard to starboard (away from the dock). This is where knowing your boat
becomes important, particularly regarding where it pivots. Turn too soon, and you wont end
up parallel with the dock. Too late, and bang. With the wheel hard over, bump the engine
into gear for an instant to kick the stern to port. This will also swing the bow away from the
dock (to starboard) so you wont hit it.
Step 4
Wheel to
port, engine
reversed
Step 4 The Flourishing Finish: As the boat glides toward being parallel with the
dock, swing the wheel all the way back to port, and kick the engine into reverse (on twins,
use the engine farthest from the dock for maximum effect). This will simultaneously stop your
headway and pull the stern of the boat to port and closer to the dock. When the boat has
stopped moving forward, put it in neutral. The boat should continue side-slipping right up
to the dock, allowing you to simply reach out and grab a line or piling.
Michael Vatalaro, BoatU.S. Magazines executive editor, has a 24-foot center console Pursuit.
76 | BoatU.S. Magazine
online Extra
Learn To Dock: Michael takes you
through the four simple steps in our
exclusive video. See this story online.
www.BoatUS.com/Magazine
december 2013
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shown
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BoatU.S. Magazine | 77
Practical Seaworthy
Boater
From The BoatU.S. Insurance Files
By Beth Leonard
78 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
BoatU.S.
Marine
Insurance
Claims
Jan. 1, 2008, to Dec.
31, 2012, ranked by
total payout
1. Hurricanes
2. Sinking
3. Weather/wind
4. Striking
submerged
object
5. Fire/explosion
6. Collision
7. Grounding
8. Injury
9. Theft of boat
10. Lightning
December 2013
CAPTAIN
IN A BOX
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80 | BoatU.S. Magazine
december 2013
at your
service Membership News
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issues: www.BoatUS.com/Gov
*Basic Membership is $24; higher towing service levels, Roadside Assistance, and insurance coverage are available for an additional charge.
December 2013
BoatU.S. Magazine | 81
Is Your
Boat
Insurance
All Its
Stacked
Up To Be?
If youre caught without enough coverage
in the months your boat isnt in the water, you could be facing
a huge out of pocket expense. Signicant snow and ice can
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could be stuck paying for
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