Boating & Sailing

Posted by Alan Sorum

The 2008 edition of the Vic Maui (Victoria to Maui) International Yacht Race got underway on Sunday, 22 June. Beautiful clear skies and 15 knots of wind graced the starting sequence in Victoria. The nine participant yachts reported 30 knot winds by the afternoon and the race was well on its way to Maui.

Real Time Tracking - Starting with only four boats in 1965, the Vic Maui is sponsored by the Royal Vancouver and Lahaina Yacht Clubs and is held every two years. This year, those interested in following the race have technology on their side. Details can be found online at the event website and the progress of the fleet can be viewed in real time. Race yachts have been equipped with transponders provided by Flagship Tracking Services. The tracking system shows vessel position and displays current weather conditions.

Using the tracking system, racers could be seen positioned off the Oregon coast abeam Salem and Portland at 0829 Pacific Standard Time on 24 June. The yachts have traveled just over 200 nautical miles since the start on Sunday.

Participating Yachts - Nine vessels are racing in this year's Vic Maui. The Yacht's name and owner are listed below and a profile for each craft is being provided at the sponsor's website.

• Strum - Wink Vogel
• Seeker - Kenneth Greff
• Turicum - Warren Hale
• Zulu - Findlay Gibbons
• Starlight Express - W.A. (Al) Bartlett
• Black Watch - Dan Matthieu
• Something Wicked - Kevin Reath
• Passepartout - Peter Shainin
• Red Heather - John Gugins

Posted by Alan Sorum

Many boaters need to trailer their vessels to water and most need a vehicle to survive in the work a day world. One engine maintenance practice has been discussed here at Suite101.com, the 3,000 mile oil change myth.

Many vehicle manufacturers support changing the oil at 5,000 mile intervals. Changing to this standard would save a driver traveling 15,000 miles a year about $76 and would keep seven or eight quarts out of the waste stream. Every quart of used motor oil is a potential hazard to the environment.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA), and General Motors Corporation (GM) announced in a recent press release that they would work together to counter the 3,000 oil change myth.

In the press release, CIWMB Chair Margo Reid Brown says, "We’re asking drivers to check their vehicle owner’s manual for best car care practices. With better cars, new technology, and the increase of synthetic oils, the 3,000 mile standard is not always recommended and by reducing their oil usage, drivers can protect their pocketbooks and our environment."

Check your owner's manual to determine the safe oil change frequency required for your car or truck. Visit the 3,000 Mile Myth Organization website for further details.

Posted by Alan Sorum

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service is soliciting public comment on proposed rulemaking that would require anglers fishing in federally controlled ocean waters to register with the government before fishing by the year 2009. This proposed rule would also require registration of fishermen that catch anadromous species like salmon and striped bass anywhere.

The Agency contends that this requirement is necessary to meet recommendations made by the National Academy of Science National Research Council to establish a national database of saltwater anglers and requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Exemptions may be made to states like Alaska that issue saltwater fishing licenses.

Jim Balsiger of the Fisheries Service says in the rulemaking announcement, “The national registry of saltwater anglers is the key to closing a major gap in information on recreational fishing. It will help us conduct surveys to get a more complete picture of how recreational fishing by an estimated 14 million people is affecting fish stocks. This will lead to better stock assessments and more effective regulations to rebuild and manage these valuable fish.”

Under the proposed rule, fishermen would need to register each year and eventually an estimated $20 fee will be assessed by the Agency. Information collected will include the name, address, and telephone number of the angler. Penalties for failure to register aren't immediately apparent in reading the proposed regulations.

Saltwater anglers concerned with this effort need to make comments to NOAA by 11 August 2008 and consider contacting their elected representatives. Written comments can be mailed to NOAA using RIN 0648-AW10 as a reference number to the address below. Comments can also be filed electronically.

John Boreman - Director

Office of Science and Technology NMFS

1315 East-West Highway

Silver Spring, MD 20910

Attn.: Gordon Colvin

Posted by Alan Sorum

With the approach of the summer recreational season coming, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was readied their rescue satellite system called COSPAS-SARSAT to receive the inevitable jump in traffic generated by emergency locator beacons.

This international search and rescue satellite system was responsible for a record 353 saves in 2007. COSPAS-SARSAT detects and locates radio distress signals transmitted by emergency beacons located on boats and aircraft, and carried by people.

SARSAT Program Manager Chris O’Connors, states in an Agency press release that, “During the summer, we typically see a big jump in rescues because more people are out enjoying the warm weather. But anyone planning to hike or camp this summer in a remote area where cell phone service is not reliable, or sail a boat far from shore, should not leave home without an emergency beacon registered with NOAA.”

Program sponsors wish to remind the public that older emergency beacons that operated on 121.5 and 243 MHz are being phased out on 1 February 2009. Newer equipment uses the 406 MHz frequency band for their transmissions. 406 MHz emergency locator beacons generate superior accuracy and provide identification information to potential rescuers.

Posted by Alan Sorum

The United States Coast Guard has published its Marine Safety Performance Plan that will be in force for the next five years. The Agency is seeking public comments on the plan's content and intent over the next sixty days.

Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen announced the release of the action plan and pointed out the contributions made to our country by the maritime transportation system. The Commandant stated that the marine industry supports more than $950 billion in international commerce and that shippers safely transport more than 51 million cargo containers each year.

In the report announcement, Allen states, "For centuries, we've provided marine safety experience and expertise to the maritime community to help ensure our citizens remain safe, our ports are secure, and our waters are protected. Recognizing this exponential growth in maritime trade, we are recommitting ourselves to our Marine Safety Program. We've just completed our five-year Marine Safety Performance Plan. This action plan is designed to improve upon the service's marine safety program with the ultimate goal of a program that will be considerate and responsive to mariners and the maritime community."

The Marine Safety Performance Plan is available for viewing online by navigating to the Agency's website. Comments can be made by using e-mails links provided on the site.

Posted by Alan Sorum

The U.S. Coast Guard Office of Investigations and Analysis issued a marine safety alert on 9 May 2008. The Agency is advising vessel owners to inspect the watertight integrity and placement of high water alarms on their boats.

This alert was prompted by information developed in the investigation of the Alaska Ranger sinking of 28 March 2008 that saw the deaths of five mariners. Coast Guard investigations have identified similar issues in relation to other sinking incidents.

The recommendation is that owners or operators establish an inspection program that ensures all watertight decks, bulkheads and doors are functioning properly. Failure of a watertight door can lead to progressive flooding of a vessel after an accident has occurred. The Coast Guard also believes crewmembers should familiar with the location of watertight doors and understand how to operate them.

Along with the inspection of watertight doors, the Agency would like vessel owners or operators the ensure high water bilge alarms are located as to provide the earliest warning to crew as possible. Alarms should be set low to the deck or bilge space at a central position.

The safety alert further urged vessel owners and operators to ensure high-level bilge alarms are arranged to provide the earliest warnings of the abnormal accumulation of water. These alarms should be set as low as possible to the deck or bilge-well along the center-most area of the bilge.

A complete copy of this marine safety alert is available online.

Posted by Alan Sorum

Problems related to use of ethanol blended gasoline have been highlighted here in the Boating and Sailing Section of Suite101. Now the law firm of Kabateck Brown Kellner, a business known for tackling consumer related issues, is suing a number of major oil industry companies for the damage caused to fiberglass fuel tank from ethanol blended fuel.

Ethanol has been linked to problems with fiberglass fuel tanks, phase separation of water in tanks, damage to fuel system components, and engine failures. ExxonMobil, Chevron, British Petroleum, Shell, Valero, Tesoro, ConocoPhillips, Tower Energy, PetroDiamond, and Big West are among the companies that manufactured and sold ethanol to boaters named in the law suit.

In a press release, Managing Partner Brian Kabateck says, "The price of gas is bad enough, but selling gasoline that dissolves gas tanks is a new low even for the oil companies. The oil companies know this fuel is corrosive, but they're keeping consumers in the dark to pump up their profits. The cost to the consumer is thousands of dollars in repairs." The law firm points out that ExxonMobil recorded a profit of $40.6 billion and Chevron $18.7 billion in 2007.

Ethyl alcohol has become a popular additive to gasoline. Oil companies used MTBE or methyl tert-butyl ether to boost octane and oxygenate fuel, but MTBE has been linked extensive groundwater contamination problems throughout the country. Boaters found out that adding ethanol blended gasoline to fuel tanks containing fuel blended with MTBE created problems. The ethyl alcohol used in ethanol is a powerful solvent and dissolved the resins used in some fiberglass fuel tanks.

The suit was filed in U.S. District Court, Central District of California in Los Angeles. Kabateck Brown Kellner are seeking to represent all boat owners that filled their fiberglass fuel tanks with ethanol from a California retailer.

Posted by Alan Sorum

A new entry in environmentally friendly boat maintenance is the SodaBlast Systems boat hull cleaning method to remove bottom paint and marine growth without harming fiberglass gelcoats.

The SodaBlast Mobile Unit uses a blasting media made of non-toxic sodium bicarbonate or baking soda to strip and prepare boat hulls. The blast media is driven by air and is non-destructive to hull materials. The system is used to initially strip paint and marine growth. It can also be used to open blisters in fiberglass gelcoat and prepare them for repair. The manufacturer claims the process takes a tenth of the time required by conventional methods.

The equipment package is self-contained and is skid or trailer mounted. Storage tanks hold enough blast media for four hours of operation. A heavy-duty moisture separator is included to ensure uninterrupted use of the equipment.

While bottom paint removed from a vessel still needs to be properly handled and diposed of safely, this hull preparation system looks promising. More information is available from SodaBlast Systems webpage.

Posted by Alan Sorum

Recognized as Broward County's largest environmental effort, the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) sponsors this annual event that will occur on Saturday, March 8 this year. During the 2007 event, more than 3,000 volunteers picked up some 67 tons of trash and marine derbis. Five new areas have been added this year pushing the total effort to 36 designated cleanup sites located within in the County.

Announcing the event, MIASF Director of Association Services Gordon Connell says, “We are excited to preserve and protect more of South Florida’s waterways by adding five locations to the list of cleanup sites for this year’s Waterway Cleanup. We believe this will allow us to spread the message of clean boating and environmental responsibility to a larger contingent of the community as well as help continue to increase the level of participation in the event."

Waterway Cleanup is just one example of ways boaters can contribute to clean boating. For information on participating in this year's event, see the Waterway Cleanup website.

Posted by Alan Sorum

In a statement issued on 8 February 2008, Department of Homeland Security Press Security Laura Keehner announced that DHS will implement an upgrade of the existing Loran navigation system to provide independent positioning, timing, and navigation information to complement the Global Positioning System (GPS). The new eLoran system will mitigate negative effects of a GPS outage and provide backup information to mariners and aviators. The system can be used in non-precision instrument approaches by aircraft, harbor approach procedures by mariners, and for mobile land navigation.

Loran-C historically delivered navigational accuracy down to 460 meters. Many have wondered about the fate of the existing Loran-C system and thought it was irrelevant with the adoption of GPS. Modernization of current Loran infrastructure will insure a stable future of the navigation system. Loran signals can often penetrate to receivers in topographical environments and terrain were GPS cannot function. Loran signals are less likely to be jammed or subject to interference. Receivers capable of using eLoran signals should be relatively inexpensive and could also be incorporated or co-located in GPS navigation receivers.

The U. S. Coast Guard has established an eLoran working group to establish augmentation of the new navigation technology.