How-to

Selene Annapolis Charter has teamed up with the Sea Sense Powerboating School to offer the Selene 47 Holiday for charter and/or instructional charter on the Chesapeake Bay in 2010. Charters are a five-day, four-night on-board comprehensive experience. Sea Sense will provide a structured course covering boat systems, operation, course plotting and navigation, boat handling, docking, and [...] …Read More

Today I took a short stroll through the boat yard and snapped the photo of a trim tab you see below. It made me think back to an article I posted here back in December entitled Rust Never Sleeps. That article turns out to be one of the most popular I've written since I started blogging last year. Looking at the trim tab below made me think of another area of maintenance you need to think about as spring approaches, and it ties in directly to that original post.  The concern here is the matter of crevice corrosion common to stainless steel. I explained that phenomena in the December article so check out my archives to learn about that specifically. So to begin, let me start out with a true story that I hope will drive my point home. Several years ago I received a call from a boat builder that I had recently done some training for with the ABYC. It seems they had a rather interesting problem that nobody could figure out. Several of their boats, equipped similarly to the one shown above, had been motoring along when suddenly the trim tabs came flying off the back of the boats. So the question was why? Since I had been to the factory a short time before the call I remembered watching the folks on the production line actually installing the trim tabs on a boat and remembered quite specifically what I had seen. This all made answering the builder's question that much easier. The fasteners, which are nothing more than # 8 or 10 self-tapping screws had not been properly sealed when they were installed. This allows water to seep in around the screw head and is the beginning of crevice corrosion to the screw. Eventually the heads of the screws corrode off and the trim tab pulls away from the back of the boat's transom. In the photo above you can see lots of sealer all around the hinge and oozing out around the screw heads holding the hinge to the transom, so originally things were done correctly. But a closer look shows that some of the sealer is breaking away, and the screw to the far right on the hinge is actually beginning to seep some rust, a sure sign that crevice corrosion is setting in. On the boat above, part of the spring maintenance procedure should be to remove the tabs, clean up the old sealer and rebed the screws, replacing them as needed. This is something that nobody does until something breaks, just like with my boat builder. The installers were putting a tiny dab of sealer on the screws and driving them into the transom. No sealer was oozing out from around the heads of the screws. Crevice corrosion got em.... I should also point out here that the long term problems can go way beyond a few broken screws. The screws I'm talking about thread directly into the boat's transom laminate, which is most often cored with either wood or in some cases foam. Not totally sealing them will allow water to eventually work its way into the laminate. Now add a few years of freezing and thawing cycles to this moisture and you will eventually have rot on the inside of the laminate...you get the idea. So, this is an area where more sealer (3M 5200 works great here) is a good thing. Make sure that all of the fasteners have fresh sealer oozing out around the screw heads and leave it to cure. It may look a little messy, but don't forget, all of this gear is underwater anyhow once the boat gets launched so nobody is going to see it. …Read More

As I cruised through the Miami Boat Show last week I spent a lot of time looking at very fine details on a lot of boats. One of the thoughts that always enters my mind when I look at steering systems in particular is what might happen if what we in engineering circles call a single point failure were to occur on a high speed boat's steering system. You get the idea, blasting through the water at 50 mph and suddenly the steering lets go. The steering system on your boat is one of the few areas where a single point failure could occur, and it could have some pretty wild results. Prevention is easy, but you need to be aware of a basic fact about "Nylock" nuts used to hold the steering system of your boat together. In the photo below you can see four of these nuts in place. What you're looking at is a steering link between two large outboard engines and the ends of the two hydraulic rams that control the steering and synchronization of the two engines as they turn from side to side. In this case, particularly with the steering link, if the nylock nut were to rattle off at high speed and the bolt the nut was holding place were to rattle out of place you might end up in a situation where the two engines are pointing in different directions! I don't think I need to elaborate on what that might be like at 50 mph. The point here is two-fold. Remember that nylock nuts are only intended for use ONE time. Secondly, always look carefully at them to make sure the bolt threads actually protrude all the way through the nut and the nylon ring that acts as the locking device. Often, the bolt isn't quite long enough to achieve this and that means there is actually no protection against the nut backing off the threads. Details, details, but these are the sorts of things guys like me are trained to look at. Just passing this on, and yes I did find several brand new boats where the locking section of these nylock nuts were not engaged due to the use of bolts that were too short! …Read More

Jeff Siegal of ActiveCaptain recently notified users of the fabulous online cruising database that the information from ActiveCaptain will shortly be available inside MaxSea’s Time Zero charting software. The MaxSea folks were demonstrating a beta version of the software and Jeff did a short video of the demo, which is below. An impromptu demonstration at the [...] …Read More

This past summer was another busy boating season in which thousands of stranded boaters needed towing or other assistance. I used to work for Vessel Assist, a nationwide on-the-water towing service that was bought by TowBoat US in 2003.  Here are some things I learned while we processed calls of all sorts during busy holidays and hot summer days. First, take a boating safety course. Being prepared is the key to avoiding problems. If you understand your vessel, your environment, your responsibilities and a few basics like the rules of the road, it can make the difference between enjoyment and tragedy. Boating safety courses are easy to find and affordable. Second, keep in mind that panic is the enemy. The best way to avoid panic is to be educated and prepared. Everyone aboard the vessel should be able to locate and use a fire extinguisher, the VHF radio, personal flotation devices and signal flares. Talk through the proposed itinerary with family and friends before leaving and know what to do in case of an emergency. Third, understand navigation. A local area chart should be aboard every vessel. Charts mark important areas to avoid such as reefs, rocks, sandbars and restricted areas. In case of an emergency, having and knowing how to use a GPS can decrease response time by allowing rescue vessels to pinpoint your location from the coordinates. Practice judging distance on the water. For example, think of a football field, which is 100 yards. A half mile is about equal to the length of nine football fields. Fourth, know the difference between an emergency and a non-emergency. When determining whom to contact for assistance, consider the following question: are you or anyone onboard in any immediate danger? If the answer is yes, contact the US Coast Guard on channel 16. If your vessel has gone aground, is taking on water or is on fire, or if someone onboard is extremely ill or injured, contact the Coast Guard immediately. If the answer is no, consider it a manageable inconvenience and call a local commercial towing company. Fifth, understand the VHF radio. If you are hailing another party or vessel, use channels 9 or 16. Identify youself and the party you are calling. Once contact is made, switch to another agreed upon channel to communicate. When calling for assistance, use only channel 16. Be sure to give specifics of your location, how many persons aboard, details regarding injuries or illness and any key details of your situation. Listen carefully for the information from the dispatcher regarding your ETAs and next steps. Make sure everyone aboard understands how to use the VHF radio because the person injured or overboard on your next outing could be you. These are simple things but they can save a life or at least improve a day on the water. They will undoubtedly help make the boating experience safer for you, your guests and all of us on the water.   …Read More

Of all the engines I looked at while at the Miami Boat Show, Yamaha really stood out front this year. They've introduced not one, not two but thirteen new outboards for the 2010 model year and I must say they have really done some amazing things with this new product line. Yamaha has managed to hit all the hot buttons with this new line of engines. Better acceleration, dramatically better fuel economy and lighter weight are all engineered into these new engines. By tweaking every aspect of these engines engineers have been able to increase fuel economy by anywhere from 12-17%. Weight savings have been achieved that bring these engines in at significantly lighter weights than even some of the 2-stroke competitors, we're talking numbers like 75-80 lbs. lighter. That's significant! Besides these breakthroughs, they've increased charging system outputs, which historically has been a bit of a gripe with Yamaha outboards on their larger engine offerings and they've really done a lot to enhance corrosion protection levels on these same engines.   So, this year my vote for "most improved" in the outboard engine area goes to Yamaha. …Read More

Today's visit to the Miami Boat Show brought yet another home run in. Charles Industries has introduced a new series of battery chargers that changes everything, their new IMC series, shown below: These new chargers bring new meaning to the catch phrase "smart charger", and provide the functionality needed on modern boats. In fact these units are so sophisticated, they will serve owners well for years to come. Here's why. many boats today are using combined 12 / 24 volt systems to accomodate larger engine starters and some systems are beginning to be at least partially 24 volt. No problem since the IMC series offers four battery bank programability at either 12 or 24 volts and each bank can be programmed to different parameters with precision levels down to 0.10 of a volt. This is important stuff in today's market as batteries become more sophistcated and different vendors dictate varying charge levels at each phase of battery charging to maximize battery cycle life. Batteries aren't getting any less expensive either, so maximizing cycle life is important. In terms of amperage, the series is available in 20-120 amp configurations depending on your boat's capacity requirements. The 40 amp and above units have an integrated limp home mode that would enable the battery charger to function, albeit at a lower output level, in the event of a power module failure within the device. Further it includes a "smart alarm" function that tells you if there is a complete failure (no output), high and low voltage and battery failure via an audible alarm. Optional temperature sensors are also available to further enhance the precision level of charging. The signifigance of all of this is perhaps best explained with a real world example of how it may be applied. A typical boat today will have a bow thruster with its own battery(s) nearby and engine and house battery banks mounted furter aft in the boat. You may decide that you want extra large capacity flooded cell batteries to run house loads, but a smaller AGM type battery up front to run the bow thruster. In this example you have two different battery technologies employed, each with very different charging needs. No problem with the IMC series. Program each bank exactly as the battery vendors want and you're all set. How about the future? Battery technology is changing almost yearly. Who knows exactly what's around the corner? With the functionality available in the IMC software, you'll be ready for whatever comes at us because no matter what the next great thing in batteries evolves to, recharging is still going to be a function of amps and volts. You'll be able to re-program an IMC to whatever comes at you in new battery technology. Going on a world cruise? Not a problem as these chargers have universal AC input at either 50 or 60 Hz and a voltage input range from 90 to 265 VAC. Of course coming from Charles the units are Marine UL listed with ABS, FCC abd CE certifications pending. The Charles IMC series chargers were my home run of the day. Hats off to the Charles design team. They really had their eye on the market and the needs of modern boaters with this one. …Read More

After my tour of the Miami Boat Show yesterday I didn't have much trouble identifying what my personal home run for the day was it terms of a product that's really needed and will be a useful addition to a lot of boats both new and old. The folks at Paneltronics have come up with a small system that can be easily installed to your boat in about three hours, even by a handy DIYer. The display screen for this new system is shown here: Let me explain the problem this device solves so you can get a feel for why it serves a very common need today. Boats today are loaded with AC shorepower equipment. Let's be honest, we want all the comforts of home on board. In the old days, most boats with shore power service would get by with a TV and a few 120 volt reading lights, a battery charger and maybe a water heater for hot showers. Today, boaters will often have all of the above, but will also have air conditioning, maybe an electric refrigerator/ freezer, coffee maker, blender, hot plate to keep those crepes warm, hair dryers and you name it, this list of conveniences goes on and on depending upon personal taste. The bottom line is that all of this now needed equipment contributes to what I have often referred to as your appetite for amps. Our appetite for amps has grown considerably in the last 10 or 15 years and the average 30-40 ft. boat is going to be a heavy consumer of electricity. This fact has put design teams in a situation where they are now forced to bring shore power service to the upper limit of design parameters. A 30 amp shore power system is now spending a lot more time treading in that near 30 amp limit based on our needs. In many cases builders have had to replace the traditional 30 amp service with 50 amp service just to keep up, and even at that boaters still manage to have enough equipment installed to keep them running near their maximum. So what's the problem you may ask? Picture this scenario, you're onboard, the TV is going, all the AC lighting is on, its hot outside so you really need the air conditioner, the refrigerator is keeping the steaks and beers cooled down and now you want to take a hot shower and when done use a hair dryer. You may already be near the maximum amperage the boat's AC system is designed to, say you're at the 29 amps the Paneltronics display is showing above. As soon as you fire up the 1600 watt hairdryer you're going to trip the main AC circuit breaker, shutting down all of the power to your boat. The bottom line is you'll need to turn off something and reset the breaker before you can dry your hair. Enter the Paneltronics load shedding system. Load shedding is nothing new, its been employed on big boats for years, but the Paneltronics system is geared toward the average boater with a single 30 or 50 amp shore cord, the vast majority of the market today. Using user selected parameters, the system will automatically shut down the device or devices you decide on when you do jump over the designed system limits. When you turn off the hair dryer as an example, the air conditioner will automatically turn the AC system or water heater back on. No tripped breakers to deal with and only a temporary interruption of power delivered to the device of your choice, and no harm done. The system will also work if you are running from on board generator power. Hats off to Paneltronics! This is a needed product that deals with a real world situation on modern boats. It earned my home run vote yesterday.   …Read More

  HB Marine and Independence Green Yachts yesterday announced a partnership that will form a joint venture to develop the Independence 60 Luxury Yacht that IGY started a few years ago. The Independence 60 is billed as the “world’s first ‘no compromise’ sustainable yacht.” A combination of solar cells, hydrogen production and storage and fuel cells [...] …Read More

Pacific Expedition Yachts will offer Cummins Mercruiser Diesel Zeus pod drives on its PE60 Expedition Class Power Catamaran. The first hull with Zeus drives is already under construction at Pacific Expedition’s Astoria, Oregon shipyard, with delivery expected later this year. Here’s how Pacific Expedition describes the decision to offer the Zeus drives: The PE60, equipped with twin [...] …Read More