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By Gregory T. Absten
Technology has come a long way since my wife, Lisa, and I made our first trip from the Great Lakes to the Florida Keys in the early ’90s.
There have been the obvious equipment advances in GPS, autopilots, cell phones, radar and navigation software, but the biggest single advance has been the ability to tie all this gadgetry together on our computer network and get real-time information over the Internet as we pilot the boat.
What makes the real-time Internet information feasible now, when it wasn’t a few years ago, is the tremendous cell phone coverage and faster network connections. We’ve been able to connect our onboard computers to the Internet through our phone for years, but at painfully slow connection speeds.
While this was adequate for checking e-mail, downloading the latest satellite motion loops brought the system to a grinding halt.
Today’s high-speed connections make it practical to load large graphics and animated displays. Imagine the sky starting to turn black behind you, but when you turn on your onboard radar, nothing shows up within your 24-mile limit. Just click a link on your connected computer to access the U.S. NEXRAD color radar system with animated loops that show you what’s happening either nationally, regionally or from one radar site. Going through locks? Get current schedules and maintenance information, plus the lockmasters’ phone numbers and VHF frequencies. Instead of piling up reams of reference books at the helm, you can use your computer to pull up tides for any location, check on bridge clearances and opening times in the Intracoastal Waterway, get the latest cruising updates for problem areas from other local cruisers, pull up yacht club and marina information, check for the latest fuel prices along your route, and check on anchorage recommendations. A book could never give you all this information plus real-time weather graphics and data buoy observations.
I’ve posted a list of links that I find useful when I’m on the water. You can download a copy here.
After anchoring Summertime on the Intracoastal Waterway side of Cumberland Island, Ga., we planned to spend a couple of days hanging out and relaxing.
First, we had to launch the dinghy, so I started the generator to power our davit.
I immediately knew that something was wrong—the exhaust sounded “hollow.” Looking over the transom, I noticed water trickling from the generator exhaust pipe. Then it stopped! I shut it down, ducked into the engine room and pulled the cover off the raw water pump. Just as I expected, we had a bad case of “gap-toothed impeller.”
In my spare parts locker, I found spare impellers and belts for the main engines, oil filters, Racor filters, glow plugs, injectors and even injector pipes, but no spare impeller for the generator.
Having about 40 years of boating and engineering experience, I started looking for a way to get it running again. My generator raw water pump was kaput, but I had two air conditioning units with electrically driven raw water pumps. With perfect weather, we didn’t need two air conditioners. An hour later, with the help of some hose and a few fittings, I had connected the output of the salon AC pump to the generator heat exchanger inlet, bypassing the generator seacock, strainer and raw water pump. I removed the damaged impeller and fished the broken parts out of the heat exchanger.
We started the generator and turned on the pump. Looking over the transom, I saw water burbling out of the exhaust at a normal rate. I switched the main power to the generator and the lights came on! I monitored it until it reached operating temperature and stabilized. Success!
Although this quick fix saw us through two days in our tropical paradise, we were fortunate, as it could have seriously damaged the generator. Too much water could have overwhelmed the muffler system and caused raw water to back up into the cylinders. Based on the impeller and hose size, I knew that the air conditioning pump was about the same capacity as the generator pump. I started the generator first and shut it down last to make sure there would be exhaust pressure to keep the water in its proper place.
It worked this time, but next time I’ll be prepared. It’s a good idea to always keep a spare impeller on your boat.
–John J. Rodgers
Many boats—pleasure and commercial—require towing each year. Although rarely planned for or practiced ahead of time, towing, like a boat evacuation or a man overboard incident, requires forethought and preparation.
Although my experience is limited to power craft, many of these principles also apply to sailboats.
Required equipment
Because you’ll be operating under less-than-ideal cruising conditions, the anchor on the towed vessel should be ready for immediate deployment. I prefer a 200-foot half-inch braided nylon line with a plastic float about 10 feet from each end. Nylon lines stretch, absorbing shock as each boat accelerates and decelerates when encountering and negotiating waves or swells.
In addition to a readily available, dedicated towline, boats should have bridles with pre-tied figure-eight loops for the towline. The tow process will stress the towing craft’s cleats, chocks and fasteners, so they should be inspected often, especially before and after a tow. Using a drogue on a short leash will also keep the towed craft better aligned in a following sea.
Preparations
Before towing, consider the size and condition of the disabled vessel, its crew and the sea to determine if your boat and crew can handle the tow. If you’re unsure, stand by until adequate help arrives, but be aware of changing conditions.
A short tow is best. In an emergency, you may be able to tow another craft into a protected area where repairs can be made at anchor or the vessel can await professional assistance.
Notify the Coast Guard before a tow. Identify the vessels involved, starting location, destination and estimated time of arrival. This gives you a chance to get directions, information and advice. The Coast Guard might request that you make periodic calls so they can monitor your progress and last known position.
Check on the current predicted weather and sea conditions, consult tide and current tables, and verify your fuel level before the tow. Estimate your speed and time of arrival conservatively. You may be proceeding against a current, waves or wind, and your engine(s) may overheat if you attempt to tow too fast.
Things to remember
Monitor your fuel gauge along the route so you don’t run out. When you’ve reached your destination and the towed vessel is secure, report the status of both craft to the Coast Guard.
–Bill Thompson
Back to topYears ago, most boat thefts occurred when the boat was in the water. But with the rise in popularity and affordability of trailerable boats, today’s boat thieves often make off with the trailer and the boat.
As some states still do not require a boat owner to have the most basic proof of ownership, a title, it’s all too easy for a dishonest business to become a fencing operation, giving thieves a way to unload their stolen merchandise.
The best way to keep your boat from being stolen at home is to store it out of sight. Keeping your boat in a fenced side yard where it is not visible from the street is ideal.
If you have to leave your trailer in the driveway or the street, consider removing a tire and putting one side of the trailer on a block. It should only take you a few minutes, but it almost guarantees that your boat will be there in the morning.
When traveling with your trailer, look for a motel with a well-lit parking lot and a security guard.
–Elaine Proctor
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