 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
For me, living aboard is about close personal interaction with my family, the outdoors and our neighbors.
Now that we are temporarily back in a house, the subtleties of boat living that are missing from our landlocked life are freshly apparent. Even though we lived on a reasonably large three-stateroom boat, space was always at a premium. This was reflected in my interactions with my wife, our daughter, two black Labrador retrievers, a bird and a hamster! There was no way we could pass each other in a companionway without touching each other or anticipating each other’s movements.
In a house, there’s too much room to maintain the physical closeness that we keep on a boat. We also have to make a concerted effort to stay in contact with our neighbors. The open deck of a boat invites effortless neighborly exchanges. Even though physical space on a boat is limited, the psychological “space” far surpasses a house and yard—just look off your deck at your “backyard” while anchored!
Boat upkeep may be endless and nuisances are routine, but there is significant satisfaction in taking total responsibility for “floating our own boat.”
—Gregory Absten
Thank you, USPS, for a job well done. The education I received in the United States Power Squadrons was a tremendous help in obtaining my Coast Guard Master’s License.
I joined USPS in the 1970s. At the time, education was appealing but not my primary motivation for joining. I wanted to learn about boats and ultimately purchase one.
The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. My teachers were great, and the camaraderie with fellow students was rewarding. I was hooked. I took every course and became a senior navigator.
Years later, I decided to pursue a U.S. Coast Guard Captain’s License. I bribed my wife, Becky, to take the licensing course with me from the United States Maritime Academy on evenings and weekends.
Among other topics, we went over charting and navigation, piloting, compass error and chart reading, tides and currents, the Code of Federal Regulations, rules of the road, weather, marlinespike and ship handling. Our USPS education made every course a lot easier for us.
Whether you’re a new or seasoned member, you have a tremendous opportunity to continue your education through USPS. The classes are right-on and a lot of fun. Who knows where they may lead?
—Paul Mulroy
I would like to offer some information to supplement “Electrochem 101” (Mar/Apr 2008, p. 11).
To start with, every boat owner should have a copy of The Boatowner’s Guide to Corrosion by Everett Collier. My copy helped me solve stainless steel and aluminum corrosion problems on my Mercury Bravo Three.
Next, know that zincs won’t solve all corrosion problems. You need the specific metal anode designed for your application. For example, my Bravo Three unit stays in salt water most of the year, so I use Mercury’s aluminum anodes and change all outdrive anodes midseason. If you boat in freshwater, use magnesium anodes from your engine manufacturer.
Don’t clean and replace corroded anodes, or you could create expensive problems as soon as you relaunch the boat.
When installing or replacing anodes, I brush connecting surfaces and connecting bolts or screws clean and coat them with a small amount of dielectric grease (an automotive product) to ensure electrical continuity. I do this to all electrical and electronic connectors on my boat. It’s cheap, but labor-intensive, insurance! However, never use dielectric grease on spark plug boots because high voltage could slide across the plug’s porcelain and short out the plug. Petroleum jelly and other greases are insulators and must never be used.
To save money, I replaced my anodes with a group of correctly sized (diameter and length) pencil zincs from a local marine supplier. (If they’re too long, use a hacksaw to cut them to length.) I removed the zinc remains in the plug, being careful not to damage the brass screw threads, put some dielectric grease on the pencil zinc and screwed it securely with padded vice grips. Zincs can be brittle, so be sure not to overtighten them.
—John F. Hitchcock
Reader
letters
Do
you have something to say? Write it down and send it to THE ENSIGN,
Reader Letters, P.O. Box 31664, Raleigh, NC 27622 or e-mail ensign@hq.usps.org.
THE ENSIGN welcomes letters about USPS, boating and subjects covered in
the magazine. Letters may be edited for clarity, grammar and style. Please
limit letters to 500 words or fewer.
Materials published here are the authors’ opinions and do not reflect
the opinions of USPS or THE ENSIGN's editorial staff.