the boatu.s. marine insurance and damage … insurance and damage avoidance report. ... i worked for...

The BoatU.S. Marine Insurance and Damage Avoidance Report*

Vol. 28 No. 1 ••••••••••••January 2010

The BoatU.S. Marine Insurance and Damage Avoidance Report*

SEAWORTHY

I casualty value—may seem high, considering the rescue was done within a few hours, but for centuries courts have allowed “excessive compensation” when a salvor volun-tarily rescues a vessel and/or crew from peril. This is done to encourage professional mariners to invest in equip-ment and accept risk that will save lives and property. More recently, courts have added peril to the environment as a determinant in awarding salvage claims.

Defining Salvage

When Captain Butler informed the skipper that his boat was being salvaged, it was more than just a casual com-ment on the fierce weather; it had to do with the cost of the work that was about to be done and who would eventually be paying.

BoatU.S. Towing Service provides assistance for routine Continued on page 8

n the last issue of Seaworthy, there was an account in “Small Stuff” of a grounded sailboat that was narrowly saved one stormy night from being battered to pieces against a stone jetty at Oceanside Harbor on the California coast. After informing the owner that his boat would be salvaged, Capt. Robert Butler of BoatU.S. Vessel Assist

San Diego had to work quickly and skillfully to get the boat back to open water before low tide. As Seawor-thy noted, it was a text-book example of what it takes to complete a successful salvage on open water. The $19,000 salvage fee—20% of the boat’s post-

CORROSION TESTING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6MARINE GEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10NUTS AND BOLTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12FISH STORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

In This Issue . . .

*The BoatU.S. Damage Avoidance Program is dedicated to helping you enjoy accident-free boating. Seaworthy looks at real claims and how they might have been avoided. Material in Seaworthy may be reprinted with credit to “Seaworthy, the BoatU.S. Marine Insurance and Damage Avoidance Report.”

Making Sense of Towing vs. Salvage

2 Seaworthy January 2010

MAILBOATLetters

Honda Weedwacker Outboard

I read with interest the letter in October 2008 issue of Seaworthy, from Merrill Kass, who wrote about attaching a weedwacker engine to an OB lower end creating a homemade outboard. Kudos to you for innovation, Merrill. Your last line said that some people thought that was a funny idea.

Not so. I worked for American Honda for 34 years, serving in Power Equipment from 1978 through 1990. Having access to the product, I used whatever I could whenever I could. Being a boater, I kept a Honda BF75 outboard and inflatable boat at our beach shack on Catalina Island. Having a lawn to mow back home, in the San Fernando Valley, I used a Honda HR17 (2hp) rotary mower to trim the lawn.

Mowing the lawn one day in the early 1980s, I thought of how noisy the lightweight Sea Eagles and Tanaka 2hp two-stroke outboards were and how undependable they seemed to be, and how the Honda mower was quiet and dependable. What if we used the lawn mower engine, which was a 2hp air-cooled four-stroke, and put it on an outboard lower unit? I approached my friend, Mr. Sato, who was our liaison with Honda R&D in Japan, and we secured a lower unit from Steve Mullholland Marine in Long Beach and asked our special projects group to put the two together. Unfortunately, Special Projects was busy with auto racing at the time and the project never came to fruition at American Honda. Coincidentally (I think not), a little over a year later, Honda R&D sent us the prototype of the BF20, a 2hp air-cooled four-stroke outboard with underwater

Dockside Tragedy

Thank you so much for publishing the article in your October Seaworthy, “A Preventable Dockside Tragedy.” As a new boater, I didn’t understand why our small marina would have a rule of no swimming off the docks. With lots of supervision and wearing of life jackets—why wouldn’t swimming be allowed? Thanks to your article, you have saved six children ... and I will be sure to pass this on to save others.

D. PearsonCoeymans, New York

***********

I just read the cover article by Kevin Ritz, “A Preventable Dockside Tragedy,” about the death of his son Lucas. I was saddened to hear of their loss, and have often been concerned about stray electricity at docks.

Years ago, while docked in Meldrum Bay in Canada, I was swimming by our sailboat and decided to dive under and look at the hull and shaft. As I touched the shaft, I felt a tingle. I touched it again and felt the same. As I was about to grab it, I suddenly had second thoughts. I told the marina operator who acknowledged, “There is a lot of stray current in this harbor.” I checked my boat but could not find a leak.

One thing I have noticed is that boat owners will often unhook from dockside electrical service and toss the cable onto the dock without disconnecting or turning off the electricity. I mentioned this often but no one seems to listen. I began disconnecting dockside cables lying on the dock; people get mad at me, but I don’t care. Thank you to Kevin for his research and caring enough to share. I hope ALL will listen. I plan to add the onboard safety disconnect that he talked about in his article.

Carl Miller Holland, Michigan

Electronic Seaworthy

Thank you for using this not-so-new, medium of e-mail to send out Seaworthy. Now we boaters are not only saving our waterways but our forests too!

Keep up the good work.

Frank G. FergusonBel Air, Maryland

exhaust. The engine has been in production for over 20 years. I guess Honda didn’t think it was a funny idea.

Craig Crippen(American Honda, retired)West Hills, California

Bismarck Dinius Interview

Every month, your magazine is a great example that “interesting” and “boating safety” are not oxymoronic. Your case history coverage of the trial of Bismarck Dinius is no exception. But I believe each Seaworthy article covering this particular case always ends with a bad example ... an appeal to provide financial support to someone who was BUI while at the helm during a fatal boating accident.

The “he was not driving, he was just crew” defense persuaded the jury to acquit, and certainly makes common sense for crew aboard commercial or military vessels, but I don’t see the corollary in small boat recreation. If I see someone at the helm of a boat in my vicinity, am I unreasonable to believe that is the person responsible for the safety of the crew and vessel?

PublisherWilliam M. Oakerson

EditorRobert A. Adriance, Jr.

Associate EditorCharles D. Fort

Contributing WriterGregory O. Jones

Graphic ArtistNancy K. Roberts

ProofreaderRegina D. Cruz

CirculationNelo KarimiKristin Loyd

Seaworthy is published quarterly (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct) by BoatU.S. Marine Insurance, 880 South Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304-4695. Subscription rate: $10 per year. Single copies: $3.50. Tel. 800-262-8082 x3276. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Seaworthy, 880 South Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304-4695.Letters to the Editor should be sent to Seaworthy, c/o BoatU.S., 880 South Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304. E-Mail: [email protected]. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and brevity. To get an insurance quote for your boat, call 800-283-2883.

2010 Boat Owners Association of The United States 880 So. Pickett Street, Alexandria, VA 22304

SEAWORTHY

Seaworthy January 2010 3

using the Loran signal as the timing base to GPS. The point of my comment is that unlike the Loran signal, which is terrestrial based and robust, the GPS signal is inherently weak and subject to many types of interference. It is for this reason that it is vital that the Loran system be both retained and improved and that critical services and systems, including the cellular phone system, use a dual timing source, both GPS and Loran. The need for this dual timing source was well demonstrated when an accidental radio transmission blocked GPS signals in the San Diego area, shutting down all of the cell phone systems other than those that had access to Loran timing information.

Temporary Insanity 2: The Rest of the Story

Reading this month’s Seaworthy article on the Temporary Insanity 2 and seeing my (now famous) photo, I figured I’d send the rest of the photos I took that morning. I took the picture in the article as well as the attached photo while striper fishing with my brother. We launched out of Matapeake and noticed something that didn’t look quite right on the way to fish the Bay Bridge pilings. Soon after the photo spread around the internet and eventually appeared on "Mythbusters."

Edward Heller Chesapeake City, Maryland

Cleaning Solutions?

The only place I have to park my boat is under a tree. Birds live in trees. Between the birds and the tree itself, my boat gets very dirty. The only way I can clean the decks and canvas is with a power washer, which only cleans only about one-inch at a time. Do any of your readers have a better way to clean canvas and bird droppings?

Bill Miller Altoona, Pennsylvania

Regardless of the circumstances, BUI is never responsible boating safety behavior and Seaworthy should not facilitate its legal defense. Instead, let’s contribute to better-written laws and continued awareness that BUI causes fatal boating accidents.

Kent Steinnagel Westport, Connecticut

Seaworthy has published dozens of articles on boating and alcohol, and have found it to be the single biggest cause of serious accidents—those involving personal injuries and deaths. We certainly didn’t like that Dinius had been drinking and it’s a safe bet that he didn’t either; as a result of the charges, Dinius is now broke and has lost his job. But after reading through testimony, it’s hard to make the case that his drinking had anything to do with the collision or that a stone-cold sober Dinius could have maneuvered the slow-moving sailboat out of harm’s way. The court agreed. Wes Dodd, who during the course of his career has investigated over 625 marine accidents while in law enforcement, and 27 more since he retired in ‘01, said, “Had Mr. Dinius not been intoxicated, he would have not been able to maneuver the sailboat in time to avoid the collision. Had Mr. Perdock been operating his vessel at a safe, prudent speed, this accident could have been avoided.”

GPS and Shifting Shoals

Regarding the recent discussions in Seaworthy on autopilots and GPS, your GPS may be working, your autopilot steering the boat properly, and all the rest. However, if you do not keep up with the changes in markers, new shoal areas, and other pertinent information, you may end up going into a marked channel only to find problems that you can only know

about if you check the Coast Guard’s “Local Notice To Mariners” at http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/lnm/. An example of the problem of change in channels was the dredged and marked channel into Alligator Harbor (Franklin County, Florida) that silted in. The markers were finally removed, but for quite a while, there was a marked channel that steered boaters onto a sandbar.

C. Henry Depew Tallahassee, Florida

A Hose Is a Hose Is a Hose

Reading your article on hoses in the October Seaworthy reminds me of a seven-year nightmare come to an end. Several engines, countless episodes of oil dumping into the bilge (from blow-by), and on and on. One night while staring at my eyelids, I remembered as a young guy taking apart my jalopies and replacing the spring in the lower radiator hose. They would rust because antifreeze was unheard of. Sure enough, my mechanic and friend kept his eyes on the lower hose of my brand new Vortec with freshwater cooling and the hose collapsed. 'Nuff said.

Armen Bagdasarian Huntington Beach, California

GPS and Loran

In reading Chuck Husick’s letter regarding GPS and Loran in last month’s issue of Seaworthy, he states, “Loran is the only distributed source of the precision timing information many systems, including cell phones, depend upon.” Having worked extensively with timing in the telephone industry, there are many other sources used to distribute timing. Most, if not all, Loran systems have been replaced by newer timing distribution systems. In fact, GPS is used extensively to provide and

distribute timing in thousands of offices, including cell phone sites. These GPS systems, not Loran, along with various other timing distribution systems, are what keeps data transmission in sync.

Diane Shoff Shingle Springs, California

Chuck Husick responds: You are correct, most of the cell systems have shifted from

Bad Idea # 3: Heat LampsSome skippers try to extend the boating season using various shortcuts to “winterize” their boats. A skipper in Chesapeake Bay, for example, used a heat lamp to protect the engine from freezing and keep the boat cozy for weekend visits. One visit toward the end of the season seemed routine until the hatch was opened, releasing the stench of a fire-blackened cabin.


ALERT )))))Bad Idea #1: Putting Too Much Faith in Your GPS Chart Plotter

The boat shown here ran up onto the marsh one night for no other reason than its skipper put too much faith in his GPS chart plotter. It’s not too difficult to imagine why; modern chart plotters are easy to use and they’re accurate most of the time. But even a state-of-the-art model, as Seaworthy noted in the April 2009 issue, is not always perfect. According to C. J. Foster, technical

support manager at Garmin, a modern GPS receiver is accurate to within about nine feet 95 percent of the time (older units may only be accurate to within 100 feet). And while that is impressive, Foster says that significant errors can be induced by satellites, atmospheric conditions, and the receivers themselves.

The charts in the GPS—either vector or raster—aren’t perfect either. In “Behind the Accuracy of Electronic Charts,” Captain Nick Perugini, who recently retired as the chief of NOAA’s Marine Chart Division, says that over half the depth information found on NOAA’s charts are based on hydrographic surveys conducted before 1940. He notes that a given chart might encompass areas that are based on surveys conducted last year with a shallow-water multi-beam system while another area of the same chart is based on information obtained with a lead line and sextant in the 1890s.

The lesson is that you shouldn’t keep plowing confidently ahead, relying solely on your chart plotter. This is especially true at night or whenever visibility is limited. At the very least, slow down.

Bad Idea #2: Getting One More Season

Out of a Rusted Jack Stand

Like any business in these troubled economic times, marina managers have to keep an eye on the bottom line. Everybody can sympathize with the need to save money, but using rusted, broken jack stands to support boats over the winter is false economy. The owner of the boat that was being supported by the jack stand on the right noticed it was falling apart and took a picture. In a letter to BoatU.S. underwriters, he also noted that the stands weren’t supported by plywood and at least one had begun sinking into the ground. The member said he was moving his boat to another marina.

The lamp had fallen and ignited flammables, which eventually snuffed themselves out, but not before doing almost $50,000 in smoke and soot damage! Most of the summer was lost to repairs and replacing many ruined personal items (Claim #001209). Heat lamps, like portable heaters, should never be left unattended and are not a substitute for winterizing your boat properly.


Don’t Forget Diesel HosesIn the last issue of Seaworthy an article on hoses (“A Hose Is a Hose Is a Hose”) devoted a great many paragraphs to maintaining gasoline hoses without so much as a single word on diesel hoses. That was an unfortunate oversight; while a leaking diesel hose won’t cause an explosion, it can still do considerable damage. When the tank was topped off for winter storage on a 30-foot sailboat last year, for example, some diesel fuel found its way into the bilge via a leaking hose (shown here). The spill wasn’t noticed until spring, when the boat’s owner slid open the

hatch and was bowled over by the smell of diesel fuel. He said the cabin smelled like a refinery. Aside from having to scrub

the entire cabin, he had to replace every cushion, from the V-berth to the quarter berth.

Leaking diesel fuel can also destroy rubber engine mounts. Diesel from a 14-year-old fuel line hose leaked onto the motor mounts, softening them so much that they had to be replaced. Inspect your diesel fill and fuel lines regularly and replace any that are cracking, bulging or weeping.

Chainplates and BulkheadsDeck leaks can be much more than just an annoyance. Water that finds its way down below is also likely to find its way into the deck core and in this case, the bulkhead. The latter was so badly rotted that it could no longer support the load and—BOOM—the rig went over the side (Claim #074832).

Leaking chainplates should be recaulked periodically, well before rot has a chance to develop. If it’s been leaking for a long time, check the condition of the bulkhead by tapping the surrounding area with a small hammer and listening for differences in tone; if it sounds dull—thump, thump—that’s bad. A healthy bulkhead sounds solid—thwack, thwack. The same technique can also be used on deck to detect water and delamination in the deck core. If you suspect a problem, contact a professional; he or she should have a moisture meter to confirm your suspicions and recommend a repair.

Several years ago, William Easter, a member in Olympia, Washington, sent a photo of some moisture-damaged flares that had been stored in an orange canister in the boat’s lazaret. The canister had the usual rubber O-ring and was shut tightly. As an extra precaution, he had wrapped duct tape around the canister’s seam. Easter said he expected some water to find its way into the lazaret but was surprised that water had found its way into the canister.

This past summer, Phil Pomponi, the CFO here at BoatU.S., opened an orange canister that was being stored in his 34-foot sailboat’s cabin and found all three handheld Orion flares inside had been destroyed (photo above). There were no signs of moisture, either outside or inside the canister. In fact,

Looked at Your Flares Lately?three identical older flares, which were stored next to the canister in the same locker, were undamaged.

After looking at the failed flares, Bob Defonte, Orion's VP of Marketing and Sales, said Orion tried to duplicate the failures in an environ-mental chamber using wet powder. After more than a month in the chamber at 135 degrees and 90-percent humidity, the tubes were still intact. He suspects that the failure was due to the labels. Earlier this year, when doing some experimenting with handheld red flares, Orion placed some unlabeled /uncapped samples in

the same environmental chamber. The flares broke open. He notes that the tube body is paper, which is subject to failure when exposed to warm and humid conditions. Orion’s theory is that the signals in question had a failure of the label; either they failed to adhere at the overlap seam or had wrinkles that prevented them from adhering properly. Humidity would then have affected the paper tubes. Whatever the reason, it's a good reason to check your flares occasionally.


We’ve talked about galvanic corrosion in previous issues of Seaworthy, mostly regarding its detection, cure and prevention. There is, or can be, a larger issue regarding corrosion, and a series of simple tests, combined with some basic recordkeeping, will enable you to determine your boat’s exposure to or propensity for corrosion damage. The purpose is to prevent corrosion before it happens.

First, a few principles: There are two basic kinds of electrically-induced corrosion on boats. The first is galvanic, caused by nothing more than immersing two electrically connected dissimilar metals in an electrolytic solution, in this case, saltwater. The second is stray current, which can result from improper grounding in your boat’s electrical system, the marina, a nearby boat in the marina, or a system fault such as a bilge pump failure from hot to ground. Stray current corrosion is 12 VDC current leaking from inside your boat.

The analysis of your boat’s electrical stability should be an ongoing process, beginning with a series of tests designed to reveal the electrical potential between various parts of your boat and the surrounding seawater. Keeping a record of the resulting tests is vital. The first series of tests will establish a baseline on your boat, and should be done well away from other boats. Anchor in a quiet cove and then plan on spending a few hours going over your boat.

What You’ll NeedFirst, you’ll need a digital multimeter that will read millivolts. Nearly any digital voltmeter will do this. An analog-type meter, however, must be of the high-impedance variety or it won’t give you sufficiently accurate readings. Alternatively,

Putting Corrosion to the Test

you could buy a corrosion test meter, which is little more than an analog millivolt meter that is calibrated to read in the range of zero to 1,200 mV (1.2 volts) and has color-coded sections reading “freely corroding,” “protected,” and “overprotected.” There are typically three scales, one for bronze, one for steel and one for aluminum. If you are using a digital multimeter, set the range to read in millivolts DC. The better digital meters have a self-ranging feature, so there will be no need to set it.

The other item needed to begin testing your boat is a silver/silver-chloride half-cell or reference cell, available from several sources easily found with a quick online search. It looks like a small cylinder, about the size of a Chapstick, with an insulated wire and a plug to connect to the positive socket on your multimeter. Purchase it from a chandlery and it will probably come complete with a length of wire and a jack to fit your multimeter. You will also need a length of fairly heavy copper wire—10- or 12-gauge, to eliminate any voltage drop—with an alligator clip at one end. The other end should fit into the socket on your multimeter. The combined length will need to be long enough to reach any part of the boat. In practice, the wire connected to the reference cell should be longer so you will be able to touch metal fittings throughout the boat and be close enough to the meter to write down the voltage readings. Having a helper makes this much easier.

Getting StartedWith the reference cell connected to the red (positive) plug of the meter, you will get voltage readings expressed in negative volts. This is the customary value, although if you reverse the plugs, you will get the same reading, but expressed positively.

Make a simple drawing or write up a complete list of the metal underwater fittings. Include through-hulls, prop shafts, and anything that is part of the boat’s electrical bonding circuit. Include the stern drives, trim tabs and any other metal part that is normally in the water.

Drop the silver reference cell over the side and wait a few minutes for the seawater to soak into the porous housing. Then attach the black lead, the one with the alligator clip, to the metal fitting nearest to a sacrificial anode (for example, a through-hull fitting or the propeller shaft), take a reading and begin to work your away from the anode, following the bonding circuit to the next fitting. If your boat’s metal through-hull fittings are not bonded, you will need to touch each fitting; even with a properly grounded system, you should do this to detect any breaks in the bonding system.

Among the things that may be revealed is a ground that has been interrupted, as you should get exactly the same reading from each fitting. Note that if you have installed a new sacrificial anode, it will require up to 24 hours of immersion before you get an accurate reading.

With your drawing of the boat and each fitting in hand, record the reading you get. The following is a list of the range of mV readings you should find, next to the type of metal concerned:

Bronze: -500 mV to -700mVSteel: -750 mV to -850 mVAluminum: -800 mV to -1,050 mV

Note that the numbers, or range of numbers, varies according to who you talk to, but all the sources agree within about

The corrosion meter is a purpose-built mV meter, which reads the level of corrosion protection of the tested metal. It has scales for bronze, alu-minum and steel. In this case, the stainless steel prop shaft reads "fully protected," at the high end of the scale, bordering on "over-protected." The red, positive, lead is connected to a silver chloride half-cell im-mersed in the surrounding seawater.


50 mV. If you get a number that is less—for example a bronze seacock gives you a reading of -400 mV—then the item being tested is eroding. The smaller the number, the more the erosion that has taken place. You can have too much of a good thing; overprotected fittings, revealing themselves with a larger number, will result in decreased effectiveness of your antifouling paint as it will bubble off the boat, and painted metal fittings will lose paint. This could happen, for example, if the anode is made of magnesium, perhaps because it was fitted for freshwater use but the boat is now in saltwater. Impressed-current corrosion prevention devices can also cause this if the voltage setting is wrong. Wooden hulls can also be damaged, and the barrier coatings on steel or aluminum hulls could be lost as well.

Bonding your boat’s underwater metal fittings together is critical; any fitting that isn’t connected to the sacrificial anode will be left to its own electrolytic devices, so to speak, and could corrode. Note that the engine, even though the block is connected to the bonding system, requires its own sacrificial anode in the cooling system. The silver cell dropped over the side is not sitting in the same body of water as that contained in the engine block and therefore the anode cannot be tested in the same way. Remove and check the condition of the engine’s anode. It is usually a thin pencil of zinc with a threaded fitting that is screwed into a passage of the coolant jacket. When in doubt, put in a new one; it should be replaced annually anyway.

The testing of your boat’s bonding system and the effectiveness of your anodes can also reveal problems with stray AC or DC current, either from the shore connection or the boat’s wiring. Even though AC current is generally not considered to contribute to corrosion, the presence of, or changes in, voltage will indicate a problem. Stray DC current will induce galvanic corrosion that is functionally the same as that caused by unprotected, dissimilar metals, but its effects can be even more rapid.

Testing Fittings

Assuming the boat is properly bonded, your next step will be to check the voltage potentials of each fitting. Begin by switching the main shore power switch on and off with the shore power cable disconnected. The voltage should remain constant. If not, there may be problems with the AC ground. This can be very serious, even life-

threatening, and while the troubleshooting and correction of problems with the AC circuit are beyond the scope of this article, a quick check of the polarity of the AC circuit can be safely made using a plug-in polarity indicator. This is an inexpensive device about the size of a three-prong adaptor that is readily available at any hardware store.

To check for DC problems, switch on each DC breaker in turn (including the master battery switch) while monitoring the voltage on the fitting. Again, there should be no changes in the voltage reading. Changes in voltage can indicate either a broken bonding wire or stray current. If you suspect a problem with the battery switch, you will need to physically disconnect the batteries from the boat’s circuit in order to perform this test.

Next, plug in the shore power cord, and with the AC switches in the OFF position, check for any changes. Repeat, this time after turning the main shore power switch to ON. If you observe a change in voltage (other than a brief blip), you have a problem with the grounding wire or the circuit between the dockside shore connection and the master switch. Grounding-wire shorts, improper wiring, or broken insulation can produce the reading changes. Any fault traced to the marina’s grounding circuit is potentially dangerous. Voltage that changes when shore power is connected can also be a sign of another source of corrosion. The green (ground) wire of the shore power cable will connect your boat to the ground of every other boat in the marina that shares the same shore power circuit. This connection will allow potentially damaging corrosion, either through stray current or from other boats using your sacrificial anodes to protect their hulls. This can occur whether you have adequate anodes or not. The cure, apart from not being plugged in to shore power, is to install either a galvanic isolator or an isolation transformer on your boat. These devices “isolate” your boat from the marina’s ground, albeit in a different manner (you can download a brochure on galvanic isolators at www.BoatUS.com/Seaworthy/galvanic). Note also, that West Marine carries both products.

Concluding the Test

Continue working your way along the boat’s electrical circuit. With the master switch now on, and shore power turned off at the boat master switch or disconnected entirely, go to the next section “downstream” of the switch. Turn the switch on and off. If there is a voltage change, the problem lies between the previous switch and the one you’re testing.

A full test will include going over every circuit, from every branch in the wiring. Note that a full check takes considerable time, and ideally would only need to be done once in order to establish baseline numbers. To keep tabs on the state of your boat’s anodes or to monitor any new conditions relating to your boat’s galvanic corrosion rate at a new marina, test any fitting and compare it

to the numbers you previously logged.

If you discover a problem, finding the cause can be difficult. A section of wire with broken insulation may only leak electricity when it is flexed, giving an intermittent indication of the problem. With the exception of bilge pump wiring, wires in the bilge should be well clear of any standing water. Bilge pumps are on the list of usual suspects, as by their very nature the wires are submerged at least part of the time.

C a r e f u l r e c o r d -keeping and consistent monitoring will do much to reduce, if not eliminate, problems with stray currents and galvanic corrosion. At the very least, you will be informed of potential problems before they occur. For those interested, permanently installed “hull potential meters” that display real-time corrosion potential 24/7 are available. For more information, see ABYC E-2 Cathodic Protection. The ABYC standards are available on a three-day trial basis by going to www.abycinc.org and clicking on “ABYC Standards Free Demo.”

previously logged.

If you discover a problem, finding the cause can be difficult. A section of wire with broken insulation may only leak electricity when it is flexed, giving an intermittent indication of the problem. With the exception of bilge pump wiring, wires in the bilge should be well clear of any standing water. Bilge pumps are on the list of usual suspects, as by their very Attach the negative end of the

corrosion meter (or your digital multimeter) to the metal item be-ing checked, and the other end to the silver chloride cell hanging over the side in the water.


breakdowns—boats that are out of fuel, have dead batteries, bent props, etc. A salvage claim—the successful rescue of a boat from imminent peril—is not provided by BoatU.S. Towing Services. In those instances, the cost of salvage is covered by the skipper’s boat or yacht insurance policy.

Note that there is always some degree of peril, however slight, when a boat is disabled on open water. But the defini-tion of “imminent peril” can sometimes be a little fuzzy, for example, when wind

and seas are moderately large. This is a gray area that still exists throughout the towing industry. The question for a boat owner is how do you tell the difference?

In the case of BoatU.S. Towing Services, the answer is that a TowBoatU.S. or Vessel Assist captain will (if physically possible) inform you that a job is salvage before proceeding. The exception is a situation where time is especially criti-cal, or conditions are so fierce that the tower either doesn’t have time to com-municate, or can’t communicate, with the boat owner.

Disagreements Over "Peril"

Claim #0738311: A sailboat gliding qui-etly through the water is stopped sud-denly on an unseen pile of rocks. Within seconds the boat is firmly aground. High tide—the last good chance for the sail-boat to be lifted off of the rocks—is only a half hour away. A VHF call is put out to the Coast Guard, but before a boat can be sent, a private towboat is standing by offering assistance. The skipper is told that his boat will need to be salvaged, and he agrees.

Using the spinnaker halyard, the tow-boat’s captain deftly heels the sailboat and in a few minutes the sailboat is refloated. To the salvor, the sailboat had been in peril—on the rocks and in dan-ger of breaking up in what he claimed were two- to four-foot seas. Since the tide was almost high, and would soon begin falling, the towboat captain fur-ther reasoned that his quick response prevented an already bad situation from becoming much worse.

Damage is limited to a few scrapes and a slight gouge on the keel. The salvor pre-sented a bill to the boat owner’s insur-ance company for $16,000. (Because marine insurance adjusters investigate the incident and negotiate with the sal-vor, the final payment is often less than the initial demand. In this instance the bill was eventually negotiated by the insurance company to a much more modest $2,900.)

The owner later claims that his boat had not been in peril and said he only agreed to let his boat be salvaged because he was afraid it would be badly damaged when the tide started dropping. (Note that his explanation exactly fits the legal definition of imminent peril.)

If a skipper believes his boat is not in imminent peril and only needs to be towed, he or she has the option of calling another commercial towing company.

Continued from page 1

Some BoatU.S. members mistakenly believe that their towing coverage is an insurance policy. It’s not. TowBoatU.S. and Vessel Assist provide a towing ser-vice for BoatU.S. members. The latter includes light ungroundings. Salvage is not covered by a towing plan but is instead covered by the boat owner’s insurance policy. Being aware of the fol-lowing will help to avoid misunderstand-ings, should you ever have to call for assistance after running hard aground.

• If you’re not insured with BoatU.S., check your policy now, before you need assistance. Ideally, the policy should cover the entire cost of salvaging your boat, not just a percentage of its value. If you’re insured with BoatU.S., any bill for salvage is covered by your policy, up to the amount of the insured hull value of your boat. This coverage is in addi-tion to the cost to repair your boat. Your deductible does not apply to the salvage charges.

Find out whom to contact when some-thing goes wrong. If the situation is life threatening, contact the Coast Guard on VHF Channel 16 or 22. With salvage, you’ll have to contact your insurance

company (BoatU.S. Claims Department: 800-937-1937). In a towing situation, you’ll want to contact your towing ser-vice (BoatU.S.Towing: 800-391-4869). By remaining calm and contacting more experienced hands, you’ll avoid unpleas-ant surprises later.

As with any service, it is advisable to ask how much a job is going to cost before the work is begun. A TowBoatU.S. tower will (if physically possible) inform a boat owner that a job is salvage before proceeding. The excep-tion might be a situation where time is especially critical, or conditions are so fierce that the tower either doesn’t have time to communicate, or can’t commu-nicate, with the boat owner. Remember, you have the choice whether to accept the salvage service or not.

You don’t have to sign anything. If you’re asked to sign a contract, it should, preferably, be a BoatU.S. contract. How-ever, a signed contract is not necessary in order for the salvor to have permission to salvage your boat. If you’re in doubt, BoatU.S. insureds should call the Claims Department: 800-937-1937.

What You Need to Know Before You Call for Help

"A salvage claim—the successful rescue of a boat from

imminent peril—is not provided by BoatU.S. Towing

Services. In those instances, the cost of salvage is

covered by the skipper’s boat or yacht insurance policy."


While fees can vary, the five cases below are intended to give you an idea of the different types of work and fees that are liable to be charged by any tower/salvor.

1. A Near-Shore Rescue

The Incident: A 42-foot sailboat bound for Bermuda with four people aboard is being battered by the remnants of Hur-ricane Ida in 20-foot seas and 60-mph winds 118 miles off the coast of North Carolina. Both the mainsail and jib are blown out. The boat alters course to reach Beaufort, but is low on fuel. Using a satellite telephone, the skipper contacts BoatU.S. dispatch, which then notifies the Coast Guard. A helicopter is sent out to the stricken boat and two people are airlifted to safety. Two others remain aboard and arrange to keep in contact with TowBoatU.S. Beaufort at one-hour intervals via their satellite phone. While en route, the steering cable fails and the boat can no longer be steered. The Coast Guard is contacted again and an 87-foot cutter takes the sailboat in tow. Just off the sea buoy at Beaufort, TowBoatU.S. meets the sailboat and tows it safely through the inlet into the harbor.

The Outcome: Despite the weather con-ditions and the disabled condition of the sailboat, its skipper is charged $1,200 for a routine tow, which is paid by his BoatU.S. Unlimited Towing Service. Rod Hoell at TowBoatU.S. Beaufort said that the rea-son it was a tow and not salvage was that there was no longer any significant or even moderate peril. The sea buoy is just off the entrance to the inlet. Had the towboat gone offshore in extreme conditions, the bill would have been for salvage—and much more costly.

2. High and Dry Grounding

The Incident: A 42-foot powerboat winds up on a beach in Southern California after its owner turns on the autopilot and goes below. The boat is stranded in a sheltered area away from breaking waves and is in no danger of further damage.

The Outcome: The owner calls his insur-ance company, which solicits bids from multiple salvage companies for “pre-arranged salvage.” The winning contrac-tor, Vessel Assist Mission Bay, digs the boat out and uses a 1,200-foot towline to pull it back to deep water without further damage. The $60,000 cost is paid by the insurance company.

3. Trapped in Fish Nets

The Incident: A 42-foot powerboat that is headed up to Maine becomes trapped in fishnets off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island, even though the nets are surround-ed by bright orange buoys and clearly indi-cated on NOAA charts. He calls the local TowBoatU.S. tower who tells him there is a flat rate of $5,000 for a diver to free the boat. The boat owner balks at the charge, but accepts. Working under the pitching boat in 80 feet of water, the diver frees the net from the props and rudders without dam-aging the net. A trip line to one of the net’s anchors that is tangled in the prop also has to be cut and replaced by the diver. The diver inspects the boat’s props, rud-ders, and shafts to make sure there is no damage to the boat. To be safe, the boat is towed to a marina where it can be run and tested before resuming the voyage north.

The Outcome: Several times a year, on average, boats become trapped in the Rhode Island nets. (There are also nets in other areas.) The job is billed as a flat-rate salvage fee (and not as a percentage of hull value). Diving fees are not provided by BoatU.S. Towing; the bill is paid by the boat owner’s insurance policy.

4. Leaking Fuel

The Incident: The diesel fuel tank on a 43-foot motor yacht in Ohio is leaking fuel into the bilge and then overboard via the bilge pump. A large slick extends over much of the marina. The marina manager calls the local fire department. After exam-ining the boat, a fireman calls the local TowBoatU.S. licensee, which shuts off the boat’s electrical system and bilge pump. They then use floating booms to contain the slick and tow the boat over to a travel lift so it can be hauled out.

The Outcome: The owner is billed $1,200 for time and materials, including the tow-boat, two men, and floating oil-spill con-tainment booms. The cost is covered by the boat owner’s insurance policy, not by BoatU.S. Towing Service.

(Note: Leaking fuel should always involve the fire department. Even small amounts of gasoline in the bilge pose a significant risk of explosion and must be neutralized. Die-sel fuel, while far less dangerous in a bilge, poses an even greater risk to the environ-ment if it’s pumped overboard. With any fuel spill, vessel owners are required to call the National Pollution Center at 800-

424-8802. BoatU.S. Yacht Insurance pro-vides special fuel spill containment and cleanup coverage as well as guidance to policyholders on how to deal with an emergency.

5. Caught in the Surf

The Incident: A man fishing from his 20-foot runabout in the ocean off the coast of New Jersey notices the boat has drifted close to the surf and decides to move. His engine stubbornly refuses to start. After several minutes, he gives up and calls TowBoatU.S. When help arrives, the boat has drifted into the surf. Rather than risk his own boat, the TowBoatU.S. captain sends a swimmer with the tow line into the surf. A few minutes later, the boat is towed to safety.

The Outcome: Salvage —$150 per foot for a total of $3,000. Note that the boat was clearly in peril and the bill could have been higher if conditions had been worse. In a similar incident in Washing-ton State, a towboat was trying to keep a grounded boat off a rocky shore and was itself swept ashore when the towboat’s engine stalled. It took very little time for both boats to be driven by wind and waves onto the beach. The boat in peril was uninsured and was a total loss. The towboat was badly damaged.

6. Sinking

The Incident: A 42-foot trawler in Loui-siana is approaching its marina when a bilge alarm begins sounding. The owner quickly confirms that the boat is taking on water and calls the Coast Guard, which places pumps aboard and tows the boat to the marina. Once the boat is stabilized, the owner calls a local marine handyman, a diver, whom he had occa-sionally hired to clean his boat’s props. The handyman dives under the boat and discovers that one of the shafts has slipped out. A short time later, the hole is plugged and the pumps are taken away. The following day, the diver presents the trawler’s owner with a salvage bill for $35,000!

The Outcome: BoatU.S., which insured the boat under a Yacht Insurance policy, contested the bill. After many months of legal wrangling (and some hefty attorney bills), the contested claim went to court where the judge awarded a salvage fee of $3,000 for time and materials.

Is It Towing or Salvage? Six Cases


Why Does Marine Gear Cost So Much?

It’s a refrain heard daily at marinas across the country: Just because they put the word “Marine” on it, they think they can sell it for twice as much! The cost of owning a boat is already high enough with slip fees, maintenance, and fuel costs, and the last thing anybody wants is to have to pay what appears to be grossly inflated prices for something that just happens to say For Marine Use on it. So why do parts and accesso-ries for boats seem to cost so much, especially compared to their automotive counter-parts?

For the most part, it’s not because manufacturers want to gouge "wealthy" boater owners. A far more likely explanation (with apologies to Adam Smith) has to do with the relatively small size of the boating market versus the cost to manufacture and distribute goods. While a manufacturer can sell millions of its auto widgets to car owners, the potential market for marine widget manufacturers is much smaller and the price to recoup the initial investment (and maybe make a profit) is that much greater.

An even larger point, however, has to do with quality. Cars don’t have to deal with flying salt spray, vibration and pounding waves. Those conditions mean that parts and accessories for boats typically have to be made of stouter stuff than for automobiles, or for that matter, houses and RVs. Stainless steel must be substituted for chrome plated brass; aluminum alloys are of a higher quality; and plastics have to be extra strong and UV resistant for marine use.

Electronics and Electrics

Electronics on a boat are subject to some severe conditions, especially if they get used on deck. A handheld VHF and GPS that are used on a flybridge, for example, are designed to withstand rain and salt

spray. Marine electronics are usually rated to the J.I.S. (Japan Industry Standard) and given a score of four (splashproof) to seven (waterproof, up to a meter for a short time). Aside from having to use more expensive components, the cost of waterproofing and testing increases prices.

Battery chargers are another example; while a typical automotive charger only needs to function in a garage, battery chargers for boats may be mounted inside an engine room where the temperatures will be high and vibration can tear apart a cheap charger. Among other things, marine units need to meet the ABYC A-31 standard that requires them to be able to operate continuously in temperatures of 122ºF and be able to withstand peaks of 158ºF. Car chargers don't have to meet these specs.

Radios and CD players for cars work OK on a boat, but a radio made for boat use usually has circuit boards that have a sealant to protect them from moisture and come with better-quality, non-corroding wiring. Speakers have to have their magnets shielded so they won’t affect compasses. All boat electronics have to be able to deal with substantial voltage fluctuations that occur on boats. Even batteries designed for boats are different, made with thicker plates and tougher cases.

Safety, Testing, and Certification

Boats have unique safety requirements and meeting them costs money. In order for a CO alarm to be UL listed for a boat, for example, it has to pass tests for humidity, vibration, saltwater vapor, and temperature extremes. The manufacturer has to submit several samples to a UL lab for testing, which can cost $25,000. Without the tests, the unit can’t be labeled as meeting the safety standards, which is the only way you’ll know if it will work safely—

when you need it—on a boat.

A few years ago, a marine surveyor in Washington state surveyed a 30-foot powerboat for a prospective owner. The

survey stopped once he got to the boat’s wiring that the previous owner proudly pointed out as new. The problem was the owner tried to save money and bought rolls of Romex-type household wiring and painstakingly routed it throughout the boat. Romex wire is made of solid copper, which is fine for houses, but eventually can work-harden and break with the motion and vibration of a boat. Often, it

Safety, Testing, and Certification

Boats have unique safety requirements and meeting them costs money. In order for a CO alarm to be UL listed for a boat, for example, it has to pass tests for humidity, vibration, saltwater vapor, and temperature extremes. The manufacturer has to submit several samples to a UL lab for testing, which can cost This automotive type battery charger was mounted in an engine room to save

a few dollars – a big mistake. Marine rated chargers are not only specially built to better care for your batteries and deal with the high temperatures of an engine space, but more importantly they can’t give off sparks, which could cause an explosion if there happens to be a gas leak. The extra cost to build them this way could save your battery—or your life.

Another engine room mistake—a household breaker box purchased at a hardware store. A marine breaker box will cost more, but will last far longer, and more importantly, is built to prevent an errant spark.

Pho

to: A

lison

Maz

on

Photo: Alison Mazon


partially breaks, which causes heat to build up that could start a fire. Boat wiring must be manufactured to the UL 1426 standard for boat cables, which, among other things, requires that it be stranded, not solid; UL also requires that boat wire sheathing resist oil and heat and be flame retardant. According to a study published by Seaworthy a few years ago, nearly a third of all boat fires were caused by wiring problems, many of which were due to substandard wiring that chafed or arced. The extra expense associated with safety can save your boat and crew, but wiring isn’t the only thing that’s critical to safety.

Engine Parts

There’s a big reason some marine gasoline engine parts cost more than their automotive counterparts—they’re specially built for enclosed engine spaces where, unlike the open spaces in cars, explosive fumes can accumulate. Marine carburetors are designed not to spill gas when they become flooded and they are not interchangeable with automotive units. They’re also equipped with a backfire flame arrestor that isn’t required on cars. In one claim, a fire started when the flame arrestor was taken off by the owner to troubleshoot a rough running engine. The engine backfired and with no flame arrestor, the engine cover ignited and burned most of the engine’s wiring and rubber parts (Claim #0111463). Fuel pumps for automotive use have a hole that allows fuel to dribble out if the pump’s diaphragm fails—marine fuel pumps don’t for obvious reasons. Marine-rated ignition parts and alternators have the added cost of being manufactured to avoid sparks during use, which would prevent an explosion if a leak were to go undetected.

Fuel hoses are far thicker and stronger than their automotive counterparts and have to be able to burn for two-and-a-half minutes without leaking. They also have to be tested to earn the Coast Guard-required SAE J1527 standard, which is costly. Anything that goes in the engine compartment of a gasoline-powered boat has to meet at least one important criteria—it can’t give off sparks, since they could ignite a gas leak. Bilge pumps, water pumps, lights, battery chargers, inverters, and switches all have to be specially manufactured so they can’t spark.

Hardware

Stainless steel costs substantially more than conventional steel, bronze is much more expensive than brass, and both are far

more corrosion resistant, which is why they are so often used on boats. Anyone who has inadvertently bought products made of Zamac, a cheap alternative to stainless that’s made with zinc, knows that it looks just like stainless when it’s new, but has less strength and will quickly corrode in saltwater. Hose clamps from a hardware or auto parts store are often not stainless (or the soon-to-be-rusting screw is not stainless) and can fail, allowing a through-hull hose to come loose and possibly sink

a boat. A magnet that is attracted to the screw and not the band probably means the clamp is cheap and should not be used. (It should be noted, however, that the magnet test is not infallible; Dick Barber, a representative of Crucible Steel, who makes things like stainless prop shafts for boats, says that certain stainless-steels used in tools and kitchen knives are magnetic. Other types, even 304 and 316, which are commonly found aboard, may have some level of magnetic property depending on the way the alloy is made. Cold working, such as forming a part without heat, will introduce magnetic properties in some stainless and areas around welds can also show magnetic properties.)

Here’s one reason that through-hulls cost more than kitchen fittings: ABYC standard H 27.6.1, “All materials shall be galvanically compatible and resist degradation by saltwater, petroleum products, UV light, ozone, cleaning compounds likely to be encountered, marine growth, and the effects of heat aging.” Brass fittings found at a hardware store won’t meet these criteria and even though they might look like more expensive bronze, they will rapidly corrode on a boat. In one case, a cheap garden hose fitting was used as a baitwell through-hull on a small center console. During an inspection, a surveyor gave it a tug and it

came apart in his hand. The previous owner had just spent the weekend fishing and was lucky the boat had not sunk while he was out. Bronze is not only more expensive to produce than brass, a bronze through-hull must also have passed a UL ammonia test to prove it’s capable of handling marine head through-hull duties. Plastic through-hulls have to be tested to withstand sunlight and chemicals. And any marine through-hull has to be able to handle a 500-pound force for 30 seconds in its most vulnerable direction—try that with a hardware store valve.

BoatU.S. member Cliff Steele was boating on Lake Michigan when clouds of black smoke began billowing out of the hatch of a friend’s boat, a beautifully restored, 1957 Chris-Craft (“the queen of the marina”). Cliff says he spent three or four terrifying minutes helping his friend extinguish the fire, which was caused by a short at the generator. The wires themselves had barely burned but the heat scorched the thick foam soundproofing insulation, which caused the aforementioned clouds of noxious smoke.

With the exception of maybe a few floating gearheads, nobody likes a lot of engine noise on a boat. But soundproofing ability isn’t the only thing to consider when you’re adding or replacing insulation around your engine.

Engines are hot and can throw off flammable vapors that can be absorbed by a porous foam. According to the National Fire Protection Association 302 standard for recreational boats, material used for sound insulation should be fire retarding and designed and installed so that it won’t absorb hydrocarbon vapors. If there’s one thing worse than a foam that burns readily, it’s a foam that burns readily and is soaked with explosive vapors.

The message: Be careful what you install in your boat’s engine compartment.

Continued on page 13

Sound Insulation

Saving a few bucks on non-stainless hardware could cost a lot more in the long run. When this piece fails, the boat’s steering system will be rendered inoperative. Any fittings that may be exposed to saltwater should be made of stainless steel.

Photo: Alison Mazon


Last year, a 37-foot sailboat broke away from a mooring during a winter storm. A marine surveyor was called in to investigate and found that the cleat had torn off because the owner used undersized ¼”bolts to install a new, larger cleat. The surveyor noted that the proper bolts for the job were 3/8”, which are two-and-a-half times stronger, and would have almost certainly withstood the storm. The mistake caused the boat to spend most of the season undergoing extensive repairs (Claim #0702436).

Boats are loaded with fasteners. Anytime something is added to your boat or a repair is made, chances are nuts, bolts, or screws will have to be removed, changed or replaced. Choosing the correct fastener is critical; a failure could be devastating.

Getting the Right Size and Other Considerations

If you're replacing a fitting, like the cleat mentioned above, don't assume that the old fasteners will work. Check the

packaging, which will usually specify the recommended size. If you're not sure, it's a safe bet to use the largest fastener that will fit. A few other considerations that may make your job easier: Bolts are measured by the diameter of the threaded part, though the head (usually hex-shaped) is nearly always a different size. So, for example, you might have a ¼” bolt, but the head size, and therefore the wrench size, might be 3/8”—don’t get the two confused. Bolts are sold with specific measurements; if you see a bolt described as 5/16 x 18 x 1, it means the bolt diameter is 5/16”, the thread count is 18 (which means 18 threads per inch), and the length is 1 inch. The length of a bolt is correct when about two threads extend past the nut after it’s been tightened; this is because the first couple of threads on a bolt are not as strong. Having a bolt extend too far through the nut is just asking for something to catch on it. Bolts need to fit snugly in the hole they go into—if the hole is too big, the parts being held together can shift, and the fastener can shear. For practical purposes, the thread

count doesn’t mean much as long as nuts and bolts have the same one. Nuts are measured by the bolt they fit as well as the thread count.

For metric fasteners, the sizes always start with an “M”. If you see one sold as M3 x 1.5 x 10, it means the bolt is 3 mm in diameter, the thread count is 1.5 mm from crest to crest, and the length is 10 mm. Metric and standard nuts and bolts and can never be mixed.

A screw is a type of bolt, but can also be self-tapping, like a woodscrew. They’re measured as a number from 0-12 with larger numbers representing larger diameters, up to ¼” when they start being measured by diameter, like bolts. The thread count per inch is also a part of their measurement, which is why you see screws sold as 6-32 x 1; 6 is the screw size, 32 is the thread count, and 1 is the length in inches. For woodscrews, at least half of the length of the screw should enter the wood. For machine screws (used in metal), the rule is that about two times

Back to Basics

The Nuts Bolts

of Nuts Bolts

The Nuts Bolts The Nuts Bolts The Nuts Bolts The Nuts Bolts The Nuts Bolts The Nuts Bolts The Nuts Bolts The Nuts Bolts

of Nuts Bolts of Nuts Bolts of Nuts Bolts of Nuts Bolts of Nuts Bolts of Nuts Bolts of Nuts Bolts&

specifically built for marine use. Even though charging a battery seems, superficially, to be a generic function, a cheap non-marine battery charger could ruin batteries, cause excessive and dangerous gassing and introduce of damaging stray current into the boat's systems.

Darrell Nicholson, editor, Practical Sailor: Some things that work well aboard: Apparel—including boots and gloves and even foul weather gear. There is some very good outdoor clothing that does not carry marine pricing.

Maintenance items such as cleaners, waxes, sealants, paints, etc. Many of the marine formulas are the same as the household or automotive ones, with just the word “marine” added to the packaging. Barkeeper’s Friend is constantly cited by our readers for cleaning.

Automotive and camping gear: We routinely look at car, RV and camping products for stuff like 12-volt coffee pots, portable 12-volt fridges, shower sump pumps, and toilets, but this is really spotty, and sometimes risky. Dometic, for example, makes both RV and marine products. Often the only notable difference is in the quality of the wiring—important from a safety standpoint.


the diameter of the screw should go into the metal.

Material

Most common hardware store fasteners are carbon steel and not suitable for the majority of uses aboard because they corrode. The exception is engine fasteners. Stainless steel, while corrosion resistant, is not as strong as carbon steel and shouldn’t be substituted in drive trains. Stainless steel is the best choice for all other uses aboard except where they will be continuously wet, because even good stainless will corrode in an oxygen-starved environment. In such cases fasteners should be bronze. Stainless-steel fasteners should be either type 18-8 (the same thing as 304) or 316. Most quality stainless-steel fasteners are not attracted to a magnet, but that method is not foolproof, since even good stainless can have magnetic properties.

Markings

Look at the head of a bolt and you’ll learn something about it. Usually, they’re stamped with markings—either a number

When It’s OK to Use Non-Marine Stuff Onboard

In some cases, it’s obvious when to use purpose-made marine products—you wouldn’t use a clothesline to tie your boat to the dock, for example. In other cases, when you’re not sure, it’s worth it (and can even save your life) to use them. When in doubt, pay the extra. There are some things, however, that don’t have to be made specifically for marine use to work well and be safe. Seaworthy spoke to some experts in the field to find out what types of products don’t need to be labeled For Boats to work just as well.

Don Casey, freelance boating writer and author: The first rule is that it’s OK to use non-boat products if it won’t affect the safety of your crew or boat. Paint is a good example—the worst thing that can happen is that you might have to repaint. Aside from topside or bottom paint, most other jobs can use hardware store paint, often for a third of the price. Cleaners are another place to save money. With a few exceptions for jobs such as removing waterline scum, household cleaners work fine aboard. Some people use RV products on their boat, and for the

most part, they work fine. The problem is that they often are made with materials that can rust on a boat and therefore may not last as long.

Tools are another place that you can save money. Stainless-steel pliers sink just as fast as Craftsman pliers when they’re dropped. Some parts, like bearings, are universal and can almost always be found much cheaper at an industrial supplier.

Tom Neale, technical editor of Soundings and author: Something made for marine use has to survive a tough environment and rough treatment. And failures at sea often result in safety issues. Therefore it should be built better and cost more. We look for a known reliable brand name and certification (such as by ABYC) if appropriate.

We do use some products not specifically made for marine use. These include our TV, computers, printers and scanners, sound system, vacuum cleaner, microwave, toaster, coffee maker. Our custom is that we will use a non-marine product if we can use it in essentially non-marine ways and safety isn't adversely affected. However, we won't even do this if the usage presents special marine-related issues. For example, we'd never use a battery charger not

MARINE GEAR, from page 11

(metric) or a series of lines (standard) indicating their strength—more lines or a higher number indicates higher strength. The lack of stamps generally tells you they are, at best, of so-so quality. Stamps

are useful because when you’re replacing bolts, it’s important to use the same or greater strength to prevent a failure. And nothing good ever happens when a fastener fails.

• Use Loc-Tite (a kind of adhesive) for critical fasteners that may vibrate loose. You can also use Nylok nuts (nuts with a nylon insert) for the same purpose, but beware they can only be reused a couple of times—once you can thread them with your fingers, they’re worn out.

• Damaged threads can be repaired or enlarged with a tap and die set. For badly damaged threads, a HeliCoil thread repair insert kit is available at larger automotive stores. The kits include a drill, special tap, insertion tool, and a few inserts.

• Some bolts, such as head bolts, are single use because they stretch when used. When in doubt, replacing bolts is cheap insurance.

• Loose fasteners are weak and can lead to failure. Most fasteners,

Fasteners: A Few Important Tipsespecially those in critical applications, must be torqued (tightened) properly. A torque wrench is inexpensive and easy to use.

• Threads are one path that water uses to migrate down a bolt, which is why sealant should be put on the threads of fasteners that pass through the deck.

• Dissimilar metals (such as stainless fasteners in an aluminum mast) should be insulated from each other. Coating fasteners with Tef-Gel will prevent them from corroding into a permanent mess.

• If you’re not sure what size fastener you have, you can use a drill bit (they’re marked for size) to compare the size of the fastener or hole.

• Nuts and bolts are inexpensive; don’t scrimp!

Mark Twain, who did most of his boating on the Mississippi River, noted that facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable. The following statistics were taken from the BoatU.S. sinking claims over the last decade and represent the chances of various types of boats sinking in any given year. Is it a surprise that trawlers were more likely to have sunk than houseboats? Maybe. Trawlers tend to be more stoutly built, but then again, houseboats spend most of their time on inland lakes and trawlers tend to be used along the (much less hospitable) coast. All things being equal, the chances of a boat sinking probably have as much to do with where the boat is used as they do with the type of boat, which may explain why Twain preferred to do his boating on the Mississippi. Anyway, for what it’s worth, here are the sinking statistics; make of them what you wish.

Chances of Various Types of Boats Sinking in Any Given Year

Pontoon – 3 out of 10,000 Multi-hull – 5 out of 10,000 Bass – 7 out of 10,000 Sail – 11 out of 10,000 Houseboats – 14 out of 10,000 Runabout – 14 out of 10,000 Trawler – 18 out of 10,000 Cruiser – 19 out of 10,000

Pat Piper, the editor of the BoatU.S. Trailering Magazine, sent Seaworthy the photo above, which shows two young children, without their life jackets, riding on the bow of a boat. At the risk of stating the obvious: Kids rely on their parents to keep them safe; they should wear life


SMALLStuff Sooner or later, anyone who owns a

boat (or a car, washing machine, hot wa-ter heater, etc.) has had it “repaired” only to discover that the problem, whatever it was, was not corrected. The following non-repair tale is from Clark McKee, a member in Washington State:

Early this past summer, Clark said the engine in his 22-foot powerboat began running hot. He ordered a new water pump and called a mechanic, who said he had a long backlog of work. He’d get to it, eventually. Rather than let the boat sit idle while he waited, Clark continued to use the boat; by throttling back, operating temperatures could be kept acceptably low. One afternoon, he decided to go for a ride with three of his buddies. We’ll let Clark tell you what happened: “We went down the marina channel at low speed, turned into the main channel, revved up the engine and had gone perhaps a quarter of a mile when the engine made loud noises and quit. Smoke filled the cabin. We waited until the smoke had dissipated, opened the engine cover with fire extinguisher in hand, and found, not fire, but water in the bilge and more coming in.”

Meanwhile, back at the marina, the harried mechanic with the backlog of work had finally found time to take care of Clark’s fuel pump. He’d been working on the engine but had gone up to the shop for a few minutes for some tools. When he was heading back to the dock, he noticed Clark’s boat out on the water. Since the mechanic had just removed the old water pump and was holding the new pump in his hand, it wasn’t hard to figure out what happened. He ran back and told the shop manager who jumped in the launch and raced out to Clark’s boat and towed them back in.

Clark acknowledges that he should have checked to make sure the work wasn’t in progress. But he also thinks it would be helpful if mechanics had a system to warn a boat owner that an engine should not be started. He says that calling the owner to let him know when the repairs have begun would also be very helpful.

Another repair story: Mike Dunn, a TowBoatU.S. captain from Crystal River, Florida, was replacing the engine filters on his personal boat, a 1996 26-foot Phoenix,

when he noticed some cracks at the end of a fuel line. Thinking nothing of it, he cut off the end and was placing it back on when a mechanic friend noticed more cracks farther down the hose. The two men then proceeded to examine all four of the fuel hoses and found that while much of it looked healthy, there were deep cracks over some sections of each hose. As his friend said, Mike’s boat was a “floating time bomb.”

With only 458 hours on the engine, the obvious question was how did the hoses deteriorate so badly? Ethanol had recently been introduced into the area, but the hoses were each marked J 1527, which means they were designed to withstand up to 10 percent ethanol. The boat had been well cared for and was otherwise in terrific shape.

Mike sent a section of the hose to Seaworthy. The company that made the hose, Florida Flexibles, has been out of business for several years so Seaworthy passed it on to Shields/Teleflex hose for analysis. Bill Shields, the Shields/Teleflex president, concluded the hose had been done in by a combination of age and poor quality.

The hose had been made in Malaysia, where quality varies and is sometimes iffy. (The country of origin must be stamped on any hose made outside the U.S.) Fuel hose must also be marked that it meets USCG and SAE J1527 standards, but manufacturers self-certify to the USCG that the hose meets those standards. Bill says some companies, including Shields/Teleflex, test their own hoses. He says the best hoses are made in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. And while a hose's life expectancy varies, any hose over 10 years old is suspect and a hose over 20 years old should be replaced, regardless of its apparent condition.


polyester thread, which is stronger and resistant to UV deterioration.

One more thing to check: the cockpit and deck drains. Even if you cleaned the drains after all of the leaves had fallen, you’re liable to find that more leaves have mysteriously found their way aboard. This has been a recurring theme in Seaworthy and for good reason: Clogged drains aren’t unusual and often result in water finding its way down into the boat’s interior.

After clogged deck drains damaged his 44-foot Tollycraft’s interior, Tom Lovern, a member from Ft. Myers, Florida, solved the problem with something called an expanded leaf strainer, which is designed to fit over a roof ’s downspouts. Tom said the mesh strainer can be adjusted to fit most boat drains and cost about $2. It’s available at www.Amerimax.com. (Look under Roof Drainage Systems ... Gutter Accessories.)

jackets and always be seated inside the boat. Aside from common sense, it’s also the law.

Some practical advice: By now, just about everybody who is going to lay up the boat for the winter has done so and the only thing left to do before spring is check on it occasionally. Visiting the boat in winter gets you out of the house, which is probably good for your marriage and it is definitely good for the boat. Be sure to check the bilge, even if the boat is stored ashore.

Other things to look out for include clogged scuppers, chafed dock lines, shifted jack stands and—remember, this stuff is documented in the claim files—squatters. A few years ago a member in North Carolina went to check on his boat and found someone had moved aboard. In addition to drinking every drop of alcohol on the boat, the squatter was really messy (Claim #9403334).

Other messy “squatters” encountered by members include raccoons, squirrels, ducks, swans, assorted birdies and muskrats. Anyone living aboard rent free—two legged, four legged or winged—should be evicted as soon as possible before they start inviting friends over.

More practical advice: One thing you don’t need to check on when you visit the boat is the bimini (or dodger). That’s because they should be stored somewhere safely out of the weather. Biminis offer

you—not the boat—protection from sun, rain, and spray. The thin “canvas” (which is typically acrylic) and the tubular frames are not designed to support snow and ice or withstand winter’s heavy winds. Even if the bimini survives, the added exposure to the elements takes years off its useful life. Conversely, storage inside, a good cleaning, and a few spot repairs can mean additional years of service.

The most effective way to clean the fabric is to soak it for approximately 20 minutes in a gallon of lukewarm (not hot!) water with a solution of one-half cup of non-chlorine bleach and one-quarter cup of mild laundry soap. After it has soaked, rinse it thoroughly in cold water to remove all of the soap. Residual soap can cause leaks. Note, however, that even with proper rinsing, the fabric could lose some of its ability to repel water. Should this happen, you can make it waterproof again by using one of the commercially available water repellents.

Clear vinyl windows on spray dodgers also require some attention. The vinyl is protected by a plasticizer, which leaches out over time and causes the window to become hazy and brittle. Ultraviolet rays, flexing, cold weather, and salt spray all hasten the aging process. To prolong the window’s life, rinse it frequently and wash it with a mild laundry soap occasionally. If possible, keep it shaded in the summer and always store it indoors over the winter.

Finally, if you do any restitching, use only

One of the basic tenets of good seamanship is never to transit a breaking inlet when the tide is ebbing. The outgoing flow of water meets the incoming waves, making them larger, steeper and more dangerous. The lower the tide, the more potentially dangerous the waves. How much more dangerous ultimately depends on the size of the

swell that happens to be running.

The following photos were taken by photographer Adam Head for the Gold Coast Bulletin in Queensland, Australia. According to an account in Yachting World, the unidentified boat left Southport harbor in Australia bound for Yeppoon in conditions that were “horrendous,

thanks in no small way to the ebbing floodwaters.” The first wave knocked the boat straight up, stalled the engine and sent the crew scrambling to unroll the jib. Using the wind, they managed to swing the boat around and beat a hasty retreat back into the harbor, where, according to Yachting World, they were greeted by the water police.

WHEEEE!

BOAT OWNERS ASSOCIATIONof THE UNITED STATESWashington National Headquarters SEA880 South Pickett St., Alexandria, Va. 22304

The Ultimate Fish StoryoatU.S., the nation’s leading

recreational boating association, recently announced an alliance with BASS, the nation’s leading fishing association. So to help kick off this exciting new relationship, Seaworthy is going to publish its first-ever fish story! It is taken from an account by Steve Hoyland, Sr. in The Seabreeze News, “The Bayside’s [Texas] Favorite Newspaper.”

The adventure began when four men ventured 120 miles offshore on an overnight fishing trip. At about 3 a.m., two of the men went below and fell asleep while the other two remained on deck and continued fishing. One of the men got a hit and spent 20 minutes bringing up a really big fish. According to the Seabreeze article, the two men peered over the side of the boat but couldn’t tell what they had caught. They said it looked “prehistoric.”

It turns out it was a Conger eel, a really big Conger eel, one of the “10 most diabolical fish on earth!” according to a web site that tracks that sort of thing. Congers are known for their sharp teeth and, as the four men were about to learn, their nasty dispositions.

Using a gaff, they hoisted the Conger onto the deck, where it immediately “went crazy.” One of the men said it reared its head and kept striking at them like a rattlesnake. It even looked like a rattlesnake or maybe an anaconda—it was over six feet long and weighed almost 100 pounds. The attack (remember the teeth) continued until it finally flopped down into the cabin,

which was good news for the men on deck but bad news for the two men sleeping down below. One of the men woke up and saw the Conger staring him in his face. The other man grabbed a 9mm pistol, which, if you think about it, would have created more problems than it solved. Someone

yelled, “Don’t shoot the gun in the boat!” According to The Seabreeze News, as the two men were scurrying out of the cabin, one of them screamed like a girl.

With the Conger below, the four men met on deck to plan strategy and drink beer. (Please note that Seaworthy

doesn’t condone drinking underway; we’re just reporting what happened.) Several beers later, one of the men (“feeling bulletproof”) threw a blanket over the still-flailing Conger and smacked it a few times with the gaff. This worked, at least for a while. After the dazed eel was “safely” stowed in the cooler, the four men resumed drinking beer and were laughing about what had just happened, when, in a scene right out of Friday the 13th, the lid flew off the cooler and the Conger sprang back out. It took all four men, armed with blankets, gaffs, chairs, etc., to get the eel back into the cooler, this time with

the lid tied down and stuff piled on top.

Eighteen hours later, back at the dock, nobody wanted to open the cooler. The account in The Seabreeze News ended with the men doing “Rock, paper, scissors” to see who would take the lid off.

B

underway; we’re just reporting what happened.) Several beers later, one of the men (“feeling bulletproof”) threw a blanket over the still-flailing Conger and smacked it a few times with the gaff. This worked, at least for a while. After the dazed eel was “safely” stowed in the cooler, the four men resumed drinking beer and were laughing about what had just happened, when, in a scene right out of the lid flew off the cooler and the Conger sprang back out. It took all four men, armed with blankets, gaffs, chairs, etc., to get the eel back into the cooler, this time with Photo: Dr. Robert A. Patzner

Towing ServiceIt's never too early to start thinking about upgrading your on-the-water Towing Service. By spending a little money now, you can save hundreds out of your wallet the next time you need a tow, fuel drop or battery jump. Call 1-800-888-4869 or upgrade online at BoatUS.com/towing.

The Ultimate Fish Story

oatU.S., the nation’s leading recreational boating association, recently announced an alliance with BASS, the nation’s leading fishing association. So to help kick off this exciting new relationship, Seaworthy is going to publish its first-ever fish story! It is taken from an account by Steve Hoyland, Sr. in The Seabreeze News, “The Bayside’s [Texas] Favorite Newspaper.”

The adventure began when four men ventured 120 miles offshore on an overnight fishing trip. At about 3 a.m., two of the men went below and fell asleep while the other two remained on deck and continued fishing. One of the men got a hit and spent 20 minutes bringing up a really big fish. According to the Seabreeze article, the two men peered over the side of the boat but couldn’t tell what they had caught. They said it looked “prehistoric.”

It turns out it was a Conger eel, a really big Conger eel, one of the “10

most diabolical fish on earth!” according to a web site that tracks that sort of thing. Congers are known for their sharp teeth and, as the four men were about to learn, their nasty dispositions.

Using a gaff, they hoisted the Conger onto the deck, where it immediately “went crazy.” One of the men said it reared its head and kept striking at them like a rattlesnake. It even looked like a rattlesnake or maybe an anaconda—it was over six feet long and weighed almost 100 pounds. The attack (remember the teeth) continued until it finally flopped down into the cabin, which was good news for the men on deck but bad news for the two men sleeping down below. One of the men woke up and saw the Conger staring him in his face. The other man grabbed a 9mm pistol, which, if you think about it, would have created more problems than it solved. Someone yelled, “Don’t shoot the gun in the boat!”According to The Seabreeze News, as the two men were scurrying out of the cabin, one of them screamed like a girl.

With the Conger below, the four men met on deck to plan strategy and drink beer. (Please note that Seaworthy doesn’t condone drinking underway; we’re just reporting what happened.) Several beers later, one of the men (“feeling bulletproof”) threw a blanket over the still-flailing Conger and smacked it a few times with the gaff. This worked, at least for a while. After the dazed eel was “safely” stowed in the cooler, the four men resumed drinking beer and were laughing about what had just happened, when, in a scene right out of Friday the 13th, the lid flew off the cooler and the Conger sprang back out. It took all four men, armed with blankets, gaffs, chairs, etc., to get the eel back into the cooler, this time with the lid tied down and stuff piled on top.

Eighteen hours later, back at the dock, nobody wanted to open the cooler. The account in The Seabreeze News ended with the men doing “Rock, paper, scissors” to see who would take the lid off.

BPhoto: Dr. Robert A. Patzner

the boatu.s. marine insurance and damage … insurance and damage avoidance report. ... i worked for...

Documents