Dennis & Bethann!

I could have sworn I sent an email notifying you, but I just checked my Sent mail here on TheBoaters, and apparently, that was all in my mermaid head. ;-)

I'm so glad you got to see it and that Bruce gave you the head's up (thanks to you, Bruce!).

Yes, please send me your mailing address and let me know if you prefer khaki or navy, and we'll get it out the door to you ASAP. I'll email you now and you can just hit reply.

Thanks - and sorry about the confusion.

~Julie

Jonothan - Two-cents worth? Pshaw! Your comments are worth a cargo ship's freight's weight in gold! ;-) Thank you for your valuable contribution and insight into the issue!

You make a great point that it's about so much more than just less emissions (so many "easy" answers, eh?)...Producing the amount of electricity required for hydrolysis is hardly a pollution-free process. So what? Solar panels? Pricey. And the production of those? More trouble. (Although, here's something interesting that even Google's founders have invested in: Nanosolar Powersheets: http://www.popsci.com/popsci/flat/bown/2007/green/item_59.html - (you'll have to copy and paste).

I think you nailed the problem in this statement: "but countries that rely on oil production and refinement have always been against hydrogen development."

When it comes to viable and safe solutions, there are so many intriguing options yet to be explored.(Tempted to talk cold and focus fusion experiments, but nuclear talk is a worse can o' worms, I'm afraid.) But in the end, dream energy sources don't win market share. :-)

~Julie

P.S. You have my permission to sink all Japanese whale boats.

In today's episode of TheBoaters.TV (79), Alicia reports on the recent crude oil spill in South Korea--which happened just five miles off Mallipo beach, some 93 miles southwest of Seoul. The region is known for its scenic beaches and is home to a national maritime park, which is an important refueling stop for migratory birds.

The spill, the worst in South Korean history and the world's worst in nearly five years, was caused when a crane barge punched holes into the oil tanker.

And check it out: The 10,500 tons of spilled oil is visible in this image captured by the European Space Agency (as seen on Dec. 11 at 10:40 a.m.):

[IMG]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z30/theboaterstv/oil-spill-md.jpg[/IMG]

Pretty crazy when you see it from this vantage point.

Recovery of the oil has been painfully slow and the Maritime Ministry conceded it was not properly prepared for such a disaster and did not have enough equipment.

According to U.N. spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs, the United Nations is sending environmental experts to assess damage from the spill following a formal request from South Korean authorities for international assistance.

The team of experts will evaluate equipment needed for clean-up in the open sea and help assess the medium and long-term environmental damage. The United Nations has previously sent experts to help with oil spill accidents in Lebanon and the Ukraine, as well as a toxic waste spill in Ivory Coast.

~JP

In today's episode of TheBoaters.TV (79), Alicia tells us about another new hyrid propulsion system for boats:

Austrian companies STEYR MOTORS (www.steyr-motors.com), the manufacturer of light-weight diesel motors, and Frauscher Bootwerks (www.frauscherboats.com), the manufacturer of 80 years worth of boats and combustion engines, have collaborated the first serial Hybrid Propulsion System for pleasure boats, which they will be launching at "Boot Düsseldorf" in January 2008.

The companies' press releases tell us the new propulsion system not only assures zero emission, low speed maneuvering in harbors, and noiseless drive on inland waters and nature reserves, but also eliminates the need for separate generator units for other onboard equipment.

The "zero emission" electric drive mode allows for a speed of 5 knots using solely electric propulsion and switches to the combustion engine with an easy turn of the ignition key. Then, similar to the hybrid system in Lexus hybrids, the electric motor can provide a boost to the system for a quicker acceleration into the planning phase, thereby lowering fuel consumption and improving response and dynamics.

So what do you think?

The wave of the future?

The Volitan is a new lightweight and futuristic concept boat that is keeping in step with environmentally friendly, "green" design efforts: the boat is designed to be powered by solid sails, wind, and solar energy.

Her name comes from a word meaning "flying fish" and it suits her well. Check her out in this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6VjM2zrLkk

The Volitan's systems are controlled and optimized by a networked computer. Wind and solar energy are stored while sailing- giving you enough power to stay through the day and night.

Dynamic stability is the key to the wing design. The wings are designed to automatically fold up in extreme weather conditions. The Volitan is engineered to operate in 60 miles of wind.

Dr. Hakan Gursu and assistant director Sozum Dogan can take credit for this beauty.The boat holds the title to the International Design 2007 award for best nautical boat and best transportation vehicle of the year.

To learn more visit www.DesignNobis.com.

Let us know what you think of her -- or even solar-powered boats in general!

For all you anglers out there...planning your next fishing trip just got a little easier thanks to www.BoatUSAngler.com: A new fishing and charter locator has been added to the site.

The website is the online home of BoatU.S. Angler, a membership program offered through the Boat Owner's Association of the United States that offers services, fishing tips and safety information just for trailer boat anglers.

According to BoatU.S. Angler Director Mike Pellerin: "Whether you are thinking about staying in state or traveling across the country, BoatUSAngler.com can help you make the right choice when seeking professionals and other charter operators." Anglers can easily search by region, state or even by species.

The Fishing Guide and Charter locator also includes an informal rating system that allows customers to share their experiences online. Pellerin adds, "it's always good to know what your peers have to say about their fishing experience."

Alicia tried the site out and found it very user-friendly. She recommends the Scales and Tales cartoons by Bill McElroy too. (Funny!)

If you've tried out the site, let us know what you think!

Uh, that was in your best interest, Ken. Last guy who tried that I hear just got sight back in his right eye. Shame about the left one.

(J/K!)

;-)

~JP

Thanks for the birthday wishes, guys!

The gray hair decided to hold off one more year (but I'm kinda thinking it's about time).

Meanwhile, it was a great weekend!

THANKS!!

~JP

Thanks Alicia! ~JP

Anyone else partaking in any holiday boat parades this weekend? We wanna see some pics if you've got 'em. Especially if you're decorating your OWN boat!

If you want participate in the holiday boat parades, in Episode 76 of TBTV, we gave you some tips on decorating your boat for the holidays (or ANY DAY! for that matter).

These tips came from eHow.com:

[Cut and paste: http://www.ehow.com/how2103956decorate-boat-christmas-boat-parade.html ]

Step One: Make a decorating plan for your boat. Choose a theme!

Step Two: Buy only decorations and Christmas lights that are rated for outdoor use. Make sure you have enough batteries if you are using battery-operated lights.

Step Three: Use rope lights whenever possible on your boat–they are easier to string. Also make sure you use plenty of lights so spectators can see your decorations from far away!

Step Four: Decorate with two to three color combinations only. If you use too many colors your boat could become a blur to spectators because of the reflection on the water.

Step Five: After you decorate your boat, post all pictures up on TheBoaters.com! We hope to see TONS of festive photos in the coming weeks!

Speaking of which: Captain Harold! I'm still awaiting those Vegas theme pics!!

Happy Holidays, Everyone! ~JP

A story from TBTV EP 76 - Comments and opinions welcomed. What do you think of these Sealegs RIBs?

In Australia, a Sealegs Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) has set a new world record for being the fastest on-water speed for an amphibious vehicle. The vessel covered .500 meters of water in Sydney Harbor, setting a World Record time of just under 18 seconds!

Sealegs amphibious boats range from 6.1 meters to 7.1 meters (or 20 to 24 feet, for those of you playing along at home in the U.S.) -- and for standard use are paired with 90 to 150 Horsepower standard outboard motors, which are able to propel the boats through the water at speeds of up to 40 knots.

On land, the all-terrain wheels are driven by a small independent four-stroke motor coupled with a hydraulic pump system powering the boat to speeds of up to 10kph (6.2 mph).

Sealegs isn’t new to breaking World Records. The vessel already holds the Guinness World Record for smashing Sir Richard Branson’s crossing of the English Channel in an amphibious vehicle in 2005. (Well the nerve!!! J/K! But I'm a huge SRB fan, and I don't like people beating his records!)

Have you checked out the video of what these Sealegs vehicles look like? (Episode 76) Three wheels? What do you think? Useful? (It goes 6.2 mph on land.)

~JP

Thanks, Ken! That is very sweet of you.

Have a great weekend on your trip!

~JP

On today's episode of TheBoaters.TV, Alicia covered the latest news coming from West Marine, Incorporated.

Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions.

The president and CEO of West Marine, Inc., Peter Harris, has called it quits.

This news probably comes as no surprise to those of you who've watching the company's less than stellar performance during Harris's three-year tenure: West Marine’s financial results have been disappointing–-resulting in many store closures around the nation.

West Marine Board Chairman and company founder Randy Repass says,"It has been a tough period for our entire industry. The difficult management decisions Peter had to make along the way have produced encouraging progress on a number of important fronts and set the stage for further operational improvements in the period ahead. We wish Peter well in his future endeavors."

Geoff Eisenberg has been named as Harris’ successor. Harris has agreed to be a good sport and assist with the transition through the end of the year.

Eisenberg is a past CEO of Salz Leathers Incorporated and a past CEO of Greenhorn Creek Associates. Eisenberg most recently ran The Eisenberg Company, specializing in CEO training and professional management development.

Do you think this will mean a turn around for West Marine? Is it just the economy? Can Eisenberg as CEO save this sinking ship?

Do you think West Marine should advertise on TheBoaters.TV and TheBoaters.com? (WINK - had to put that in there!)

~JP & Alicia - TBTV

today's episode (77) of TheBoaters.TV, Alicia gives us some great ideas for affordable holiday gift ideas for boaters.

Here are her suggestions. Please feel free to contribute your own!

Shurhold Industries offers two great holiday gift ideas for that special boater in your life:

1. Boaters will appreciate the clever Dock-A-Reni dockline holding tool. The Dock-A-Reni eliminates the hassle of tying up. This gadget is easily attached to any boat pole with its integrated Velcro strap, and the UV-resistant tool holds a dockline loop. Shurhold’s Dock-A-Reni retails for $9.95

2. Another options is the Encyclopedia of Boating Tips DVD. With three hours of video and LOADS of bonus material, Shurhold’s Encyclopedia of Boating Tips DVD covers everything from anchors to zincs. The cost on this useful resource is $24.95.

You can find both of these great gifts at www.FishingWorld.com.

For the ladies, how about a nice boat tote? You can personalize with that special lady’s initials, and it comes in small, medium, and large. Featured in “In Style” magazine and available on www.LLBean.com, the small tote retails for $22 and the large size is $36!

Any other "Santas" out there with recommendations, please share them!

Happy holidays everyone!

~JP and Alicia - TBTV

I don't like to hear that about Lexington. I'm heading home for Xmas to Indianapolis...I've been in Florida so long that I don't have winter clothes anymore!

I'm going to FREEZE! S.O.S.!

~JP

Congrats Howard! I received the email., and your DVD's on it's way!

Glad it went to a sailor! :-) Congrats!

Thanks for your kind comments about the show, too!

All my best,

~Julie

WOW! That's some entry! WE really need to get a formatting/HTML editor in here, huh? Give that puppy some body!?

Good stuff though.

In Episode 13 of TheBoaters.TV, we covered John Vigor's "Interdenominational Boat Denaming / Renaming Ceremony"

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FGnMVxsMxCU

It was VERY early in the game for my on-air "persona," so it's a bit tough to get through (SUPER fast talking!...and if I moved my head around anymore, I would've probably knocked myself out), BUT, story 3 is about this ceremony of DE and REnaming boats.

Nice to see it in your blog, too. Great entry, Bruce!

~Julie

Great Jason. I watched and rated it for you with both my personal account and that of TheBoaters.TV. Hope it helps!

~Julie

Thanks to each of you for entering the contest!

Wow - 11 entries...That means people actually watch our show!? ;-)

We really do appreciate all your kind comments here. Many thanks from me, and the entire TBTV crew!

And, if you haven't already caught today's episode (77) of TBTV, we have two lucky winners of the Acqua Films Antigua Classic DVD to announce. [But still make sure you watch the show: our new host/anchor, Alicia Gentile, makes her debut today and helps me pick the winners (so you can blame her if you didn't win...J/K!).]

OUR DVD WINNERS: 1. Howard Gilbert 2. Greg Person

And....well, OKAY, so we made a slight error! (Slight? More like MAJOR!)

Alicia and I announced the winners as Howard Gilbert and Greg Person (as you'll see, they were drawn on the show), but THEN, Julie sent the notes over to our editor, Juan, and accidentally gave him the wrong link! (Uhhhh, yeah, I know: BLONDE MOMENT!)

SO, on the video, you see the profile for Charles Hutchinson (a winner in my book, I guess, since I screwed up and gave Juan that link!). I didn't notice the error until this morning when I posted the blog. BUT, to make it up to Charles (since we showed his profile in the episode), I'm sending him a consolation prize!

Charles, please send over your mailing address via TheBoaters.com email, because I'm sending you not only a TheBoaters hat (let me know if you prefer khaki or navy), but ALSO, an autographed copy of my book!

I know it's probably not in your plans to ever become a luxury superyacht stewardess, BUT, I promise the book has plenty of interesting tid bits about superyachts in general, and with regard to the memoir portion, I promise a chuckle on every page! (Or so, I like to think it's funny!)

Just let me know if you plan on giving it away as a gift, and I'll autograph it accordingly.

SO, with that, we have THREE winners in the competition!

As for Howard and Greg -- A BIG CONGRATS! Please email me via TheBoaters.com email with your mailing addresses, and we'll get your DVDs out ASAP.

Again, thank you ALL for participating. More contests to come in the future, for sure!

~Julie

Thanks guys! Your comments are very sweet - AND appreciated.

(And Charles, I'm working on it!)

Happy holidays, everyone!

~JP

Here is another story covered in Episode 75 of TheBoaters.TV (December 10th). Feel free to contribute any tips of your own!

Good ol' Boat U.S. has opened its insurance claims files to tell us more about sailboat sinkings - and how they can be prevented.

By examining case files, they found that striking a submerged object caused 40 percent of sailboat sinkings in their records, and a broken prop shaft or strut was responsible for 16 percent of the sinkings.

According to Marine Insurance Techincal Director Bob Adriance, prop shaft corrosion seems to be a bigger issue with sailboats than with powerboats because they aren't run as often, allowing corrosion to set in.

We can read about the facts and statistics all day, but what can you do to prevent your boat from sinking? Here are five tips to keep you afloat:

ONE: Anytime your boat hits bottom, immediately inspect the bilge and keel bolts or centerboard pennant and hinge. You can't be too safe- double check your boat later to make sure everything is in tact!

TWO: Inspect all below the waterline fittings, hoses, and hardware. If the fitting isn't long enough, it's a good practice to have two marine-rated stainless steel clamps on all hose ends. Hoses showing signs of rot should be replaced! It wouldn't be a bad idea to make this a routine about twice a year.

THREE: Stuffing boxes should NEVER leak at rest. Replace the packing if leaking persists after the packing gland nut has been tightened.

FOUR: Don't ignore through-hull fittings or hoses that are installed about the waterline. While they appear "safe" above the water level- they can leak when heeled over in a seaway OR when snow or ice forces the boat under.

FIVE: A winter haul out is the perfect time to inspect the prop shaft and cutless bearing.

If you guys have any tips of your own to prevent sailboat sinking feel free to share them here!

In today's episode of TheBoaters.TV (EP 75), we delivered the following story about last week's near collision between Team Hugo Boss and a merchant cargo ship. I'm pasting in the script from today's show, and I've updated the end with the current race standings as of December 10th.

Note that since we shot our episode last Friday, Hugo Boss has moved to 3rd position, while French team, PRB (who was in first) has fallen back to 7th! (They broke their mast over the weekend!)

I think the story of the incident between Hugo Boss and the cargo ship demonstrates the importance of maintaining a proper look-out at sea. You know, the basics! ;-)

For those who are interested, I've even added a bit more from the original story--which ran on the BarcelonaWorldRace.com website--about what Team Hugo Boss had to do in order to avoid this close encounter:

If you've been following the Barcelona World Race, you no doubt heard about last week's scary close encounter, near collision between team Hugo Boss and a merchant cargo ship.

Apparently, Skipper Alex Thomson had spotted the oncoming ship when she was still a good 5 miles away. So, why did the two boats remain on a collision course for so long?

Well, the fault goes to: the cargo ship.

According to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, published by the IMO: Every vessel must at all times keep a proper look-out by sight (day shape or lights by eyes or visual aids), hearing (sound signal or Marine VHF radio) and all available means (e.g. Radar, ARPA, AIS, GMDSS...) in order to judge if risk of collision exists" (Part B, Section I - 5).

Although the crew on Hugo Boss was keeping a proper look-out, the commercial ship was not. They even failed to see the flares that Alex Thomson and Andrew Cape launched shortly after spotting it.

Secondly, those same regulations state that "Except in narrow channels, traffic schemes, and when overtaking (i.e. rules 9, 10, and 13), A power-driven vessel must give way to (...) a sailing vessel" (Part B, Section II - 18).

Again, fault goes to the cargo ship, whose responsibility it was to steer away from the sailing Open 60. It never happened...

Now how about the process of avoiding a collision?

One has to bear in mind that a powerful racer like an IMOCA Open 60 is subject to a rather subtle and quite precarious balance, and cannot be handled like a car, despite the fact that the analogy is often used between these boats and Formula1 machines.

When the incident occurred, Hugo Boss was sailing with a sail area of roughly 550 square metres, including the big gennaker (downwind foresail) known as the "big fella" for obvious reasons. To counteract the effect of the wind on the sails and keep the boat stable, IMOCA Open 60s are fitted with a canting keel (movable counterweight) and water ballasts. In the best of cases it takes two men about twenty minutes to actually complete a gybe (i.e. changing direction when sailing downwind) without taking the risk of breaking any gear, which at 15 knots amounts to 5 miles covered... a definite collision in this case.

Simply altering the course by a few degrees could have been an option without actually triggering the whole maneuvre, but it proved insufficient in this precise case, as Alex explained, "Capey had tried sailing high and low, but the ship seemed to alter course to keep us in their sights. We had no choice but to put Hugo Boss head to wind and over we went, sails flogging and mast nearly in the water."

Hugo Boss ended up on its side because the wind pressure was insignificant on the sails, preventing the boat from being balanced and remaining upright.

A VERY close call. And this is an incident that underlines the importance of a proper look-out and the basics of seamanship.

They did make out alright, and hey - it didn't effect their position, from December 6th – 7th, Hugo Boss set a new 24-hour record for monohulls up to 60 foot – 492.7 miles - and as of this morning (December 10th), they are in 3rd place.

Here are the current standings: 1 Paprec Virbac 2, DTF: 16,809 2 Veolia Environnement, DTF: + 110 3 Hugo Boss, DTF: +197 4 Delta Dore, DTF: + 409 5 Temenos 2, DTF: + 819 6 Mutua Madrileña, DTF: + 1194 7 PRB, DTF: + 1203 (NOTE: PRB has been in the lead last week, but there mast was broken over the weekend! See the story in our News section on the homepage of TheBoaters.com) 8 Estrella Damm, DTF: + 1430 9 Educación Sin Fronteras, DTF: + 1934

Hey all - and seasons greetings!

I am putting together a story for next week on holiday boat parades and other holiday festivities & soirees boating communities (the OFF-line ones, anyway! ;-)) are putting together. I've heard from one TheBoaters member (Capt. Harold Jenkinson -- today's "SEA-Lebrity Profile Pick of the Day" on TBTV) thus far who said his marina is having a "Christmas in Vegas" theme. Capt. Harold said one guy has built a Luxor-style pyramid around his Sea Ray 40DA, while another boater in that marina is going for the Eifel Tower effect. Too fun! I won't give away which Vegas casino-theme Harold's planning on emulating with his boat (will leave that up to him), because that might be spoiling the great photos I hope he'll be posting here on TheBoaters next week!

Meanwhile, if anyone else has some fun and festive stories (or Event Announcements!) to share of what they or other boaters, marinas, water-side towns, etc are doing to celebrate the holidays, please let us know here. And post photos if you can! [SEE FAQ LINK AT BOTTOM OF PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO POST HOSTED PHOTOS] ...If I get enough in time, we may be able to share them in next week's TBTV episode (probably Wed or Fri).

Or HEY - if you have any pics from last year in order to show-off an annual event you'll be attending over the next few weeks, please share those too! The more the MERRIER! :-)

~JP

This story was covered today on TheBoaters.TV (Episode 73) -

Feel free to comment if you have any further details or opinions to share (including experiences obtaining USCG licensing now or in the past - let's see if these changes start to make a difference over the next year!)...

The U.S. Coast Guard has announced that it is making headway on its attempts to centralize the Mariner Licensing and Documentation Program.

This month, the NMC will consolidate the functions of 17 independently operating Regional Exam Centers (RECs) into one credential-processing facility in Martinsburg, WV -- a project it began back in 2005.

The goal of this effort is to improve customer service, decrease credential processing time, and improve the consistency of Coast Guard products and services.

Mariners will continue to use the existing regional existing centers in various ports across the nation for face-to-face customer service and to ensure their applications are ready for evaluation by the NMC. Once an application is accepted at one of these regional centers, it will be sent directly to the NMC for processing, and the NMC will then send issued credentials directly to Mariners.

This is just one example of how the NMC is embracing technology to improve customer service and reduce the time it takes for mariners to receive their credentials.

In fact, they say we can one day look forward to mariners being able to upgrade or renew their credentials on demand from any location in the world, much like you can access your bank account from an ATM.

The goal is to have the entire centralization process competed by December 31, 2008.

For more information, please visit the U.S. Coast Guard's Website at www.uscg.mil.

Hi Donna! Great! Thanks for the head's up on what sounds like a SUPER fun event!

~Julie

Awesome - keep 'em coming! We'll draw for the winner out of those names submitted here during next Wednesday's Show (Episode 76, Dec. 12).

Thanks everyone for your support.

Be sure to check out AcquaFilms.com, too, for some other cool classic yacht sailing videos!

The trailer for their 2006 film is available there, and it has the S/Y "Maltese Falcon" (Tom Perkin's sailing yacht -- the largest privately-owned sailing yacht in the world at 289.1-feet). Here's the link to cut and paste: http://www.acquafilms.com/syc06.html - they include some shots from onboard. It's awesome!

Best of luck in the contest! ~Julie

Cool Laurie! And we're glad to have you here, too.

Thanks for joining - and welcome!

~Julie

Jason, That link above to the FAQ question: http://www.theboaters.com/dev/support/faq#q14

You will also find information there on how to post images in the forums.

You can also find people playing trial and error with it in the forum thread on Larry Ellison's "Rising Sun." (Some pretty fab pics to check out in that one, too!)

~JP

Hey guys - In our FAQ section, we have added the HTML code for a banner you can post on your websites, blogs, MySpace pages, etc.

Simply visit our FAQ section or copy paste this direct link: http://www.theboaters.com/dev/support/faq#q14

You will find the code there.

It will end up looking like this (pretty fly!): [img]http://www.theboaters.com/banners/theboaters-320x220.jpg[/img]

Post and promote away, my boaters! :-)

~JP

Well Ken, hopefully you catch today's episode (72).

You've FINALLY been rewarded for your great profiles and awesome contributions to the Forums here.

Thanks - we appreciate you!

(Khaki or Navy - and your mailing address - please send these to me in an email here at TheBoaters.com - thanks!),

~Julie

To learn more of what this is about, tune in to Wednesday's episode (73) of TheBoaters.TV.

Thanks!

~Julie

P.S. Meanwhile, check out www.AcquaFilms.com's website - there's a very cool video trailer for their 2007 Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta film!

Thanks for the feedback, Ken - it was a fun show.

Glad you could tune in!

~Julie

Ahoy Boaters,

Julie here (haha!). I will be on the World of Boating radio show on Saturday, December 1st from 1 to 3PM EST if you care to tune in!

The World of Boating radio show (devoted exclusively to the boating lifestyle!) airs live every Saturday from 1-3pm EST on Sirius Satellite Radio channel #122.

You can also access it online by visiting www.WorldofBoating.com or more specifically, at this link below: http://www.navquest.com/cms/cms.asp?myAction=view&cmsid=257&leftnumber=0

There is a replay on Sunday, Dec. 2 from 9-11am EST.

The show does also air on about 40 or so local radio stations around the country. If you'd like to find out if it's on in your area, here is the link to that list: http://www.navquest.com/cms/cms.asp?myAction=view&cmsid=11&leftnumber=0

And (last link, I promise), they also have live chat during the show. Access it here: http://chat.navquest.com/chat/

We'd love to have you tune in and join us!

Have a great weekend,

~Julie

Hey Jen - I am so sorry you didn't see a narrowboat category...I could've sworn we had one. I happen to be a huge fan of canal boats (in fact, in episode 16 of TheBoaters.TV, we featured some narrowboat time-lapse videos from our friend Nic Chilton over at http://www.Narrowboat.org.uk.

Here's the link to the episode: http://www.theboaters.tv/2007/07/23/16-recreational-boating-act-2007-tuna-trolling-narrowboat-vlogging/

And you can check out more of Nic's videos on YouTube.

Are you sure it wasn't in the list? That might just be via the Facebook application, for one of our original beta testers on the site, Andrew Denny, has a profile for his narrowboat, "Granny Buttons" that can be found here:

http://www.theboaters.com/dev/boats/profile?boatId=82

...and I see the model "narrowboat" having been included.

Perhaps you could try to reload the boat directly here on TheBoaters.com? I'll check with our tech team to make sure it's included on all registration areas.

Because YES: narrowboats are more than welcomed here on TheBoaters. We dig 'em!

Thanks for your helpful feedback! ~Julie

P.S. The member I mention above, Andrew Denny, also runs a very cool blog about narrowboats that you may already be familiar with: http://www.grannybuttons.com.

Haha! OH, believe me: we've had PLENTY of blooper moments. Our poor video editor, Juan, has had his patience tested on numerous occasions.

And yeah: some of the more blatant errors weren't always caught in time. Like calling Alysha a guy! (That was terrible!) ... And there are many others that I won't point out in the case you never caught them! :-)

Meanwhile, we still have all of our blooper material from our first 30 or so episodes, but after that, we began capturing our shoots straight into the computer, where we can then cut out and do away with any outtakes FOREVER.

Erased. Gone. No more. (So Juan has nothing to blackmail me with now!) ;-)

We did include one of our best "JP screw-ups" in the 50th Anniversary Episode - when I couldn't pronounce the name Constantine K Constantiou.

And actually, in today's episode (71), we put a clip of me practicing the pronunciation of the most difficult name I've had to take on to date: "Vyasateja Jyothigowdanapura." (whoa - that one is tough!) We included it after the rolling credits.

Perhaps over the holiday week we'll have Juan edit together some of our doozies from the first 30 episodes and air those. Thanks for the suggestion, Jeff... er... Jim... uhhhh: JASON!

Have a good weekend everyone! And be sure to tune in tomorrow (Saturday) to the World of Boating radio show (I'll post something separate in a moment), as I'll be on the air with them from 1PM to 3PM (http://www.WorldofBoating.com to listen online).

The more direct link to access the streaming audio show: http://www.navquest.com/cms/cms.asp?myAction=view&cmsid=257&leftnumber=0

And there's live chat here: http://chat.navquest.com/chat/

If you want to see if it's playing on a local radio station near you: http://www.navquest.com/cms/cms.asp?myAction=view&cmsid=11&leftnumber=0

And finally, if you have Sirius Sat Radio, it's on Channel 122.

This will be live - so bloopers can't be cut. Should be fun!

Thanks so much, everyone, for your continued support of TheBoaters.TV - from our entire crew (Juan and Rolando included!).

~Julie (who Jason is allowed to call Judy ... OH, and who Alysha can call a dude. LOL - okay, maybe not.) ;-)

Hi Alysha - First of all, I want to apologize that I was under the impression from reading the posts here that you were male. Sorry about that! I saw "Rya51" and made the connection to the name Ryan for some reason. We shot the episode before I was able to go and take a closer look at your profile for "Zircon."

Thanks for the additional information on your boat!

To watch the episode, you can either visit our vlog page at www.TheBoaters.TV (Episode 70) - or what's even easier is to just visit the homepage here on TheBoaters.com, where you will see our YouTube feed for today's episode. That will change over around midnight tonight though.

I hope someone who can provide information for you sees it! Best of luck, ~Julie

"Power vs. Sail?"

I believe I speak on behalf of both camps when I say: "Them's fightin' words."

;-)

Battle on!...

~ Julie

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Hey Norman (a.k.a Marine Fire Guy) - those yachties don't have it all bad though. (If they don't have guests onboard, anyway. Pays to be in a shipyard this time of year. :-))

I've got three pit stops to make today, two of which are on yachts where the crew were lucky enough NOT to be cooking and serving for guests - but rather, for themselves! While I would prefer to be home in Indianapolis with my family (saving that trip for Xmas), I'm looking forward to spending the day with good friends.

And hey: Enjoying a Turkey Day feast prepared by a culinary-trained chef while seated on the aft deck of a 178-foot yacht? Priceless. ;-)

Wish me luck. Someone will probably have to roll me home after all the eatin' I've got ahead of me today!

Bon appétit! ~Julie

P.S. The entire crew at TheBoaters.com and TheBoaters.TV are very thankful to have all you passionate boaters onboard here with us!

Yee haw! Gentlemen (and Ladies), meet Ken's (and Bona Fide's) fish well - ABOVE. Sans vinyl and marine carpet. ;-)

Okay, Ken, when posting with the options on Photobucket in the future, go with the fourth option down. The one that reads IMG Code. That did the trick.

~Julie

Let's see if this works:

[IMG]http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w189/dogblues64/Picture600.jpg[/IMG]

Hey Ken (night owl, i see!)! Not sure why that photo isn't showing up.

The first person to try the new forum pic capability was over in the thread regarding Ellison's toy boat. ;-)

Anyway: the instructions given to him there were: "Images are working now if you use the BBCode style of [img]http://...[/img] (without the *s, of course)."

It looks like that's what you were doing. I was able to cut and paste it to see the pic. I'll check with the tech team to see what's up with the links you're using.

~JP

Hope you got to see today's episode of TheBoaters.TV (Episode 65) with our coverage of the Barcelona World Race.

Be sure to see the bit about their interactive BWR 3D viewer/tracker. You can register at http://www.liveskipper.com and sail along in the competition (just like fantasy football!). It's the coolest thing. For anyone wishing to follow this race, the organizers have offered so much incredible stuff on both LiveSkipper.com and the main BWR website: daily photos, video conferences via satellite with the teams, audio interviews. It's terrific.

We'll be sure to offer updates over the next three months on TBTV, too.

~Julie

Hey, yeah, and that website is superb! www.BarcelonaWorldRace.com

I was just researching it for Wed's episode of TheBoaters.TV, and they have an incredible amount of cool photos and round-the-clock updates. They're even featuring video conferences with the teams.

Go under their Multimedia center and they've got tons of photos, audio and vidoe files - Very cool stuff!

~Julie

SWEET!

Those photos are amazing! What is the name on the blue-hulled boat? I can't make it out.

~Julie

P.S. Posting photos is going to make this forum so much fun -- Thanks David! :-)

No worries - we can cut and paste. It is an impressive sight!

Still baffled on the all-male crew though. On a sailing yacht, I can see it; but a motoryacht? And for such a Casanova as Larry Ellison?

Armani keeps an all-male crew on his boat, but that's for a far different reason, I'm sure.

~JP

Mowat,

Just saw this story come up in the News feature on TheBoaters: Barcelona World Race Estrella Damm prepares for the start

http://www.theboaters.com/dev/news/story.php?title=BarcelonaWorldRaceEstrellaDammpreparesforthestart

Reminded me that I have to get going on covering this for TheBoaters TV! ~Julie

Hey Stuart (stu987) - While I can't help you on getting sail time, I can tell you that the Fort Myers Boat Show is going on November 8-11 (which you may have figured out by now if you're already in town). If not: www.fortmyersboatshow.com.

I'll bet that would be a good way to meet some local boaters. Just use some of that Hoosier charm on 'em and you'll surely get out on the water! ;-)

(By the way, I started a group today for Indiana boaters - you should come aboard!) ~Julie

• The Mini Cooper = Mastercraft correlation is interesting.

• When I worked on superyachts, we always referred to Feadship as the Rolls Royce of large yachts (80 ft+).

• And I suppose now we have to say that Fearless equates to the Porsche of powerboats.

Fun thread!

~JP

Cool!

I read in Power and Motoryacht's World's Largest 2007 article by Diane Byrne that Rising Sun only has eight cabins. Shocking for a boat that size. (Wonder how much space the master cabin takes up.)

Did he really have an all-male crew? That seems odd. Maybe it was his wife's request. ;-) (Not that she should worry - have you seen her?? Stunning.)

~JP

Hey Mowat - Great topic. I think this would make a great story for TheBoaters TV. I'll check it out and put a story together for an upcoming episode.

Thanks for the tip -- I'll be sure to refer people back to this forum to discuss.

And welcome aboard! ~Julie

AH! Just found one more. This one was news to me:

When buying fuel, you should try to buy it in the morning hours. Gas is considered to be denser with less heat in the air and you will get more boating bang for your buck.

~JP

Whoops! Looks like the question is asked in two places.

I'll go ahead and paste the same comment in here since it looks like Prowler's already been on the prowl to answer. ;-)

I don't have any specifics on where to go, but I do have some information here that we delivered in our first episode of TheBoaters TV. Maybe some of these tips would be helpful (straight from the script):

• You could try to buy less-expensive gasoline at roadside service stations.
• Maybe cut back on taking long trips.
• Let your engines cool a little more often instead of running them all day.

Or how about these helpful tips for getting better fuel efficiency out of your boat (therefore saving you money at the gas docks):

• Make sure the hull of your boat is clean. Especially if your boat has been sitting in the water for a long time. A clean hull will reduce underwater drag and you’ll cruise through the water much easier; resulting in lower fuel consumption.
• Follow the basic rule: keep your engine well tuned. It’ll use fuel more efficiently, reduce your fuel consumption, and your engine will live longer. Not to mention a well-serviced engine will discharge fewer pollutants into the precious H20 that floats your boat.
• Avoid too much idling: When you stop, turn off your engine. And start paying attention to how much time you idle at the dock…Minimize the amount of time you spend doing THAT (most likely waiting on other people), and you’ll save money. -And before heading out, remove excess weight from your boat. The lighter the boat, the less horsepower needed to propel it. So, if you have a lot of heavy objects that you aren’t using such as big tool kits, coolers of water, skis that don’t fit anyone, leave ‘em behind. This can account for nearly 2% reduction in Miles per gallon.
• Check the weather and the tides: Brisk winds and heavy chop can quickly drain your fuel tank. And boating against the tide uses more fuel. Make the tides work to your advantage.

Hey LongJohn - I don't have any specifics on where to go, but I do have some information here that we delivered in our first episode of TheBoaters TV. Maybe some of these tips would be helpful (straight from the script):

• You could try to buy less-expensive gasoline at roadside service stations.
• Maybe cut back on taking long trips.
• Let your engines cool a little more often instead of running them all day.

Or how about these helpful tips for getting better fuel efficiency out of your boat (therefore saving you money at the gas docks):

• Make sure the hull of your boat is clean. Especially if your boat has been sitting in the water for a long time. A clean hull will reduce underwater drag and you’ll cruise through the water much easier; resulting in lower fuel consumption.
• Follow the basic rule: keep your engine well tuned. It’ll use fuel more efficiently, reduce your fuel consumption, and your engine will live longer. Not to mention a well-serviced engine will discharge fewer pollutants into the precious H20 that floats your boat.
• Avoid too much idling: When you stop, turn off your engine. And start paying attention to how much time you idle at the dock…Minimize the amount of time you spend doing THAT (most likely waiting on other people), and you’ll save money. -And before heading out, remove excess weight from your boat. The lighter the boat, the less horsepower needed to propel it. So, if you have a lot of heavy objects that you aren’t using such as big tool kits, coolers of water, skis that don’t fit anyone, leave ‘em behind. This can account for nearly 2% reduction in Miles per gallon.
• Check the weather and the tides: Brisk winds and heavy chop can quickly drain your fuel tank. And boating against the tide uses more fuel. Make the tides work to your advantage.