Thanks Joe! I LOVE doing the rules questions... and I'm thrilled to be partnered with SportFishing Magazine. It always bothered me that we lacked fishing content.

Glad you like the new format! It's more work, but worth it.

Well enjoy whatever you do! Cake is a good start!

Happy Birthday David! Any big plans??

Hi Jerry,

Didn't make it to Annapolis this year... hopefully next. Oh and the shirts... mostly ebay, believe it or not! Malls annoy me... I hate shopping, unless of course, I'm at a boat show.

Hi Scott... I just posted a little more info on it. Unfortunately the decision was made after we taped the broadcast.

Over the weekend we received word that the Super Yacht Bowl, detailed in today's podcast, has been canceled. Please see www.megayachtnews.org for details on why.... but it basically comes down to the state of the economy.

You know things are bad when even multi-millionaires can't afford to throw a Super Bowl party!

On Tuesday I told you about the Maltese Falcon's continental U.S. debut in San Francisco. There appears to be more to the story...

===========================

Tom Perkins' Yacht, Now Slightly Used 09-maltese-falcon-collison-large.jpg

Tom Perkins' extravagant sailing yacht, the Maltese Falcon, seems to have taken a bit of a bruising during its maiden voyage into the San Francisco Bay.

During a race to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society last weekend, a competing sailor in a more modest vessel ran straight into the side of the great Maltese near Treasure Island, leaving a gash and awestruck crew members behind as it sailed off into the distance: 09-maltese-falcon-aftermath-large.jpg

Yes. Some unfortunate sailor lost control of his 40-foot sloop and ran headfirst into a 289-foot, $160 million super yacht that was once the subject of its very own 60 Minutes segment.

It hurts, but this hurts worse: former venture capitalist Tom Perkins has been trying to sell his beloved Maltese Falcon for many months during what are proving to be the worst possible economic conditions for anything with a $160 million price tag. The yacht hosted 25 V.I.P. donors for the race.

It's unclear just who is at fault in the fender-bender. According to a photo shoot of the entire episode, the U.S. Coast Guard eventually caught up with the culprit.

It's also unknown if the new advertisement for the Maltese Falcon will reflect the recent damage or how much it will cost to repair.

A slightly banged up, $159 million yacht, anyone? Anyone?

by Megan Barnett

==============================

images of the collision can be found at http://lyonsimaging.smugmug.com/gallery/6142227HoUAr#386640349WnE6n

The proposed NOAA rule I covered in Episode 188 has passed.

======================================

US sets ship speed limit to protect right whales

23 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — To save a slow-moving species of whale that lives along the Atlantic coast, the government is telling ships to slow down.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday issued a 11.5-mile-per-hour speed limit for ships 65 feet or longer that travel within 23 miles of major mid-Atlantic ports, and in areas where the North Atlantic right whale breeds, feeds and migrates. The regulation will go into effect in December.

Government marine scientists had initially proposed a 34-mile-wide coastal speed zone around the ports. That recommendation was scaled back after the White House questioned the science linking ship speed to whale deaths.

The North Atlantic right whale has been protected as an endangered species since 1970. Despite warning systems and aerial surveys to locate whales in shipping lanes, only 300-400 whales remain in the wild. The major remaining threat to the species is ship strikes, which from 1997 to 2001 killed about one to two right whales per year, according to federal officials.

The speed limit will be the first put in place to protect a species along the Atlantic coast. A federal analysis issued earlier this year said that the limit could cost the shipping industry millions of dollars in lost revenue. It would affect most commercial ships, including ferries, cruise liners and even whale-watching vessels. On the Net:

* NOAA: http://www.nero.noaa.gov/shipstrike/

LOL Guys! Drives me nuts too! The guys want you to know that they're working on your account settings so you'll be able to choose which emails you want and which ones you can live without.

Hi Scott! We were discussing how long we should leave the question up... our thinking was that since it's not live tv and it can be paused, we didn't need to leave it up for a long time and Juan could just edit it to match the music. But we'll take another look at it!

Thanks Rick! Good morning everyone! I'll be away from the computer most of today and tomorrow... like yesterday, attending IBEX. Checking out what's new in the world of boat building. Saw some pretty amazing things already yesterday... I'll tell you about them on TBTV.

LOL guys!

LOL Rick! Ken... that is amazing if you can break even! How'd the showing go?

Mornin' all!

Good advice Scott... the marine industry is a pretty small world. If he's got a bad reputation out there, you'll find it easily.

Ken... any interest in your boat yet?

It always amazes me when someone is so bold/stupid as to steal a big boat... I can't imagine many get very far... especially when you take off with one that is so rare!

Boat-trackers and security systems are becoming quite popular lately... Rick I hope they find your friend's boat and she's not damage.

Good morning everyone... the coconuts are behaving today!

Thanks everyone!! Well no... not any extra help really... still just Juan and I. That's why I'm not on the forums as often as before. But the shows will be slightly shorter (hopefully making it easier to keep your attention) and we have a new "partner" we're excited about. You'll see...

Hello Dawn,

Sorry for the delay... just found the thread. Thanks Rick! It certainly is a serious situation. Most people don't know it, but female crew members (still today) are often abused aboard, and often by the captain of the ship. The abuse doesn't always get reported for many reasons... fear of losing her job for one. But think about it... if something illegal happens on land, a police station isn't far away. When something happens on the high seas, where is the woman to turn? (By the way, male sailors are also exposed to abuse!)

So it's very important that you can trust your captain. It's good you are meeting in advance before agreeing to the job/voyage. Will there be any other women aboard? I would ask him for references... more than one person you can meet or call to discuss the captain and his ways.

He certainly sounds good on paper... but hey, so did O.J.!

Other than that, trust your gut feeling. You'll know when you meet him whether you want to take such a long trip with him in small quarters.

Hope this helps some! Please keep us updated!

They need more of those signs around here Rick!

Thanks guys... yeah, the coconut didn't have any damage! What's with that? Everything's ok... it's fixed already... thank you insurance.

Ken thank you so much for spearheading this thing!!

I don't want to give anything away, but there will be some changes coming up on TBTV... all I'll tell you is that beginning Monday, it will now be a DAILY (5 days a week) show!

A late good morning to all! Went to get in the car this morning and a coconut had shattered the windshield! So I'm getting a late start to the day...

Laurie, great to have you back!

LOL guys!

Did you guys notice that the article came out last September (2007)? Wonder what's come of it?

Ken! How can you leave us!?!? I can't blame you though... looks like a great set-up. And being close to family is VERY important. One thing I HATE about South Florida... no family around.

You know what the best thing about Vegas is... NO HURRICANES!

Morning everyone... it's Friday again!

LOL KEN! Always the idea man!

Joe, how did you beat Ken with the first post!?

FROM CANADA.COM

If the boat is a-rockin', don't go a-knockin' Carmen Cheung, canada.com

You've heard of the Mile High Club, but what about the Naughtycal Mile Club? According to a new Tripharbour.ca survey, 12 per cent of Canadians have not only heard of it - they're members!

Twelve per cent of the Canadian adult population, nearly 3 million people, have joined the Naughtycal (nautical) Mile Club by having sex at sea aboard a cruise ship, according to the survey.

Of the 28 per cent of Canadians who have taken a cruise, 44 per cent have had sex aboard the ship.

The survey, conducted by Leger Marketing for Tripharbour.ca, polled a random selection of 1,030 male and female respondents aged 18 years and older.

While younger Canadians make up 33 per cent of the club members, a surprising 58 per cent of members are over the age of 45 - proving once and for all that with age comes sexual maturity.

"Cruising offers couples the opportunity to romantically and physically reconnect," says Stuart MacDonald, founder and CEO of Tripharbour.ca, a combined cruise community, cruise planning and buying website.

MacDonald believes that the distractions and inhibitions couples face at home float away as the ship sails out of port.

Couples from British Columbia and Ontario were twice as likely to have sex aboard a cruise ship than couples from Quebec, with the former at 57 and 55 per cent respectively, compared to 22 per cent of Quebecois.

More Quebeckers may soon join the ranks of the Naughtycal Mile Club, as the survey found that more than a quarter claimed they were more likely to have sex aboard a cruise ship than on a land-based resort.

While the cabin was named the most adventurous place to have sex by 28 per cent of club members, Canadians are becoming increasingly daring when it comes to where they would imagine engaging in sexual rendezvous: - Balcony, 23 per cent - Life boat, 20 per cent - Pool or hot tub, 19 per cent - Bridge, 15 per cent

Almost two-third of the men surveyed said they fantasize about having sex outside of the cabin.

MacDonald is no stranger to romancing at sea - he got engaged on a cruise ship.

"Canadians of all ages are discovering that romance can blossom at sea," he says.

You can have it!

Ugh... I'm melting!

That's what they tell me Ken! Seeing as it's still 100 degrees down here...

Ok I'll check it out... thanks Scott! I have no shame...

I think Scott has the longest streak...

Now I need someone to complain about CTC... choosing drop down box of organizing by most votes doesn't work, once it goes to two pages of captions they get all mixed up...

THANK YOU JOE and TOMM!! They didn't believe me here about the repeated friends activity!!!

Good morning everyone... Joe, glad to hear all will be covered with the repairs. I needed some good news this morning... to get over the Steeler loss.

Wow... thanks Ken and everyone who's voting! Do you think I can vote too??!?!

Morning Ken... morning everyone! FRIDAY YEAH!

Goodnight Tomm!

lol ken... may not be a woman! so true.

Good morning folks! The weekend... we're getting there!

Rick, that's too funny!

LOL Joe! I love the cute and innocent jokes!

Ken, you have good taste!

Good morning... I mean afternoon! Wow, this day is going fast...

Ken, what'd you do?

Thanks for inquiring Ken! Well funny you mention Robb and boat testing... he got to test a custom-designed center console last week and has two boat tests lined up this week! Meanwhile, I'm stuck in the office until 7 each night... lol!

lol ken!

Joe, I'm sorry to hear about the damage. It's amazing the power and unpredictability of these storms! To be so far from the coast where Ike made landfall... you'd never think it would still have that damaging power when it gets to you. Amazing...

Hi Scott... thanks for sharing your trip with us! I really enjoyed the read!

Good morning everyone! I know we've focused on the storms when they were threatening Florida and the east coast since many of us more "outspoken" folks here live in those areas.

But I just want to say that my thoughts and prayers are with Texas and the Gulf coast.

Phillip Curry! Phillip has won a gift certificate for a pair of OTB Keepers!

September's prize will be a trio of Phillips Floating Screwdrivers and The Angler 17-in-1 Multi Tool. Both products were featured in TBTV episode 163.

Congratulations Phillp!

Good to see you Bruce! We missed you...

Hey Ken! Wow it was ugly here yesterday and very loud (wind) last night... it must have been bad down there. Did you lose power?

Good morning hurricane lovers! Jerry, you must be waking up to Hanna. Check in with us later and let us know everything is alright.

Tom welcome to the Ike bubble of trouble. Tomm... would you like some visitors from the states?!?

Ken, let's hope this southerly trend continues. I've got a Steeler game to watch tomorrow at 1pm, can't be doing hurricane preps!

Good news... umm... we'll probably get a few days off work!

Saw that Ken... it's still early though! Waiting for the 2pm update.

LOL Joe! Of course!

WOW! Ken, Tom, Tomm, Joe, Frank... we're honored! Thank you for thinking of our little show! I'll have to take a look at that site.

Good morning all... Ken, thanks for putting some humor into this!

Yes Jerry we're definitely hoping Hanna falls apart for you guys up there! Ken, I hadn't seen stormpulse.. that's got some amazing features!

Good morning everyone! I'll be away from computers for most of the day... I'll check back in with you tonight.

Remember when I had to say, "Be good guys"?? Everyone, even Ken, has been behaving so well lately I haven't said it in so long!

Hey guys... I guess this weekend will be decision time. We wouldn't take the Lois Mae out of the water, but we'd probably move her further inland. We'll probably have the chance to move her to a marina west of I-95 that's much more protected than being on the bay. We'll wait and see...

Ugh, I'm sick of the hurricanes already too Ken!

Thanks Tom! think happy thoughts... think happy thoughts...

I know it's early but I don't like where Hurricane Ike is tracking... Ike needs to take a Hike!

You know, no. I should look back into it...

Cute as can be! Congratulations!

No worries Jerry... I'm sure the gentlemen here have exact dates for us.

LOL Jerry! Do you remember when that was?

Hi Ken!

I'm not positive, I'll ask, but I believe TBTV started before theboaters.com. Then I think there's some kind of difference between "beta" phase and whatever comes after that! I'll tell the guys to take a look at this thread when they get in.

And I hope I'm not giving away any secrets... but I know they've also been working on a badge system for different parts of the site.

Thanks Tom! We really wanted a change... especially poor Juan who had to edit the same stuff over and over!

Starting this week, the Sealebrity status just became harder to obtain. We will only be picking a "Sealebrity profile pick of the WEEK" instead of day. Will air on Wednesdays.

And Tom... me too with the RIB!

Hey Tom! Hope the pain is letting up this Tuesday morning. Wish I could give you some tips but Robb's the real expert on back pain. He's had problems since he was a kid. From what I've witnessed with his pain there's not a whole lot you can do... keep taking the meds, find a comfortable chair, and have the patience to wait it out!

Good morning folks! Hope everyone had enjoyed the long weekend!

Thanks Darrin but I think we'll be alright... although Hanna doesn't look like she knows where she's going!

I'm definitely worried about the folks on the Gulf coast though.

Of course... I also did an upcoming segment on the winner of fantasy fishing... maybe I should play next season.

Good call Joe! Or maybe focus on Mega-Yacht news!

Ken I'd do a story on shark attacks... but you know my luck!

lmao darrin!

I don't own a cell phone or a pager. I just hang around everyone I know, all the time. If someone wants to get a hold of me, they just say 'Mitch,' and I say 'what?' and turn my head slightly.

• Mitch Hedberg

Two blonde girls were working for the city public works

department.  One would dig a hole and the other would follow behind her and
fill  the hole in. They worked up one side of the street, then down the other, then moved on to the next street, working furiously all day without  rest, one
girl digging a hole, the other girl filling it in again.  
An onlooker was amazed at their hard work, but couldn't
understand  what they we re doing. So he asked the hole digger, 'I'm
impressed by the  effort you two are putting in to your work, but I don't get it --
why do you  dig a hole, only to have your partner follow behind and fill it up
again?'  
The hole digger wiped her brow and sighed, 'Well, I
suppose it  probably looks odd because we're normally a three-person team.
But today  the girl who plants the trees called in sick.'

Hi Jerry & Ken! I'd much rather throw a party for no reason at all than for an impending hurricane. The admins are working on the big "event" feature for the site... we'll have to take advantage of it when it comes out to organize this bash.

Consider it done my friends!

Looks like Stacey is still available folks... be careful what you wish for!

Good morning friends.

LOL Ken!

I had a feeling there would be bad news by the time the show aired. I've read there's been a lot of outrage from animal rights groups directed at Wildlife officials. We should keep in mind that this was nature taking its course. It's unfortunate that officials couldn't save the baby whale, but it's not their fault it was in that particular situation to begin with...

yeah right! With my luck I better not do any shows on Armageddon preparation!

oh come on! labor day weekend, t.s. gustav?? you're right, it's all my fault!

What?? Another one?? Don't tell me that!

So you noticed the new intro and bumpers did you?! After more than a year with the old/fuzzy intro. and generic tv bumpers, we wanted a change!

As for finding the products... boat shows, press releases, and especially the research I do to fix problems on our own boat!

Good morning everyone! Rick, how was Blue's Fest? Ken, have you surfaced yet?

THANK YOU KEN! I haven't had Internet since Thursday! Back on track now though... How's the diving going? I'll go back and read through the posts to get the scoop.

Happy Monday!

LOL Ken... wish I didn't have to cut the party short! Darn work!

Joe... hate to hear about your gauge problem, but good to know we're not the only ones frustrated!

By the way... I picked up one of those digital converter boxes and a set of rabbit ears since I knew our satellite tv would be going out. AMAZING picture! I highly suggest picking one of these boxes up if you use a satellite dish... for those times when it's raining and the picture goes out. The antenna can only do so much...

(In case you're wondering... when the guys at a certain dealership installed our KVH satellite dish, they removed our Glomex antenna...???? No reasoning... unbelievable!)

Good morning everyone! Well yesterday and yesterday evening were a "breeze"... no big problems. The live aboards had a small tropical storm party. There was a TON of rain though and it's still coming down.

But wow! We woke up this morning to 60 mph winds at the marina. A few boats lost their canvas. Hopefully the winds will die down later... Robb's with the Lois Mae today. He's trying to get the Internet back up and running at the marina. Hopefully he can log on later today.

As for me, it's back to work!

I'm heading home folks... Ken our thoughts are with you! I'm sure the internet is still down at the marina... otherwise we could have a little online hurricane party!

See you when the sun comes out!

LOL Darrin! He's got talent, but not that much!

THANKS KEN! Not loving your track!

Of all mornings... Robb got a flat tire leaving the marina today. I should probably check in with him...

Joe, good to hear you have a neighbor who is willing to check for you.

Morning everyone! Happy belated B-Day Joe!

Hey guys! Good morning... well of course the internet went down for the rest of the weekend at the marina after I posted on Saturday. We're getting drenched but not much wind yet.

Hopefully the worst Fay will do is cancel my nail appointment this afternoon!

I'm apologizing now to all my boating friends in South Florida and the Keys for jinxing us with my hurricane preparations series that begins Monday.

I wish Ken! There wouldn't be any TBTV that week! If I take any time off work the show wouldn't exist!

Which one are we talking about? I'll have to go take a look!

Gotta be out on the water on the weekends... before fuel became so expensive, we would leave Friday night and not return until Monday morning. Everyone at work would be complaining about how ugly the weekend weather was and we wouldn't know what they were talking about because it had been gorgeous out on the water away from land.

They forgive you Ken!

It's certainly an ambitious undertaking... I wish them the best, but am definitely skeptical!

Right back at ya Ken! We're you swamped with rain down there yesterday? We were soaked all day up here... but it's a cloudless blue sky Friday!

hmmm.... did they answer your question Ken?

con't

========== While we don’t have the geopolitical expertise to evaluate his claims, we find seasteading more appealing for the following reasons:

* Scale. Land doesn’t easily scale, and so doesn’t fit our incremental approach. It’s pretty clear how to build the first percent of a 100 acre floating condo - just build a 1 acre floating condo. But how do you take over 1/20th of a third world country?
* Mass market appeal. We think that timeshares on seasteads may have a relatively broad appeal. Helping take over a third world country seems like something that only a few zealots would be interested in. For example, the inequality is likely to make liberals unhappy, and the use of force will bother pacifists of liberal and libertarian stripe.
* Blood. It only takes cash and sweat to start seasteading, and maybe a little danger of drowning. You start taking over countries and you are seriously risking your life. This shrinks the market of interested founders (to exclude us, for example).
* How? We can see the path to sovereignty via floating platforms. We haven’t the slightest clue how to take over a country. Even a very small one.
* Revolution. If 100 people build and live on a seastead, they only have to worry about external threats. If 100 people take over a 10,000 person 3rd world country, they must always worry that the displaced locals will grow restless and revolt (and who could blame them?).
* Dynamic Geography. This idea is key to making new societies an improvement over the old. And it doesn’t work on land. Floating cities are not just taking advantage of an underutilized part of the world, they result in a shift in incentives which will push power towards the people. A new society on land is likely to suffer the same ills as current ones.
* Scope If we can make seasteading work, we can fill the ocean with floating cities, experiment with alternative social systems and make use of the neglected 70% of the Earth’s surface. If we buy an island or part of a third-world, all we would have would be one piece of dirt. While we believe that having more sovereign pieces of dirt is a good thing, the vision we espouse is far grander than that of just creating a single new country.

So while it’s theoretically possible that a country could be persuaded to sell sovereign title to some of its land, to us this path appears difficult, uncertain, inflexible, and extremely expensive. And in the end it results in less. Hence it does not seem like a good way to proceed. There is one minor caveat: as discussed in the Ocean Environment:Politics section, to ensure the long-term political viability of seasteads they may need a friendly host country to give them representation in international affairs. A new land-based country with a similar philosophy would be ideal for this role.

Hey Ken thanks! Others have asked that same question... here is the institute's response from their website--

=======================

Why not just buy an island or part of a third-world country?

With regard to islands, a little-known fact is that there no such thing as an “unclaimed” island. Even if an island is unoccupied, it extends the owning country’s EEZ, including fishing and mineral rights, which are always of potential value. So even small, barren, remote rocks are claimed by existing countries, and buying an island requires obtaining sovereignty, just like buying any part of any country. Some find this approach more natural. For example, one reader wrote in an email:

“For the investment required to build 100 acres of floating condo, you could take over three Third World hellholes, complete with workforce and low-quality army.”

Strauss gives some of the reasons why countries don’t sell sovereignty:

There are reasons for existing countries to be reluctant to sell sovereignty over pieces of their territories. The closest thing to sale of sovereignty that is conducted routinely is the sale of corporation charters and ship registrations…but any number of those can be sold without reducing the size of the country doing the selling. In addition, such sales produce revenue year after year, in the form of renewal fees. And in the case of emergency (e.g. embarrassing activities by the buyer), the seller can decline to renew the charter of registration. But there is only so much land a nation has to which to sell sovereignty…and once it’s sold, there is no further income to be had.

There is also the great-power factor…These great powers tend to want to see the status quo maintained…the fewer the players there are in the international game, the easier it is for the great powers to manage things to their own advantage. A country selling sovereignty would face being cut of from the aid, trade, etc. that the great powers can offer. Thus they are only interested in doing such things if there’s a large, ongoing profit to be realized…The small countries really aren’t interested in taking the grief that would be involved in selling sovereignty just for a few, one-shot payments from buyers. Strauss1984, pp. 12-13

I like the way you think Ken! Actually, we threw around the idea of doing an entire episode from a TugTub!

madmariner.com!

the nettle net boat pools have been around for a long time but the tug tubs are fairly new... I had the chance to meet the creators of the TugTub... as you'd expect, fun-loving people!

Anybody have a Tug Tub or Nettle Net?

On my wishlist this week, two products that make the water your boat sits in a lot more fun. First up, the TugTub!

It’s a compact, portable floating hot tub. Yeah… why should mega-yachts be the only type of vessel with a hot tub?!

The TugTub comes in two luggage-sized bags and takes up less space than most dinghies. It can be set up behind your boat or off a dock in under fifteen minutes.

A small water heater uses liquid propane gas and is powered by a 12V outlet on your boat or an optional 12V battery. Water in the tub can be heated from 60 degrees to a soothing 104 degrees in about an hour.

Looks like a great place to relax… honey, you set it up, I’ll get the drinks!

Also on my wish-list, the Nettle Net Boat Pool! Are jelly-fish a problem where you boat? If you feel like taking a dip but aren’t really in the mood to get stung… you can create a jelly-fish free swim area with a Nettle Net Boat Pool.

These pools basically consist of a 1/16” mesh net attached to a float ring that is inflated in minutes with the use of a foot pump. You can choose an 8, 12 or 20-foot diameter pool.

Boaters have been using Nettle Nets to keep out the jelly fish for thirty years now along the Atlantic Coast. Now if they could just keep the sharks out… I’d never have a problem getting in the water!

www.tugtub.com www.nettle-net.com

LOL Joe.. yeah we actually did! The thing died out the night before the flight fortunately. But the big concern was that we had discovered our port stringer was full of water and we wanted to have the boat hauled out while we were gone... but with the approaching storm, the boat yard was full.

The day we flew out, they started putting boats back in the water and we had someone come get the Lois Mae and take her to the yard to drain. Wow, thinking back.. there is so much more to this story... definitely will save it for another day! Don't want to hijack your thread!

Oh I don't mind... I like learning new things... especially geeky things... hello, I work for an Internet site!

I know Ken!

To be honest... I kind of miss him!

As for the series... I hate to even say the word Hrr&^n... but it is important to share the information!

Hey Joe... the approaching birth of your grandchild reminds me of the time we had plane tickets to Pittsburgh for a wedding but a hurricane was approaching... of course, we didn't know if it would hit us or not, so do we go or stay???

Obviously changing your plans for the birth of your grandchild is a much better thing than a hurricane!!

Congratulations!!!

Good morning folks... Darrin, you've definitely lost me!

Hey Ken! Thanks... we haven't seen Iggy around lately. Must have been something we said! Robb's on deadline at the magazine... so he's probably just too swamped to get on.

I'm working on a hurricane series for the podcast so that's my excuse for being scarce!

Morning folks... it's Friday! Whoo Hoo!

When it comes to women and boating—many stereotypes exist. Women are galley slaves… they never drive the boat. Are these stereotypes based on truth? Mad Mariner decided to find out. They recently questioned 400 boat owners—200 women and 200 men—on a broad range of topics. The sample group was representative of the boating marketplace, and some of their answers may surprise you.

First of all, whose boat is it? Sorry ladies, looks like it’s his! A whopping 93 percent of men said they chose the boat, while only 40 percent of women said it was their choice. And according to the poll it stays his once picked. More than three-fourths of the men questioned said the family’s boat was primarily theirs.

Also asked—Who does what on the boat? They were really asking, is the woman on board just to take commands? Some surprises here… the duties of cooking and cleaning were evenly split among the poll respondents. And the majority of both men and women said they drive their boat.

But the two sexes seem to enjoy different places aboard. Most men said the helm was their favorite place, while the majority of women chose the sundeck as favorite. I wonder though how much time they have to enjoy it, since a full 80 percent of women said the children are their responsibility when on the boat.

Mad Mariner’s poll posed many more interesting questions… like, Do men OR women have better boating skills? Sure… you men might think you’re better boaters… but are you? The Mad Mariner team shared their poll results with boating educators—to find out what they had to say about the answers, go to www.madmariner.com.

Here is the link to the full poll results... http://www.madmariner.com/seamanship/story/MADMARINERPOLLRESULTS080608_SX

Hey Tom.. thanks for starting this thread. You bring up some great points/cautions in regards to jet propelled boats!

LOL everyone! Again, sorry about not getting on yesterday... I worked from home since I wasn't feeling well and you know I'm blaming Iggy! Don't know why Robb didn't check in... I'll have to get on his case!

oh and yes tomm... you said the right thing!

Wow... you miss one day of work and...

Great designs Boris and Mark! They opened the cafepress store but it doesn't have any nautical (flags for example) products... so it's just temporary.

Yeah Iggy might have to take the fall for awhile... that's what happens when you eat and run!

Obviously we will transition to a more advanced store (i.e. not cafepress) in the future... a store that offers burgees, boat mats... "nautical" products.

Well guys... Ken I promised to call meetings and such yesterday but as it turns out I had to work from home... I think I caught a bug from Iggy! Who has mysteriously disappeared of course!

I see they don't need me to get things done! Back in the office today... sorry for being absent yesterday.

Good night and God speed.

Ok, gotta go microwave dinner... I hope Iggy isn't attracted to the smell of Stouffers.

LOL! No really... I'll call a meeting tomorrow... I usually try to get out of meetings (surprise, surprise)... but this is an issue I honestly care about!

You're talking about Robb right Darrin?

Maybe he can cook us dinner... I'm starving! Signing off folks... wish me luck! I've got to ward off Iggy and Robb tonight...

A few more comments like that and Robb will be snuggling with Iggy on the deck tonight!

Hey Tomm and Ken!

I agree with you that the forums have been quiet and thin lately. I'll talk with the guys on how we can bring it back around. In the meantime... I'll continue to post tbtv topics in the hope that they'll generate some lively conversations.

TheBoaters Store-- I know Ken.. and you can blame me! Without getting into details, it fell through months ago and it's time I got back on it.

I think as more features are added to theboaters... the more people will stumble into the forums.

If you guys can suggest to my bosses that they stop giving me so much extra work, I'll gladly spend more time generating conversations here!!!

Tomm... I could ship his down to you with your hat!

Tomm! So glad to hear! As for the iguana... that's what I want to know!?!?!? He seems too big/heavy, with too wide a base to crawl the lines!

Earlier he opted to take a leap instead of walking the line onto the neighboring sundancer... I have a feeling he knew we were watching though! Didn't want to give away his secret moves.

ROBB! here we go...

Ken! I've already got the shivers... but like Robb said, he's starting to grow on us! That doesn't mean I'm inviting Iggy to bed tonight.

Hey Tomm! Did I butcher your last name?

I know what I did wrong.. silly me... needed to click on the picture before I copied/pasted the link. You don't think straight when you've got the iguana fear.

[img]http://www.theboaters.com/app/vault/photos/originals/user12756_1219319333.jpg[/img]

Ken! How'd you do that? Thanks! Now you guys can see what we're dealing with here...

NO JOE! the tracks were the wrong size... and he's certainly tall enough to reach the latch. I've got laundry going down the dock and we're losing light FAST! Oh the excitement...

No web cam... we would never live down the shame of our cowardly ways!

Great... here come some of the live-aboard kids... they're probably gonna tell us we're the biggest wimps ever!

OK! He's back in... we've got swimmers in the water!

Ken... take a picture of yourself rubbing an iguana tummy!

I know.. I see them from the car all the time! Never met one face to face like this... alright maybe at a zoo. There's a derelict sailboat at the end of our dock that has been rumored to house a whole family of them... I never believed the stories... oh but now!

I miss my manatees!

NO WAY KEN! He's close to five feet long... pictures don't do him justice! I think we woke him up when we got home.. cause the spikes on his back raised as soon as we saw him and freaked!

I should be filming this! Robb is researching information on them on the internet... it's a green iguana... apparently when it gets dark they can't see anything... what will he do... stay on the piling all night??!! probably come towards the light emitting from our boat!

lol.. we're such wimps!

OK, he just tried to jump from the piling to the neighboring sundancer's deck... he missed, bounced off the bow rail, landed in the water... after swimming VERY FAST around our boat, he's now climbing back up the piling!

Can you see them on my profile page?? OMG! I'd feel like a real p word if Robb wasn't screaming so much!

Did that work?? I'm getting a blue question-mark box??

[img]http://www.theboaters.com/users/Stacey/photo?photoId=38100[/img]

SORRY FOLKS... can't get the pictures to post... massive iguana hanging out on our port-side piling!

So Robb and I returned home from work this evening to discover we have a guest! If this guy doesn't leave, I'll be up all night watching his every move!

lmao... thanks Ken and Darrin for making me laugh this monday morning.

Tom... so glad to hear about your father. We've been thinking of you!

lol... Joe you're doing the right thing! Now, you know,... you can always come down here and help Robb and I out... so far today we've installed a new ice maker-- took hours to repair an old leak that a certain dealership had decided to fix with zip ties! Now we discover that same dealership (who will remain nameless) order the wrong size replacement tracks for our door... tracks by the way that took THREE months to get in.

Time for a beverage...

Joe! My dad lived with three daughters, a wife and a female dog! When I was growing up, he read the newspaper a lot in his bedroom and drank beer.

His advice... stay out of the way and they might not bother you!

GORGEOUS! Hey there Brody!

Congrats mom and dad!

Good morning boaters! Have a great Friday!

Have a blast Scott!

Whoa mamma! 3.69... you're a lucky ducky bruce! The station next door here is still 4.01.

Actually diesel is cheaper at our local marinas than gasoline... not totally sure why... they must sell more gas.

Man driving down road. Woman driving up same road. They pass each other. The woman yells out the window, PIG! Man yells back, B*TCH! Man rounds next curve. Crashes into huge pig in middle of road and dies.

Thought For the Day: If only men would listen.

you know I had put that out of my mind Bruce! Thanks for the reminder... they're delicious!

yeah... if it had been down the bay somewhere where idling isn't required we may have gone... then again, with diesel prices so high, probably not!

Ken, send some of those lobsters up here!

No, we had planned to though... it was this past Sunday in the Miami area. But one of our starboard batteries died and while we could still start it on crossover... when running at idle, the engine would shutter every few seconds (when the voltage would fluctuate) badly shaking the entire boat. Aquapalooza was being held at a place up the intracoastal... we would have had to idle most of the way there and the boat would have probably shattered by the time we got there!

So we canceled...

Hi Joe! How are things??

I hope you will Sabin... and we need you to start posting captions again!

Good morning boaters! Congratulations Bruce... let us know how it goes. Sabin & WD-- nice to see you two!

Talk to you tomorrow Frank... I'm finally going home! You're a saint with those kids!

well I'm still at work... trying to wrap up! The days seem to be getting longer...

you're probably right!

lol Ken! Frank, good to see you!

I just adore the way he sings it! So simple...

Here's mine...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj9xbE60HJg

My parents and of course, friendly Mister Rogers, taught me as a kid how to be a good neighbor. Over the years, the importance of neighborhood relationships has lessened as small towns have grown larger and our lives have gotten busier.

But ever since my husband and I sold our house and moved aboard, I’ve realized that marinas are quite close and dynamic communities. Whether you’re a live-aboard or just a weekend cruiser, it’s important to remember that your marina is a community too and you should always try to be a good neighbor.

I recently came across an interesting article in Houseboat Magazine written by Gordon and Janet Groene. In it the Groenes offered up their thoughts on neighbor relations at the dock, and I thought I’d share some of them with you.

They started with the Golden Rule—Do unto others as you’d have them do to you. Need we say more. And as a marina member, respect its public areas—don’t go mucking up the pool, restrooms, laundry room, and club house just because you don’t have to clean them up.

Gordon and Janet ask us to pay attention to wind direction. Be mindful of where your exhaust fumes and greasy BBQ smoke are blowing.

I know in my marina, the live-aboards are a close knit group—probably because we’re the minority. But we’re conscious of not becoming a closed clique. On the other side of the coin, weekenders—who are often noisier and in a hurry—should remember they’re passing through someone’s full-time neighborhood and should treat it just as they would back home.

Finally, Gordon and Janet suggest lightening up! Everyone has different tastes and attitudes. They say if the disadvantages of marina life outweigh the security and fun, find another lifestyle.

Great advice. To read their entire article, pick up a copy of this month’s Houseboat Magazine.

===================================

Do you have any advice for being a better neighbor at the marina? Or maybe you have a neighbor nightmare story? Let's hear them folks!

Cheers Connie!

After reading and chuckling at this well-said article... I realize I certainly do have the "disease" and expect never to be cured!

(continued)

It truly is a strange passion. And yet every winter like thousands of other defectives I find myself daydreaming about the next boating season. And it is usually because I think about certain moments. Moments like rounding a crowded windward mark in a large fleet or getting the boat on a plane downwind in a blustery breeze. Or awakening at daybreak on a perfectly still ocean and watching the seabirds fish for breakfast with that first cup of coffee in my hand.

Like I said it is a disease and short of death there may be no cure. And to paraphrase/butcher Dickens: Sailing has given me some of the most thrilling moments in my life and some of the worst.

Have you considered taking up quilting?

        Peter Hall

The following was copied from Messingaboutinboats.com-- it is worth reading and will take you back to EVERY moment you've asked yourself "why" you ever got into boating!

========================================================================

This response on boat-buying tips and horror stories was so good that I publish it in its entirety. Peter Hall makes an impassioned plea not to buy a boat. It's absolutely brilliant and sums up the insanity of sailing.

Dear Neighbors:

You are clearly infected by an insidious disease that will consume your brain and bank account. Boats: can't live with them, can't live without them. Shamelessly trite but true. They break, maintenance tasks are endless, and the yacht industry is full of many screwballs whose customer service attitudes make the telephone and computer industry look positively stellar. How could I possibly forget the boatyard who cut the wires leading out of the bottom of my mast instead of just disconnecting them before taking the mast down for winter storage. Or the year one yard kept billing me for services on a boat I did not own. Or the sail loft who promised me a new genoa within 2 months, and yet a year and half later it was not quite done despite full prepayment (my bad). More recently one yard wired my boat so poorly one battery was not connected, the high tech mapping device had me going 180 degrees the opposite direction and a newly installed depth sounder pointed at my keel and of course always indicated I was effectively aground at all times.

These expensive toys have no brakes, a serious design flaw if you ask me. You may have a boat weighing 10,000 pounds and no effective way to stop the damn thing when sailing. Even a 16 pound road bike has a highly effective braking system. Your time on the water will be filled with hours of boredom, times of blissful pleasure and moments of pure terror. Old married couples scream at each other while docking and at other times gaze at each other in supreme marital bliss while sipping cocktails in the cockpit at sunset. I mean think about it, the seemingly simple task of just parking the friggin' boat can turn into this major production with all the logistics and coordination of a military assault. You will put hours of work into this hobby and some years it will seem like there is more work on the boat than playing on the boat. You will wait all week to go sailing on your precious summer weekends, only to end up having rain 3 weekends in a row. The sailing season in Maine is brief. And yet our coast of Maine is clearly one of the prettiest, most romantic and inviting areas to sail in anywhere in the world. Our state is rated one of the top 3 cruising destinations in the world. Even after decades of being around our waters I never cease to be amazed by the view. Picture sailing along with the boat perfectly trimmed and balanced, water gurgling down the hull, blue sky and sun, a pilot whale off the starboard bow and you are gazing at conifer covered islands all around. And then 1/2 hour later you are panicing and totally stressed out because the fog has rolled in big time and you are surrounded by ledges. The evil flip side of the phase "Rockbound Maine Coast" becomes all too apparent. And believe me, sooner or later you will run aground. I even remember hitting bottom in a marina when assured by the "Dockmaster" (he was all of 16 years old) that was it was not possible to run aground where I was because I was in the alley way between the docks. And this despite the fact he was watching me ineffectually and ultimately disastrously gunning my engine back and forth and stirring up the mud. Low and behold while at full throttle I discovered how quickly my boat accelerates when it suddenly breaks free. Of course this discovery occurred in an area of restricted space surrounded by yachts of far more value than my own. To be honest virtually every year at the start of a new season I mentally hold my breath, because without fail something bad will occur before the boat is put up for the long winter.

Consider just a few of the phrases and words that are part of the lexicon of sailing:
1. Life preserver
2. Life sling
3. Broaching
3. Death roll
4. Rogue wave
5. White squall
6. Dismasting
7. Man overboard
8. Lifeline
9. Limit of positive stability
10. Lost at sea.

Two men are out ice fishing at their favorite fishing hole, just

Fishing quietly and drinking beer.

Almost silently, so as not to scare the fish, Bob says, "I think I'm

Going to divorce my wife - she hasn't spoken to me in over 2 months."

Earl continues slowly sipping his beer, then thoughtfully says, "You

Better think it over - women like that are hard to find."

GREAT NEWS FOLKS! (BUSH IS LAST STEP)

CONGRESS RESTORES 35-YEAR EXEMPTION FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS FROM PROPOSED EPA PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS

NO NEW PERMIT FOR BOATS REQUIRED

ALEXANDRIA, VA, July 22, 2008 - In a remarkable display of bipartisan support for recreational boating, both the House and Senate today passed S. 2766, "The Clean Boating Act of 2008" which will permanently restore a long-standing exemption for recreational boats from permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act. The legislation now goes to the White House for the President's signature.

Congressional action was spawned by a U.S. District Court decision in September 2006 under which an estimated 17 million recreational boats would have fallen under Clean Water Act permit requirements effective September 30, 2008. The permit would have dictated maintenance and operation procedures and potentially subjected boaters to citizen lawsuits as well as a penalty system designed for industrial polluters.

"This is a fabulous victory for common sense and it just goes to show what can be done when the boating public, the marine industry and its representatives in Congress row together in a bipartisan way," said BoatU.S. President Nancy Michelman.

BoatU.S. Government Affairs Director Margaret Podlich was quick to shower praise on a boatload of legislators who did much of the heavy lifting including Sens. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Representatives Jim Oberstar (D-MN), Steve LaTourette (R-OH), Candice Miller (R-MI) and Gene Taylor (D-MS). A complete listing of all legislators involved will be available at http://www.BoatUS.com/gov soon.

BoatU.S. has worked for more than a year with the National Marine Manufacturers Association and a broad coalition of stakeholders to resolve the problem before the permitting deadline.

"One of the real keys to success here was our collective ability to activate the grassroots," said Podlich, noting that tens of thousands of letters and e-mails were generated by boaters and anglers over the course of the past 12 months.

thanks for the visual bruce! I'm going to delay lunch now!

Good morning all! Still playing catch up here but will try to get on the forums more later today...

We actually did the shoot quite awhile back and had almost forgotten about it. Then it came out last week when we were working out of town and didn't see it until yesterday.

ken, joe-- let me see what I can do!

Thanks for starting this thread Bruce! Wow Joe... so glad you came through the cancer ok-- I'm sure it wasn't easy. And Tom, I'm sorry to hear about your uncle.

So important to remember to apply-- guess it's true, you never think it'll happen to you.

Hi Joe!

Thanks for the publicity! It was a fun thing to do... a little embarrassing though. How about them aerial pictures? The "Lois Mae" is a lot more photogenic than we are!

Happy Belated Birthday Captain Connie! Hope you had a great one! (Sorry for the delay... Robb and I were out of town all last week for a marine convention.)

Brett, Darrin and Ken...

Thanks for the tips guys... guess I've got some shopping to do!

Funny thing about spares, Brett-- it's easy to have them onboard. Hard thing is remembering to replace them! When a spare part comes in handy, you think "wow, glad I had that... gotta go out and get another." But since you think it'll be awhile before you need another "whatever it is", you often drag your feet in getting it. Time goes by and well you know...

On my wish-list this week, great tools to have on board. First up, the Phillips Head Floating Screwdriver. Now I know cell phones and sunglasses are usually the first to jump ship… but if you’ve done ANY work on a boat, you know that screwdrivers and other tools like to fall in the drink too.

That’s why I like these floating screwdrivers. If you’ve got butter fingers, these tools won’t sink on you since both the shaft and handle are hollow. Now that doesn’t mean they’re not strong. These floating screwdrivers have passed stringent torque tests and meet industry standards. And their corrosion-resistant stainless steel bits are great for marine environments.

Next on the list, the Sheffield’s Angler 17-in-1 Multi Tool. Specifically designed for the fisherman, it’s tools include a 3-inch fillet blade, wire cutters, fish scaler, hook sharpener, can opener and a dozen more must-haves. The Angler is light and compact with stainless steel locking attachments and a textured grip handle.

This past year my husband and I have done a lot more do-it-yourself projects. And every project seemed to require a tool we of course, didn’t have on board. We do have a tool kit but it’s pretty basic and pretty old. So I’d like some advice. What specific tools and tool kits do you recommend stowing aboard?

Bruce... if I knew how to do that kind of stuff, I'd give up my Friday evening to make it happen for you! LOL!

I do like the "helm" better than "dashboard"... I don't even know really what that means!

lol... no that adorable little girl doesn't belong to me. I do have a gorgeous step-daughter, but she's a little older than that!

Where did it go Ken? Was there when I got to work this morning...

Sabin Lives! Good to see you!

By the way... cool tats Bruce!

Hi Dave... thank you for sharing your site with us! It's such an important and EASY thing to do...

Hi capt.dave!

Great to see you on the forums... I was about to say "amen" to your post until you brought up the 24kt. approaching storm!

They've named the ship now... Oasis of the Seas. You can find more information at www.oasisoftheseas.com

I’ll be honest… my family and I do not always file a float plan when we head out on the water. And our laziness is just plain stupid. If an incident was to happen at sea, timing would be everything. And a float plan often contains that extra bit of information that allows search and rescue personnel to locate you before worse becomes worst.

Officially, a float plan is a document that describes your vessel, equipment, crew, and itinerary of a planned voyage. It’s usually filed with a friend, neighbor or marina operator. And they’re not just for big boats. Everyone going out on the water, whether you’re a jet skier, kayaker, or fisherman, should file a float plan.

And like with everything else these days, float plan forms are now available online. The US Coast Guard Auxiliary offers float plan forms and information at www.floatplancentral.org.

But if downloading and printing a float plan out is too much paperwork for you, the entire process can now be done online with the company, USFloatPlan.com. On their site, you can electronically file a float plan for free. Open a plan at the beginning of your trip and close the plan upon your return.

In the event you have not closed the plan by your pre-set return time, an overdue email notification will be sent to you and your emergency contacts. If in 30 minutes the plan is still not closed, your friends and family will receive another email. At this time, they should attempt to contact you or your crew and if needed, the proper authorities.

USFloatPlan offers those of us that may be a little lazy, an easy, electronic way to file a float plan. Just be sure to close every plan promptly—you don’t want to cause a false search and rescue mission, for many reasons.

So whether you like doing things the old-fashioned way or the high-tech way, make sure you do things the safe way and file a float plan.

And I'd like to know what your practice is? How often do you file a float plan?

Too funny David! Hang in there... when you're young, you want to get away from your parents. Then when you're a parent, you can't understand how your child could possibly get bored hanging out with just mom and dad!

Have a good weekend, no matter what you end up doing!

Oh! I've been so busy with show format changes and such that I haven't gotten on the forums as often as I'd like... certainly haven't been able to read all the threads!

Ken, I hope you enjoyed your birthday!

Have a great one guys!

Whoopsies! Darrin... that came out wrong... lol... you know what I mean!

LOL Tom! If I bring that up to Robb, I'll have to hear about my "wifely" duties yet again! Besides, when I'm scrubbing the bottom, he better be scrubbing the top.

Good morning folks... one day to holiday time!

Ken... I'm totally confused!!?? What did I miss? Can anyone tell me?