No, we had three inches on the ground yesterday and Anchorage is getting with a late hit of about a foot today. Come on spring!

Firefox...

Halibut Olympia Recipe

The Halibut Olympia is a good baked fish dish. You can modify it by using white wine, fresh garlic, Dijon mustard, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, or grated cheddar cheese.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup melted butter

1 medium chopped onion

2 pounds of fresh halibut cut in small pieces

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 cup cracker crumbs

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Pour melted butter into bottom of baking dish

Spread chopped onion over melted butter

Place halibut into dish

Sprinkle with lemon juice and garlic powder

Mix sour cream and mayonnaise, and spread the mixture evenly over the halibut

Cover the halibut with cracker crumbs.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until cracker crumbs are brown and fish is flakey. Don't overcook.

Drain off excess liquid and serve

The stores sell a product called Yoshida's Gourmet Sauce here in Alaska and I assume its sold in other places. If you marinate salmon fillets (sockeye is the best) in it and barbecue them, it's awesome. Place the fillets directly on the grill using a nonstick spray and sliding them back and forth to keep them from sticking to the grate. Turn to turn them only once, cooking them about five minutes or less a side. It's easy to overcook fish.

Great eating.

http://seasonalcooking.suite101.com/article.cfm/alaskanseafood

FYI for Canadian Boaters. Proof of competency regulations begin in 2009 for Canadian boaters. This is relayed from Transport Canada...

New Transport Canada regulations require all operators of motorized pleasure craft in Canada to have their proof of competency by September 15, 2009. Already, any boater born after April 1, 1983, or anyone who operates a motorized pleasure craft less than four metres long, including personal watercraft, must have proof of competency on board, or risk fines up to $250.

Proof of competency can be a:

* Pleasure Craft Operator Card;
* Proof that you passed a boating safety course in Canada before April 1, 1999; or
* Completed Rental Boat Safety Checklist.

Pleasure Craft Operator Cards are issued when a person passes a test administered by an accredited boating safety course provider. While no one is required to take the course before taking the test, Transport Canada encourages pleasure boaters to get the training that will give them knowledge and skills that may save lives. Boaters are responsible for operating their vessels safely. Taking the course is a great way to learn more about how to be safe on the water.

To learn how to get your Pleasure Craft Operator Card, contact an accredited course provider or visit www.boatingsafety.gc.ca.

The thread started out as being related to safety and seamanship (or lack therein), but you know how things can change!

I just spent the last week in Boston. I'll get back up to speed once the jet lag is over. I can't believe how early the people back east get up :) Had to wait til noon to call the office!

I hear that Ken. I don't know if this will qualify as a stupid boater trick, haven't heard a cause. There's not much posted on the Alaska Ranger sinking, it sounds like it happened quick. The only relevant photo so far is of one of the liferafts...

http://alaskareport.com/news31/z51128_search.htm

[img]http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2view=core.DownloadItem&g2itemId=242263&g2_serialNumber=2[/img]

I don't know if jellyfish are a problem in your area, but they do cause problems like the Chesapeake Bay and Hawaii. There are a few things that can be done, wearing protective clothing, using Safe Sea lotion or using a product like the Nettle Net Boat Pool. The net pool seems like it might work.

What do you do about preventing jellyfish stings?

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/stingingseanettlesandjellyfish

[img]http://images.suite101.com/337007commanowar.jpg[/img]

[img]http://images.suite101.com/337023comimg_0059.jpg[/img]

I could post a photo, but don't want to make Monday worse for anyone on the forum :) We've been having a rash of incidents here lately.

Our tides in Alaska can be extreme. I have personally been stuck on the mudflats a few more times than I will admit. The biggest problem is that whenever something happens like this, somebody with a camera manages to show up!

The fleet is big enough to fill our harbor! Sounds like a great program and vocation.

Snow again this morning. Third time this week! Spring must be next week!

I remember hearing about the BC Ferry slamming into the boat harbor. There were people on the docks that thought the world was coming to an end!

At least the PWC was alright.

I saw an episode of Myth Busters were they tried to recreate the damage seen in the photo of "Temporary Insanity II". Try as they could, they couldn't do it. They were launching the boat at the piling on a trailer and the trailer seemed to take the most abuse.

I keep up on boating incidents here, so its the wrecks get the most press. Usually there is a lesson to be learned, our terrain doesn't offer much forgiveness for a slip in judgment. I work a lot in commercial fishing vessel and recreational boating safety efforts.

GPS isn't the greatest tool here at times. Most of the incidents that occur involve well charted and often marked features. Reading a chart would be a first good skill to learn.

I'll be the first to post something good if it crosses my desk!

Here's another disaster for Frank! This one got a little to close to the rocks yesterday...

[img]http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2view=core.DownloadItem&g2itemId=241245&g2_serialNumber=2[/img]

Ouch...

It may be a disaster story, but it was pretty entertaining!

If you ever saw how moose treat cars, you would know why it's important to prohibit them from drinking.

You know you're an Alaskan when: You know people that have hit moose more than once.

The P2V came before the P3, it's a sub-hunter...

You're right. It probably just looks odd on the P2V because the thing goes straight through the center of the fuselage.

NOAA also owns a couple of P3's. You'd be hard pressed to break one of them. I worked at an air attack base loading air tankers for the Forest Service during college and they were using the previous version, the P2V. There was no wing root, the wing was one piece that went through the fuselage, you have to climb over it to get from front to back. Don't know if they did that with the P3.

I just did a related article on a remote surface wind measurement device that's been installed on the 130's.

"NOAA utilizes the services of ten highly modified WC-130J aircraft operated by the Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron also known as the Hurricane Hunters."

http://weatherforecasting.suite101.com/article.cfm/remotemeasurementofsurfacewind

Water one way or another! The harbor is ice free, but walking around this morning isn't great.

I don't how many follow these sort of things, but the CG has taken delivery of 3 HC-144As, a variant of the CASA 235. It looks like it could be a good SAR platform...

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/coastguardhc144aoceansentry

[img]http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2view=core.DownloadItem&g2itemId=231230&g2_serialNumber=2[/img]

It was Spring here on Saturday and snowed six inches last night, it's a test.

[img]http://www.harboradvice.com/uploaded_images/snow.jpg[/img]

The Dutch Harbor Fisherman, the local paper in Unalaska has published a great story about a possessed boat. Apparently it caught fire and the crew abandoned ship to a liferaft. The burning boat then circled a number of times, nearly hitting the raft, then finally snagged it. It sounds like they then got towed around a while.

Another bad day in the Gulf of Alaska!

http://thedutchharborfisherman.com/news/show/1673

These are great!

It looks like someone is having a bad day in King Cove. The vessel name is Turmoil, so I don't know if it's anything to that moniker. FYI

Personnel from Coast Guard Sector Anchorage are working with the owner/operator of the fishing vessel Turmoil to investigate the cause of a boat fire and the subsequent grounding of the vessel near King Cove today.

No injuries or pollution have been reported. There is a maximum of 1,100 gallons of diesel still on board.

An Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) notified the Coast Guard Command Center in Juneau at 12:08 p.m. today that the vessel was in distress. Further communication with the vessel revealed that they were experiencing a fire and underway near King Cove. The Coast Guard requested assistance from any vessels in the area by issuing an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB).

An HH-65 Dolphin helicopter deployed to the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley was launched from Dutch Harbor to assist. Two Good Samaritan vessels, the 36-foot fishing vessel Mummy's Mist from King Cove and the King Cove 98-foot hovercraft Suna-X, responded to the UMIB before the helicopter arrived.

The Good Samaritans found the vessel Turmoil burned to the water line and grounded with the three crew on the beach. All three were picked up and delivered safely to King Cove.

The Turmoil is a 47-foot fishing vessel based out of King Cove.

[img]http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2view=core.DownloadItem&g2itemId=238397&g2_serialNumber=2[/img]

We always left some tension on the slings after putting a boat in the water with the Travelift and had the owner check for leaks (open thru-hulls, plugs, inter damage) before completely turning them loose on the world. Being able to leave a boat in the slings for 24 hours is great.

We will start seeing boaters back in the harbor in April depending on the weather. It has already been better weather here this year than last.

Be sure to put a little effort into spring maintenance of your boat and trailer. It pays. We already have a guy in the parking lot with a trailer axle that completely rusted off. Could be fun if it came off while going down the road. Many boaters take their safety gear for dry storage in winter, so remember to bring the PFDs and check the expiration dates on everything.

I am so ready for Spring...

[img]http://www.harboradvice.com/uploaded_images/rustedaxle.jpg[/img]

I had it yesterday, but it's snowing today!

I bought some beer in Vancouver last month. It may not take long to break even. :)

We have a delegation of Congressional types coming here next month to talk about the border regulations. We hope showing them the border stations and how traffic actually come through here will clear things up. They are going to meet with the Yukon government as well. About half the boats in our harbor are from the Yukon.

If you want hundreds of posts, ask for suggestions on a name for the kayak :)

hehehe That's what I was thinking....

135 posts! How many names have you garnered from this thread Frank? :)

Add me to your list. We used to have an outfitter-guide business on Wrangell Island in the Tongass NF and were a dealer for Wilderness Systems. We still have 2 Seacrets and 2 Sealutions. The Sealutions are great for touring. The x-link hulls hold up well here with the rocky, barnacle encrusted beaches.

At least in the Northwest and Alaska, we are seeing the plastic grocery bags being banned in many communities.

I won't mention what they do to a jetboat :)

Not sure this effort will fly here!

Sailboat have the same issues for MARPOL, hull cleaning, bottom painting and all the other "fun" boat owner responsibilities. :)

One of the things I've been involved with is promoting clean or green boating. I would argue being good environmental stewards is one of the best things we can do to preserve boating access to the places we like to visit. Pristine water and unblemished vistas are much of why we boat.

I thought I'd forward a couple of resources. The first is an issue of Alaska Coasts & Seas, a publication put out by the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service. It can be downloaded for free from their site.

The second is a book that I just reviewed by Clyde Ford titled "Green Boating: 50 Steps Boaters Can Take to Save Our Waters." Ford does a good job of breaking this discussion into some practical steps that we can take to boat cleaner.

What do you do to be a clean boater?

[img]http://images.suite101.com/322614comboatgreencover.jpg[/img]

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/areviewgreen_boating

http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/pubs/M-72.html

My only experience with these type of controls were with microcommanders installed on a limit seine fishing boat. Pulling out of the skip, the throttle/shifter died and I made a really impressive arrival to the cannery dock. A steel boat striking a steel piling makes a great sound across the harbor!

Splash!

I took a shot at this subject last year. It's interesting stuff for a former pilot...

http://sail-boats.suite101.com/article.cfm/howsailswork

Cool, you got the 505...

There are actually many things that can be done. Zincs, tilting up your outdrive, good bottom paint, zincs... Getting your marina operator onboard help a lot.

One of the best steps is to install an isolation transformer, which takes your boat out of the marine stray current circuit.

They might help. Then again I'd probably break them off and punch a hole in the bow!

I've seen several examples of boats sliding off trailers onto the ramp, drain plugs not put back in, trucks and trailers launched simultaneously, boats left at ramp and left dry at low tide, injuries caused by boat trailer winches, boats missing the trailer during loading, outboards started out of the water, and boats not loaded properly on the trailer and then drive off down the road.

I haven't seen anyone manage to uncouple the trailer and launch the trailer and boat together, then motor off. It has to be an urban legend. I have however seen trailers come off the tow vehicle and end up in a pile with the boat at the bottom of the ramp :)

Boat launches are a harbor employee's cheapest form of entertainment [grin]

Over the years, one of the major problems I have seen in the marina is galvanic corrosion and electrolytic corrosion. Most boaters know electrolytic corrosion as electrolysis. Literally billions of dollars in infrastructure and vessel damage occur each year due to corrosion. Galvanic corrosion occurs when two dissimilar come into contact with each other in an electrolyte. Saltwater happens to be a good one. This type of corrosion is typically more of problem for marina infrastructure like pilings or float hinges. It can occur to vessels, but isn't as aggressive as electrolysis. You can reduce it by selecting a bottom paint compatible with your hull (i.e. no copper paint on an aluminum hull), using similar metals in fasteners and properly mooring boats made of different materials.

Electrolysis is cause a great deal of damage in a hurry. It starts with similar circumstances as galvanic corrosion, but adds the influence of an electrical current. Most of these problems can be traced back to poor or defective wiring schemes on boats that allow current to stray into the water. There are many ways to fight electrolysis. Consider installing an isolation transformer for shore power, check the condition of shore power cords, ensure components like bilge pumps are connected properly, use good sacrificial zincs, haulout often and so forth.

One final safety note. A vessel leaking current into the water poses a risk for electrical shock drowning. I believe many people die each year in marinas each due to this issue and the cause isn't apparent. Especially in fresh water facilities.

[img]http://www.harboradvice.com/uploaded_images/Recep.jpg[/img]

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/corrosionandelectrolysisinboat

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/electricshockdrowning

Working in the harbor, we used an epoxy based paint and mixed in our own blasting grit to make non-skid. It held up well under foot traffic.

We have deer and elk that routinely swim across the water to reach other island here in Southeast Alaska.

Law of Gross Tonnage at work

Looking at the original question that started this post, I think there one more option - any anchor at all. If you watch boaters going in and out of busy marinas, it is amazing to see how many people don't carry any sort of anchor, let alone one big enough to work.

I conduct safety inspections from time to time and remind people they have two options left after an engine quits (you guys will probably think of others) and there is no anchor aboard, be blown or carried ashore or be pushed out to sea. Up here, neither one is a wonderful option!

I asked about additional tags and currently the only one allowed is [img]...

We have had a few discussions about Personal Locator Beacons and Man Overboard (MOB) devices here at theboaters.

One true winner in safety technology is the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon or EPIRB. EPIRBs transmit a 406 MHz signal with vessel identification and owner information to the Search and Rescue Satellite System (SARSAT). Once SARSAT picks up a signal, tracking it to its source can be remarkably quick. I have accidentally tripped an EPIRB during a fishing vessel inspection and had the Coast Guard calling before I could return to the office.

Recreational boaters should look at installing an EPIRB, especially if the vessel wanders far from shore. There are two classes for these devices, those that are manually deployed and those that arm automatically. Avoid any purchase of older 121.5 MHz EPIRBs, they will be phased out in 2009. New technology 406 MHz beacons cost around a thousand dollars.

[img]http://www.harboradvice.com/uploaded_images/EPIRB.jpg[/img]

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/eliminatethesearchinsearch___r

It depends on how cold the water is :) Here maybe five minutes!

Great. The options have never been better, but it is confusing!

Tim - I think that's a great approach. I like the idea of describing the systems as reactive or proactive, it makes better sense.

I just saw a product announcement for a device that is worn with a PLB that provides satellite tracking and communications, but isn't part of SARSAT. So there definitely many options in play. Wearing a PFD and using a kill switch are still be best first steps to take for safety.

Tim is providing some great information on this topic. There has been a lot of interest in use of AIS by recreational boaters. Having a unit onboard will allow you to see movements of large commercial vessels, help avoid collisions in reduced visibility, and provides the information needed to hail other boats on the radio. I participated in a program operated by the Marine Exchange of Alaska that provided real time tracking of vessel using dedicated transponders and AIS. It was amazing to see what nav information was available with just a mouse over.

I posted a brief article on AIS at: http://boatsafetymaintenance.suite101.com/article.cfm/automaticidentificationsystem

I'm definitely going to read Tim's article on his personal installation!

That picture is wrong in so many ways :) It's like an aquatic Flintstonesmobile.

I posted this photo in another thread, but it was a boat that didn't get shoveled off and went through a heavy rainfall. The scuppers were blocked and I think there were wiring problems for the bilge pumps as well. The boat was named Double Trouble of all things.

[img]http://www.harboradvice.com/uploaded_images/DT-777346.jpg[/img]

Terence - Those are great. I will admit to dropping an anchor into water were I wasn't going to get it back again. You were lucky to get the thing back!

I don't know, but some of the comments I have read on the incident were trying to calculate the number of fish caught per hour. He is good (legal concerns aside).

Or the other way around :) FYI, the ramp is at the base of the small hill in the distance and the line goes behind the camera for about another six blocks...

Looks like we have a trespassing powerboater onboard

I wouldn't have started this thread if I wasn't guilty of a few questionable maneuvers myself.

Some of the best stories come from the launch ramp. I'm surprised there aren't more domestic violence calls. The ramp in Valdez can backup literally a mile, so if something happens, there are plenty of watchers!

[img]http://www.harboradvice.com/uploadedimages/QueueLaunch_Ramp.jpg[/img]

Good news, I watched Stacey's clip on *CG and she did mention Alaska being the odd state out...

FYI: The cost of 358 fish over the limit was a citation from the Troopers for $7,270 and his fishing gear was seized.

FYI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHZqCXZHfdU

How many fishers in the lower 48 can catch 358 fish over the limit ice fishing? :) A recent police report:

Location: Anchorage Case number: 08-13004

Type: Over Possession of Salmon and Rainbow Trout

Text: On 2/18/08 Alaska Fish and Wildlife Safeguard received a tip regarding an over limit of fish taken through the ice from Mirror Lake and being transported in a 2003 white Ford Explorer. Alaska Wildlife Troopers stopped the vehicle on the Glenn Hwy and Muldoon Rd and contacted Choong Il Park, age 68 of Anchorage. Investigation determined Park was in possession of 288 salmon and 70 Rainbow trout over the allowed limit. Park's fishing gear was seized and he was issued a $7270 bailable citation.

Author: MCL1 Received Wednesday, February 20, 2008 9:20 AM and posted Wednesday, February 20, 2008 9:59 AM

AK Bureau of Alcohol & Drug Enforcement

I must be Facebook challenged, couldn't find the link you described Robert...

Maybe a year ago, I wrote an article on stupid boater tricks. The thinking is that there are always some interesting things that happen around boats that aren't easily explained.

After working as a harbormaster for many years, you are always amazed to see an incident you haven't experienced before. Memorable events for me include:

The launching of the family SUV Launching the trailer still strapped to the boat Forgot the drain plug Leaping off the boat to the dock for catching a line (missed and in the water) Pulling out of the slip with a line still tied to the dock or shore power cord plugged in...

The picture below was a seine boat that had a bilge pump shutoff. What stupid boater tricks can you share.

[img]http://www.harboradvice.com/uploaded_images/P2190001.jpg[/img]

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/stupidboatertricks

I hate to further this discussion, but...

An Alaskan blog, Kodiak Konfidential http://kodiakkonfidential.blogspot.com/2008/02/speaking-of-ice-fishing.html had a recent post on ice fishing that mentioned the topic at hand...

[img]http://bp2.blogger.com/_uExTzMIDd1Y/R70ewwOAlsI/AAAAAAAAAlg/QqreJ6LHwmM/s400/BikiniIcefishing.jpg[/img]

Just to make this a little more clear , the Coast Guard is retaining *CG in Alaska. We always need to be different! Rescue 21 will be a great system once it's in place.

USCG Boating Safety Division: "The one exception to the discontinuance of the *CG specialized keying sequence is the Alaskan cellular phone region. Cell phone companies operating in Alaska all have the *CG feature available, and because the Coast Guard has a single number for routing those emergency calls, the cellular and Coast Guard regions are fully aligned; calls are not missed and can not be misdirected. The *CG feature will remain active in Alaskan waters."

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/rescue_21

There need to be witnesses...

I do feel fortunate that our crossing isn't as bad as what they go through to get from Washington State to Vancouver. Ouch.

Somehow I have to agree. It's right up there with tying something on the end of the anchor or the sunglasses that don't seem to float. :)

I don't know what this boat cost, but wouldn't mind be able to afford it. It was built in Sydney, BC and we pulled it out after a little attack by a rock in Valdez.

[img]http://www.harboradvice.com/uploaded_images/P6220001.jpg[/img]

We had an incident here last summer were a small cruise ship went aground on a charted rock. I know most of the boaters here have never hit anything with their boat…

In case this is ever a problem for you, there are things that can be done to minimize the damage and risk. There also needs to be suppression of the immediate, adrenalin fueled urge to jam the vessel into reverse before figuring out what's broke!

A few initial actions: Put on a PFD Assess the hull prior making any effort to move Put together a damage control kit Know what the tide is going to do next Ask for help

[img]http://images.suite101.com/207162_alongside.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.harboradvice.com/uploaded_images/Bent%20Prop.jpg[/img]

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/runningaboat_aground

I have not heard anything but great comments on the Mustang products. The thing about the inflatable is that people will actually wear them. They also came out with a flotation aid that is on a throwable stick that handy.

The reviews I have seen for the MOB Guardian System have been good. It's a fairly expensive system if I remember right. It combines several safety elements. There is a device to wear, it sounds an alarm for a fall overboard and provides realtime tracking of the person in the water. I don't think the equipment is widely available yet, but definitely worth watching.

The Autotether looks interesting in terms of function and cost. It gives you a wireless tether for the kill switch and provides an alarm. I could see this being a huge safety improvement. Most people end up not hooking into their engine kill switches because of the hassle. Keeping a transmitter pinned to your PFD is bound to be used more!

If you boat singlehanded, I would seriously consider the purchase of a PLB. They work amazingly well.

California has a pretty good brochure available online as a PDF

http://www.dbw.ca.gov/Pubs/CO/CObroch.pdf

Whitehorse, Yukon is our nearest big city here in Skagway and it's about a two hour drive. We probably cross the border 2-3 times a month. A delay in the Passport requirement is good, but people still need proof of citizenship to enter. That can cause major problems for people caught by surprise.

Having a Passport definitely helps at the border. It's really pretty routine. Canadian Customs is more user friendly. Every once in a while you get a cranky employee of CBP. I do miss just needing a driver's license to travel in and out of Canada.

It seems like a good way to have a hassle free boating experience. It will be interesting to see what users have experienced...

This is going to hurt...

I suspect every State and Provence will vary in these types of regs. The main purpose is ensure an accurate count of species caught and size. Here are a couple examples for Alaska:

Halibut - (b) Until brought to shore and offloaded, no person may fillet, mutilate, or otherwise disfigure a halibut in any manner that prevents determination of the number of fish caught or possessed.

Crab - (f) Until a crab has been processed or prepared for human consumption, no one may mutilate or otherwise disfigure it in any manner that prevents determination of whether it meets the minimum size limit.

This is an example from a couple winters ago of how not to treat your boat!

[img]http://www.harboradvice.com/uploaded_images/DT-777346.jpg[/img]

How prepared are you to deal with a fall overboard? Risks include drowning, prop strikes, and hypothermia. Cold water should be a concern to anyone boating in the Northeast or Northwest northward. There are a number of strategies out there to help mitigate a fall overboard, the most important being the wearing of a lifejacket:

Man Overboard (MOB) Alarms Wireless Ignition Tethers Personal Locator Beacons Hybrid Systems

How do you get someone back aboard your vessel after a fall overboard? Do your passengers know how to operate your boat?

[img]http://images.suite101.com/310162comautotether.jpg[/img] [img]http://images.suite101.com/190835alert2receiver.jpg[/img] [img]http://images.suite101.com/189918rf.jpg[/img]

http://boatsafetymaintenance.suite101.com/article.cfm/autotetherandfallsoverboard http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/manoverboardalarms http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/personallocatorbeaconsplb http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/mobguardiansystem

In Prince William Sound, it's probably May through September. We kept some boats running all season. Winter boating is pretty tough here in Skagway (northern southeast), mostly due to wind. I lived on Wrangell Island for about ten years in southern southeast and used the boat year round there. Most of southeast is the same as British Columbia and/or the Seattle area.

A lot more rain and snow :)

This was in Valdez during the summer of 2006. About a thousand witnesses. The driver had kicked his transfer case into neutral. His boat is on the courtesy float, it luckily came off the trailer. Oops...

[IMG]http://www.harboradvice.com/uploaded_images/truck.jpg-790866.JPG[/IMG]

We are having one the best days here in recent memory. Just a week ago it was blowing 60 and temps were around -20. If the weather keeps this up, people will start thinking about getting the boat back in the harbor.

I have discussed boat maintenance practices for years and definitely interested in hearing good ideas on how to be a clean boater. Since it's at least time to consider getting back in the water, what do you do each spring to make the process easier with your boat...

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/springboatpreparation

Powerboaters could definitely benefit from a little time spent on a sailboat. The effects of wind and currents aren't as obvious to many skippers even as they have a great impact on performance.

In Southeast Alaska, most of our sailboats are operating on their auxiliaries, so there aren't too many vessels truly under sail.

FYI, I received a press release on an emergency shroud replacement kit from Colligo Synthetic Systems. It looks like it would be pretty handy after a fitting lets loose.

http://www.colligomarine.com

It would be a great feature. Google Earth is an excellent resource. I wish they had better imagery for our area...

505 pilots say, "Give a call. Take a ride. Never go slow again." This is an one design class that has avoided entanglement in the Olympics. A competitive vessel is affordable for many people, 505 enthusiasts really are the best advocates for the class.

Is there a decent market for your 470 locally? If the difference transition costs aren't too high, it would be worth a try. I wonder if the market is harder going into the season versus the fall...

Roy,

Hopefully you mean a carbon monoxide (CO) detector. In general, a hardwired unit is more dependable than one one powered by batteries alone. Battery alone units are more likely to be disabled and/or not be maintained. Most hard wired systems will use batteries as backup. There is a difference in electronic products designed for marine use. To name a couple, they are better able to withstand vibration and resist corrosion.

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/boatsandcarbonmonoxideco

It is awesome. I would love to take a ride on that boat!

Six!

Just about a year ago the French Hydroptere set a record of 46.5 knots. I haven't gone back to their website to see the progress to date. The videos of the craft are amazing, it would a great ride...

http://sail-boats.suite101.com/article.cfm/lhydroptrebeginsto_takeoff

I just had to ask :)

I can't say that I have seen this in the Great White North. Why underwater lights for a boat?

I don't know how many salmon fishers have been following the research on the impacts of fish farming to wild stocks of trout and salmon. There is evidence that reductions in wild populations occur where young salmonids must migrate past fish farm net pens. Fish farming is illegal in my home state of Alaska and historically we have been worried about the escape of Atlantic salmon. It looks there other reasons for caution. Fishermen in British Columbia and the British Isles might be interested in this work...

http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0060033&ct=1&SESSID=a5f6d27799135880e051f5b34535f939

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/wildsalmonendangeredbysea_lice

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/fishfarmscausesalmondeclines

Thanks Ken. It would make a lot of difference whether you were on the boat tending it too. It's easier to fix a problem onboard versus watching helplessly from the shore :)

Maybe I've been in Alaska too long, but I'm nervous about attaching an anchor to anything but the bow. It's too easy for water to come over the stern between the combination of wind, tide, current and waves.

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/boatanchoringbasics

FYI, if you buy a package from EZ Steer for your boat, attach a lanyard to the steering rod. I know someone that dropped one once :)

There is a product called EZ Steer that will work. It can be had for OB and IO...

http://www.ezsteer.com/

For those interested in radio navigation systems, the Department of Homeland Security announced their support of an update to Loran-C called Enhanced Loran or eLoran. The update is being made to provide a backup to GPS in the event of an unplanned outage or disaster. Loran offers some advantages as well, the signals can often be received in places that defy GPS. Many of us wondered what would come of Loran-C and now we know. The link below is to the DHS press release in PDF and the second is to the Navcenter page on eLoran:

https://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/786/191614/

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/eloran/overview.htm

Many boaters would enjoy a visit to the Alaska Sea Grant College Program Bookstore online. There are books of interest on safety, charter operations, wildlife and marine education to name a few. They put out some great titles.

http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/index.html

If you are interested in more information on VHF marine radio channels, this is a link to article on the subject...

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/vhfmarineradio_channels

BoatU.S. just released a great press release on the meanings of boat names based on their top 10 list for 2007...

http://www.boatus.com/news/releases.asp

It's the new Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) that is now being required for many of us working on the waterfront.

http://www.tsa.gov/whatwedo/layers/twic/index.shtm

Thanks Brian. Jet drives are better than they used to be, but they aren't as efficient as prop yet. There is an inherent loss in pumping the water and turning it to thrust.

You're right, they don't steer at idle!

A friend of mine, Terry Johnson with the Alaska Sea Grant College Program, wrote a great guide on seasickness. It is available as a PDF from the university website:

http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/pubs/SG-ED-47.html

These are some good boating books. Chapman should be on every sailor's shelf and a copy of Bowditch can't hurt...

GPS for Mariners by Robert J. Sweet ISBN 0071410759 International Marine-McGraw-Hill

Heavy Weather Boating Emergencies: The Survival Guide for Freshwater Powerboat Operators: What to Do When Everything Goes Wrong written by Chuck and Jean Luttrell. ISBN 094340097X Marlor Press

The Unknown Shore written by Patrick O'Brian. ISBN 039331538X W. W. Norton and Company.

If you take an Alaska cruise, visit me here in Skagway :)

The Coast Guard is looking at providing mobile registration here in Southeast Alaska for TWIC. It will be interesting to see how things develop through the cruise ship season.

My experience with jetdrives points to the need for practice. Under normal operations, there aren't any major differences in handling and there is a lot less to worry about. I have taken out any number of props and lower units running outboard equipped boats.

The fun starts at low speeds and docking. Most jets use a bucket to redirect water flow and provide for reverse. In reverse, the steering directions are backwards from what you are normally used to seeing. Once you have made the perfect landing at the dock, you need to shut down the engine or idling water coming from the pump will push your boat away from the dock.

One big plus for jets is the elimination of injury from prop strikes…

More info:

http://motor-boats.suite101.com/article.cfm/marinejetboat_drives

Here are some brief comments on anchor types. I think the decision between purchasing a galvanized versus stainless steel anchor should be based on the underlying quality of the building material.

Lightweight or Danforth Anchors - Hold best in firm sand, gravel or mud. Mushroom Anchors - Mushrooms are meant for permanent mooring.
Grapnel Anchors - Grapnels are meant to hang up or snag on brush and outcroppings on the bottom Kedge or Navy Anchors - Work well in grassy or rocky bottoms.
Claw or Bruce Anchors - Claws hold well in most bottom conditions. Plow Anchors - A favorite of many cruisers. Good holding power in varied bottom conditions, but don't do well on soft bottoms.

Further Info:

http://boatingsailing.suite101.com/article.cfm/commontypesofboatanchors