BOAT/U.S. Magazine articles from March 2007

BOAT/U.S. Magazine archives from March 2007

Behind the buoy.
March 1, 2007... The Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Admiral Thad Allen, recently floated the idea that recreational boaters should be licensed. A license, not for safety or educational purposes, but for security reasons. In a speech before the...

Court decision could require pollution permits.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... When the Clean Water Act was signed into law more than 30 years ago, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) went to work writing regulations articulating the permit system for different industries discharging pollutants. After they...

'06 state sales taxes are still deductible.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... While 2006 tax forms were printed in November, Congress acted in December to extend a number of provisions that were set to expire from 2005, including a deduction for state and local sales taxes. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Boat owners who...

Great Lakes firing ranges dropped.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... The commander of the U.S. Coast Guard's Ninth District dropped a proposal to create 34 live ammunition on-the-water firing zones throughout the popular boating area. Rear Adm. John E. Crowley Jr. said the plan was "unsatisfactory" and that he...

Tow vehicle guide online.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... The SUV Owners of America have developed an online guide to help new automobile buyers choose the right tow vehicle for their favorite outdoor activities. Designed to help boaters, campers and RVers quickly find vehicles that suit their towing...

Rescue 21 up and running in Seattle.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... The Pacific Northwest coastal area from Port Angeles to Seattle has become the third sector in the U.S. to reap the benefits of the U.S. Coast Guard's state-of-the art coastal communications and response system called Rescue 21. On Dec. 18, the...

Boater education moves ahead in California.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... The framework for requiring mandatory boater education certification in California has been worked out among boating groups and the state boating office and legislation will likely be introduced later this year. The key provisions of the...

Aweigh with words.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... "Go Figure!"--we hope you're in good shape ACROSS 1. "A hole in the water surrounded by wood into which you pour money," so they say 5. Like boaters who follow safety guidelines 10. What tell-tales do on an untrimmed sail ...

State ballast water law may sink.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... A new Michigan law intended to help stop the spread of non-native aquatic plants and animals went into effect Jan. 1 but a legal challenge could blow it out of the water, according to a review by the National Sea Grant Law Center. The center...

Manatee-boat mortalities drop to 20%.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... A preliminary report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows that collisions with watercraft accounted for 20% of all manatee deaths in state waters last year. A total of 416 of the marine mammals died from all causes,...

Nuisance mussels migrate west.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... The discovery of a close kin to the invasive zebra mussel in Nevada's Lake Mead in January has state and federal natural resource managers throughout the western states on high alert. The mollusks that have wreaked havoc in the Great Lakes and...

National Safe Boating Week 2007: wear it!(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... Boating groups gearing up for May's National Safe Boating Week campaign will see a number of innovations for 2007, from downloadable campaign materials to the return of the "Survivor" contest. National Safe Boating Week (NSBW), scheduled for...

Kentucky Dam leaking.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... A leaking 50-year-old dam on the Cumberland River could pose problems for Kentucky boaters this season as the water level behind it is lowered for repair work, but boating businesses there are prepared. Wolf Creek Dam near Jamestown, KY,...

On 3/11 some tide tables will be off.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... If you haven't already heard the news, Daylight Savings Time begins early this year on March 11, part of an effort by Congress to save energy. This is good news for those craving more sunlight but bad news for mariners relying on printed tide...

Use of 121.5/243 MHz EPIRBs banned.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... As of the first of the year, boaters are now prohibited from using 121.5 MHz Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons, the U.S. Coast Guard announced. This is in preparation for the shut-off of satellite reception on these frequencies set to...

Comprehensive Ocean 21 bill introduced.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... Not wasting any time in the 110th Congress, Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) introduced Oceans-21, the Ocean Conservation, Education and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act, on opening day, Jan. 4. The bill, which would encourage regional models...

Slips losing out to shops.(BoatU.S.reports)
March 1, 2007... A California law that puts a priority on providing public access to the coast seemingly has been ignored in new plans to revitalize a popular harbor at Dana Point, just south of Los Angeles. The $120-million renovation project which would...

Paper pushing for paper's sake.(memberforum)
March 1, 2007... I understand that an initiative to license boat operators is being pushed by the Department of Homeland Security. There is no explanation from the federal government of how this program would make anyone more secure. This is another attempt to...

Congressman claus.(memberforum)
March 1, 2007... This letter may raise a few eyebrows. I read with great interest your article on how the newly elected officials in Washington were going to help the boating public. Let me say this. If you think a bunch of liberal Democrats are going to help...

Pick your fights wisely.(memberforum)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... A May '05 BoatU.S. editorial said, "The boating community is not as unified as the sportfishing industry" which puts boaters at a disadvantage. A May '06 editorial said, "One of the most difficult choices that BoatU.S. has to make is what...

Hassle-free clearing.(memberforum)
March 1, 2007... When we were in Florida for our annual boat break, we saw a small article in the local paper about the new U.S. Customs program which allows pre-registration of boaters who frequently arrive in the U.S. from foreign ports. We do most of our...

Lake Michigan leaking away.(memberforum)
March 1, 2007... Chicago reversed the flow of the Chicago river decades ago and Lake Michigan now flows into the river as opposed to the river emptying into the lake. The real culprit however, the rain gods aside, may be Lake St. Clair. The Army Corps of...

Rescue 21 comes to Virginia.(memberforum)
March 1, 2007... We have been members of BoatU.S. for many years and thoroughly enjoy the BoatU.S. Magazine. However, in the September '06 issue, there is something which needs correction. Pages 24 & 25 relate the story of the further development of Rescue 21....

40-knot boats, 20-knot brains.(memberforum)
March 1, 2007... We just completed our seventh Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway trip in our seven-knot, 40-foot Albin trawler and one of the things that we noted was the increased amount of 18- to 25-foot center console sportfishing vessels all powered with at...

Ask cap'n drew.
March 1, 2007... Dear Cap'n Drew: Perhaps you can lend me some of your wisdom on a problem I have with guests on my open bow boat. I don't know how to tell guests not to smoke cigarettes on my boat. I don't really mind the smell but I don't want their...

Ask Chuck.
March 1, 2007... The byline on Chuck Husick's long-running column, Technotalk, notes that the author is a sailor, pilot, engineer and former president of Chris Craft Boats. But, this simple "bio" just does not do him justice. Chuck has been providing BoatU.S....

EPIRBs-the next generation.
March 1, 2007... As the faith of three climbers lost on Oregon's Mount Hood became headline news for two weeks in December, not a few commentators wondered how, in this day when everyone seems to be wired, that the climbers left home without the latest in...

Cruisers contest anchoring limits.
March 1, 2007... In a state where boating generates $18 billion for the state's economy--more than the citrus industry--the anchoring of transient recreational boats in Florida has been a hot-button issue. In January, local boaters bristling under an overly...

Lat/long was wrong.
March 1, 2007... Suddenly faced with the possibility of having to swim about 20 miles to shore from their rapidly sinking boat west of St. Petersburg, FL, on December 3rd the three-man crew did what any of us would do. They called "mayday" on their VHF radio....

Bottom paint solutions.
March 1, 2007... For at least 500 years, skippers have known that copper is a valuable bottom-coating. Legend has it that the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria all had copper sheathing to protect their wooden hulls from worms and other fouling. Paints...

Stalking west coast sturgeon.
March 1, 2007... It's like few other fish in the sea. This one grows over decades, not mere years, and to enormous size. With not a bone in its missile-shaped body, it has a primitive structure of cartilage attached to muscle and meat within a sandpaper...

How rack storage stacks up.
March 1, 2007... Everyone seems to be talking these days about the lack of access to our waterways. Building more marinas, boat yards, clubs and launch ramps could be seen as a solution, but waterfront property has become very expensive. Residential...

Fisheries law landed at last.
March 1, 2007... You probably didn't feel it, but at precisely 0123 hours on December 9, 2006, in an anticlimactic surge of bipartisanship, Congress passed the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act, overhauling the nation's...

Maine's maritime magic.(Waterfront Living)
March 1, 2007... More than most other cruising areas, Maine is a coast of contrasts. It epitomizes the unpredictability of New England weather, its harbors range from jam-packed to nearly deserted, and its waters are at once stunningly beautiful and...

Bewitched by bath.(Waterfront Living)
March 1, 2007... Lynne and I were about halfway down Washington Street, Bath's main residential thoroughfare, when I found myself thinking, This is the place for me. The thought wasn't entirely unexpected: New England has always had resonances for me, and some...

Deep water land bargains at The Preserve.(Communities to Watch)
March 1, 2007... The Preserve at Lawnes Point is now offering huge savings on all of its dockable, deep waterfront and water access homesites. Right now, buyers can acquire a deep waterfront parcel for as low as $199,900 with a small down payment. Excellent...

Tradewinds at Ochlockonee Bay.(Communities to Watch)
March 1, 2007... Tradewinds at Ochlockonee Bay, is Florida's untouched paradise. This Beautiful upscale boating community is nestled where the bay enters the Gulf of Mexico. Its natural, uncluttered landscape is the perfect setting for a lifestyle of outdoor...

Gaslight Landing.(Communities to Watch)
March 1, 2007... Gaslight Landing, located a short drive south of Washington, DC, is an exciting new riverfront community of 20 luxury town homes nestled along the bank of the Occoquan River in historic Occoquan, VA. Individual elevator, deeded 40' deepwater...

Engine innovation awards.(hottips and news you can use)
March 1, 2007... A few engine manufacturers garnered the National Marine Manufacturers Association Innovation Awards at the recent International Boatbuilder's Exposition and Conference (IBEX) in Miami, FL. Suzuki took honors for its DF300 four-stroke...

Hot or cold?(hottips and news you can use)
March 1, 2007... Another Innovation Award winner at IBEX was Heater Craft's "Air Fusion" heating and air conditioning system. The Fusion is the "Only air conditioning system that does not require sea water circulation to keep it cool," said Innovation Award...

Cordless choices.(hottips and news you can use)
March 1, 2007... Because boaters don't always have a place to plug in, cordless tools are a real boon. Ryobi has taken the concept to a new level with their "One+ System" that offers 25 different tools and accessories that all use the same 18-volt battery. ...

Charting the wrong course.(DAMAGE AVOIDANCE)
March 1, 2007... First, a little history: Starting with the wreck of the Delight in 1583, at least 350 ships have been wrecked off Canada's Sable Island, a 27-mile-long sandbar in the North Atlantic. The last ship to be lost there was the Manhasset, a freighter...

Marine Power outage.(CONSUMER PROTECTION BUREAU)
March 1, 2007... More than four years ago BoatU.S. Magazine published "Engine Blocks Choke on Water" about water ingestion problems involving marine engines built on GM automotive "big blocks." After over 50 boat owners reported similar engine failures to...

Boat detailing like a pro: reviving your boat's glossy finish and creating a factory-new appearance is surprisingly easy if you use the proper techniques. Follow these steps for a long-lived durable shine.(From the Files of DIY Boat Owner Magazine)
March 1, 2007... Gelcoat, the exterior finish on fiberglass boats, is a porous mix of polyester resins and pigments that must be sealed from the damaging effects of ultra-violet (UV) rays, salt, dirt and weather. Neglect it, and it becomes more porous, resins...

Safety honors go to TowBoatU.S. captain.(tangledline)
March 1, 2007... For his fast thinking and action in attending to another towing captain with a severe injury, Capt. Mike Stewart of TowBoatU.S. in North Miami has won the prestigious Bunzl Boating Safety Award from the American Boat & Yacht Council Foundation...

The rats did not desert the ship, unfortunately.(tangledline)
March 1, 2007... Animal control officials arrested a California man that press reports identified as a "liveaboard" boater in January after finding six cats and 37 rats aboard the 29-foot sailboat he called home. According to reports, the man, Roger Dier of...

In California, just add sunshine.(tangledline)
March 1, 2007... Since everyone refers to it as "sunny California," SoCal should be the perfect place for a new design competition to build solar-powered sailboats. As many as 1,000 Southern California high school students are expected to compete in a...

At loggerheads over turtle's trip.(tangledline)
March 1, 2007... The trans-ocean odyssey of a loggerhead sea turtle named Adelita ended in mystery, and perhaps tragedy, 10 years ago but it could have a happy ending for her offspring, after all. Adelita's movements, tracked by satellite from September...

Cast Off for Catalina.(tangledline)
March 1, 2007... West coast sailors and members Ted Field and Mark Ritts are not only fond of cruising to the storied isle 26 miles off the southern California coast, they're TV producers as well. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] They decided to fill a gap in...

BoatU.S. executive elected to council.(tangledline)
March 1, 2007... The National Safe Boating Council, one of the longstanding and most effective of boating volunteer organizations, has elected Ruth Wood, president of the BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, as its newest chairman for 2007....

2nd time around: 71% of boats sold in the U.S. are bought used. Many of these have an enduring appeal, having withstood the test of time. In each issue, we'll feature a review of one powerboat and one sailboat by noted naval architect and surveyor Jack Hornor.
March 1, 2007... Rinker 342 Fiesta Vee www.rinkerboats.com Rinker Boat Company, one of the oldest names in the marine industry, introduced their "Fiesta Vee" line of sport cruisers over 20 years ago with the Fiesta Vee 250. The Fiesta Vee 342 continues the...

Foundation awarded grant to fight Marine Debris.(IDEAS FOR SAFE, SMART, AND CLEAN BOATING)
March 1, 2007... "I'll send an SOS to the world..." Now more then ever those lyrics from The Police's 1979 hit song "Message in a Bottle" are ringing true. The SOS being sent today is that the seas are filling up with debris. While the idea of sending a...

Member mailbag.(MEMBERSHIP)
March 1, 2007... Dear BoatU.S.: Unexpected #1: My wife and I were totally surprised on December 1 when a phone call came to our home from BoatU.S. Insurance. We first thought it was a prank--they wanted to know if we'd sustained any damage to our boat we...

Help on the Web for boat buyers.(MEMBERSHIP)
March 1, 2007... Did you know there's a place you can go to get answers about that dreamboat you've been thinking about buying? The BoatU.S. Consumer Affairs Department has some great online resources available 24-hours a day at BoatUS.com/buyer to help you...

Rules of the road brush up.(MEMBERSHIP)
March 1, 2007... Spring boating season isn't far away--do you remember all of the "rules of the road?" If you'd like an easy refresher go to Boatus.com/foundation/toolbox where you'll find an animated learning tool that shows you what to expect when you...

Behind theboat.
March 1, 2007... Editor's note: This is the first column from the Association's new President, Nancy Michelman, who was formerly Senior Vice President of Membership. She currently boats on the Chesapeake Bay in a 20-foot Grady White. Over the past 18...

Where our flags fly.
March 1, 2007... Send us a photo of your boat, preferably flying the BoatU.S. flag, and we'll publish it here, or online at BoatUS.com. Please include the name, make, size and home port, as well as your member number. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ENDLESS...