BOAT/U.S. Magazine articles from May 2004

BOAT/U.S. Magazine archives from May 2004

Behind the buoy.
May 1, 2004... For those of you who also grew up with Du Pont's advertising credo, "Better Living Through Chemistry," it should come as no surprise that there are quite a few of us at BoatU.S. who believe that many of today's thorny public policy problems...

ICW traffic jam expected.(BoatU.S.Reports)
May 1, 2004... A heavily traveled portion of the northern section of the Intracoastal Waterway will be restricted during the height of the summer boating season due to construction of a new drawbridge. The Mantoloking Bridge (Route 528) in Brick, NJ, over...

We're no. 1, sometimes.(BoatU.S.Reports)
May 1, 2004... California may be number one in a lot of things, like growing avocados or having movie stars as governors. But, despite some excitement when an industry group released the latest national boating statistics, California is not Number One in boat...

Trailer Boats magazine's Hendricks wins Monk Farnham award.(BoatU.S.Reports)
May 1, 2004... Trailer Boats magazine editor Jim Hendricks was honored by BoatU.S. Feb. 13 with the 2003 Moulton H. "Monk" Farnham Award for Excellence in Editorial Commentary. Established in 1996 by BoatU.S. in memory of Monk Farnham, the former...

The end of a (paper) era.(BoatU.S.Reports)
May 1, 2004... To save a few more trees and millions of your tax dollars, the U.S. Coast Guard has eliminated the printed version of its Local Notices to Mariners. As of April 1, local notices listing navigational marker changes and waterway alerts will no...

BoatU.S. sponsors world championship.(BoatU.S.Reports)
May 1, 2004... Sixteen of the world's best female skippers and crews will battle it out June 5-12 at the BoatU.S. 2004 International Sailing Association Federation Women's Match Racing World Championship. This is the pre-eminent women's match race event. In...

Radio license may not be needed.(BoatU.S.Reports)
May 1, 2004... This winter the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) resumed mailing out renewal notices to those vessel owners whose 10-year ship station licenses for VHF radios were about to expire. What the FCC did not put in its notice is that for many...

Cities, states see gold in sinking ships.(BoatU.S.Reports)
May 1, 2004... Recreational boaters don't usually get much from the military, but defense legislation passed last year has changed that in a big way. A new law gives the U.S. Navy and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) permission to sink over 100 warships...

25 Years of sailing on ESPN special.(BoatU.S.Reports)
May 1, 2004... Twenty-five years ago, Ted Turner was at the top of the sailing world, racing boats were aluminum and ESPN was a fledgling cable network no one had ever heard of. To put it all into perspective, Gary Jobson, the face of televised sailing for...

Army Corps cutting back.(BoatU.S.Reports)
May 1, 2004... The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in retreat at many of its recreation areas this boating season, the victim of bruising budget battles on Capitol Hill. Due to a lack of increased funding for recreational facilities over the past four or five...

Sea Scouts sailing for top honors.(BoatU.S.Reports)
May 1, 2004... Sea Scouts around the country, like Michelle Duffy rigging her boat on San Francisco Bay, have been busy with regional races this spring to qualify for Sea Scouting's top sailing honors in June. Sixteen teams will compete for the Richard...

UN takes on ballast water issue.(BoatU.S.Reports)
May 1, 2004... After treading water for 10 years on the issue of the aquatic nuisance species transported worldwide in ship ballast tanks, a United Nations agency is calling for international controls. At a Feb. 13 meeting in London, the International...

Save your skin.(BoatU.S.Reports)
May 1, 2004... Researchers have found the strongest evidence to date that artificial sun tanning increases the risk of malignant melanoma, a potentially fatal form of skin cancer. A study conducted in Norway and Sweden and reported in the Journal of the...

Crackdown on Cuba travel.(BoatU.S.Reports)
May 1, 2004... "We will enforce the law. We will also target those who travel to Cuba illegally through third countries and those who sail to Cuba on private vessels in violation of the embargo," warned President Bush in February. Until now, Americans...

A real lifesaver.(MemberForum)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I am writing this letter to thank you for the information in your publication that saved our lives!! Last April my wife, son and I moved up to a 1985 36-foot Carver Mariner. We absolutely love this boat, but it came with a terrible flaw--a...

Timely advice.(MemberForum)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... Thanks for alerting us to the faulty Olin 12-gauge flare guns. I tested mine and found it to be unusable. It would have been a poor time to discover this during an emergency. The problem is caused by a plastic rod in the end of a spring that...

Industry infighting.(MemberForum)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... Reading "Reader Reaction" in the March issue, it didn't take long to see why the marine industry still has a problem. First, there's Mr. Keeter of the Marine Retailers Association of America acknowledging the problem, then pointing squarely at...

You build it, you fix it.(MemberForum)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... Regarding "Reader Reaction", why the fuss? This is not rocket science and many industries have tackled this problem successfully in a manner that fits the situation. The machine tool industry, in which I spent 45 years as an engineer and...

Consumers cast adrift.(MemberForum)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... Just received and read your write-up about Florida's lack of consumer support. Very nicely done. No name-calling or finger-pointing, but a very strong description of the bureaucratic situation. Tom Nelson Port Charlotte, FL

Advice from one who knows.(MemberForum)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... Regarding "Deaf Boat Owner's Plea is Heard," there are a number of devices and tactics available to deaf boaters to help ensure safety and good seamanship. I have been completely deaf since 14, and have since sailed some 28,000 offshore miles...

Captains of the big screen.(MemberForum)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I read with interest and appreciation your story on the movie version of Patrick O'Brian's "Master and Commander: Far Side of the World" (September 2003). The adventures of the fictional captains Jack Aubrey and Horatio Hornblower are...

Troubled waters.(MemberForum)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I read with great interest your recent article profiling NTSB Chairwoman Ellen Engleman Connors. Sadly, she has her work cut out for her. As an avid boater for 40 years, I have finally given up on the waters around the south shore of...

Congressional champion.(MemberForum)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I am responding to your request regarding congressional lawmakers active in boating. I am sure that the name of Jim Saxton (R-NJ) is well known to you. I have known Jim for over 20 years. As a congressman he has been very active in marine...

Deviant readings.
May 1, 2004... Among the best things about boating is the unbridled joy that comes with every springtime. As reliably as the northern hemisphere turns its higher latitudes more directly to the sun, boaters face the sheer exhilaration of scraping barnacles....

Keeping boat theft at Bay.
May 1, 2004... Glen McIntosh probably never heard of the 1950's beat poet Allen Ginsberg, but his poem "Gone Gone Gone" about a loss of innocence surely must have expressed the feeling of the Atlanta oral surgeon when he was told last January 8 that his brand...

Predicted log competitions: no pilot error.
May 1, 2004... Just watch ESPN2 and it's clear that new "extreme sports" are cropping up faster than you can say aerial skiing, sky surfing or cliff diving. Boaters are pushing the envelope, too, but you won't see boating's version of "extreme navigation" on...

Hot tips and news you can use.
May 1, 2004... Not Your Father's Pontoon You never know what quite to expect at boat show product demonstrations, but when someone swings a baseball bat repeatedly into a boat's gunwale, they quickly get everyone's attention. While visiting the...

Paradise lost?
May 1, 2004... Are you dreaming about the perfect retirement--cruising tropical waters, warm winds filling the spinnaker, whales and porpoises off the bow, lush Polynesian islands on the horizon with dark haired beauties? WAKE UP! Hawaii may not be the...

The latest and greatest in marine electronics.(Advertisement)
May 1, 2004... Today's trend in consumer electronics is products that make the most of the little leisure time we have. From televisions and DVD players in the car, to wireless phones with built-in cameras, we want products that are simple, convenient and...

Ocean commotion.
May 1, 2004... If it's no longer true that there are "plenty of fish in the sea," there's certainly no shortage of organizations lining up to speak for what's left. New nonprofit groups aiming to "save" or "protect" some part of the marine ecosystem seem to...

Mayday for the waterway.
May 1, 2004... It cost the United States government $64,647.20 to save Joe Harris' life when the Coast Guard pulled him from the Atlantic Ocean 23 miles south of Cape Lookout, NC, on Jan. 25. But for a tragic mistake on the part of Harris' friend and...

Cape May.(Destination)
May 1, 2004... Location, Location, Location--it's the realtor's mantra, but it can apply to whole areas as well as individual homes. Take as an example the seaside resort of Cape May, New Jersey, an island (kind of) with attractions to spare and a personality...

Throwing consumers a life line.(Consumer Protection Bureau)
May 1, 2004... In a perfect world, the BoatU.S. Consumer Protection Bureau's telephone would never ring. In fact, the Bureau would not even exist. But, as anyone who's ever owned a boat knows, this isn't a perfect world. Things go wrong. "Friday...

Maxum.(Our BoatU.S.)
May 1, 2004... Talk about laid back boaters. Was it the blustery, cold weather that had everyone lazy as lizards on a cold rock? Or was it Commodore Len Hair, attending to every detail so club members could just kick back and relax? Maybe it was just the dog...

Techno talk.
May 1, 2004... Available immediately: competent helmsman for virtually any power or sail boat; will learn your boat's behavior to improve existing skills, can stand watch endlessly, never needs to go to the head and will live on only a few watts of electrical...

Foundation awards grants to 25 safety projects.(BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety & Clean Water)
May 1, 2004... Promoting safe boating habits has taken on added importance now that the number of fatalities from boating accidents took an unexpected upturn in 2002, after years of decline. To help spread the message to all comers of the country, the...

Ask cap'n drew.
May 1, 2004... Dear Cap'n Drew: I need your advice. My elderly mother is in a top-shelf nursing home, but the way things are right now, we're not going to be able to afford to keep her there for long. I have considered selling my Carver 450 to raise the money...

A sailor's power play.
May 1, 2004... Is everyone in recreational boating having a mid-life crisis, or is it just me? Sailing has been great fun for years, but wouldn't it be nice once in a while to explore a new port that doesn't take vacation days just to get there?...

Member mailbag.(Membership)
May 1, 2004... Dear BoatU.S.: As a new member to BoatU.S., I just wanted to thank you. I enrolled last week, after several years of very limited boat use. As luck would have it, I had a problem on San Diego Bay on Saturday, Jan. 17. Both the...

Towing help at hand.(Membership)
May 1, 2004... BoatU.S. Towing Services--which includes VESSEL ASSIST and TowBoatU.S.--can be reached by calling one number: 800-391-4869. Depending on your location, the call is automatically routed to the closest 24-hour dispatch center in either California...

Reasons for Trailering breakdowns.(Membership)
May 1, 2004... The February/March issue of BoatU.S. Trailering magazine reports the top three reasons for roadside breakdowns: 1: Flat Tires: Almost half (43%) of all calls for assistance can be chocked up to the simple but age-old problem of flat tires...

BoatU.S. towing conference wraps up.(Membership)
May 1, 2004... For their record of performance, preparedness and leadership, TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale won "Tower of the Year" honors in front of a crowd of nearly 200 TowBoatU.S. and VESSEL ASSIST towers in attendance at the annual Towing Services...

Spring break comes early to BoatU.S.(TangledLine)
May 1, 2004... As a special treat for BoatU.S. staffers, some of whom have never set foot on a sailing ship, longtime BoatU.S. Travel partner Star Clippers took 17 lucky crewmates on a luxury spin around the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean. Aboard the...

Women's conference returns in June.(TangledLine)
May 1, 2004... The third annual Women's Sailing Conference sponsored by BoatU.S. and organized by the National Women's Sailing Association once again brings together women sailors, from novices to experts, for a great learning experience June 5 at the...

Sea scouts take top honors.(TangledLine)
May 1, 2004... It has been an award-winning year for the national Sea Scouting program as they celebrate their new partnership with the United States Power Squadrons (USPS). In early January 2004, the USPS and the U.S. Coast Guard honored the Sea Scouts with...

Snapping up a ship of state.(TangledLine)
May 1, 2004... When the state of Maryland needed to save money, Gov. Robert Ehrlich proposed unloading the Maryland Independence, the 112-foot state yacht. The unusual 1944 Canadian-built former submarine chaser sold in short order, auctioned off after a...

Questions, we have questions.(TangledLine)
May 1, 2004... With the Log of Ithaka posted twice monthly at BoatUS.com, fans of long distance cruising or those planning for future getaways can ask anything they want of authors Bernadette and Douglas Bernon. Questions published in our last issue are...

Cruisers 3570/3573.(2ndTimeAround)
May 1, 2004... If you're not quite ready for retirement, lengthy coastal cruising and the sometimes-boxy cabin cruisers that seem to go hand in hand with it, an Express or Sport Cruiser may be just the style boat you are looking for. The challenge of the...

Catalina 320.
May 1, 2004... The Catalina 320 was introduced in 1993, along with its little sister the Catalina 270, as the first in a series of designs intended to go head to head with the more contemporary, roomier, Euro-styled designs of Catalina's competitors. It was...

Avoiding overboard pollution fines.(Damage Avoidance)
May 1, 2004... There's an old saying that bad news comes in threes, and that was certainly the case when the skipper of a 34-foot sportfisherman failed to take action after a fuel tank developed a leak--bad news #1. The tank dripped diesel fuel into the bilge...

Behind the boat.
May 1, 2004... Recently the U.S. Coast Guard has been floating the question of whether it should require all boaters to wear life jackets. There is no escaping the fact that a majority of the 750 people who die each year in boating accidents drown while not...

Where our flags fly.
May 1, 2004... Send us a photo of your boat, preferably flying the BoatU.S. flag, and we'll publish it here. Please include the name, make, size and home port, as well as your member number. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]