BOAT/U.S. Magazine articles from November 2003

BOAT/U.S. Magazine archives from November 2003

Behind the buoy.
November 1, 2003... As this issue goes to press, the Atlantic Seaboard is licking its wounds from Hurricane Isabel, one of the most damaging storms ever to hit the East Coast. Roaring ashore as a Category 2 storm at Cape Hatteras on Thursday, September 18, Isabel...

After the storm.(BoatU.S. reports)
November 1, 2003... Caption: (Top) This sailboat in Colonial Beach, VA, was high and dry on the hard before record high waters swept it away, depositing it on the marina's dock. (Middle & Bottom) Numerous vessels in this Hopewell, VA, marina were totaled or...

Border security reorganized.(BoatU.S. reports)
November 1, 2003... "One face at the border," a new Department of Homeland Security catch phrase, will eventually mean less hassle for recreational boaters returning from the Bahamas. When implemented, boaters will have only one person to deal with. Homeland...

Boating economy robust.(BoatU.S. reports)
November 1, 2003... Recreational boating is often an overlooked business sector in the national economy, but research in at least one state is validating its importance in creating jobs and sales income. The newly formed Recreational Marine Research Center at...

Fishing funds raided.(BoatU.S. reports)
November 1, 2003... Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who won praise for rescuing six boaters in July, now is in hot water with his state's anglers and hunters. Romney's plan to divert state hunting and fishing license revenues to offset a deficit in the general...

Feds draw bead on fish-napping birds.(BoatU.S. reports)
November 1, 2003... After studying the problem for several years and listening to anglers and fish farmers complain about a burgeoning population of fish-napping birds, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is ready to take aim at the double-crested cormorant. ...

EPIRBs in Antarctica.(BoatU.S. reports)
November 1, 2003... People have been known to take life-saving EPIRBS with them to some pretty remote oceans but Gerald Petersen topped the list when he rented an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) from the BoatU.S. Foundation for Beating Safety to...

Happy ending for whales.(BoatU.S. reports)
November 1, 2003... When some 28 pilot whales mysteriously beached themselves in less than two feet of water in the Florida Keys this summer, dozens of volunteers, including TowBoatU.S. Capt. Kevin Freestone of Big Pine Key, rushed to the scene to help out. ...

Hawaii requires kids' life jackets.(BoatU.S. reports)
November 1, 2003... Hawaii has joined the growing number of states that require children to wear life jackets while on the deck of a boat that's underway. In this case, the Aloha State sets the age at 12 and under and the devices must fit properly. They must also...

Beach bills could help channel dredging.(BoatU.S. reports)
November 1, 2003... Two bills in Congress, if enacted, could require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider the economic benefits of recreation in evaluating beach restoration projects. This precedent could force the agency to consider recreational boating...

NY boaters win bottom paint battle.(BoatU.S. reports)
November 1, 2003... A group of New York City area boaters being forced by their marina to comply with a supposed new state regulation on using antifouling paint, took their case to the regulators and won. The New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC)...

States toughen up BUI laws.(BoatU.S. reports)
November 1, 2003... Beginning this month, boaters in New York who boat under the influence (BUI) face tougher new sanctions--the result of a new law that lowers the blood alcohol content (BAC) threshold from .10% to .08%. Signed into law just prior to Labor...

Rescue beacons go coast to coast.(BoatU.S. reports)
November 1, 2003... The same satellite system that has rescued thousands of mariners over the past two decades is now available for use by other outdoors enthusiasts. On July 1, the use of personal locator beacons, of PLBs, was declared operational for the...

Mistaken identity.(Member Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I much enjoyed your article in September about "Mastering the Commander." You refer to the Irish author Patrick O'Brian whose books have such a large following. Several years age while watching a news program on British TV, two reporters...

The truth comes out.(Member Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Mr. Wood is entirely correct: Patrick O'Brian was really an Englishman named Richard Patrick Russ. The truth about his life was on the verge of coming out when he died, but the whole story is in a fascinating book: Patrick O'Brian: A Life...

Book report.(Member Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I just finished reading the article by Elaine Dickinson about "Mastering the Commander" and the Patrick O'Brian book The Far Side of the World. I was so interested in the article, I went to my local book store and purchased books one, two,...

Celebrity treatment.(Member Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... We just wanted to let you know we're getting a huge reaction to "The Radical Sabbatical" article in the September issue of BoatU.S. Magazine. I've gotten e-mails from people in the industry, old friends, and wildest of all, people are sailing...

Living the dream.(Member Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... What a glorious cover with Bernadette and Douglas Bernon on the September issue. Suntanned and barefoot, beautiful and sexy, charming and vibrant in their Cruising World sailing life. These two are an infectious example of boating's best. ...

Flying fish.(Member Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I read the article "When Fish Strike Back" with great interest. I keep my boat, a 1981 37-foot Silverton Convertible at Harbor Point Yacht Club at mile 204, Upper Mississippi River. Last year I noticed that many fish were jumping behind my boat...

Lindy's feat.(Member Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Your article on Capt. Weems by Scott Croft says, "In 1928, Charles Lindbergh studied with Weems before attempting his transatlantic flight." I am sure that many other readers will tell you that Lindbergh touched down in Paris on May 21,...

Stay off the grass.(Member Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Thank you for publishing the article "Stemming the Sea Grass Scars." This is an important effort in the restoration of our marine environment. Healthy seagrass beds are the habitat basis for fish, mammal, and shellfish populations and help to...

Delta on the Web.(Member Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I do all of my boating in the California Delta and enjoyed seeing it get some national attention in your magazine! I was curious about the URL listed at the end of the article, since I knew it wasn't for California Delta Chamber of Commerce's...

Clearing the air.(Member Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... As a meteorologist, air quality planner, and BoatU.S. member, I read your September 2003 article "Carbon Monoxide: A Shore Thing" with interest. Aside from the more obvious locations where exhaust fumes can be trapped, it's interesting that...

Deviant readings.
November 1, 2003... The best thing about boating is that being on or near the water has a tendency to deliver the finest that Mother Nature has to offer. Naturally, the best of anything comes with a price. Many of us who boat along the midatlantic recently settled...

Coast guard in deep water.
November 1, 2003... When the Coast Guard moved from the U.S. Department of Transportation to the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year it knew that its mission priorities would change, A new mission--keeping our shores sale from terrorists--would...

Competing for security dollars: the fight in congress over funding for homeland security is beginning at the water's edge and where the gold dust will eventually settle is anyone's guess.
November 1, 2003... At issue is who should be funded and whether enough is being spent to protect the U.S. at home rather than overseas. Should more money go to the Coast Guard, border security or local first responders? Each one has a responsibility for...

Sea stories to savor.
November 1, 2003... Of course, the written word can't quite replace actually being out on the water, but the imagination is a wondrous thing. If your boat is now buttoned up for the winter and the thought of no cruising, fishing, sailing or racing has you climbing...

Creating a coastal constituency.
November 1, 2003... After more than 60 years, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway is finally getting some respect. A summer-long campaign on the part of recreational boaters and commercial vessel operators to grow a grass roots constituency for the much-neglected...

Reflections on radar.
November 1, 2003... Marine radar is the most significant maritime collision avoidance device ever developed. Used properly, it can deliver piece of mind even when navigating through dense fog or the darkest of nights. When combined with a chartplotter display,...

Military bases go boating.
November 1, 2003... November is the time of year when we all stop and remember our military on Veterans' Day. So, it is fitting for BoatU.S. to ask what do our military men and women do on the rest of their days when they are not training for battle? We found that...

Culebra, vieques.(Destination)
November 1, 2003... The British and American Virgin Islands together form one of the chartering world's most popular venues, as anyone who has cruised them will agree. Indeed, in the high tide of the charter season good anchorages are often jammed--many times with...

Ladies get hooked on fishing.
November 1, 2003... Brenda Berger says her husband's idea of outdoor fun is watching a good TV football game. She likes to watch helmets collide and the pigskin fly as much as the next person. But Berger would much rather witness a sailfish slamming into her lure...

Dealers seek a new deal.(Boat smart: consumer protection bureau)
November 1, 2003... As the summer drew to a close, Florida boat dealers and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the boatbuilders' trade association, were waging a press release shoot-out over what are known as dealer agreements. Like the feud...

Barnacle buffet.
November 1, 2003... Call it a "barnacle buffet." Call it a "barnacle magnet." Call it a disaster, even, but don't call it "Go-Fast," say users of the Dolphinite brand antifouling paint that sells for over $200 a gallon. Although the company's Web site tends...

Built-in boarding ladder saves lives.(hot tips and news you can use)
November 1, 2003... Triton boats has found a way to squeak more uses out of a bass boat and raise the bar on safety at the same time. If you think that's hype, consider that the folks who bring us National Safe Boating Week--the National Safe Boating...

Boat bits.(hot tips and news you can use)
November 1, 2003... 35% The number of powerboaters who participated in hunting in a 12-month period. 5% The number of sailboaters who participated in hunting in a 12-month period. Source: "Factors Related to...

Battery bump & grind.(hot tips and news you can use)
November 1, 2003... A marine battery's "reserve capacity," of its ability to sustain an electrical load, is an important factor to consider when buying, but according to Ryan Chuckel of Optima Batteries, reserve capacity doesn't tell it all. "It's really more...

North U goes to weather.(hot tips and news you can use)
November 1, 2003... A new course from North Sails, "Weather for Sailors," explains the intricacies of wind and weather and shows how to apply forecast information and personal observations for better sailing, racing, and cruising. The one-day class was...

Uniden breaks new ground.(hot tips and news you can use)
November 1, 2003... The two most valuable electronic capabilities for boaters have been married together in a new product from Texas-based Uniden America: a combination VHF radio and GPS in a handheld model. While not yet approved by the Federal Communications...

Member mailbag.(Skepticism Pays Off)
November 1, 2003... I joined BoatU.S. just three short weeks ago on a whim. I also took the $99 unlimited tow package to seemingly waste more money towards peace of mind. Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I found myself in the unfortunate position of...

How you saved eight lives.(Skepticism Pays Off)
November 1, 2003... Earlier this year, EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) from the BoatU.S. Foundation's EPIRB Rental Program saved the lives of eight boaters in two separate mayday incidents off the Florida coast. If you are one of the thousands...

Stocking stuffer idea.(Skepticism Pays Off)
November 1, 2003... You want to give your boating buddies a holiday gift, but you'd like it to have meaning and have something to do with boating. Have you thought about a BoatU.S. Gift Membership for a special annual membership rate of $14? This...

Best Flotilla honored.(Skepticism Pays Off)
November 1, 2003... At the U.S. Coast Guard Auxillary's national conference in Nashville, TN, in September BoatU.S. presented the annual Best Flotilla in the Nation Award to Flotilla 10-13, of the First District, Southern Region, in Wyckoff, NJ. Honoress, from...

West Marine opens Weymouth, MA, BoatU.S. store.(Skepticism Pays Off)
November 1, 2003... On Labor Day weekend West Marine opened a new Weymouth, MA, BoatU.S. store located at 126 Main Street--just in time for members to shop for all their winterizing needs. Of course, they all earn $15 Reward Certificates for every $300 they spend...

In Shackleton's wake.(tangled line)
November 1, 2003... In what could truly be called the trip of a lifetime, BoatU.S. Travel and Orient Cruise Lines will take 450 lucky adventurers on a trip to Antarctica to retrace the routes and sites made famous by the 1914 Shackleton expedition in which the...

Rod bending action on TV.(tangled line)
November 1, 2003... Sundays biggest hits aren't all on the football field, they're also on Sport Fishing Magazine Television's fall line-up on the Outdoor Life Network. Host Dean Travis Clarke, executive editor of Sport Fishing Magazine and a member of the...

The hairiest maritime exhibit.(tangled line)
November 1, 2003... Boats and dogs are practically inseparable: Newfoundlands have saved people from drowning, Portuguese water dogs help catch fish and German shepherds patrolled beaches with the military during World War II. These pups and many more are featured...

Snakehead: the best seller.(tangled line)
November 1, 2003... As if the northern snakehead didn't receive enough attention while terrorizing a small Maryland pond last year, from daily news reports to side-of-the-road vendors selling snakehead t-shirts and hats, now the carnivorous air-breathing fish has...

Who wants to marry my coral reef?(tangled line)
November 1, 2003... It might not make it as a new reality TV show, but efforts to restore the depleted coral reefs in the southeastern U.S. have marine biologists playing matchmaker among coral sexes. Once a year in mid-August, reefs in the Florida Keys spawn...

Touched by an ocean.
November 1, 2003... Whether you do your boating along our saltwater shores, in the rivers that wind across the land or on inland lakes far from the sea, the ocean touches your life everyday, and in some surprising ways, according to Jim Falk of the University of...

Ask cap'n drew.
November 1, 2003... Dear Cap'n Drew: I just purchased a new 24-foot fishing boat and the manufacturer had to place 190 lbs. of ballast (lead) in the hull, in order to level the boat. Is this an acceptable method to correct a listing problem? --Jim in...

Sea ray.(our boat)
November 1, 2003... The first sign that the boat rendezvous-of-this-new-century was going to be different came when I received the weekend's agenda. It was five pages long with a schedule of events that read like the countdown to a rocket launch. A step above...

Consumer alert.
November 1, 2003... Federal laws require marine manufacturers to issue defect recall notices when boats or related equipment contain "defects which create a substantial risk of personal injury" or when they do not comply with boat manufacturing regulations. The...

How to.
November 1, 2003... Nothing is harder on your boat than neglect, and neglect is exactly what recreational boats are subjected to when cold weather settles in. But proper lay-up techniques can minimize the ill effects winter disuse will have on your boat. A...

2nd time around: two out of three 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.
November 1, 2003... Mainship 34 Motor Cruiser www.mainship.com The Mainship 34 was intended as a fuel-efficient family cruiser and its introduction just before the fuel crisis in the late 1970s practically ensured its instant success. Since that time, this...

Keeping the water out.(Sea worthy: damage avoidance)
November 1, 2003... J.J. Roche isn't the only sailor to have questioned the wisdom of boring holes in the bottom of a boat. No leas an authority than L. Francis Herreshoff, the legendary naval architect, thought that boring holes in boats was such poor practice...

Behind the boat.
November 1, 2003... On a hot, sultry afternoon this past August, two large vans pulled into Jim Ellis' driveway at his home near Annapolis, Maryland. A group of mostly elderly nuns climbed down and walked the few feet into the house. Some needed to be helped. All...

Where our flags fly.
November 1, 2003... 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. MELINDA--26' Carver Jim & Ellen Pettigrew--New Bern, NC ...