BOAT/U.S. Magazine articles from November 2004

BOAT/U.S. Magazine archives from November 2004

Behind the buoy.
November 1, 2004... Hurricanes are a lot like life. Science can tell you with some semblance of certainty whether the number of storms in any given year will increase or decrease. But, where landfall occurs depends on the capriciousness of the prevailing winds,...

NTSB sparks life jacket debate.(BoatU.S.reports)
November 1, 2004... A national debate on whether adult boaters should be required to wear life jackets ended with little support for the proposal. During a public forum conducted Aug. 25 by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) nearly every sector of the...

Shark finners busted.(BoatU.S.reports)
November 1, 2004... Federal agents arrested two crewmembers of a Japanese-flagged fishing vessel in Guam when they tried to smuggle shark fins ashore, in violation of U.S. natural resource anti-trafficking laws. The pair pleaded guilty Sept. 7, making this the...

Industry to require boatbuilder certification.(BoatU.S.reports)
November 1, 2004... The marine industry took a giant step forward recently when the National Marine Manufacturers Association announced that it will require its boatbuilder members to participate in a certification program to verify that boats meet federal...

Anglers ante-up to curb carp.(BoatU.S.reports)
November 1, 2004... With the alien invader, Asian carp, edging toward Lake Michigan, anglers in the Great Lakes region are raising money to install an electronic barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council hopes to...

Bilge pump ban a recipe for sinkings.(BoatU.S.reports)
November 1, 2004... Earlier this summer, an article in the California boating publication, The Log, brought to light a little-known requirement by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) that put boaters in a Catch-22. Buried in the...

Congress primed for ocean action.(BoatU.S.reports)
November 1, 2004... Since the April 20 release of the U.S. Ocean Policy Commission's draft report on the state of the nation's marine resources, members of Congress have been busy drafting legislation to implement some of its recommendations. Bills to...

Coast Guard honors EPIRB program.(BoatU.S.reports)
November 1, 2004... The U.S. Coast Guard Office of Search and Rescue recently honored the BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water for its Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) rental program. The program makes the $900 life-saving...

No discharge in Lake Erie.(BoatU.S.reports)
November 1, 2004... The state of Ohio completed the final steps to having its portion of Lake Erie declared a No Discharge Zone (NDZ) when it submitted a list of pumpout stations to the Environmental Protection Agency in August. Earlier they had requested that...

Marine diesel emissions scrutinized.(BoatU.S.reports)
November 1, 2004... As part of its ongoing regulation of emissions from all off-road engines, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) most recently floated proposed regulations for new marine diesel engines. While the proposal is aimed at very large marine...

State and local consumer agencies at BoatUS.com.(BoatU.S.reports)
November 1, 2004... When you're haunted by engine problems or spooked by bad service, who're you gonna call? Good question! The BoatU.S. Consumer Protection Bureau has done the research so you don't have to. For the first time ever, information about what...

Aweigh with words.
November 1, 2004... Any Way The Wind Blows--All About The Beaufort Scale. ACROSS 1. Boat food, so to speak 4. Four stars, e.g. 10. Barks shrilly 14. Pacific______ (the Orient) 15. Wears away 16. On the briny 17. Mont. neighbor...

State alert timely.(memberforum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I want you to know that I send in my annual dues to this organization because of the political representation that BoatU.S. does for the recreational boater. While it's nice to get the equipment catalog and such member benefits as access to...

New boat blues.(memberforum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I just finished reading your "Defective Boats Spur Congressional Action," in the September issue. The whole boating industry has no one but themselves to blame for customer ire. I have owned one new boat and four used boats in my life. The new...

Partnerships that work.(memberforum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I enjoyed the article in the September issue on fractional ownership of boats. Another approach, which has worked well for us, is co-ownership. My wife and I own a 31-foot sailboat with another couple who are friends of ours. We share the boat...

Electronics overkill?(memberforum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I was dismayed by the article "Power Squadrons Chart New Course" in the September issue. Electronic navigation is an excellent supplement to compass and chart piloting, but can never be a substitute. GPS, radars, and chart plotters are...

Cuba clarification.(memberforum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I would like to correct one minor error in the otherwise objective "Cuba Crackdown" story from the September issue. The largest of the regattas from Florida to Cuba were the Havana Cup events, hosted by Ocean Racing Ventures (ORV). That...

A word from the expert.(memberforum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... After reading TechnoTalk in the September issue, I can only say "Amen!" I cruise a lot and anchor out frequently. I seldom see a sailboat with an effective anchor light. Nearly all have anchor lights at the top of 40-foot or more masts....

Just say no.(memberforum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I was dismayed to see a letter printed suggesting use of a prescription medication for something other than it was intended. While it's great that the side effects of hyoscyamine (Levsin) help this particular reader, it's extremely important to...

Weighty issues.(memberforum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Regarding "Ask Cap'n Drew," I am appalled at the reader's question about low-carb bread, and the captain's response is right on. I am a female captain and owner of a Sea Ray 260 Sundancer. I'm already paying for the boat, slip rental and fuel,...

Islands in the wind.(memberforum)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Your article on Grenada by Tony Gibbs was read after our own hurricane scares and it saddened me as by this time we know that Ivan the Terrible devastated that lovely island. Your story prompted me to revisit my travel log of January 1968 when...

Deviant readings.
November 1, 2004... For those of you whose summer boat tan has long since given way to the inevitable pale of fluorescent light burn, don't worry--before you know it, you'll be setting off for another glorious season of leaving the land behind. Oh sure, you...

Keeping jaws at bay.
November 1, 2004... As terrifying as last summer's shark shocker movie, "Open Water," proved to be, experts say you are 30 times more likely to be hit by lightning than killed by the ocean's top predator. In fact, as George Burgess, director of the University of...

Coast Guard: 'stretched thin'.
November 1, 2004... The U.S. Coast Guard's ability to protect our coasts and ports came under the microscope recently at a hearing convened by the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. The committee heard from 9/11 Commission members John...

Five weeks of fury.(DAMAGE REPORT)
November 1, 2004... The Sunshine State was anything but in early fall as four major hurricanes in five weeks ravaged Florida and the Gulf Coast, tearing up beaches, homes, marinas and boats. In a surreal twist, Hurricane Jeanne performed an offshore U-turn to hit...

Tantalizing nautical tomes.
November 1, 2004... Throughout the year, a large box at the BoatU.S. Magazine office fills up with newly released editions of nautical books. Clearly, maritime fiction and nonfiction alike have come into their own as review copies from publishers overflow the box...

Anglers debate who's catching what: he said ... she said ...
November 1, 2004... Call it "the cast heard 'round the fishing world." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A week before the big Labor Day sportfishing weekend, a Florida State University research report hit the air waves, laying greater blame for saltwater fish stock...

Going with the fuel flow.(hottips and news you can use)
November 1, 2004... Fuel flow instruments have been around for a while, helping thousands of boaters simultaneously maximize a tank of gas and monitor engine performance by displaying how fast--or slow--fuel is being consumed. While this is a big help towards...

Boat bits.(hottips and news you can use)
November 1, 2004... 1,568 feet The length of the recently extended launch ramp at Bullfrog Marina on Lake Powell, UT, due to declining water levels. Source: Environmental News Network

Stargazers unite.(hottips and news you can use)
November 1, 2004... When a fellow boater mentioned that he had a 2102-D Star Finder, I scratched my head and assumed he had just returned from Hollywood. But there are plenty of navigators who have used the ubiquitous set of Star Finder discs--called latitude...

Talkin' about ...(hottips and news you can use)
November 1, 2004... Family Radio Service, or "FRS" radios, are those little hand-held walkie-talkies that allow you to stay in touch with your kids or spouse. But with only a 1/2-watt of power, range is limited. To increase range, manufacturers have been...

Boat bits.(hottips and news you can use)
November 1, 2004... $5,120 The average cost of a new outboard engine in 1994 $8,365 The average cost of a new outboard engine in 2003 Source: Boating Industry magazine 2004 Market Data Book

Techno talk.
November 1, 2004... By the time you read these words the sun will be well on its way to its winter home south of the equator. We will be doing more of our boating in dim light or in darkness, making it all the more important that we optimize our vision. Since our...

Rogue waves revealed.
November 1, 2004... A new study called the MaxWave Project, the first comprehensive search for rogue waves ever undertaken, contradicts the long-held position of the majority of oceanographers that rogue waves rarely occur. To their surprise, project scientists...

Coping with raccoons and other four-legged criminals.(DAMAGE AVOIDANCE)
November 1, 2004... Of 28 claims selected randomly involving "break ins" on member's boats, a total of 10--36%--involved raccoons. Think about it. With all of the publicity given to fighting crime in the United States, why hasn't anyone mentioned raccoons? ...

Ask Cap'n Drew.
November 1, 2004... Dear Cap'n Drew: Nearly every weekend, my wife and I raft up with friends and sleep out on the water. Invariably, just before we turn in, a fly, mosquito or other such flying pest makes its way into the boat and harasses us all night. No matter...

Stalking snakeheads.
November 1, 2004... Summer in Washington, DC, can be brutal--hazy, hot and humid. But that didn't stop 100 hunters from gathering one steamy, overcast July day on the banks of the Potomac River to track down a menacing predator that had emerged in their midst. ...

Engine dumping--or chest thumping?(CONSUMER PROTECTION BUREAU)
November 1, 2004... Mercury Marine's claim that its Japanese counterparts are unfairly manipulating the U.S. marketplace by selling marine engines at prices below fair value has stirred up a storm of words and controversy in the recreational boating industry. ...

Wayward waypoints.(CONSUMER PROTECTION BUREAU)
November 1, 2004... Sunday, July 17, was an unremarkable day for most boaters--except for those using Icom GP360 chart plotters. The electronic trackers, which rely upon GPS receivers to pinpoint positions, all simultaneously switched to "sky search" mode and...

Big job on the waterfront.
November 1, 2004... Two years ago Brad Gross, harbormaster of the San Francisco Marina, was standing on the docks when a 42-foot Grand Banks Europa slipped its lines and headed for the Pacific. Gross waved to its captain--and received a polite farewell in...

The ice caravan cometh to aid hurricane victims.(tangledline)
November 1, 2004... In the devastating wake of Hurricane Charley, Florida boaters and anglers pitched in to aid disaster-stricken elderly residents with the help of BoatU.S. and West Marine. Using pickup trucks, SUVs and trailers, the volunteers ran "ice caravans"...

TowBoatU.S. captain called up.(tangledline)
November 1, 2004... As boaters we owe a debt of gratitude to those TowBoatU.S. operators who bail us out of trouble time and again, often in bad conditions. At TowBoatU.S. Jacksonville, area boaters will have to get by without the assistance of Capt. Chuck Kelly...

Girls just wanna have fun.(tangledline)
November 1, 2004... The BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water recently partnered with YMCA Camp Letts in Edgewater, MD, to supply the youth summer camp with life jackets for its waterfront program. Pictured above are Camp Letts "Ensigns"--senior...

It was a bear of a hangover.(tangledline)
November 1, 2004... Boaters on Baker Lake, 80 miles northeast of Seattle, got a new definition for "BUI" this summer when a local bear tied one on at their lakeside resort. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A black bear scouting for snacks bypassed the picnic...

Ask the cruising experts.(tangledline)
November 1, 2004... The intrepid Bernons, the BoatUS.com bluewater cruising correspondents, are on the move again, heading out to parts unknown, but south for winter of course, after resting up this summer, working on Ithaka and renewing ties back home in Newport...

Member mailbag.(MEMBERSHIP)
November 1, 2004... Dear BoatU.S.: I recently had my first major claim when my boat was struck by lightning. One neat thing about the way BoatU.S. handles claims is that they have what they called a "Direct Replacement Service" (DRS). You tell them what...

Boating gifts under $15.(MEMBERSHIP)
November 1, 2004... If you want to give your boating buddies a holiday gift--and you'd like it to have meaning and have something to do with boating--we've got just the thing: A BoatU.S. Gift Membership for the special annual membership rate of $14. This...

40 Viking Convertible.(2ndtimearound)
November 1, 2004... The Viking 40 Convertible offers versatility and solid construction, a good combination for boating families who split their time between coastal cruising and fishing. Add to this a contemporary styling that results in an older model appearing...

Cape Dory 28.(our boat)
November 1, 2004... Sailors in the market for a traditionally styled, sturdily built cruising boat under 30 feet in length have two options. They can spend $150,000 or more for a custom or semi-custom built boat from one of several manufacturers, or they spend a...

Grady-White.(our boat)
November 1, 2004... Multi-tasking. We ask it of our computers, our telephones, and even ourselves these days. Boats can deliver on the multi-tasking front, too. Just ask the people at last July's Grady-White fishing tournament and rendezvous held at Port...

Great holiday gift ideas for the boater on your list.(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... The holidays will soon be upon us, and trying to decide what gifts to give friends and loved ones can feel overwhelming at times. It can be especially difficult if you're trying to find something special and unique for the boater or outdoor...

Behind the boat.
November 1, 2004... As I write this column, it's late September and an unprecedented fourth major storm of the season has swept through a major boating area. Barely a week and a half after Hurricane Ivan--the season's third storm--clobbered the Gulf Coast,...

Where our flags fly.
November 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] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...