Question
| Doris Colgate, |  |
Doris,
I recently purchased a Baba 30 sailboat and along with the vessel there was a 4 person Avon Liferaft with an inspection sticker that read "next inspection due 12/94". So this is an old piece of equipment - but never used. (And as far as I can see it has not been inspected since before 1994). Is it worth trying to recertify this liferaft or to try to get it inspected for future use? Will I be able to get anyone to inspect it and once I do can I expect to use it safely in the future?
Baltimore | |
| Ray | |
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Answer
| Ray, | |
| Your best bet is to contact Avon. Very doubtful it is still usable, but they are the ones to tell you. | |
| Doris Colgate | |
6/11/2006
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Question
| Doris Colgate, | |
| Hi. I am a extremely new boater. My husband and I purchased a 19.5 Ft power boatlast year and we have been getting used to her on the Connecticut River for awhile now. We want to attempt the ocean this year. We are finding it difficult to find several things and I was hoping you could direct us in the right direction. First of all is there a club for new boaters? We would love to spend time out on the water with other boaters. We think that is the best way to learn. Also when going out on the ocean, other than lobster traps, what are the other dangers we should be looking out for? Please help! | |
| Michael | |
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Answer
| Michael, | |
| It sounds like you would benefit greatly from a power boat course. There are several schools around like ours (Steve aqnd Doris Colgate's PowerCruise School) that teach this. We do a Fast Track to Power Cruising course in the Bahamas or BVI on 46' NautiCats. Also a 2 or 4 day PowerCruise course in Florida on a Mainship 30-II Rumrunner. (www.colgateschools.com) They are all great learning vacations and will give you all the skills you need to start ocean cruising. You might check out other opportunities by going to www.discoverboating.com. There are a lot of clubs around the country - some even provide membership with boats. You'll have to do some googling to come up with these, but I'm sure you'll find them. | |
| Doris Colgate | |
6/15/2006
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Question
| Doris Colgate, | |
We have a Seaworthy 9.2 inflatable dinghy circa 1997, with the removable plywood floor boards. We reoved the boards at the end of the season last fall. Now we are having trouble getting them to fit back in place. We do not have a manual for the dinghy. We have tried doing it both DEFLATED and SEMI-deflated. We have tried using warm, soapy water to lubricate the pieces, with no luck.
Could you or anyone else at BOATUS provide some hints as to how to squeeze everything back into place? | |
| Michael | |
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Answer
| Michael, | |
| I don't have any idea what the problem is. Sounds like you need to try to contact the manufacturer. Barring that, try some of the more technical people on the Boat U.S. list. | |
| Doris Colgate | |
6/19/2006
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Question
| Doris Colgate, | |
Now that 10% ethanol is required in Massachusetts, what effect does that mixture have on operating a 90hp outboard. Will that mixture effect the fuel tanks over time? What should we do to preclude operating problems as a result of that mixture.
Thank you. | |
| Donald | |
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Answer
| Donald, | |
| A very good article was written in a recent past issue of Boat U.S. Magazine about ethanol's affect on fuel tanks. If you can't find it, please contact Boat U.S. direct to receive a copy. | |
| Doris Colgate | |
6/28/2006
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Question
| Doris Colgate, | |
Hi,
I have a 25 ft power boat I need to buy an anchor that will hold in mud and strong currents. Any suggestions? The last time I anchored the anchor held until the tide current strengthened. Then it sliped. | |
| Anthony | |
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Answer
| Anthony, | |
| A Danforth with chain works well, plus you need to let out plenty of scope. Best to get whatever the sales people recommend at a store like West Marine. They are experts at this. | |
| Doris Colgate | |
7/21/2006
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Question
| Doris Colgate, | |
HiDoris,
We have a 21FT Seaswirl walkaround which we regularly take to Boca Chita Island, Florida. On one trip as we were getting ready to leave the island,we found two boats tied up to ours. The people boarded and trampled through our boat to get to shore as evidenced by all the dirty shoe marks.I felt like towing their boats out to the middle of the inlet and dropping their anchors there. I guess my question to you is on boat ethics. Is it proper to tie up to someone's boat without asking? What would you do? Normally if all the slips are taken I just leave it for the next trip.
Thanks,
Pete | |
| Pedro | |
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Answer
| Pedro, | |
| One should normally ask before tying up to another boat, that's what I would do. If a dockmaster or someone "officially in charge" told them to tie up to you, then you might assume that's what is normally done at thatlocation. Our philosophy, like yours, if there's no space, there's no space and we move on. | |
| Doris Colgate | |
8/11/2006
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Question
| Doris Colgate, | |
| I need to know what is the most efficent RPM's for down river crusing . Engine is a Chrysler 1972, rebuilt 2002 the boat 72 36 ft Gibson Houseboat. Departure etd mid-Sept Any and all links will be helpful thanks | |
| Paul | |
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Answer
| Paul, | |
I asked the real expert - Chuck Husick - about this and here is his reply:
There is no specific engine RPM that I can recommend since the power you will need to maintain safe navigation will depend on whatever current may be running. You will want to move fast enough to maintain steering control but slow enough to limit problems in avoiding any obstacles that may appear.
I would try to maintain an engine RPM fast enough for smooth running. If you are running for a long period of time at low RPM, for example, 1200-1500 you might want to shift into neutral once an hour and accelerate the engine to about 3,000 RPM for about 30 seconds or so. Hope this helps. Have a fine trip and thanks for asking the question.
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| Doris Colgate | |
8/30/2006
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Question
| Doris Colgate, | |
| I slip my boat on a river, and bottom growth is a real problem. Each season, when I pull it out, I spend a lot of time cleaning the bottom with a harsh chemical cleaner. Not good for me, or the environment. Is there a less harmful method of cleaning this growth with any natural ingredients? | |
| Tom | |
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Answer
| Tom, | |
| With a number of sailboats sitting in the water year-round, we have a terrible bottom problem in certain areas. Unfortunately, we have not found the perfect solution, except to dive on the bottoms every month and keep growth from accumulating that way, until we haul them to repaint. | |
| Doris Colgate | |
9/20/2006
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Question
| Doris Colgate, | |
Hi,
I own a 26 foot Carver flybridge cruiser with single 260 HP engine and an 8 foot beam.
I have a problem with turning this boat at anything but just slow speeds, because the boat tends to not lean into the turn, but actually lean to the outside of the turn, which makes everybody on board uncomfortable. The only way to remedy this situation that I have found so far is to cut back the speed dramatically on turns, and the boat will resume an upright attitutde.
Do you have any suggestions? I have tried to load it with as much gas and water as it will hold, 146 gallons total to act as ballast which may help it be a little "bottom heavy" but I still have the problem.
Thanks,
Tom | |
| Thomas | |
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Answer
| Thomas, | |
| I really don't have an answer other than it sounds top-heavy. If you haven't already talked to the dealer, perhaps that should be your next step. If you have, I'd go straight to the manufacturer. | |
| Doris Colgate | |
10/4/2006
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Question
| Doris Colgate, | |
I have a 21' Proline, and live on Long Island, NY.
Do you recommend winter storage with an empty gas tank of a full one?
Robin | |
| Robin | |
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Answer
| Robin, | |
Because of the relatively short shelf life of ethanol and its affinity to water, the current thinking is that the tank should be stored completely empty. Unfortunately, this also has a downside if your fuel tank is metal since the fuel provides some corrosion protection for the interior of the tank. Prior to ethanol, the best storage option was to leave the tank completely full with a stabilizer added, but old E-10 is likely to be a bigger problem than the light internal corrosion possible in an empty tank. Plus, if the ethanol becomes saturated, it combines with the water and separates out, lying on the bottom of your tank. This has even worse corrosion implications than an empty tank
The jury is still out, but the best option seems to be to store the tank absolutely dry. If you decide to leave fuel in it, fill it brim full and use a stabilizer. Full or empty, seal ALL openings to the tank to prevent moisture intrusion.
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| Don Casey | |
11/27/2006
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