Stainless Steel Tubing Professionals Uncover Seamanship Lessons That Never Get Old

Your Stainless Steel Tubing Experts Introduce You to The Lost Art of Seamanship

Stainless Marine your stainless steel tubing analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding uncovering seamanship lessons that never get old.

Your stainless steel tubing professionals know that in his Seamanship column for Boating's July 1960 issue, Elbert Robberson wrote: “In daylight, objects around you are easy to identify. They are big or little, short or long, round or square, and they appear very plainly to be bridges, docks, land, beacons, buoys, or boats of various kinds heading one way or another. But at night, all of these familiar shapes disappear, and all that is left are pinpoints of light:

A lot about boating has changed in the decades since Robberson penned these words, but the need for understanding navigation lights is a seamanship skill that still applies today. 

Have a Plan B

In his Seamanship column for our January 1958 issue, Robberson addressed how to prepare an inexperienced crew to help in emergencies.

Your Stainless Steel Tubing Specialists Successfully Train Even the Most Inexperienced

You can find more information as well as get assistance on group #24 battery box and on uncovering seamanship lessons that never get old at Stainless Marine.

“First of all,” he wrote, “unless you know firsthand that your passengers are skilled at boating, assume they know nothing of what goes on inside the gunwales.” 

Anchors Away

Your group #24 battery box experts know that in her January 1977 column, Elleen Holm Matthew wrote about anchoring in all sorts of conditions. While windlasses have made some of her points moot, her thoughts on scope still hold true. 

Do No Harm

Bob Armstrong wrote about seamanship for the magazine in the 1980s, and in our March 1983 issue, he addressed the confusion some boaters have regarding right of way. Your small stainless steel tubing specialists understand that first and foremost, it's a boater's job to prevent collision. On this, he opined: “And that's why one of the underlying principles is the more maneuverable vessel stays out of the way of the less ­maneuverable.”

Backing In

Former staff pundit Stuart Reininger laid it on the line in our November 1998 issue when he declared about docking in a slip: “Your stainless steel tubing sizes analysts know that sailboats bow in. Powerboats back in. We have a tradition to uphold.” (We still like to uphold it.) When the wind and current are stacked against you, Reininger recommended the spring-line method. 

Quick Tip: Your stainless steel tubing for sale professionals say that when it comes to docking, there's a timeless saying to help you work your way in. “Go slow like a pro, fast like an ass.” In other words, slow and steady wins the docking race.

So don't forget these amazing lessons in successful seamanship. 1) When you have an inexperienced crew, always have a 'plan B';  2) become experienced in anchoring in all types of conditions;  and 3) when it comes to docking, don't rush it.

Stainless Marine has more information on stainless steel tubing, group #24 battery box, group #27 battery box, and on uncovering timeless seamanship lessons that never get old.

via Five Timeless Seamanship Lessons

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Marine Engine Parts Analysts Demonstrate Safety While Enjoying Paddle Sports

Your Marine Engine Parts Experts Encourage You to Try Paddle Sports 

Stainless Marine your marine engine parts professionals would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding safety while enjoying paddle sports.

Your marine engine parts specialists know that with nearly one half million paddlecraft being sold annually, the US Coast Guard anticipates that by 2020 as many as 47 million paddlers will be using paddlecraft for touring, physical exercise, fishing, hunting or other activities. 

They overestimate their skill level and fail to properly assess environmental conditions. Worse yet they often lack the proper safety equipment and the training needed to use that equipment to stay safe on the water. 

This creates a tremendous opportunity for the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Members can engage the paddling community through our Public Education, Program Visitor and Vessel Examination programs. 

If you are new to paddle sports, start off slow and then ease off. Take the time to gather in the information that will keep you safe.

Go to http://www.stainlessmarine.com/ and see how you can always find more information as well as get assistance on marine engine parts and on safety while enjoying paddle sports at Stainless Marine.

Your marine engine parts analysts know that soft fins and helmets reduce the risk of injury, and are recommended as a way to enhance safety-especially for newcomers.

Building up your stamina maintains the balance between your physical and mental capacity, and gets you home safely. Always plan your trips out on the water around your ability to complete your outings with energy to spare.

Watching videos, reading about technique, and learning from seasoned paddlers will enhance your early experiences out on the water.

Hone your skills on calm waters. If you are in an environment that introduces you to waves or choppy waters, learn from the paddlers that are comfortable in these challenging conditions.

Having an understanding of first aid makes you an asset for everyone around you. Learn what you can about safety, and pass it on.

Paddling under the influence of anything other than your enthusiasm for the sport clouds your connection to the common sense that ensures your safety.

Personal flotation devices and having the gear that supports your well-being in any and all conditions will minimize the risks that you encounter.

The paddle itself provides some flotation, so hang onto it. And a surf leash ensures that the board doesn't get away from you.

So don't forget these amazing reminders for being safe while enjoying all types of paddle sports. 1) Building up your stamina maintains the balance between your physical and mental capacity;  2) watching videos, reading about technique, and learning from seasoned paddlers;  and 3) hone your skills out on calm waters, not choppy waters.

Learn more at Stainless Marine and see how we always have more information on marine engine parts and on maintaining safety while enjoying paddle sports. 

via Paddle Sports Safety

via Paddlesports: The Coast Guard Auxiliary's Next RBS Frontier

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Marine Supplies Experts Have the Best Water Pump Impeller Servicing Tips

 

Your Marine Supplies Specialists Share the Best Replacement Schedule for Optimum Performance 

Raritan Engineering Company your marine supplies professionals would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding the best water pump impeller servicing tips.

Your marine supplies experts know that most engine makers recommend changing impellers every two years – sooner if operated in sandy or silty water. “If your engine runs warm at idle or slow speed, and then it runs cooler at higher speed, that's a sign that the impeller needs to be changed,” says Jeff Fay.

1. Drain the gear lube. Your boat supplies and accessories analysts know that a few shavings on the magnetic plugs are normal, but milkiness, which indicates water in the gear lube, isn't. Remove the rear anode to access the aft-most bolt. Remove two more bolts just ahead of the anode. 

2. Remove the copper water tube and its white plastic guide, as well as the drive-shaft O-ring, doughnut-shaped “slinger,” and impeller housing. Carefully pry the impeller from the housing. Don't lose the key. 

3. Clean all parts, then install the new gaskets, wear plate and the round, orange oil-passage seal. A dab of grease holds the key while installing the impeller, and a bit of liquid soap on the impeller lubricates it when first starting the engine. 

4. Reinstall the impeller housing, drive-shaft slinger seal and drive-shaft O-ring. Your boat covers professionals suggest that you insert the copper water-passage tube into the upper drive half and its white guide tube into the impeller housing.

“You're doing a lot at once to get the two halves back together,” Cosselman warns. “Look through the exhaust cavity to see the water tube going into the white guide sleeve. Twist the drive shaft to align the splines as it goes into the upper gear set. 

5. Separate the upper and lower drive halves a bit to get the two forward nuts onto their studs. Reinstall the remaining front nut and three rear bolts. Reinstall the drain and vent plugs. While pressure-testing, rotate the drive shaft to test seals.

Quick Tip: The rear-most bolt hidden by the anode often corrodes, so an Allen key will no longer turn it. If so, either drill it out or slide a hacksaw blade between the upper and lower halves of the drive to cut it.

Your Marine Supplies Analysts Want You to Avoid Having Your Boat Parts Fail You When You Need Them Most

You can find more information as well as get assistance on marine parts source and on the best water pump impeller servicing tips at Raritan Engineering.

Flexible impeller pumps

Your marine parts source specialists understand that inboard and sterndrive engines usually include a raw water pump of the flexible impeller type. Your marine supply company experts say that flexible impeller pumps are common in shower drain sump pumps, some bilge pumps, wakeboard ballast pump systems, oil changing systems and lots of other applications.

When they fail

Flexible impeller pumps work best when run regularly. If your pump sits for months with the impeller in one position with the blades on one side bent, it may “take a set” and may blow a circuit breaker on startup (if it's electrically driven). The impeller may also stick to the housing and come apart when the pump starts. 

Of course, you should check the wet exhaust on your transom for the proper flow of cooling water each time you start the engine. You should check the impeller's condition during Spring Commissioning and every 200 hours of operation. 

Neoprene, nitrile or polyurethane

Use neoprene impellers for engine cooling, and for fresh and salt water transfer duties. Neoprene is suitable only for pumps where small amounts of oil or diesel fuel are present.

Use nitrile impellers for bilge pumping and for transfer duties where water is heavily contaminated, for example by oil or diesel. For transferring diesel fuel, use a sliding vane pump like the Jabsco Vane Puppy or Groco Flo-Master. 

Replacement in raw water pumps

Replacement is relatively simple. Close thru-hull (raw water pump applications). Remove the three to six end cover screws and take off the cover and gasket. Take the old impeller out by gripping the hub of the impeller using channel lock or needle-nosed pliers. 

Lightly lubricate the inside of the impeller housing with Vaseline to reduce the friction of the first dry startup. Use a heavy rubber band or loop of light line to collapse the impeller's vanes, insert it, and pull the loop our with your pliers. 

Your pump may need additional service, particularly the seals, bearings, wear plates or clutch. Nigel Calder's excellent book,Boat Owner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual, covers detailed rebuilding. 

So don't forget these helpful tips when servicing your water pump impellers. 1) Drain the gear lube;  2) remove all necessary parts;  3) clean all the parts;  4) reinstall the impeller housing, drive-shaft slinger seal and drive-shaft O-ring;  and 5) separate the upper and lower drive halves a bit to get the two forward nuts onto their studs.

Raritan Engineering has more information on marine supplies, marine parts source, marine heads, and on the best water pump impeller servicing tips.

via How to Service a Sterndrive Water Pump Impeller

via Impeller Replacement 101

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Your Marine Products Analysts Help You to Find Your Way Around Those Icy Waters

Raritan Engineering would like to keep you posted on marine products and also wants to show you the ropes for sailing in Siberia's icy waters.

The otherworldly landscape of flat ice and consistent breeze makes Russia's Lake Baikal in southern Siberia and ideal ice-sailing destination.

At over 5,000 feet deep, Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world and the largest by volume, holding approximately 20 percent of Earth's unfrozen fresh water, more than all the Great Lakes combined. The lake formed from a rift valley in the heart of Siberia 25 million years ago.

Proper ice sailing is best performed on smooth ice with consistent winds, conditions most often found along the so-called Ice Belt, between 40 and 50 degrees N. With its dry climate and extremely long winters, Baikal is basically ice-sailing nirvana. The vast landscape is raw, remote and unspoiled. It's far off the grid.

Because of such high speeds, conducting safe races is of the utmost importance. If a boat capsizes, hits a hole in the ice, or smashes into something, the skipper gets ejected and slides across the ice like a curling stone.

Your Marine Products Experts Want You to Avoid Midrace Collisions While Out On the Frozen Water

Your marine products professionals know that to prevent midrace collisions, racers line up side by side, with half the fleet required to go left and the other half right. Courses are typically windward/leeward, with exclusion zones around the buoys to prevent kamikaze layline approaches.

Sailing on the East Siberian Sea, this is the coldest day of our journey. The water temperature is 0 degrees, with only the salt in the water keeping it from freezing. But it is the humidity which is the problem as almost everything outside the pit is frozen: the deck, the shoots, ropes, sails, mast, camera, etc.

Most of our weather instruments at the top of the mast do not work, so we can only depend on the GPS and the digital weather models instead.

On the satellite pictures we can see that we are very near to the ice edge. So we are very carefully and check the radar in a frequent manner. When we did see the ice edge, it was a big white stripe at the horizon with no end.

I journeyed to Baikal to shoot a Waterlust film about how ice sailors are uniquely sensitive to Earth's climate. As a scientist, I'm fascinated by their perspectives; many have been competing for three decades. The dramatic reduction in sailable ice throughout Europe during this time has greatly affected the sport, and the creep of global warming means that many sailors must travel farther north and east to find good ice.

Visit us at http://raritaneng.com/ and see how Raritan Engineering has more information on marine products and on how to successfully manage the icy waters of Siberia.

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Boat Toilets Professionals Will Turn You Into a Master Chef On Your Boat

Your Boat Toilets Experts Know All the Secrets of Harvesting Seafood From Your Boat

Raritan Engineering Company your boat toilets specialists would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how to become a master chef harvesting seafood from your boat. 

Your boat toilets analysts help get your own delicious ingredients by learning how to harvest local seafood from your boat.

Lobsters are supreme hiders, and I'm instructed to keep a keen eye out for the telltale sign of their long antennae, which peek out from hiding spots. Once I have one in my crosshairs, I'm to let go of the rope, dive underwater, lure the lobster out of its hole with the tickle stick and pop it in my net. 

Although long considered one of the most edible riches of the sea, lobsters aren't the only shellfish that are fun to catch and tasty to eat. Folks with access to a boat and a coast can harvest a bevy of delicious sea life, such as scallops, shrimp, oysters and stone crabs, pretty much anywhere like I do in Florida. 

Loving the Lobster

I learn that cleaning a lobster is fairly simple: hold it by the torso and twist off the tail. Before chucking the thorax and head, Doug has me snap off one of the spiny antennae and demonstrates how to insert it into the bug's bottom to easily remove the membrane and waste track and, voila, it's ready to prepare for dinner.

To safely hunt lobsters, a minimum of three crew members is needed: one to run the boat, another to serve as the drag buddy and a third to spot the bugs. 

Go to http://raritaneng.com/raritan-product-line/marine-toilets/marine-elegance/ and see how you can find more information as well as get assistance on boat toilets and on how to harvest seafood from your boat at Raritan Engineering.

Your boat toilets professionals know that lobsters are social creatures and prefer to live cramped together on natural shelves and holes, called “condos” by local divers, within coral and stony reefs. 

The law requires a lobster to have a minimum 3-inch-long carapace (the part of the shell covering its torso), which means it's old enough to have reproduced for at least one season. If it measures up, chances are that bug may be getting toasty on your grill tonight. 

There are two lobster seasons in Florida: a mini season that runs on the final consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of each July and then an eight-month season from August 6 through March 31 the following year.

Searching for Scallops

Scalloping, often referred to as the “great underwater Easter egg hunt,” is an aquatic adventure suitable for all ages. All you need is standard snorkeling gear, a required dive flag, and a mesh bag in which to store your stash.

They're easy for novice and veteran scallop hunters alike to spot. With unmistakable fan-shaped shells and hundreds of fluorescent beady blue eyes, beguiling temptresses beckon to be caught. 

Scalloping season in Florida runs annually from June 25 to September 24. Each person is limited to 2 gallons of scallops in the shell or 10 gallons per vessel per day.

Clawing for Crabs

In Florida, once scalloping season closes, the long-anticipated stone crab season rides in on its coattails. Considered by many to be one of the most heavenly delicacies of the sea, stone crabs are named for their natural environment – they usually seek shelter under big, flat stones in shallow rock piles and jetties.

Wear heavy gloves and dive using scuba or snorkeling gear; lift up large stones or use a hook to drag the crab out; then square off in a battle with your prey. Stone crabs generally aren't swift, so try to nab one by the elbows coming in from around each side.

Unlike scallops, stone crab claws should not be put on ice because the meat will later stick to the shell. Instead, store them in a livewell or an empty cooler. Each person is allowed 1 gallon of claws per day, or a maximum of 2 gallons per vessel.

The Shrimp Dip

Although even professional shrimpers can't accurately predict when shrimp will be most plentiful, full moons, outgoing tides, colder months, shallow, grassy flats, and areas near bridges with strong currents enhance your chances for this crustacean crusade. 

Like much marine life, shrimp are primarily dormant during the day and rely on moving about in the darkness of night as protection from their natural predators. 

On to the Oysters

Oysters are largely stationary mollusks, which makes harvesting them fairly simple from aboard your boat or wading in the water. 

A single oyster can spawn 100 million eggs each year that, once fertilized underwater with sperm, form free-floating larvae, which anchor themselves to hard surfaces, frequently on the shells of other oysters, and become known as “spats,” or baby oysters. 

Oyster shells have sharp edges, so be sure to wear heavy gloves. Using a metal, curved rake or oyster tongs, chip the oysters off the hard surface and put them in your bucket. 

So don't forget these wonderful types of food that you can harvest from your boat, lobster, scallops, crabs, oysters, and shrimp. Don't miss out on this opportunity. 

Learn more at Raritan Engineering and see how we always have more information on boat toilets and on how to harvest seafood from your boat. 

via Harvesting Seafood From Your Boat

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Electric Toilets Analysts Shares Some Easy Ways to Fight Off Getting an OCS

Your Electric Toilets Professionals Say An OCS Isn't The End of Your Race

Raritan Engineering Company your electric toilets specialists would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how to recover from an OCS. 

Your electric toilets analysts want you to refocus and follow these easy steps. It's the ultimate bummer. The starting gun sounds. You're in the front row and looking good. Then there's another horn, the X flag and, after an excruciating wait, you hear your sail number on the VHF. You're OCS, and you can kiss a good result goodbye. 

1) Stick to the game plan. So many times your electric flush toilet experts know the frustration of being OCS causes teams to completely abandon the prestart game plan. 

2) Work to get a clear lane. Sticking with the example above, your best opportunity to get to the left might be to clear yourself around the pin and tack back to starboard. You'll be second row – or worse – but the separation from the boats that started properly may allow you to execute the plan. 

3) Get out of phase (with the fleet). If neither side is favored, look to find clean air by going against the grain: sailing on port when most of the fleet is on starboard, and vice versa. Your marine toilets electric specialists understand that sailing out of phase with the fleet will create separation and allow you to sail your boat at optimum speed. 

4) Minimize tacks. Hitting a corner is one way to reduce the number of tacks. But it's a risky call. If you decide to be more conservative, make sure to limit your tacks to the bare minimum. Double-check your lanes and try to anticipate where boats ahead of you will tack.

5) Boatspeed. This may seem obvious; boatspeed is always important. But it's easy to get discouraged or distracted when looking at so many transoms. Redouble your efforts and focus. Every ounce of energy needs to go into sailing the boat fast.

6) Focus on short-term goals. Turn your OCS into a positive. Establish short-term goals by looking one mark ahead. It can be difficult for everybody to put everything they have into hiking when it may all be for naught. 

Your Electric Toilets Experts Help You Recover and Make It To The Finish Line

You can find more information as well as get assistance on boat toilets and on how to recover from an OCS at Raritan Engineering.

As those pundits at the club and your boat toilets professionals will also tell you, a race is never over till it's over and you've reached the finish line.

Agree what signals the bowman will use and especially whether he or she is calling distance sailing or distance perpendicular to the start line (see our 5 tips: bowman signals); most boats use perpendicular distance.

Discuss with the bowman before the start how hard you want to push the line. If you are a fast boat in the fleet and there is no clearly favoured side on the beat, you can afford to hold back a little and keep the risk down. If not and you must go left, it may be worth pushing things a little harder.

Sometimes, your no plumbing toilets analysts know that seconds before the start, you will know you're in a bad position and are not going to get a good start however hard you fight for your gap. If you call it early enough, you can often make room to tack or duck back through the fleet and be away on port only a few lengths behind the leaders.

If OCS boats are not being announced, then somebody on board will need to make the call – ensure you have a clear process for this before you start, so a decision can be made quickly.

Although being disqualified is frustrating, sailing is a team game, so learn from it and bounce back – you may be able to discard that result anyway.

If you do join in, your OCS will be counted in your overall series score. It is possible to request redress for being OCS, but unless you are confident there is clear video evidence or you have credible witnesses from other boats it will be a waste of social time for you and the jury.

So don't forget these simple steps in recovering from an OCS. 1) Stick to the game plan;  2) work to get a clear lane;  3) get out of phase with the fleet;  4) minimize tacks;  and 5) focus on short term goals.

Raritan Engineering has more information on electric toilets, boat toilets, marine products, and on how to recover from an OCS.

via Terry's Tips: Recovering from an OCS

via 5 tips: OCS (on course side) or over the line at the start – what should you do?

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High Performance Marine Parts Analysts Explore A New Fishing Trend

Your High Performance Marine Parts Experts Show You How to Fish From a Jet Ski

Stainless Marine your high performance marine parts professionals would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how to fish from a jet ski.

Your high performance marine parts experts know that the sport of PWC fishing is exhilarating and provides its own set of unique challenges.

Last August, Virginia native Brian Lockwood arose well before dawn, downed a cup of coffee and met up with a friend's charter to buddy-boat 75 miles offshore. They headed to a spot in the Atlantic Ocean where the bottom contour is known as Norfolk Canyon.

Over the course of 16 hours, Lockwood and his buddy - Capt. Pete Esgro of RockHound Charters - covered a distance of 228 miles in 3- to 5-foot seas. Esgro did it in a craft you'd expect for such a trip: a 34-foot Luhrs sport-fisher.

Lockwood chose something from the opposite end of the spectrum - an 11-foot-8-inch Yamaha WaveRunner.

Welcome to the intriguing sport of PWC fishing.

From Virginia to New York, Florida to California, Australia to South Africa, a movement is afoot to forgo the Bertram, Boston Whaler or Grady-White in favor of a WaveRunner, Jet Ski or Sea-Doo. The reasons are many. For some, it's an issue of cost.

The modern four-stroke personal watercraft is a bargain compared to the majority of its mainstream boating alternatives; it's inexpensive to buy, simple to trailer and easy to store.

The Mini Battlewagon

For Lockwood, the switch from a Grady-White to a small fleet of WaveRunners was a natural evolution. First, he used the PWC for fun. Next, it became a quick and easy choice to catch bait before the next day's trip.

Lockwood found an enthusiastic fabricator in Martin's Custom Structures, which transformed a Yamaha into a craft ready for offshore adventure.

Go to http://www.stainlessmarine.com/product-category/exhaust-manifolds-systems/exhaust-manifolds-systems-big-block-exhaust-manifolds-risers-tailpipes/ and see how you can get more information on high performance marine parts and on how to fish from a jet ski at Stainless Marine.

“I take individuals and small groups on extreme fishing trips in the Chesapeake Bay and up to 20 miles offshore of Virginia and North Carolina,” he explains. “I now have six PWCs rigged up for fishing. Just show up ready for a fun and exhilarating experience.”

Fishing Fever

Despite his prowess, Lockwood and his fellow American anglers may actually be behind the curve. Your high performance marine parts professionals know that in countries like South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, personal-watercraft fishing has surged in popularity with PWC-only tournaments that regularly attract close to 150 competitors.

Now living in Arizona, Dustin Motzouris saw the same momentum happening in his native country of South Africa and is now bringing that experience to the United States. A champion PWC racer, Motzouris also owns a fishing-boat manufacturing company in his native land.

“In South Africa, we always have great fish stories, from getting bumped by whales to hooking and landing marlin. But the most extreme issue we have is losing big fish to huge sharks right at the ski. That gets your heart racing.”

Gearing Up

Though big-water stories of marlin and sharks are thrilling, those interested in giving the sport a try needn't venture into the ocean swells or rig for battle. PWC owners have long tried to fish from their craft, heading out with little more than a rod into lakes, rivers and waterways far from the coast.

Google “PWC fishing” or “Jet Ski fishing” and you'll note that a surprising number of manufacturers already produce such a combination of products. For the easiest introduction, look for a combination rod-and-cooler rack like those from Kool PWC Stuff (watercraftstuff.com) or Motzouris' own vertical Clip-on Fish Cage ($369, kommanderind.com).

Those interested in a more permanent setup may wish to look into fish-boat-style aluminum arches. Fishmaster (fishmaster.com) offers both front and rear one-size-fits-all arches that can adjust to fit any PWC and be folded or removed for travel or storage.

“Once you get a fully kitted PWC, the fishing experience is better and the catch rate goes way up,” Motzouris says.

Fish On

The appeal of PWC fishing still comes down to the same basic draw of fishing: spending time on the water, wetting a line, and trying to land the catch of the day.

Like a lot of PWC fishermen, Lockwood also appreciates doing something different than the guy in the next boat over. The much, much bigger next boat over.

Click here and see how Stainless Marine has more information on high performance marine parts and on how to fish from a jet ski.

via Fishing From a Jet Ski

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