Sommaire pour March 2022 de PassageMaker

I often undock and dock my boat by myself, and over the years, I’ve learned a lot about the process. Of course, the operating procedure depends upon the type of boat you have; handling a single-engine inboard with no thruster is a lot different than a twin-engine inboard with thrusters galore. Regardless, here are a few universal tactics to help you dock safely the next time you find yourself shorthanded. First, make your lines ready beforehand. If you’re returning to your regular slip, you should have laid them out on the dock prior to your departure so they are within easy reach of a boathook. If you are tying up at an unfamiliar spot, drift for a few minutes in open water but within sight of where you propose to…

Water leaks often require sleuth work. Water is ever present above and below the waterline. Rain, washdown water and spray look for ways to seep in through the topsides. Beneath the waterline, water is pumped in through the engine and other machinery for cooling, and can find countless holes for thru-hull fittings, transducers and underwater lights. Hoses and clamps are critical for watertight integrity, as water patiently waits for any chance to sneak in and cause problems. For instance, while prepping my boat for a trip to Nantucket, Massachusetts, one summer day years ago, I replaced a raw-water pump impeller. When I shut down the diesel after checking my work for leaks, I heard a drip. I traced the sound to a pipe behind the engine that was weeping a…

APOLLONIAN 52 LOA 52ft. Beam 16ft. 8in. Draft 4ft. 5in. Displacement 48,000 lbs. Engines 2x 425-hp Cummins QSB6.7 Fuel 500 gal. Water 240 gal. When two Pacific Northwest-based marine industry veterans, Vic Parcells and Howard Apollonio, linked up on a new boat design, their mission was to fill a void in the 50-foot-range cruising market left by the departures of brand names such as Meridian, Navigator and Carver. Parcells, a yacht broker and partner at Crow’s Nest Yachts Seattle, was dealing with a lack of inventory that meant his clients looking for a 50-foot cruising boat had to settle for 15-year-old models. Apollonio, a naval architect known for owner-friendly vessels, had recently completed drawings for a raised pilothouse concept. The Apollonian 52 was their answer to the need for an…

I should call this new design Flotsam, as the inspirations for her are generated by a shop filled with the packed storage lockers, corners and shelves that come with more than 40 years of designing and building custom boats. We had just finished a large solar-electric catamaran project, and it was high time to lessen the chaos. The battlefield of the shop floor was cluttered with leftover, well, everything. We were blowing down dust from the rafters, straightening out woodpiles, cleaning up the epoxy corner, and collecting the strewn-about carcasses of the fallen for storage in the plumbing, electrics, mechanicals, hardware and sandpaper lockers. At another time of the year, one might call this spring housecleaning, but in this case, it was autumn. I was shorthanded too, as most of…

Automobile engines are (mostly) water-cooled, but also have a radiator to cool the liquid coolant. Boats are also (mostly) water-cooled, but they have heat exchangers that use seawater to cool the liquid coolant. It seems to me that anytime seawater is introduced into a system, trouble is not far behind. Why don’t boats have radiators like cars do?—Lisa Olson You are not the first person to ask that question. And interestingly, there are a few boats out there with air-cooled engines. The amphibious World War II DUWK boats and airplane-propellered swamp boats come to mind. The main problem comes with supplying enough air to keep the engine cool. That is not an issue if you have a giant fan like a swamp boat does, but a typical trawler would require…

The owner of a twin-engine trawler was concerned because one of his engines consistently had 10 pounds less oil pressure than the other. The engines were identical and had about the same hours. Why would there be a difference, and what was the correct pressure? Pump it up The process of efficiently converting fuel into mechanical energy requires precisely machined parts in close proximity, lubricated with a thin film of oil. This oil slows wear and helps cool hot parts. A geared oil pump gets that oil flowing from the sump throughout the engine the same way our hearts move blood throughout our bodies. As the oil moves through the parts and passages in the engine, pressure builds (measured in pounds per square inch, or psi, in the United States).…

Due to the logistics and level of commitment involved, completing the entire Great Loop is an accomplishment achieved by relatively few. The editors of Passagemaker want to recognize those who crossed their wakes last year. Congratulations to the AGLCA-verified Fleet of 2021. For more info about America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association, visit greatloop.org…

I was carrying a load of groceries past a new trawler on the dock, a pretty 40-footer that looked ready for offshore. As I passed by, I could see the owner leaning against the pilothouse windows. “That looks comfortable,” I said. “Doing my what ifs,” he responded. “That’s great,” I said with the bonhomie of people who are just making small talk. I might as well have said, “Nice weather.” A bit later, I happened past again, and he was in nearly the same position, this time with a legal pad and pen. “Still at it, eh?” I asked mindlessly. “It takes time to do your what ifs,” he said a little peevishly, as though I had criticized him. This time it registered, and I stopped. “Your whats?” I asked.…

Successful boat handling takes many forms. In previous columns, we’ve covered the skills and techniques required for close-quarters handling inside the confines of a marina, because that situation tends to induce the most stress for boaters. Now, it’s time to head out. Passagemaking boats weren’t built to stay in marinas. The next most intimidating bodies of water are the maze of inland waterways just outside the marina’s breakwater. Narrow intersecting channels, shifting shoals and frequently heavy boat traffic can also make for stressful boating. The overall challenge in these busy waterways is the number of things that require your attention simultaneously. An important first step in safely navigating is to research and plan the day’s route ahead of time. No matter how short our run or how familiar I am…

Does anyone remember the 1970s television show The Land Of The Lost? Teenagers Will and Holly are rafting with their father, Marshall, and go over a waterfall that transports them to a prehistoric world of dinosaurs and half-human, half-lizard sleestaks. Well, for many of us boaters, cruising in fog is like being transported to the land of the lost. Navigation markers disappear. Landmarks, mountains and structures disappear. Other boats become passing ghosts. When fog arrives, our navigation skills can become disjointed and discombobulated. Our confidence, even in familiar waters, may wane. Years ago, I was out on my trawler with a good college friend, Dave. It was late July, and the weather was hot and clear as we cruised to Echo Bay off Sucia Island in the San Juan archipelago…