Seaworthy Magazine October 2013 Issue
Contents
1. experience rough roads and sudden stops All hatches must be securely dogged down and taped over from the outside to keep rain out Keep in mind that your boat may be going down the road stern first and will be subjected to unusual winds Windshields may have to be removed Dinghies must be removed from davits and transported below or shipped separately if they won t fit Expensive electronics should be removed and shipped separately or securely stowed inside the boat with all access locked Holland says Attend the preparation if you can and take lots of pictures of the boat bow to stern and top to bottom including the mast 10 Seaworthy October 2013 www BoatUS com insurance BE WARY OF ONLINE SHOPPING Finding a transporter online may seem like a great way to save money but be ware BoatU S Consumer Protection has received numerous complaints from members who used bid type clearinghouses to find transportation service pro viders TSPs For a fee the websites allow you to enter your information and receive bids from several TSPs In theory you simply pick the best price and make the arrangements with the shipper Unfortunately the websites don t ver ify or validate the claims about experience insurance coverage and licensure made by trucking companies that are bidding for your business They also won t help if you have problems with the shipper Some members who posted negative reviews on one site found their commen2. s electronic program ming What a great feature it s simple to do by following the instructions in the winterizing section of the owner s Neglecting your outboard over winter could be an expensive manual yet if you don t know about it you might be tempted to try it the traditional way If your engine is still under warranty and you don t winter ize it according to the manufacturer s instructions you could easily void the warranty coverage While the specific instructions might vary in most cases you ll need to do the following e The engine s fuel supply must be treated for storage or drained com pletely For a discussion of expert opinions see The Ethanol Debate page 8 The engine should be flushed accord ing to the manufacturer s instructions Sometimes this doesn t involve run ning the engine at all newer engines have a garden hose fitting that allows for a quick flush without starting the en gine Check your manual for specifics e The engine s lubricants engine oil for four stroke outboards and lower unit gear lube for all outboards should be drained and refilled and the fuel filters changed Water or other con taminants must be flushed out and replaced with fresh lube before winter Any water present in the gearcase for example will sit on steel shafts and bearings over the winter coating them with rust Run the engine to get the oil and lower unit lubricant warm
3. 5 N w a en y Varn p C h J a A a 1 A y Ra K P xX j Se x gt as lt A Ji 2005 rank 1st Average payout per claim 10 October 2013 Seaworthy 5 LONG WINTER S NAP Protect maintain and drain your outboard before putting it to bed so it will be raring to go come spring by John Tiger a 4 ear Ea L ro mistake come spring ELL BEFORE WINTERS cold arrives your outboard needs to be prepared es pecially if you live where freezing could occur more places than most people think You can do it yourself with hand tools an afternoon s time and some pretty inexpensive supplies You ll need a place to work where you can start and run the engine s for a short while without incurring complaints about the noise and some smoke a good water supply and adequate ventilation While winterizing procedures vary somewhat for older engines vs newer ones and for two stroke vs four stroke outboards the basics are the same To do the job right you need to protect maintain and drain PROTECT YOUR MACHINERY Consult your engine s owner s manual or service manual before you begin Today s engines especially four stroke and direct injected two stroke outboards may have special winterizing flushing and maintenance instructions so follow them closely For example Evinrude s E Tec outboards feature a self winterizing mode in the engine
4. a private lift out of the water The glass hull is in fine condi tion but the interior plywood ribs and structure have suffered from dry rot The supports are generally hol low as much of the wood has turned to dust I did have a survey on this boat but these areas were apparently over looked As a longtime tinkerer and boat rebuilder I am making the repairs but this effort was not something I planned to have to tackle Dane Hahn Englewood FL Your chances of getting a quality surveyor that can find such hidden problems increase greatly when you hire one who belongs to one of the recognized professional marine survey societies NAMS and SAMS Additionally try to find a surveyor who has experience in the model of boat you re looking at and for a sailboat consider hiring someone who specializes in rig surveys For more on picking a surveyor see www BoatUS com Magazine 2013 August dont fall for a pretty face asp BOATU S MMSI I m in the process of purchasing elec tronic equipment that requires an MMSI Maritime Mobile Service Identity I filed with BoatU S and received my num ber but according to the July Seaworthy my number is no good out side the U S I plan to go to Mexico and or Canada in the future Do I now have to get a different MMSI number from the FCC and remove and send my equipment back to the manufacturer for reprogramming John McDonnell Evergreen CO As the websit
5. anything that might be too high Right This mast is well protected and secured for travel cane force winds and experience road vibration for days Your best bet is to use a boatyard experienced in prepar ing boats for transport For larger boats consider hiring a marine surveyor to supervise the preparations and coor dinate with another one at the boat s destination to supervise the off loading and recommissioning Dana Holland a senior BoatU S Marine Insurance claims adjuster says The prepping of the boat is critical She has handled a lot of claims that resulted from damage during trans port so she knows what can go wrong When you hire someone to prep your boat for transport get a contract in writing that specifies what they do she recommends So what should they do Canvas frames mast spreaders and lights and other equipment on the masts should be removed Stays and halyards should be removed or secured tightly to the mast pallet wrap works well and the entire mast wrapped in padding such as carpet Note that if the stays are left on they may mark up the mast and it may be better to remove them especially for a painted mast On large powerboats the flybridge will have to be taken off and may even be shipped separately Bow and stern rails as well as stanchions may have to be removed if the boat is particularly tall Remove loose items from lockers and secure all locker doors the boat may
6. cycle but ethanol can only absorb so much 10 ETHANOL water When it becomes completely saturated phase separation occurs and the corrosive ethanol water mixture sinks to the bottom of the tank If the engine is run this mixture can dam age seals O rings injectors and other delicate engine parts The upper gaso line layer will be depleted of ethanol and have a reduced octane level which can also cause engine problems If a tank is left partially full there is more room in the tank which means more surface area for condensation formation and less ethanol to absorb the resulting water Cycling temperatures from warm to cold also increases the amount of condensation Finally ethanol cannot absorb as much water at low temperatures as it can when it s warmer so the gasoline will phase separate more quickly in colder temperatures The obvious answer is to completely empty the tank and even the fuel lines and filters if possible But any boat owner with a gas tank capacity of more than a few gallons will tell you how problematic it is to completely drain it USCG regulations prohibit drain valves on the bottom of a gas tank imagine what would happen if one corroded through or broke off leaving a bilge full of gasoline so the only way to remove gas is by pumping it out Too many of our claim files prove that using something like a shop vac to do the job will land you in the hospital Finding ignition pro tected equipment an
7. messes into the bilge to ripen aromatically Hand clean ing the inside of a lapstrake hull is a special challenge add otter droppings or shall I say explosions and cleaning gets downright danger ous Who would have thought that the thin shells that pass through an otter s entrails could slice through surgical gloves Or that their urine is nature s best paint varnish stripper Tiring of that kind of spring clean ing made me stop using any of Lor raine s lovely boat covers leaving her to the elements but generally otter free Then one day I had an inspiration for a snug ftting cover that would close off the cockpit to otters relieve me of regular de watering detail made neces sary by winter rains and protect the cabin sides and companionway hatch varnish I approached my friend Leah Ketgen now of Port Townsend Rigging and Canvas who made the cover fit like a glove I call it Lorraine s dachshund sweater It has worked brilliantly for three winter seasons although perhaps our dog s territorial expressions when visiting Lorraine s dock deserve some credit too Score one for Hasse We ll be sure to let you know all the details if the otters make a comeback HE APTLY NAMED Running Free washed up on a sandy beach on Martha s Vineyard on July 5 54 days after being abandoned off Bermuda The boat s owner Bill Heldenbrand left Jacksonville Florida alone in May bound for the U K
8. our insureds are for lightning strikes the average payout for those claims is twice that of flooding or collision Damage to the electrical system doesn t come as much of a surprise after a lightning strike but there can also be extensive hull damage due to exit wounds From Seaworthy s perspective lightning is the most frustrating thing in the Top 10 we have no proven advice to offer on how to avoid getting struck Most often the only visible signs are scorched areas along wiring runs around rigging or in the vicinity of electrical panels If you think your boat might have been hit call the BoatU S Claims Department We ll usually cover a short haul to check for damage THEFT While boat theft only ranks 16 in terms of number of claims it s 1 in terms of the average payout per claim Even if a boat is recovered there s usually very little left that s worth anything Ninety percent of stolen boats are taken while on their trailers high performance boats in South Florida are most vulnerable Your best tool for foiling the bad guys is frustration Thieves are lazy and anything you can do to increase the time or difficulty work it takes to steal your boat will discourage theft When stowing your trailerable boat for the winter taking the wheels off the trailer and supporting it well on blocks is one of the best ways to make your boat an unattractive target INJURY Like theft injuries tend to be infrequent but expensi
9. owner of a 34 foot SeaRay used a roofing flame torch to tighten the wrap After seeing smoke coming from inside the cockpit he cut the wrap open and found flames which quickly got out of control Before the fire department could put out the fire two boats were destroyed and three others were damaged Claim 1216496 Fire and flammable shrinkwrap and equally flam mable fiberglass don t mix All it takes is a moment of inatten tion to ignite shrinkwrap and sometimes the flames aren t even visible right away Shrinkwrap is one job best left to the pros DRAIN PLUGS IN OR OUT It s that time of year again time to tuck in the boat for another season It s also the time of year when Seaworthy reminds you to make sure to take your drain plug out But this year our mes sage is a bit more complicated than in the past You can thank Superstorm Sandy for that Last year many boats had already been winterized when Sandy came call ing Most of those boats ended up as total losses because the drain plugs were out The surge filled the boats with saltwater and sank them on land destroying the engines in the process Dante Grover at Al Grover s High and Dry in Freeport New York had already winterized some of the boats when he saw Sandy coming But for those that had not been winterized he decided to leave drain plugs in make sure bilge pumps were working add extra bilge pumps and top off batteries All o
10. right in it and the comment I demand hazard pay When Wright arrived at Lake Wylie South Carolina to look at Force Ten a 23 foot Bayliner that had sunk in its slip the boat had already been recov ered and was sitting on a trailer Vic Winebarger of Boat Sales of Lake Wylie warned Fred of the potential hazard aboard The pictures should be at tributed to Vic Wright told Seaworthy I refused to go into the V berth to investigate further not that I m chicken or anything He found another snake lying on a stringer in the stern of the boat That one never moved while I was aboard he said Thank goodness they warned me of the potential hazard before I boarded Otherwise we d have had to break out new undies Snakes may not have been the only critters involved Wright found musk rat gnawed flaps on the cockpit scup per drains which may have contributed to the sinking Vic Winebarger So if you re ever faced with a sunken boat in warm Southern waters make sure you take a good look before reach ing into any dark corners HE AMERICAN BOAT amp Yacht Council ABYC the industry organization that writes safety standards for boats has just released an iPhone app designed to help you fig ure out what safety equipment you are required to carry on your boat Boat Essentials USCG Safety Gear is a free checklist app for the new or expe rienced boater develope
11. with a planned layover in Bermuda On the seventh day he encountered heavy weather some 400 miles west of Ber muda After battling 40 knot sustained winds and 15 to 20 foot waves for 18 hours he hove to in order to get some rest He woke to find the jib sheet chafed through and the jib flogging A passing tanker offered to take him off the boat and given the continuing de terioration in the weather he decided to leave his belongings and the uninsured vessel never expecting to see either one again Daniel Carpenter But as so often happens boats prove to be much stronger and more capable than sailors expect Not only did Running Free manage to survive the storm but she ran the gamut of the busy East Coast shipping lanes dodged the myriad rocky ledges and outcrop pings along the New England coast and beached herself on a sandy shore some 700 miles from where she was abandoned The jib was shredded and the boom broken but otherwise she was in fine shape The solar panels had kept the batteries fully charged and the electronics were all still working when Daniel Carpenter from TowBoatU S Falmouth set to work freeing her It took three days to remove and the hull was still in very good shape Carpenter told Seaworthy There are numerous examples of sailboats being recovered intact after their owners abandoned them in even more extreme weather including the 14 Seaworthy October 2013 www BoatUS com in
12. ABoatuSs ame MARINE INSURANCE PROGRAM KEEPING YOU AND YOUR BOAT SAFE ON THE WATER Vol 31 No 4 October 2013 IN THIS ISSUE by Beth A Leonard ACK IN 2005 Seaworthy took a look at the top 10 claims for the BoatU S Marine Insurance Pro gram After eight eventful years think Ike Irene Snowmageddon tornadoes drought Sandy the time seemed right to revisit our findings to see what if anything had changed and what those changes might mean for conscientious boaters We analyzed five years of claims from January 1 2008 to December 31 2012 and ranked loss categories by the total dollar value of claims paid out over that time period The Top 10 will give you a good sense of where boaters can go wrong and for each type of loss we have numerous resources on our website to help you avoid becoming a statistic You ll find the countdown to No 1 on pages 4 and 5 You ll also see two additional numbers for each loss category The average payout per claim shows the category ranking in terms of the average dollars paid out per claim over the last five years The 2005 rank shows where that category stood in the Sea worthy Top 10 eight years ago A few things have changed in that time Striking submerged objects has 2 moved down the list non hurricane weather damage has moved up We ve broken out injury as a sepa rate category and that has joined the Top 10 pushing theft of equipment off the list But the No 1 cause ie of lo
13. S Air Force Response Coordinator and the Califor nia Emergency Management Agency contacted Malloy Was he aware that his beacon was going off Though the beacon had been reported stolen they wanted to make sure that he hadn t recovered and activated it No Malloy told them the beacon was still miss ing along with the rest of the loot So a search and rescue was mounted not for Malloy but for his stolen gear Law enforcement tracked that PLB signal right to the thief s lair where they found not only Malloy s equipment but stolen goods belonging to several other victims as well Obviously the burglar was not a boater Had he been he would never have touched the one piece of equip ment designed to bring government agencies right to its exact location Malloy got his stuff back and ended up spending only 200 out of pocket the cost of replacing the window in his truck If thieves don t take up boat ing maybe there will be more emer gency signal assisted apprehensions AVE YOU EVER fantasized about being a surveyor Work ing outdoors spending the day on or near the water messing about in boats helping people buy their dream boat or get paid by their insur ance companies what s not to like Well plenty actually If you re harbor ing romantic notions of the surveyor s life take a good look Surveyor T Fred Wright of Carolina Marine Services submitted a damage appraisal with the photo at
14. and gelcoat fade and high temperatures that bake electronics and cause poorly ventilated equipment to overheat To add in sult to injury cormorants bomb our decks with stinky cor rosive droppings and winter invaders chew on insulation and nest in our cushions Sometimes it feels like a war out there And Seaworthy has long been reporting from the front lines To keep your boat from succumbing to keep it seaworthy takes hard won knowledge amassed over decades The BoatU S Ma rine Insurance programs claim files represent a treasure trove of information that we are privileged to mine for you Seaworthy lets grown ups spend more time on the water indulging their inner child Seaworthy isn t afraid to delve into everything from critter proofing boats to preventing ethanol damage to engines to avoiding the top 10 causes of boat insurance claims It s entirely possible likely even that other boaters you know haven t learned those hard won lessons and are badly in need of a subscription to Seaworthy Go to www BoatUS com Seaworthy click on the subscribe but ton and in just a few minutes you can check off some of your boating friends names from your Christmas list THE BOATU S DAMAGE AVOIDANCE PROGRAM IS DEDICATED TO HELPING YOU ENJOY ACCIDENT FREE BOATING Seaworthy looks at real claims and how they might have been avoided For permission to reprint articles email Seaworthy is published quarterly Jan Apr Jul Oct b
15. arrival If you wait for the boatyard to inspect the boat as they re reassembling it you won t be able to document any problems before the driver leaves if you can t make it try to get someone from the boatyard or a knowledgeable friend to be there at the de livery Whoever does the inspection should go over the boat inside and out make a de tailed report and have the driver sign it The driver may have his own condition report but make sure he gets a copy of yours and that you get a copy of his Most TSPs require the shipping to be paid even if there is damage Since smaller claims are usually handled without involving their insurance company you may need to hire a marine surveyor to prepare an estimate and protect your interest If you find the shipper reluctant to fix your boat the DOT will investigate complaints about carriers If you are insured with BoatU S Ma rine Insurance damage while shipping is covered Holland says that if you find damage after shipping call BoatU S Insurance immediately and file a claim The pictures that you took may prove invaluable in settling the claim BoatU S Insurance will then file a claim against the shipper or their insurance carrier But keep in mind that if you are moving from one cruising area to another you must notify BoatU S Insur ance before you launch your boat Steffen Schmidt s story had a happy ending When he called BoatU S Con sumer Protectio
16. ast involves a particular left coast hazard marauding otters Port Townsend Sails founder and wooden boat virtuoso Carol Hasse known as Hasse to her friends has been trying to keep the cute critters off her Nordic Folkboat Lorraine for the last decade But Hasse may have gained the upper hand Those maybe not so adorable river otters that share our Salish Sea marinas are a real problem for vessels with low freeboard The otters prefer to make themselves at home aboard boats with covers of any sort that will protect them from the elements while they urinate and defecate with great enthusiasm Hasse told Seaworthy Strategies for repelling them abound open containers of mothballs mark ings left on the dock or mooring lines by male dogs or salty dogs also of the male variety carpet tacks pointy end up radios left on arguments abound as to the effectiveness of NPR news coun try rap hard rock In my experience none of the above works 100 percent of the time if at all Not even high pitched audio pest deterrents For years Hasse tried to protect Lorraine s brightwork from sun snow and rain with every conceivable type of boat cover I discovered that otters ALWAYS found their way under or around and created quite a water closet in Lorraine s cockpit she said Nordic Folkboats have an open cockpit and a common bilge mean ing hosing the cockpit sends any and all
17. at in cludes the following e Pay particular attention to gearcase damage If the propeller is damaged 6 Seaworthy October 2013 www BoatUS com insurance have it repaired now not in spring You may even get an off season dis count Check the blades and look for cracks especially on stainless steel props Small cracks can quickly spread and grow and sometime next season you may find yourself short a blade When you remove the prop rotate the propeller shaft to check for dam age Check for fishline snarls around the forward thrust washer the one between the forward end of the prop and the rearward end of the gearcase If there s fishline there check the lube carefully when you drain the gear case Snarled fishline often damages the seals in the gearcase s rear bearing carrier This lets lubricant out and wa ter in If there s water present in the lu bricant it will be milky appearing and a light coffee color and the gearcase must be resealed eCheck for electrolysis corrosion on the lower unit propeller and any sur rounding metal and repair it Electrol ysis appears as small white crystals of fine powder attached to the prop gearcase and other metal surfaces It occurs as a reaction to dissimilar met als or electrical current in the water To repair the lower unit sand corro sion off clean and paint with primer and then factory matched paint While automotive primer will work it s
18. ately power outages most often oc cur right when you need electricity most when the worst winter weather hits An ice storm came through just before Christmas downing power lines and cutting off power to the heater long enough to freeze water in the engines The next spring when the owner fired up the engines instead of head ing out for the first cruise of the season he limped back to the dock with the manifolds from both engines cracked and spewing water Because the marina was busy with launch ing and recommissioning boats for the season the repairs couldn t be completed for weeks Claim 0813453 THIS 27 FOOT RINKER was winterized by placing a space heater in the engine room The boat which was afloat in her slip in Alabama another no freeze state caught fire when the extension cord used to power the heater shorted where it had been damaged at some point The boat was destroyed and damaged another boat as well as the dock Claim 0300330 Other boats have been lost when the heater itself has caught fire when the heater has ignited something combustible inside the boat or when the heater has been tipped over by a large wake that rocked the boat Even light bulbs in the engine room have caused fires Don t rely on an electric heater to keep your boat safe this winter it may not and it might even destroy your pride and joy Winterize your boat properly even if you live in an area that seems sa
19. before draining This will make it flow easier and also get any contaminants in suspension so they drain instead of sitting inside Change the oil filter when you change the oil Change the fuel filter If your engine doesn t have a water separating fuel filter consider installing one now e After treating the fuel and running the engine for a few minutes the engine should be fogged with a storage lubricant This protects the internals bearings seals and rotating surfaces with a thin film of lubricant which helps keep rust and corrosion away With the engine running inject fog ging oil through the carburetors or electronic fuel injection EFI system air intakes in such a way as to flood the engine with oil until it begins to smoke then continue fogging it until it stalls Fogging can also be done with the engine shut down in this case the spark plugs are removed and the oil is sprayed into the cylinders rotating the flywheel to distribute the oil PERFORM PERIODIC AND ROUTINE MAINTENANCE Check your owner s manual and have all periodic maintenance done Much of this will be beyond the expertise of the average do it yourselfer valve adjustments belt tension adjustments etc and must be done by a quali fied technician Perform all necessary repairs or at least put them on the list for spring Then take the opportunity to complete routine maintenance so there aren t any surprises next year Th
20. better to use a marine primer with zinc chromate to help further retard corrosion This is also a good time to replace the anodes e Lightly lubricate all moving parts with a fine silicone lube This includes throttle and shift linkages tilt pins and steering shafts eCheck the manual for greasing points and grease them with a marine pref erably synthetic water resistant grease Typically these greasing points are at pivot areas steering tilt trim engine cowl latches ete Don t don t over grease the excess typically hardens over time and clogs up the works Grease the propeller shaft be fore reinstalling the propeller e Lubricate the steering system Steering cable systems also need to be greased there is typically a grease fitting at the engine end of the cable To keep old grease from building up and harden ing inside the cable it s best to remove the cable from the engine then rotate the steering wheel so the cable is fully extended Clean all old grease from in side the cable end then lightly coat the inner cable shaft with fresh synthetic marine grease Reattach the cable to the engine and rotate the steering lock to lock a few times to distribute the new grease If your steering system is hydraulic check the fluid level and free play in the system If fluid level is low top it off with fresh hydraulic steering fluid and then if necessary bleed the system to purge excess air e The engine t
21. d transporting and disposing of the gas afterward is simply not practical for the average boat owner That s why Seaworthy has always been in the keep it full camp We are after all boat owners so we re forced to take our own advice If it s impractical or impossible to empty the tank completely then keeping it full should make it more dif ficult for enough water to get into the fuel to cause problems If you have ethanol in your gas you need to take steps to protect your boat over the winter But just in case we missed something we asked some industry experts for their thoughts on the subject Bob Popiel head of marine service at Yamaha said his preference is complete draining of the fuel system includ ing tank fuel lines carburetor bowls and the vapor separator tank VST VSTs he says can hold a cup of fuel and they re vented to the atmosphere as are carburetor bowls The VST has a drain but it is hard to access fora typical owner while on older engines carburetor bowls have drains that most people can get to he says Draining the system is even more important on older engines 10 15 years old because they don t have the same ethanol resistant parts that new engines do That said Popiel knows that draining the whole fuel system is often difficult so another option is to simply disconnect the fuel supply and let the engine run out of fuel which will at least drain most of the gas from the VST or floa
22. d until their services are paid for especially those going cross country Usually a TSP will require a deposit up front which is often necessary to get permits and escorts Full payment is due at delivery and shippers will prob ably not release the boat until they re paid so make arrangements to have a certified check at the drop off point if RESOURCES TSP STATUS FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION FMCSA WEBSITE http safer fmcsa dot gov CompanySnapshot aspx DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COMPLAINTS 888 368 7238 SOCIETY OF ACCREDITED MARINE SURVEYORS SAMS www marinesurvey org NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MARINE SURVEYORS NAMS www namsglobal org BOATU S MARINE INSURANCE CLAIMS 1 800 937 1937 BOATU S CONSUMER PROTECTION DATABASE my BoatUS com consumer database aspx you won t be there Some shippers will allow you to make a wire transfer If you can t be there for the drop off make sure someone you trust can make a thorough inspection Emailing or send ing them a disc of the pictures you took makes it easier to spot problems Keep in mind that delivery dates are approxi mate and weather traffic or road con struction issues can cause unforeseen delays You may need to coordinate a new schedule at the drop off point WHAT TO DO IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG If you hired a marine surveyor to super vise the loading arrangements should be made for a local surveyor to check over the boat on
23. d with a U S Coast Guard Recreational Boating Safe ty Nonprofit Grant When you down load the app you will be asked a series of questions about your boat and based on the answers the app will show you what equipment is required and what is optional It can store information for up to three boats along with important dates such as when your flares expire To download the app go to the iTunes store and search for boating essentials safety gear amp www BoatUS com insurance October 2013 Seaworthy 15 Christine Doyle S ABoatus t Top Claims Seaworthy Magazine BoatU S 880 South Pickett Street Alexandria VA 22304 PRSRT STD U S POSTAGE PAID ABR 22191 Sharing Lessons From The Front Lines UT CHILDREN WATER and anything that floats together and you can be certain a boat of one kind or another will result It s as if we re born with the desire to captain our own vessel no matter how humble Researchers talk of a human drive toward exploration a genetic need to expand our hunting grounds an instinct to disperse to prevent overpopulation Maybe But those children with that bit of Styrofoam at the edge of a pond aren t really trying to go anywhere They re just being kids and most kids love water and anything that lets them stay in or on the water longer If that urge to get out on the water weren t so funda mental there d be a lot fewer boat
24. e explains www BoatUS com MMSI BoatU S is only authorized to issue MMSIs for national waters We have recently changed the site to make this absolutely clear If you intend to go to Canada and Mexico you will need to get an FCC Ship Station License and they will issue you an MMSI which you would then program into the radio Your owner s manual will tell you how many attempts you have to program the number If your radio gives you two attempts to program you should be able to put the new number in without contacting the manufacturer If it only allows you to program the unit once call your manufacturer They may be able to provide you with a reset code so you can reprogram the MMSI number without sending it back to the manufacturer Your FCC issued MMSI will work in U S waters TRAILERABLE BOAT THEFT PREVENTION Regarding the article From Locks to Lockdown that appeared in the July Seaworthy magazine one simple way to prevent trailer theft is to paint your trailer a bright color This has been sug gested before by BoatU S I have a yellow and an orange trailer for my two boats At my boat ramp where sometimes 60 trailers are parked my trailers are the only ones that aren t galvanized gray Bruce Smith Cape Coral FL The best place for your hitch when not in use is in your trunk In fact it should be a law that all hitches should never be left on the tow vehicle I was the last car in a three car pileup one day w
25. ed to know if you transport your boat overland by Charles Fort ford Cove Rhode Island He hired a boat transport company to handle everything and assumed the move L AST YEAR STEFFEN Schmidt wanted to move his Beneteau 373 Oceanus from Seattle Washington to Wick would go as well as it did four years earlier when he d shipped the boat from Rhode Island to Washington But this time was different the boat s prop and cutlass bearing were damaged where it rested on one of the trailer struts and the mast was gashed and mangled Schmidt called the trucking com pany hoping they would send an insur ance adjuster to inspect the damage After all their advertisement claimed Insured for 1 250 000 which assures that your investment will be protected while it s on our trailers His first sur prise came when the company said that they handle claims of less than 100 000 in house and wouldn t even www BoatUS com insurance give him their insurance carrier s name The second surprise was how they han dled in house claims Instead of asking Schmidt to get estimates the company began trying to negotiate the claim and wanted to fix the mast themselves even though it was obvious it would have to be replaced Schmidt eventually hired a marine surveyor who with Beneteau s input helped get a repair quote from a local yard The cost to repair his boat would be over 25 000 several times more than the tran
26. erator question unless you are sharing power with another boat by passing the output cable to another boat to charge its batteries the source of the electricity is on your boat so any stray current trying to return to the source will NOT travel through the water Our community marina in the Provi dence community outside Annapolis is located on Mill Creek I would submit that the salinity level in the Providence Marina is at least equal to and probably lower than out in the Chesapeake Bay off Annapolis particularly after storm runoff How high must the salinity level be to be protected from ESD from alternating current leakage Jim Stoops Annapolis MD There is no absolute answer to this question because there are too many variables The problem arises at the point when it is easier for a dangerous amount of current in the water to pass through the human body than through the surrounding water But that exact point depends on many things besides salinity including water temperature the body composition of the victim and the amount of current leaking into the water Even if we knew the answers to these questions the salinity ina given place varies greatly depending upon rainfall and tidal fluctuations so an area that might be safe one day may not be the next This is another reason why we recommend to marinas and owners of shared docks like condo associations that they prohibit swimming completely within 100 ya
27. ers Because once our boats become more than a bit of Styrofoam or a big piece of driftwood it starts to feel as if nature is out to get us Mostly it s our fault because we want to take so much stuff with us our families our fishing gear our buddies our pets our cold drinks Some of us even want to take our kitchens bathrooms and beds We want to go farther and get there faster so we trade in wood for fancy fiberglass composites replace oars with an engine and add sophisti cated electrical systems to power our fancy electronics Now there are lots of things that can and do go wrong On most boats we start with a perfectly watertight fiber glass hull and then we cut and drill holes through it Some of those holes are below the waterline so we attach hoses and valves and clamps to keep the water out We run wir Seaworthy PUBLISHER Michael Pellerin EDITOR Beth A Leonard ASSOCIATE EDITOR Charles D Fort CONTRIBUTING WRITER John Tiger GRAPHIC DESIGN Marcus Floro PROOFREADER Regina D Cruz CIRCULATION Nelo Karimi Kristin Loyd Seaworthy BoatUS com 2013 Boat Owners Association of The United States 880 So Pickett Street Alexandria VA 22304 ing all over the boat and we cram equipment into spaces where it can only be accessed by 3 year olds Nature tries to undo it all with saltwater that corrodes metals and wir ing connections chafe that parts lines and damages wir ing UV radiation that makes plastics brittle
28. f the boats floated off their jackstands or dry stacks but the boats with drain plugs out were almost all destroyed while those with drain plugs in were not inun dated by the surge and most survived BoatU S Catastrophe Team surveyor Ron Alcus who worked at the marina after the storm told Seaworthy he found half the engine damage of any other marina in the area So yes drain plugs must be out for the winter to Prevent freeze damage and if you don t have to worry about hurricanes that s all that needs to be said But if you re in a hurricane prone area there are a couple of alternatives If you shrinkwrap the boat before hur ricane season is over purchase a one way drain plug such as the CR Marine Automatic Drain Plug leave that in and cover the boat That way water would only get into the boat if the cover were ripped off and then the drain plug would allow water out but not in Those plugs do clog easily though so the best solution might be to wait until after hurricane season to cover or shrinkwrap your boat and to leave the drain plug out until then But if you see a hurricane approaching you ll need to go to the marina and put the drain plug in Then make sure the bilge pumps are working and the battery is topped up www BoatUS com insurance October 2013 Seaworthy 13 small Stuff Carol Hasse Sx i We 4 er oe x SS SQ i aA HE LATEST INSTALLMENT of boater versus be
29. fe from hard freezes It only takes a couple of hours to prepare a boat properly or to destroy an engine in a cold snap if the power goes out EARN MONEY BY CHARTERING Have you ever considered chartering your boat as a way to earn a bit of ex tra money Whether you have a fish ing boat up on the Great Lakes ora sailboat down in the Caribbean char tering can be an attractive alternative to defray the costs of boat ownership But beware that little bit of extra money could turn into a big expense Most recreational boat insurance poli cies do not cover the losses incurred while the boat is being chartered So if something goes wrong with the boat or even worse someone gets injured you might find yourself with a huge liability you hadn t anticipated Check your policy over carefully and if in doubt call and ask The BoatU S Marine Insurance program can often find a way to meet your needs whether youre renting the boat out a few week ends during the summer or putting the boat into charter for an entire season 12 Seaworthy October 2013 www BoatUS com insurance SHRINKWRAPPING TAKE CARE Shrinkwrapping looks like a great way to protect your boat over winter right It is as long as you don t ignite your boat while youre trying to wrap it Last year there were several fires caused by owners trying to shrinkwrap their boats and all the fires were serious In one claim in Michigan the
30. hen taking my wife to her doctor The hitch had been left on the SUV in front of me The ball left a hole in the radiator and pushed the engine back We were lucky we did not get hurt Yes it destroyed our car I tow my boat and it s very simple to remove the hitch Keep it in your vehicle trunk where it will not get stolen and where it won t hurt anyone Bob Spagnola Lake Murray SC Addendum The first paragraph of the ESD Ex plained article in the July Seaworthy described the death of Noah Winstead in Cherokee Lake near Knoxville Tennes see over the 4th of July weekend last year Noah s good friend 11 year old Nate Parker Lynam was also incapacitated by ESD in that same incident Nate was pulled from the water and resuscitated but died early the following evening We thank Noah s mother for helping us set the record straight and reminding us of the terrible tragedy of two young boys deaths www BoatUS com insurance October 2013 Seaworthy 3 Claims from page 1 NN lt iai N Ten 7 2005 rank 8th Average payout per claim 6 saa i Norfolk Police Dan 2005 rank 9th Average payout per claim 1 fa gt George oc S 2005 rank Not ranked Average payout per claim 3 E a 2005 rank 7th Average payout per claim 7 a 2005 rank 6th Average payout per claim 11 4 Seaworthy October 2013 LIGHTNING While only 1 2 percent of the claims filed by
31. n erated more than 10 times the number of claims Water most often finds its way in through those pesky holes below the waterline Many underwater holes have a way to keep them closed when they re not needed seacocks But seacocks must often remain open so it falls to lesser fittings like hoses and clamps to keep the water out Check squeeze and tug on all fittings below the waterline at least once a season to make sure your boat stays afloat HURRICANE Between 2008 and 2012 there were three major hurricanes Ike Irene and Sandy and the last two had claims numbering in the thousands Our average payout per claim however comes in at 10 and ranks significantly below other categories where the entire boat is often lost like theft fire explosion and sinking for two reasons First the increasing use of the hurricane haulout provi sion by our insureds has reduced losses Second our skilled and efficient Catastro phe Team handles large numbers of boats at one time and can negotiate the best rates for salvage and wreck removal Hurricane preparation begins with the devel opment of a well thought out hurricane plan see www BoatUS com hurricanes 4 www BoatUS com insurance 2005 rank 4th Average payout per claim 2 IE 2005 rank 2nd Average payout per claim 14 2005 rank 5th Average payout per claim 12 Vic Winebarger 2005 rank 3rd Average payout per claim 4 f P 5 r amp XK y oie
32. n about the damage to his Beneteau they learned that he was insured through the BoatU S Marine Insurance program and helped him open a claim After sending a marine surveyor to inspect and estimate the damage Marine Insurance paid for the repairs and filed a claim against the shipper s insurance Instead of dealing with a prolonged negotiation and legal fees Schmidt got to enjoy his boat in a new cruising ground 4 www BoatUS com insurance October 2013 Seaworthy 11 Alert O ee ee ELECTRIC HEATERS WINTERIZING A heater is no substitute for properly winterizing a boat Numerous freeze claims over the years have proven that point again and again If you re tempted to leave your boat with a heater running this winter rather than winterizing consider these examples THE OWNER OF a 24 foot Bayliner in Portland Oregon never got around to winterizing his twin gas engines and instead put a heater in the engine compart ment Like a lot of other people the owner probably didn t realize that temperate states like Oregon often have nearly as many claims from freeze damage as frigid places like Minnesota In fact 40 percent of the ice freezing claims in the past year came from nine states you wouldn t normally associate with freezing weather including California Texas Georgia and Tennessee He also probably thought that a heater would provide enough protection even if it did get really cold Unfortun
33. nother boat Note Technically a colli sion is between two vessels while an allision is between a vessel and a fixed object For this discussion we ll use collision for both Most collisions result from some combination of three factors inattention blind spots and too much speed Inatten tion includes leaving the steering to the autopilot Misunderstandings of the Rules of the Road also play a role You won t go far wrong if you do whatever is necessary to avoid a collision and make obvious course changes early www BoatUS com insurance FIRE EXPLOSION While fire and explosion make up only 2 5 percent of all claims in the past five years the average payout per claim ranks second only to theft That s because like theft fre or explosion all too often results in the total loss of the boat Faulty wiring causes most fires most explosions result from fuel ing issues Inspect your boat regularly for chafing wires or wires that aren t prop erly supported and for corrosion of AC shore power inlets and damaged shore power cords If you ever smell raw gas something s really wrong Get everyone off the boat and have it checked immediately Finally make sure you have the proper number and type of working fire extinguishers aboard STRIKING SUBMERGED OBJECT Between 2008 and 2012 the number of claims for striking a submerged object increased by almost 30 percent at least in part due to the prolonged drought across much of the countr
34. pair bill for you Most outboards can be drained simply by tilting them to the upright running position Allow all the water to drain from the powerhead through the propeller and or exhaust outlets Store the engine in the running tilted down position otherwise water that gets in through the hub can freeze and crack the lower unit housing PROTECT FROM THE ELEMENTS All the painted exposed surfaces of the outboard should be protected with a coat of wax The engine should be cov ered with a fabric or plastic cover that can be secured tightly enough to keep it from flapping and abrading the paint After it drains the exhaust opening should be covered with plastic tape and sealed to keep water and rodents out Properly winterizing your outboard engine will assure that your engine and you will be able to nap comfort ably during the cold months ahead and hit the water running at the first sign of warm weather A www BoatUS com insurance October 2013 Seaworthy 7 John Tiger The Ethanol Debate Leave your gas tank full or empty over the winter by Charles Fort VER SINCE E10 a gasoline blend with 10 percent ethanol became widespread there have been two schools of thought when it comes to winterizing your boat Keep the tank full or empty it completely Both sides agree on the basic facts Ethanol is hydrophilic it attracts and holds water Small amounts of water will be burned in the combustion
35. ply to fill their empty trucks The transporter needs to know how the t N or Yue S A Dr r E res G Eag boat must be supported balanced and secured and they need experience working with state permit agencies because most larger boats exceed width restrictions and may be over the maximum height restriction All transportation agreements should be in writing with complete information about costs taxes tariffs scheduling security and pickup and delivery locations as well as rules about refunds for cancellations or de lays Make sure you read the shippers contract and if you don t understand something ask Consult with an attor ney if you re still unclear PREPARE YOUR BOAT PROPERLY The most important thing to know about preparing your boat is that it s usually not the job of the transport company Unless they ve agreed oth erwise and most don t their job is simply to ship the boat from one point to another without damaging it Smacking a low bridge at 60 mph will certainly damage a boat but the Marine Insurance claim files and Con sumer Protection databases show that the most common cause of damage is due to improper or incomplete prepara tion Consider that your boat may be traveling down the highway in hurri Top left Larger boats will likely need pulpits and stanchions removed Lower left This radar arch was too high to make it under a bridge It s the owner s job to remove
36. rds of the docks Our boat club members at Minisceongo Yacht Club in Stony Point NewYork were engaged with your Seaworthy article on electrical leakage We are going to check our boats in our marina for AC leakage You article displayed a clamp meter Can you tell me the brand and model Harvey Rosenberg Paramus NJ David Rifkin of Quality Marine Services who has tested hundreds of docks recommends the Hioki 3280 20 Clamp On HiTester which has a multimeter function as well It retails for about 150 Hioki 3280 20 Clamp On HiTester PRE LOVED SAILBOATS Your Seaworthy article titled Inspecting Older Sailboats in the July issue was dead nuts on As a surveyor with a lot of experience in surveying older boats the only thing I felt was missing was a suggestion that owners periodically un step their masts for inspections Asking longtime boat owners When was the last time you unstepped your rig and completely examined it usually elicits a blank look Many times I will be told that the 30 year old boat has never had the mast unstepped That s when I ask my next question So when was the last time a rigger went aloft I am often told that it was when the owner lost a main sail halyard or jib halyard or something else and had a rigger go aloft to retrieve it When asked whether the rigger in spected the rig while aloft the answer is usually No In regard to going aloft for inspec tion
37. rim system should be checked carefully for leaks The fluid level should be topped off with the cor rect fluid Coat the electrical connec tions lightly with silicone lubricant eInspection and maintenance of a per formance outboard rig equipped with a jack plate is safety critical Check the engine and jack plate mounting bolts for tightness as well as the up down movement and any side to side free play Look carefully for cracks in the plate if any exist replace the plate don t attempt to fix it Clean out water pressure gauges and or a speedometer that uses wa ter pressure Consider removing the gauge pressure hose and using com pressed air blowing any remaining water out of the hose and fittings Re moving the hose from the backside of the gauge will allow any water to drain out of the gauge itself reducing the chance of freezing damage elf your boat will be stored out of the water remove the batteries and store Check your owner s manual for the correct winter flushing technique for your engine them in a cool dry place Clean the terminals use a trickle charger to keep them charged during the winter DRAIN ALL WATER After all this is done all water should be drained from the engine and drive to eliminate the chance of freezing If there s water in the engine block or in the gearcase and it freezes chances are high it will crack the surrounding mate rial which is an expensive re
38. s Wisdom has also taught me to be reluctant in putting my life in the hands of someone I may have only just met especially going up a rig that is suspect enough to warrant a rigging inspection I have no fear of height or depth only a healthy fear of impact I have done a considerable amount of rigging work and I am reasonably knowledgeable about it During an in spection aloft important details can be missed Rig inspections from aloft are 2 Seaworthy October 2013 www BoatUS com insurance beyond the scope of a normal survey For a proper inspection and or survey the rig should be unstepped and re moved from the vessel for close and detailed inspection Just saying Fred C Bieberbach Jr AMS Bravo Marine Associates Riverside RI We bought a 1981 Endeavour 37 in Flor ida when I was still working in Arizona so I went by the professional survey I had looked the boat over but not as carefully as I might have because there was another offer on it After I took de livery we discovered some very impor tant things that the professional sur veyor missed The steering mechanism was rotted the fuel tank leaked and the generator that powered up did not even exist So it is important not only to thoroughly know and inspect your boat but also to check the credentials of any surveyor you use Charles Smith Port Charlotte FL I recently bought an old Morgan 24 which had spent many years either on land or on
39. sport cost and the boat would be out of commission for weeks Every spring and fall thousands of boats are transported by truck across a state or across the country Before you ship your boat you need to know how to find a reliable shipper how to pre October 2013 Seaworthy 9 Courtesy Joule Yacht Transport Grouped photos courtesy of Joule Yacht Transport pare your boat properly and what to do if something goes wrong FINDING A SHIPPER Transportation service providers TSPs or shippers are state licensed and are issued an Operating Author ity document by the U S Dept of Transportation DOT In addition TSPs must obtain vehicle insurance and drivers must have commercial driver s licenses which include testing requirements for drugs and alcohol Equally important they should have liability and cargo insurance to pro tect your boat Ask to see the DOT or state documents and copies of the cargo insurance reluctance to provide this information is reason enough to look elsewhere DOT makes it easy to check up on the status of commercial carriers licenses their motor carrier insurance data and their safety ratings see sidebar Had Schmidt known he could have checked the DOT web site and found his TSP failed a much higher percentage of truck inspections than average an indication of sloppy maintenance and a red flag Choose a TSP that specializes in boat transport not one that carries boats sim
40. sses in terms of total dollar value paid out has not changed and most Seaworthy readers can 14 guess what that is In coming issues Seaworthy will be digging deep into each of the Top 10 to share the causes that lie behind the losses and what you can do to avoid them 16 Continued on page 4 Mailboat ESD FAQS Excellent article Heard about ESD but never understood it Is there a way to test the water for current before swim ming Are we at risk when anchored and running a generator Thanks for this valuable information Jim Dobbs Deer Park IL Unfortunately there is no reliable way to test the water for stray current The electrical fields that are generated can be very small and localized The exact strength size and shape depend upon the amount of current size of the underwater metal fittings water temperature and a host of other factors You d have to test the entire area where anyone might go while swimming Even then cycling loads further complicate things because you could test and find no current and then a compressor could kick on and the same area would now be dangerous That s why we recommend so strongly simply not swimming within 100 yards of an electrified dock That will not help if someone falls into the water accidentally which is why it is still important to follow all the electrical codes and standards for boats and docks to minimize the chance of current leakage into the water On the gen
41. surance sailboat featured in the movie The Perfect Storm Anyone who saw that movie or read the book will remember the Westsail 32 Satori whose crew was plucked off the boat in the midst of the raging storm Several days later the boat washed up on a Maryland beach A bag of personal items the skipper had mistakenly dropped when he left Satori was still on the afterdeck Running Free Satori and numerous other vessels in legendary storms like the 1979 Fastnet race the 1994 Queen s Birthday storm and the 1998 Sydney to Hobart race demonstrate how well boats can take care of themselves even in extreme conditions Leaving the boat whether for a life raft or a freight er can be extremely dangerous Among offshore sailors the hard won lessons from those storms can be boiled down to one piece of advice Don t abandon ship until you have to step up into the life raft N THE YOU MUST NOT BEA ee category comes a story about a PLB personal locator bea con being put to an unusual use It seems that a burglar broke into William Malloy s truck in Bakersfield Califor nia and made off with approximately 5 000 worth of boating and outdoor equipment including an ACR PLB Malloy reported the theft to the Bakers field Police Department and informed the National Oceanic Atmospheric Ad ministration NOAA of the disappear ance of the beacon since it had been registered with them A few days later the U
42. t bowls If you choose not to drain the system he recommends keeping the fuel tank completely full adding a good quality stabilizer and running the engine enough to get fuel all the way through the system Ten minutes ought to do it he says John McKnight director of environmental and safety compliance with the National Marine Manufacturers As sociation says if you re storing gasoline for two months or more try to drain the tank if possible If it s not practical add stabilizer and run the engine for 10 minutes to allow it to get into the fuel system Mercury Marine says that if it is difficult or not possible to remove the fuel maintain a full tank of fuel with a fuel stabilizer added to provide fuel stability and corrosion pro tection Top off the tank until it s full to reduce the amount of exchange with the air that might bring in condensation don t cap the tank vent and don t fill with fuel to the point of over flowing so there is some extra space in the tank to allow for fuel expansion and contraction with temperature changes So there you have it If you can empty your tank and entire fuel system for the winter then do it But where that s impractical keep the tank full add a stabilizer run the engine for 10 minutes and sleep well amp 8 Seaworthy October 2013 www BoatUS com insurance ee z M E 1 m E r i al a n ie OS 9 p j Navigating The Asphalt Ocean What you ne
43. ts had been deleted If you decide to use such a service use the same diligence you would if you called a shipper directly Verify their status with the DOT and get copies of their cargo insurance Don t forget to search the Consumer Protection database as well to see if we have any record of complaints against the shipper you are considering and hull supports to show there was no prior damage Set your camera to show the date Shippers usually provide a condi tion of cargo form that is filled out after loading that specifies any existing damage and notes the overall condition of the boat Make sure the driver ora representative of the TSP signs it Ex pect your boat to arrive dirty especially if it s a long cross country trip Many TSPs recommend against shrinkwrap ping boats because it can be torn off and cause damage at high speeds For freshwater boats thoroughly inspect your boat for zebra mussels or other invasive species Your boat may be checked for them at weigh stations which could cause delays If a South ern boat is being transported during winter months it should be winterized completely because it may experience much colder temperatures than normal Water and fuel tanks should be drained and battery cables should be discon nected Be sure to settle up with the boatyard that prepares your boat before the truck arrives so there won t be any delays boatyards typically won t allow a boat to be loade
44. ve Only one percent of the claims filed by our insureds are for injury alone but the average pay out per claim comes in at 3 Settlements for injury claims can reach six figures which is the reason why having personal liability coverage is so important Many injury claims involve inexperienced guests so be sure to warn your non boating friends about wakes waves slippery surfaces and other hazards And remember that un like in a car passengers who have been drinking on a boat are not strapped into their seats so they can and do get into trouble GROUNDING Grounding ranks consistently at 7 no matter which way you look at it and that was also true in 2005 While some boats end up total losses from a grounding others escape almost entirely unscathed The average payout per claim ends up being halfway between the two Accurate charts whether paper elec tronic or on a mobile device and a depth sounder are your best defense against grounding But a depth sounder s assistance will be limited to confirming that you are indeed aground unless you know how to use it and how to plot your position on the chart Once you are aground waiting for the tide or a tow is less likely to do more damage than trying to power off COLLISION It s the too close encounters with docks pilings and other stationary objects that help keep collisions from climbing higher up the list because these re sult in a lot less damage than running into a
45. y BoatU S Marine Insurance 880 South Pickett St Alexandria VA 22304 4695 Subscription rate 10 per year Single copies 3 50 Tel 800 262 8082 x3276 Please submit address changes by email to Seaworthy BoatUS com or you may mail to Seaworthy 880 South Pickett St Alexandria VA 22304 4695 Letters to the editor can be emailed to Seaworthy BoatUS com or sent to Seaworthy 880 South Pickett St Alexandria VA 22304 4695 We reserve the right to edit for clarity and brevity Find us on Facebook T SS aaa To get an insurance quote for your boat call 800 283 2883
46. y in 2011 and 2012 Unlike hire explosion and theft hitting something below the water rarely results in a total loss But don t let the claim turn into a sinking That large clunk from down under could have put a huge strain on struts stuffing boxes and other underwater gear Stop and check the bilge for leaks and when you get back to the dock check again thoroughly Any water could mean serious damage and a haulout covered by insurance but notify BoatU S Marine Insurance first is in order WEATHER WIND Non hurricane wind and weather damage advanced farther up the ranks from 2005 than any other category That reflects the devastating storms of the last few years with heavy snowfall across much of the country in the winters of 2009 2010 and 2010 2011 the second most active tornado season on record in 2011 and the wind storm called a super derecho that affected a dozen states in June of 2012 Most of the advice on preparing for hurricanes applies to these other storms minimize windage tie your boat securely and guard against chafe Unfor tunately for many of these storms you ll get considerably less warning than for a hurricane So our best advice is to keep your boat in a well protected place SINKING The first rule of boating Keep the water out All too often when that simple rule gets violated the boat ends up a total loss In 2011 the dollars paid out for sinking claims exceeded the payouts from Hurricane Irene though Irene ge
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