Around the World of Sailing

10 October 2001

Event News: 2 New Records for Playstation
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/atwos/2001/oc/1010/ms.htm

Three of the race class catamarans have made attempts at
breaking the West to East Trans Atlantic sailing record.
As often as they have come close, mid sea collisions and
reliability problems have foiled them.

Finally, weather and reliability have combined and
Playstation the first Race Class cat has broken the record
many sought. This morning Playstation finished her Trans
Atlantic voyage in a time of 4 days 17 hours and 28 minutes.
This gives Steve Fossett and crew an average speed of 25.78
knots.

The record was aided as from 2200 Zulu time on 6 October to
2200 Zulu the 125-foot Race Class catamaran set a new 24
hour sailing record of 687.17 miles. This figures to an
average of 28.63 knots.

To put this record in perspective the average speed of 25.78
is close to what the legendary ocean liner Mauritania
achieved on 21 June 1909. Further it is 44 hours/over 7
knots faster than Jet Services which had held the record for
over 11 years.

Skipper Steve Fossett was bluntly happy saying, "We put it
all together; an extremely fast boat in Playstation, ideal
weather and a crew who sailed brilliantly."

Links:
Fossett Challenge http://www.fossettchallenge.com
West to East Record Progression
http://www.torresen.com/sailingrecords/transat.htm
Steam vs. Sail
http://www.torresen.com/sailingrecords/steamsail.htm

Theme: Haul Out and Winterizing
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/atwos/2001/oc/1010/ms.htm

Winterizing Your Sea (raw) Water Cooled Inboard Engine
by Gordon Torresen

This is to give general guidelines for the winterization of
inboard engines that do not have internal heat exchanger
type cooling systems. Variations will become evident in
different brands of engines, however the principals will be
the same. Engines do not freeze. It is the water within
the engine and peripheral equipment that freezes and causes
damage. To preclude freeze damage you must either eliminate
the water or make it so that the water will not freeze.

Good steps to follow:

1) Shut off the cooling water seacock if the boat is
still in the water

2) Open the drains on the engine block and manifold -
make sure that water comes out. There is sometimes blockage
at the plughole of the petcock. If a water heater is involved,
it too must be drained.

3) When the water has drained, close the drains.

4) Remove the hose from the seacock and put it in a jug
of environmentally friendly antifreeze. If easier, replace
the hose with another connection to the inlet side of the
sea water pump.

5) Start the engine and run it until antifreeze comes
out the exhaust. Most antifreeze will by pass the engine
which doesn't matter because it has been drained. A little
will go into the engine that will take care of any water
that ran down from the walls inside the engine.

6) When, or if, the boat is out of the water, open the
seacock to drain water from it. If the boat is to stay in
the water, the seacock must be treated to prevent freezing.

Running the engine to temperature to open the thermostat and
then introducing antifreeze requires that the antifreeze be
at the same temperature so that the thermostat does not close
when contacted by something cool.

It is highly recommended that if the lube oil needs to be
changed that it be done prior to lay-up so that fresh oil is
coating the innards of the engine. If fuel filters are in
the plan, do them first. Then start the engine to check the
fuel filters and warm the engine to facilitate the oil
change.

Event News: Volvo Ocean Race fleet at the Equator
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/atwos/2001/oc/1010/ms.htm

The past week has seen the 8 boat Volvo Ocean Race fleet
continue towards the equator. They have sailed mostly light
air, including a passage through the Doldrums. With
extensive weather information and skilled navigators the
Doldrums were a small problem.

49er World Champion Chris Nicholson on Amer Sports One
Credit: Amer Sports One

The leader 6 of the 7 days has been Illbruck. The one day
they were not at the front of the pack SEB was. SEB stopped
to pick up a new headboard car and made a corner bang to the
east. This put them ahead off the coast of Africa.
However, they could not hold their position and now trail by
over 328 miles.

Illbruck has led by anywhere from 4 to 24 miles. Within 2
hours they will cross the equator leading Assa Abloy by
approximately 20 miles. Other positions are as follows:
3. News Corp 35

Bart Simpson sails the VOR
Credit: Team News Corp.

4. Tyco 47 5. Amer Sports One 59 6. Amer
Sports II 320 7. SEB 328 8. Djuice 350.

On Djuice Jacques Vicent checks for chafe

Next up is what is expected to be a straight line reach to
the first waypoint of Fernando de Noronha which is an
island. Assa Abloy's Mark Rudiger says, "Now it is up to
the boat and the trimmers." Current reports show the top
boats sailing from 9.6 to 9.9 knots with miles gained or
loss measured in the tenths.

Included in the online version of ATWOS is a dose of
pictures from onboard the boats.

Links: Latest Position Report or 'Sked'
http://www.volvooceanrace.com/result/position/leg_1/
Illbruck readies for the Equator
http://www.illbruck-challenge.com/en/news/cgi-bin/showdetail.cgi?id=00223&b=board
SEB's Weed Knife
http://www.teamseb.com/teamseb/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=136&a=728
Assa Abloy through the Doldrums
http://www.assaabloyracingteam.com/popup/e_mail_from_crew_notpopup.asp

News:Boat Smart
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/atwos/2001/oc/1010/ms.htm

Connecticut may have the answer to mandatory boating education

By, Senior Chief Tom Rau, Coast Guard Group Grand Haven, MI

Why aren't boaters required to take boating safety courses,
and why aren't they required to carry a license like
automobile operators? For years, people have hammered me
with these questions.

Many State Boating Law Administrators and the Coast Guard
are just as frustrated. Who wouldn't be in light of Coast
Guard recreational boating accident statistics. Over the
last ten years, nearly 90-percent of boating fatalities
occurred on boats where the operator had not completed a
boating safety education course- between 1991 and 2000,
nearly 8,000 recreational boaters died, mostly due to
ignorance.

Frankly, I'm surprised the figure isn't higher. Why? Take
the boater who recently pulled up to a fuel dock in South
Haven from Lake Michigan. Someone noticed the small boat
taking on water. They asked: "Is the boat plug in?" The
operator looked up and said: "What's that?" The person
scrambled aboard and plugged the hole.

When I told the fellows at our Search and Rescue Command
Center in Grand Haven this story, they smirked. Are they
jaded? Perhaps? Frustrated you bet. Surprised- not hardly.
Anyone who scoffs at mandatory boating education, should
spend a week at our Rescue Coordination Center, or spend a
week with a sheriff marine deputy, or spend time with Coast
Guard auxiliarists. One Coast Guard auxiliarst said when he
asks some boaters if they want a Vessel Safety Check, they
reply: "I don't need one. I'm a fisherman not a boater."
Makes you wonder why any one would oppose mandatory
education?

But in fairness to those that oppose mandatory education,
the issue is not education but the mandatory factor. Some
claim mandatory education would spawn a huge costly
bureaucracy, others site government "Big Brother" fears, and
some suggest mandatory education would depress boat sales.

Are these legitimate concerns? You bet. So how do we reach
a meeting of the minds when all parties agree to boating
education, but not the mandatory factor? The State of
Connecticut may hold the answer.

As of October 1, 1997, all Connecticut boaters must carry a
Safe Boating Certificate to legally operate a recreational
boat in the state of Connecticut. This includes all boats
with motors and sailboats over 19.5 feet. In addition,
anyone operating a Personal Watercraft in the state, must
have a Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation
regardless of age. Connecticut boating officials refer to
the program as "Mandatory Education" and stress it is not a
"license".

The entire education program is funded by the one-time $25
fee for the Boating Certificate, which is issued by the
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Licensing and
Revenue Department. Since this department already handles
various permits- hunting and fishing licenses- there was no
need to create a new bureaucracy. When registering a
recreational boat, or renewing a registration, a "Safe
Boating Certificate" is required.

To obtain a Safe Boating Certificate a boater must complete
a state- approved 10-hour Safe Boating Class offered by a
number of sources- community colleges, adult education
programs, parks and recreation centers. All the instructors
are volunteers. The course and materials are free, however,
the sponsor may charge a small administrative fee ($5- 15)
for use of the facility. There are a number of commercial
vendors who offer State-certified courses for a fee. The DEP
schedules the classes; however, the student registers
directly with the sponsor. Each year the DEP publishes a
Boater's Guide listing locations for Boating Safety classes.

In lieu of the course, a boater may take an Equivalency
Examination designed for the experienced boater, which has a
relatively high failure rate. On completion of the 10-hour
course a proctored test will be issued with a score of
eighty (80%) or better to pass. In addition, the DEP will
honor US Power Squadron, or Coast Guard Auxiliary certified
boating courses in lieu of the 10-hour course, but the
applicant must still take a proctored examination for the
Safe Boating Certificate.

The examination covers a range of boating topics: rules of
the road, weather, aids to navigation, boating laws, etc.
To be accredited by the State of Connecticut, the course
must be a minimum of eight hours and include a proctored
final examination.

According to Allen Ames, Special Projects Coordinator,
Connecticut's DEP Boating Division, one of the criticisms
they get is that the course is not comprehensive enough, and
that it should require on-the-water training and testing.
Ames agrees: "The Coast Guard Auxiliary and Power Squadrons
criticize our program because it is not comprehensive
enough," but he adds, "politically and practically, an 8-10
hour course is definitely better than nothing."

Ames feels one of the biggest arguments for mandatory
education is the limited time boaters spend in a complex
marine environment. "There are no stop signs, white lines
down the middle of the road, or route signs. If something
unexpected happens you can't just pull off the road. Most
people drive automatically and conditions rarely change.
Boaters, however, spend about three months a year on the
water and many only on weekends, they can be suddenly
confronted by unfamiliar dangers for which they are
ill-equipped to handle."

Ames points out that since mandatory education for PWCs took
effect (1997) there has been only one PWC fatality and that
was this summer when a PWC operator passed between a
commercial boat towing another boat; the towing cable
severed off his upper body. Alcohol was involved.

Will mandatory boating education come to Michigan? I
suspect it could follow the path of seat belts, air bags,
motorcycle helmets: legislation that was born of
overwhelming evidence that these safety items prevent injury
or death. Unfortunately, dealing with a complex marine
environment doesn't boil down to a single safety item, it
boils down to Smart Boating- that's mandatory.

Dare to test your boating knowledge? Log onto
www.boatsmart.net and click on Boating Quizzes.