August 23, 2006
What To Do with E10 Fuel Over the Winter
Successfully preparing your fuel system and boat for winter storage is really a two-phased approach. Step 1 involves your boating and fueling habits during the boating season, while Step 2 has to do with the final steps just before winterizing the boat and engine. Step 1: Basically, the more you use the boat, the better off everything will be! E10 gasoline (fuel w/ ethanol added) loses its volatility when exposed to air over time; the average shelf life of E10 is only about 60-90 days if not treated with stabilizers. As such, adding a good non-alcohol based fuel stabilizer to your fuel is a very good idea. As we’ve mentioned before, the main problem with ethanol is that it absorbs water, in fact, scientist say that ethanol can absorb 2-3% by volume of water. This leads to the major issue with E10: when it sits for long periods of time “phase separation” occurs. In layman’s terms, this means that waterlogged... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 05:01 PM | Comments (2)
August 17, 2006
One Wet Ride!
This past weekend I relented and agreed to go out on my friend’s 17’ hard sided boat. The plan was to leave Marblehead and head to Kettle Cove, which is about 6-7 miles away from Marblehead Harbor on the way towards Gloucester. With the wind steady and strong out of the N/ NW at about 20 knots, we began our journey. As soon as we left the harbor, we were soaked!! The ride was dicey at best and we were hanging on for dear life. Every time the boat would slam down off a wave, water would be splashed up in the air and the wind would throw it back into the boat and all over us. Horrible ride to say the least. After about a half hour of this, we decided to head home for calming waters and put our Kettle Cove plans on hold. After our shortened boat ride, I couldn’t wait to get back on a RIB!... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 12:04 PM | Comments (0)
August 14, 2006
DSC On Your VHF Radio
Ever wonder what happens when you hit that red "distress" button on your VHF radio? Nothing. That is unless you’ve properly registered your radio and vessel through MSSI, the Maritime Mobile Service Industry. Most VHF radios these days are equipped with a DSC function (Digital Select Calling), which dramatically increases your safety at sea by taking advantage of enhanced communications options. In the event of an emergency your VHF radio can link you to other vessels and rescue facilities and, if you have a compatible GPS unit, can provide the exact location of your vessel at sea, allowing search and rescue efforts to become simply a rescue effort. DSC technology makes a VHF radio work like a telephone. It allows boaters to send a digital call directly to another DSC-equipped vessel or shore station, much like a person-to-person telephone call. In the event of an emergency, you can push the "distress" button on your VHF and automatically transmit a May... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 05:31 PM | Comments (3)
August 12, 2006
A Functioning VHF Radio – A Definite Must Have
One of the best pieces of safety equipment any boater can have onboard is a marine VHF radio. Should an emergency happen, having a functioning marine radio onboard can make the crucial difference. There’s really no excuse these days not to have one when out on the water. Today’s VHFs are compact, reliable and relatively inexpensive (depending on the model). VHF radios provide boaters with instant access to the Coast Guard and local marine responders. Though you might not think it, they are far more reliable and effective on the water than your cell phone. Plus, many of the new VHF radios come with a Digital Selective Calling (DSC) feature which is designed to get emergency help to the distressed vessel with pinpoint accuracy. In an emergency the DSC radio will send an automated digital distress alert consisting of your identification and exact position (provided the radio is connected to a GPS unit) to other DSC equipped vessels and rescue... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 05:27 PM | Comments (1)
August 11, 2006
Ethanol + Fiberglass Fuel Tanks =
About a month ago, I posted a piece on Ethanol and its damaging effects on fuel systems. In it, I addressed at length the problems associated with aluminum tanks and also touched on ethanol’s relationship with fiberglass tanks. Since that post I’ve received a lot of feedback, mostly about the small bit I wrote on fiberglass tanks. Here’s what I had to say on that subject: Plastic and fiberglass tanks aren’t really any better off either. For molded plastic tanks, ethanol increases permeation of the tank walls. For fiberglass tanks, ethanol can cause leaks, but more importantly, there are reports that ethanol causes heavy black deposits on intake valves of marine engines which causes bent push rods, pistons, and valves. Testing is currently underway to fully determine the effects of ethanol on fiberglass tanks. Since that posting I have learned that the alcohol in ethanol gasoline reacts with and dissolves the resin in the walls of the fiberglass fuel tanks.... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 11:15 AM | Comments (3)
August 09, 2006
Registration Numbers...
Every state requires that RIBs be registered just like every other boat. So, for many RIB owners, that leads to a logical question: “Where the heck do I put my registration numbers and how do I do it”? It’s a very good question. Putting registration numbers on a RIB isn’t difficult; there are just many more options to choose from than for hard sided boaters. For hard sided boats, it’s very simple, you just go down to your local marine store and purchase the standard 3” stickers and apply them to the side of the boat. But, on your RIB, you have three good options: Plastic Placards used for dinghies can be clipped to the lifelines. The placards can be bought at any marine store and then all you need to do is simply stick the standard plastic 3” registration numbers purchased at the same store. Vinyl Letters – most economical and if done right, looks very finished. Life expectancy... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 02:36 PM | Comments (2)
August 08, 2006
Driver's Ed for Boaters...
Massachusetts is joining a growing number of states that is considering mandatory boater education. The current bill before the legislature, H.B.4543, would require all people born after January 1, 1988 to complete a boating safety course. This pending law is similar to ones being reviewed in over a half dozen different states. It makes sense. Boating education is essential - it will make boating safer and thus more enjoyable for everyone. We don’t think twice about driver’s education when it comes to cars and I don’t think it should be any different for boats. Everyone needs to know the “rules of the road”. RIBCRAFT, along with the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), fully supports this pending legislation and hopes you do as well. To see if your state currently requires a boating education course or has similar legislation pending as Massachusetts, please visit the NASBLA website. Education is the key... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 10:29 AM | Comments (3)
August 07, 2006
Mooring Your RIB
So you keep your RIB on a mooring – so what’s the best way to secure the mooring pennants so as to not damage the tube? As with tying a RIB to the dock (we’ll cover this in a subsequent posting –stay tuned) you want to avoid anything that can lead to a line chafing the tube. The best way to go about this is to secure the mooring pennant directly to the bow eye. You can do this very easily with a stainless steel clip or stainless steel karabiner that is clipped through the loop at the end of the mooring pennant and then clipped directly to the bow eye. For a more permanent set up, you can have your local mooring service company splice the mooring clip to the end of the pennant. If your mooring has two lines, make the second line 3’- 4’ longer so that you can drape it over the tube and secure it... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 08:47 AM | Comments (2)
August 04, 2006
Hats Off To The Coasties
Today the United States Coast Guard celebrates 216 years of dedicated service to mariners here and around the world. It all began on August 4, 1790 when Alexander Hamilton authorized the building of ten ships for the Revenue Cutter Service, the forbearer of today’s United States Coast Guard. In 1915 the Revenue Cutter Service and the Lifesaving Service merged into one organization to form the Coast Guard we know today. The smallest of the five military armed service branches, the Coast Guard on an average day saves 15 lives, assists 114 people in distress, conducts 23 waterfront security inspections, and monitors the passing of 2557 commercial ships in and out of US ports. How did you spend your day today? In recognition for all they do, we salute and say “Happy Birthday” to the United States Coast Guard. We are proud to build boats for you and wish you another 216 successful years.... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 09:30 AM | Comments (1)
August 02, 2006
Hardsided Boat Sales Slip Sliding Away
New boat sales of hardsided boats were off in June according to preliminary registration data showing sales of fiberglass boats falling 3.3 percent and aluminum sales flat. The data is from Statistical Surveys.www.statisticalsurveys.com. The report is based on information from 19 states representing 48 percent of the recreational market. For the first six months of 2006, sales were off 4.9 percent. Perhaps all the folks who are smart enough not to be buying fiberglass boats are buying RIB’s. That would certainly explain a few things here...... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 03:17 PM | Comments (0)
Crunch!
Though RIBs make the perfect platform for marine photographers covering regattas, even a RIB can't avoid a collision. Glad I didn't loan these photographers my RIB for the day!... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 07:49 AM | Comments (2)
August 01, 2006
Tough As Nails - River Rafts
In all my years on RIBs I have never been on a white water rafting raft – that is until this past weekend. If anyone knows about the resiliency and durability of inflatable tubes (Hypalon and Polyurethane) it’s me – but I was amazed to see what the tubes of a white water raft go through – truly unbelievable! We used rafts made of both Hypalon and Polyurethane on our trip. Just to launch our rafts - we dragged them over sharp medal racks and jagged rocks. I found myself wincing and wanting to lift the tubes as we slid them along the granite outcroppings. But our guide, who has been doing this for years, had not a worry on her face. As we made our way down the rapids – the abuse continued but the tubes were up to the challenge (though many of us were not). At the end of our 4 hour trip of punching through breaking... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 07:05 AM | Comments (0)
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