Letters
Write In And Win!
Now's the time to share your thoughts with
Boating World. Got some comments on an article? A great boating story? We want to hear
from you! Write to us at
editor@boatingworld.com, or c/o Boating World, 2100
Powers Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA, 30339, and if your letter is published in the March issue as the "
Letter of the Month," we'll send you West Marine's VHF150 Handheld Radio (retail value: $169.99).
An essential component for any extended offshore excursion, the VHF150 Handheld Radio features a
rugged die-cast aluminum chassis and a long-lasting 1400 MAH Li-ion battery. This all-important
handheld will put you into immediate contact with the Coast Guard or other boaters in your area,
either of which could provide much-needed assistance in the event of an emergency. For more
information on West Marine's VHF150 Handheld Radio, and to see the entire lineup of West Marine
products, visit
www.westmarine.com.
Dead Right
Alan Jones' "BoatTales" article in the November '07 issue ("Wrong Of Way") reminds me of the
saying we used to give our students in the U.S. Power Squadrons' basic boating class as a
simple safety reminder:
Here lies the body of Michael O'Day,
Who died maintaining
his right of way.
He was right, dead right,
as he sailed along,
But he's just as dead
as if he'd been wrong.
Clayton Henry Depew
Tallahassee, FL
Letter Of The Month: Treasuring The Moment
The TV had already been on for
some time when a commercial began with a 5-year-old, curly-haired girl holding her daddy's finger.
She begged him, "Daddy, take me boating, because my wedding is going to be sooner than you think."
I took one look at my own two young daughters, sprang from my easy chair, and shouted, "Get in the
car! We're headed for the park."
It was a particularly fine and sunny day that Memorial Day weekend. Within a few hours of
viewing that TV commercial, my family and I had made the frantic run across town to the rental desk
at the local marina. The young man at the rental desk laughingly asked us, "Don't you know what day
it is? This is a holiday weekend. All our boats have been rented."
I was just about to politely "thank" the incredulous youngster for reminding us of this
fact, when another family approached the rental desk toting a distinctly green-colored young man in
their wake. The chartreuse father of this family explained that his son had developed a bad case of
motion sickness, and he wanted to return his rental early. Eureka! Without another moment's thought
for the possibility of vomit-covered seat cushions, we rented the last remaining boat and embarked
on our first boating adventure. It was fabulous! We spent the rest of the day together on the boat,
tooling around the waters of the Alum Creek State Park reservoir.
Just a few days later, having read reams of material on every aspect of boating and boats,
and having also signed up for several boating courses, I purchased the nicest bowrider we could
afford within the limits of our budget - a Rinker Captiva 190. My daughters promptly named it in
honor of their cocker spaniel, Bubba.
Since those early days, we have explored Indian Lake, Grand Lake St. Mary's, Cumberland
Lake, Alum Creek, Buckeye Lake, Deer Creek, and the Ohio River. We have even dared just one trip to
Lake Erie. Each and every waterway has its own unique personality, and we have thoroughly enjoyed
the fresh feeling of adventure that comes with every new launch. What's more important, though, is
we have done it all together as a family. And when my daughters' wedding days do finally arrive,
it'll still be a whole lot sooner than I would like - but at least I'll be left with fond memories
of our many happy summers together on a bowrider named Bow-Wow Rider.
Tom Molina
Hilliard, OH
Green Visions
I'm a "green" baby boomer who's recently celebrated her 54th birthday, and I've just enjoyed
a great day on Lake St. Clair. Reading your publication, I find myself sinking into a dreamy state.
I visualize myself enjoying nature along my many wishlist waterways. I look forward to the day when
I own a gutted trawler. It'll be wide open, fuel efficient, with a touch of some wind power and a
dash of solar. Ahhh, to the good life! Keep up the great work.
Cindy L. Vezinau
St. Clair Shores, MI
Fully Charged
Steve Noury's December '07 "Do-It-Yourself" article ("Installing a Power Inverter") was
well-written. However, I believe there are some additional concerns, as the power for this device
must come from somewhere. The 1,000-watt inverter mentioned will consume about 85 amps at full
power, assuming it's running at 90-percent efficiency. A starting battery is about 25 AH for
high-draw items like microwaves. Nuke something for 15 minutes, and the boat won't start. You need
at least a 100-AH deep cycle in addition to the starting battery.
Capt. H. Gilber
Altamonte Springs, FL
Technical Editor Steve Noury responds: Capt. Gilbert, these are all good points. However,
this battery was separate from the engine starting battery, with its own battery charger that draws
its electricity from shore power. Thus, the battery isn't actually associated with the engine
battery at all. I believe the article just mentioned the battery bank, though, so it may not have
been clear that the subject of this article was intended to act only as an accessory battery.
Twin Advantage
Having worked for an aquatic rescue service on a lake in Wisconsin for the past 30 years, I
have come to appreciate the power and maneuverability of twin inboard engines. Whether you're
maneuvering close to a capsized boat or a person in distress, twin engines will provide you with
the ability to turn on a dime and safely approach any object in the water. Using my 31-inch rescue
launches with twin large block V8 engines, I have confidently performed rescues in every kind of
wind and water condition, including storms with 70-knot winds. For power, precise maneuvering and
safe operations in rough weather, nothing beats a twin.
Bill Stebbins
Madison, WI