Table of contents for April 2016 in PassageMaker

Over the past five years, bottompaint manufacturers have made great strides in creating effective antifoulants that greatly reduce impact on the environment. Selecting a “green” bottom paint no longer means choosing a less effective one. Before we look at the options, let’s take a brief tour of the history of bottom paints on boats. A papyrus document from the 4th century B.C. references the use of arsenic mixed with sulphur and oil to prevent fouling. In the 14th century, Chinese admiral Cheng Ho ordered the hulls of his junks coated with lime juice mixed with poisonous oil. In 1625, a British inventor patented a paint mixture that included copper and iron powder. Both inhibited marine growth. Since that patent, versions of copper-based paints have dominated the market. Tributyltin, or TBT,…

I switched Ama to plant-based motor and transmission oils two years after her launch. I had just spent a remarkable day learning about NOAA’s Green Ships Initiative from its lead man, Dennis Donahue, at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab and on NOAA vessels in Muskegon, Michigan. NOAA’S ARC For more than 15 years, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been researching and using B100 biodiesel in a number of its own fleets as part of thier Green Ships Initiative. NOAA’s research has concluded that B100 biodiesel reduces unburned hydrocarbons by almost 80 percent in comparison with fossil diesel, assuming 100-percent recycled oil. Research has shown that restaurants in the United States produce only about 300 million gallons of waste cooking oil annually, and the commercial U.S. marine…

The art of cruising is one that we all try to practice with varying degrees of success. Many look upon the chart and the surface of the sea as the canvas. The boat is the vessel where our hopes and dreams for the next masterpiece become real, and her traits and foibles help limn the final work as our steadying hand guides her through each sequence. The result can frustrate us, or satisfy our needs, or it can inspire us to push through the perceived limitations of our medium to the next level. The MJM 50z takes that metaphor and turns it on its head. In this composition, the boat is still the medium of the cruising artist, but instead of the chart she sketches her iterations of beauty on…

Crocs, introduced at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in 2002, revolutionized footwear and became a cultural phenomenon, alternately praised for comfort and health benefits and derided as plug ugly. A few years back Crocs founder Scott Seamans and some other Croc vets started a new company, SoftScience, which makes a beamy little sea-boot called The Fin. Like Crocs, they are made from plastic, or as they say in newspeak, a “closed-cell copolymer,” which SoftScience has named Trileon. You may judge the esthetics for yourself, but after wearing mine for six months in boating conditions, I appreciated the comfort of the design, its ventilation and water drainage and ability to grip a deck. Funky is one word that applies to The Fin’s looks, but anyone who wears shoes without socks…

Late in 2014, Dutchman Boyan Slat completed what was said to be the largest crowd-funded campaign in history, generating over two million dollars in 100 days for his non-profit startup, The Ocean Cleanup. According to Slat, who was 20 years old at the time, “Plastic pollution has been recognized by the U.N. as one of the major environmental challenges facing mankind in the 21st century.” So, in the summer of 2014, Slat set out to develop a plan to eliminate “trillions” of pieces of plastic debris from the world’s oceans. Previously, as an 18-year-old, Slat and his clean-up plan had been featured on a TED Talk video that went viral (at last count, it is nearing 2.4 million views on YouTube), and encouragement poured in from across the globe. Slat’s…

Pasta has been around for a long time, but its history is difficult to trace. If we go way back, there is evidence that the Chinese were making a noodle-like food as early as 3000 B.C. and that the Etruscans were making what has been identified as pasta as early as the fourth century B.C. Then, if we fast-forward to the 13th century, we may read that Marco Polo was credited with introducing pasta to Italy. The truth is we really don’t know how pasta reached Europe. What we do know is that once it reached the Mediterranean it became firmly rooted in Italian culture. No wonder; it was affordable, had a long shelf life, and was versatile. Early Spanish settlers are credited with bringing pasta to America, but it…

The engine room on this Krogen Express illustrates a number of best practices. Both Racor filters have been installed in an easily accessible location and they have the proper metal heat shields installed to comply with ABYC guidelines. The valves at the bottom of the assembly are critical—if spring loaded, they might develop leaks and if plastic they might melt in a fire. The valves shown do not rely upon plastic or springs, and the 90-degree rotation allows you quickly to see if they are open or closed. In addition, a drain plug has been fitted below the valve, eliminating the possibility of an accidental leak. The vacuum gauge installed between the filters has a tracer needle. The tracer needle remains at the highest vacuum reading since last reset, enabling…

SAILOR’S ENVY I enjoyed reading the editorial, “Sailor’s Envy” (From The Pilothouse, March 2016). I have owned pilothouse powerboats (Wilbur 29, Osprey 30, Pursuit 30) as well as pilothouse sailboats (Pan Oceanic 43, Nauticat 32). Some pilothouse sailboats have lower helms to provide “comfort and warmth.” So, your father doesn’t have to “choose” powerboating to stay warm and dry (and happy). For example, I’ve attached a photo of my Nauticat 32 for you both to consider. —Tom Kline Virginia Beach, Virginia Tom: Thank you for your suggestion. Indeed, there are options for someone unwilling to completely let go of sail, as evidenced by our two-part feature on Ama Natura (page 42), a seaworthy and capable dual-use cruiser. I know this: My dad will not be easily swayed. Beautiful photo, by…

A little over a year ago, we worked our way south from Fanning Island, Kiribati, towards Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands. We were on a long, fuel-constrained run where we would cover 2,600 nautical miles without refueling. For most of the trip, we were heading up-current and into 30-knots of winds on the bow. The waves were fairly well-developed and spray filled the air day after day. The outside temperature was well over 80°, and the master stateroom was 88°, which made sleeping difficult. With the doors open for ventilation, a thin layer of airborne salt soon covered the interior. We were not crazy about closing the boat up and running the air conditioning, because that consumes more fuel and it was going to be a couple of weeks…

Gliding toward the downstream gates of Lock E32 on a balmy fall day is the quintessential Erie Canal experience. This historic canal is the route most preferred by Great Loopers, who choose to bypass the long way via the St. Lawrence Seaway each year as they circumnavigate the eastern United States. When the Erie Canal opened in October of 1825, it was considered a marvel of engineering, serving as a superhighway in its time, connecting the western frontier markets to the Atlantic Seaboard. Today’s Erie Canal rises through 35 locks, covering a total ascension of 566 feet from sea level at the Hudson River and terminating in Lake Erie. CANAL CONNECTION Because of a low speed limit in the canal zone, we’re forced to slow down and enjoy the backyard…

There is no disputing the deeply rooted maritime craftsmanship found in the Netherlands. Today’s Dutch boatbuilders have continued these traditions in shipyards across a country that is only slightly larger than Maryland, and lately the country has developed a reputation as one of the leading builders of the world’s superyachts. But for those who admire quality construction and designs that are both attainable and stalwart enough to handle the tempestuous North Sea, Dutch steel-hull boatbuilders offer suitable options for today’s power cruiser. Like many other prospective trawler owners, Bob and Debbie DeKoch were drawn to these sensible design characteristics found among Dutch displacement trawlers. In nearly 40 years of sailing, the DeKochs have owned everything from trailerable daysailers to their last boat, a Hans Christian 43. With years advancing and…