Rookie boat owner....need advice.

[Catalina CD]

I'm about to dive into the world of being a boat owner:EyePop: Nothing exciting....just a 14 foot aluminum Gregor, with a 20 horse Tohatsu. I live on Catalina Island, and will be fishing around the island. What basic essentials should I get for my boat? First thing I got was a hand held VHF marine radio, which I feel is a definite must have. What other items should I have? Just looking for the basics. I appreciate any advice.

[See Chris Fish]

You should look into a boater safety course. The Coast Guard has programs for new boater. They'll give you all the info that you need. Being a boater isn't just gas in the tank and the twisting of the gas on the outboard. You'll be in the ocean. Do you know the rules of the water, right of way, etc?

I don't want to see you post up that you sunk your boat or worse. Just a few months ago, someone posted on here that his small boat sank in Irvine Lake. He lost almost everything, but his life. He was really lucky.

Good luck.

[P.A.W.]

OARS! Not a paddle. You never know when the motor might stop running and a paddle is pretty much useless BTDT. Even better is a good trolling motor with a strong battery. Other than that just the standard safety stuff like personal floatation, flare, extinguisher. After that it's the comfort and convenience stuff.

[DockRat]

How long have you been on Catalina ? Are you going to keep it in the water or launch it ?
I heard on the radio they had a 1500 lb Pot Bust yesterday at Catalina. http://i363.photobucket.com/albums/oo80/JenTStays/smokejointsmilie.gif

If someone tosses a penny in a boat that is anchored in the salt water it can erode a hole through the bottom pretty fast. Electrolysis is something to watch with thin aluminum boats sitting in saltwater.

The BIG issue is electrolysis. Those stories of a penny accidentally dropped
in the bilge eating a hole through the hull are for real. My buddy bottom
painted his boat (with a product recommended for aluminum by the marine
supplier). Unfortunately, it was copper based and within one season you
could see daylight through the hull. I'm not kidding.

http://www.boatkb.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/cruising/345/Aluminium-boats

At least 15' of chain on the anchor. My nephews 17' Whaler ended up on a beach one night there. Keep a big sponge and make a bailer out of a gallon jug.
Go for It! DR

[Catalina CD]

How long have you been on Catalina ? Are you going to keep it in the water or launch it ?DR

Been here for just over 4 years. It's gonna stay tied to the dingy dock. That's why I got a solid welded aluminum boat. Should hold up fairly well. Thanks for the advise regarding the penny. The bottom is getting painted here soon. Figured it's worthwhile to do.

[Nessie Hunter]

Get ahold of Fishncatalina (Randy A) via PM here, been there for long time, works for the Co. Knows every one on the Island worth knowing??? lol
He can be a great friend to have when it come to anything fishing related. Nice guy..

Tell him Frank sent ya!!!!

[diamondbear]

Get a good hand held GPS , To find your way back to port on those foggy days .

[laserbrn]

Must be nice to live at Catalina Island.

[dixoncider]

have someone weld you up and engine guard for the outboard. the covers get thrashed at the dingy dock.

[Catalina CD]

have someone weld you up and engine guard for the outboard. the covers get thrashed at the dingy dock.

Great advice! Already got that in mind, and will be using a local welder here. Definite must have...especially since I've got a brand new engine for it.

[DockRat]

You might want to get insurance.
Example; Boat US insurance covers theft not to mention liability in case one of your buddies get hurt or you hit a diver. Little boat like that should be cheap, maybe $100 a year or less.
Sure beats a civil lawsuit where they garnish 30% of your wages for 30 years after your prop gives some dude a extreme flat top. A place like Avalon I'm suprised more people don't get hurt or killed.

Say your boat motor starts leaking gas one night. The next day you hear about a Haz Mat clean up. your 5 gallons of gas could cost you $20,0000 for a bunch of dudes in white suits tossing diapers.

Cost = $4000 a gallon while you were sleeping.
That's expensive gas.

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DR

[karlow]

He needs zincs!
That thin tin boat is gong to be toast by the end of season without zincs!
You have a anode floating in a bath of electrolyte!
I would buy a couple of those zinc groupers and keep the attached any time she is parked.
That might work. I would also bolt on a couple zinc on the transom as well.
Now that your boat might not sink this week, you are going to have a problem with marine growth in few weeks.
Shes got no bottom paint, so you are going to have to scrub her bottom every week or two.
So you will need a stiff scrub brush and snorkel at least!
I would think that you would be much better off with an inflatable or a plastic boat.
You could throw on some bottom paint, less work and more time for fishing all summer!

[DockRat]

That's good advice on the zincs.

Boat Zincs - What do They Really Do?
Boat zincs offer protection for your boat in salt or fresh water. But what do they actually do?
We all listen to talk on the docks on the topic of underwater zincs, but what do they truly do? How do they perform?

When you have 2 diverse metals that are physically and electrically linked and immersed in marine water, they establish an electrical flow. Some DC current travels between the two metals which can decay metals such as prop shafts, thru hulls and sea strainers in the engine room.

The best way we can discontinue galvanic corrosion is to attach a piece of metal called a sacrificial anode, and most frequently it is a zinc alloy. In fact, most of us refer to sacrificial anodes merely as zincs. Using zinc anodes on your vessel is very significant. The anode will be used to purposely corrode away sooner than your boat equipment does.

On top of the Galvanic Scale, Zinc is number 4, 1 being the most sacrificial to salt water, Aluminum is 12, Steel is 30, Brass is 51, 316 Stainless is 76 and pure Gold is 91. This is why zinc is used, we wish for it to wear away and guard the other metal in contact with sea water.

Zincs ought to be substituted when about 1/2 of the anode has vanished to corrosion. In an ideal world we want that to take place not more frequently than annually. I check my trawler zincs regularly by diving under the boat and replace those zincs that need it. At haul out, a complete set is always installed. All zincs are not made alike. Insist on MIL spec zincs. There is a dealer on my website Links page that I acquire mine from. High-quality zincs, excellent price.

Props and Rudders

Propellers and prop shafts are more often than not protected by a zinc band bolted together about the shaft. It is essential to make certain the shaft is clean and smooth before clamping the collar to it.

Rudders and struts are also protected with zinc disks bolted diametrically to the metal. Be positive bottom paint does not cover them.

Hull Plates

Hull plates are fastened on the exterior of the hull and are used to bond the boat metals within the boat not directly exposed to salt water.

Bonding is the linking together of zinc plates bolted to the hull to other metals by wires. All of the submerged running gear and the metal inside the engine space is connected to these plates. Be certain you check the bonding between thru-hulls and other metal gear by the use of a multi-meter set on the ohm settings.

Hull plates are typically found underwater on the stern of the boat.

Tip: If you spot "green" bronze equipment, the bonding has failed and deterioration is in development. Check and re-establish the bonding.

Cooling Raw Water

Heat exchangers and engine raw water systems are also at risk. Most heat exchangers are fixed with a zinc "pencil". You will find it under a brass plug. The pencil is unscrewed from the plug for substitution. Additionally, your transmission and oil coolers will be fitted with pencil zincs too.

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http://www.ehow.com/how_5856438_attach-zinc-anode-aluminum-boat.html

How to Attach a Zinc Anode to an Aluminum Boat

X Will Charpentier Will Charpentier is a freelance writer who specializes in boating and maritime subjects. A retired ship captain, Charpentier holds degrees in history and oceanographic engineering and is the author of a popular text on local history. He has written boating and maritime articles online since 2009.
By Will Charpentier , eHow Contributor
?
.While bolting an anode onto your boat may seem unnecessarily complicated at first glance, the "cathodic protection" gained by attaching an anode, or "zinc," to your aluminum boat to prevent galvanic corrosion of your hull is always a good move: the anode deteriorates, instead of your boat. The choice of "zinc" depends on your boating environment. If your boat is used primarily in fresh water, your "zinc" should be made of zinc; if you normally boat in saltwater, your aluminum hull should be protected by a magnesium anode.

Difficulty:Moderate Instructions

1
Clean the area where the zinc will be attached. Use your palm sander to remove any paint other than the surface finish: the key to cathodic protection is solid, uninterrupted contact between the zinc and the boat. Rinse your hull after you sand, to remove any residue that may interfere with the required contact.

2
Hold the zinc up to the side of the boat before you drill the holes and use a pencil to trace through the mounting holes in the zinc, marking the hole locations directly onto the hull of the boat

3
Drill 1/2 inch holes in your hull, using the tracings of the zinc's mounting holes as a guide, then hold the zinc in place, insert the bolts through the zinc and the hull, and screw the nuts onto the bolts. Tighten the nuts into place until the zinc is firmly against the hull.

4
Solder a wire to the nut onto the bolt, using silver-core solder. The American Boat and Yacht Council, a boating industry organization, recommends adding a "bonding wire," soldered to the nut and grounded on the engine block of the boat. While Michael Kasten reported in the Summer 1998 issue of the "Metal Boat Quarterly," that the jury was still out on that concept, the Boat Owners Association of the United States magazine, "Seaworthy," appears to be of a different mind.



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