You Need A Boat To Follow The Fish

Video Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

Most boaters at one time or another break out the angling gear and follow the fish wherever they might be lurking.  Some boaters do it all the time, its the reason they own a boat; the boat is about the fish.

Waterline Media TV has put together a fly fishing video which follows the migration of tarpon around the backwaters of Florida.  A large silvery fish with scales the size of half dollar mirrors weighing between 80 to 280 lbs (36 to 127 kgs) migrate each summer up the east coast, USA as far as Virginia and into and around the Gulf Coast.

"Riding High - A Season on the Fly" with its beautiful graphics, imagery and cinematography puts you in the exciting hunt along with seasoned fly fisherman.  I warn you though, it contains some irreverent humor and salty language, so if you decide to view the video anyway, consider yourself forewarned.  In spite of the language it's well worth the trip for the adventure alone. A tribute to those who love to fish, live to fish!

Double click on the video to immerse yourself in the action.

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill, webmaster of this site, is the author of the book Lubber's log, published by Llumina Press; a boating journal and adventure story of the author's first time experiences in the preparation, maintenance and piloting of a new, unfamiliar boat. 

You can visit his website here.

Trip to Eden - A Tropical Paradise

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

I think most everyone longs for an Eden particularly when life goes awry.  Hey, an Eden is even good when things are going well.  Turns out there is a paradise in Papua, New Guinea that presents itself in a form most boaters or anyone with an inclination towards water can appreciate.  It's a place that has everything you would expect an Eden should have: brilliant deep tropical colors, clear, clean water, white sand, bubbling cascades, peaceful lagoons and native hand crafted boats.   It's a place where peace and harmony with nature is celebrated, where the sea meets the land and the land greets the sea.

Michael Fletcher, professional Australian photographer and filmmaker, takes us on an eight minute journey that highlights the beauty of this spectacular land.  The music by Hans Zimmer is from the movie, "The Thin Red Line".  Be sure to double click on the video for wide screen presentation. 

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill, webmaster of this site, is the author of the book Lubber's log, published by Llumina Press; a boating journal and adventure story of the author's first time experiences in the preparation, maintenance and piloting of a new, unfamiliar boat. 

You can visit his website here.

Boats Can Sink in the Spring Too!

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

Every Spring around this time of year many of us begin our Spring boating preparations by breaking out the Spring checklists to be sure we haven't forgotten anything and that it's "all systems go" for launch.  Perhaps the most obvious consideration before that happens is that the boat will still be floating when we return to use it.  Many of the checklists assume you know better and don't include some of the precautionary measures articulated below.  As Johann Goethe reminds us, "precaution is better than cure": you don't want your boat to sink as a consequence of not taking into account some important safeguards.

Bob Adriance the author of the following article is the editor of Seaworthy, a BoatUS Marine Insurance publication. Seaworthy's stories and lessons learned are all based on real-life BoatUS Marine Insurance claim files, such as the story featured here. 

WHY BOATS SINK IN THE SPRING    

BY BOB ADRIANCE

Make sure your boating season doesn't start with a thunk! The sound of your beloved hitting the bottom…

THE BOAT WAS SITTING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIP. "When they looked at it they said the battery was dead. I don't know what happened. Maybe the float switch got stuck."

It doesn't seem fair, but just as the boating season was about to get underway the skipper described above drove to his marina and found his 20-foot runabout resting on the bottom. Not only did he have to start the boating season by filing an insurance claim (and paying the cost of the deductible), he probably had to wait until well into the season to begin boating because boatyards are slower to make unscheduled repairs during the spring outfitting rush.

Blaming a sinking on a float switch is like blaming your stomachache on a fork. True, bilge pumps can prevent a sinking, at least until the battery dies, but the real question in a sinking is, where did the water come from? More to the point, why didn't someone visit the boat occasionally and check the bilges?


What The Heck Happened?

Most likely the boat above sank when a hose that had been securely attached last season was taken off to winterize the engine. With all the attention going to the engine – Is pink stuff coming out the exhaust? – the hose clamp was overlooked. Here are five other possibilities:

1.

 Heavy spring rains can get through poorly caulked ports, hatches, chainplates, and deck fittings. Water can "pool" on deck if scuppers become clogged by leaves in the fall, which then makes the problem worse. On many boats with low freeboard, the boat only needs to sink a few inches before outlets — scuppers and exhaust ports — become inlets.

2.

 All too often, the owner is unaware of leaks because the automatic bilge pump dutifully kept the bilge dry during the warmer months. Over the winter, however, the battery — and the bilge pump — may go dead. With the pump knocked out and an owner who thinks the boat can take care of itself, water begins to accumulate. In this case, the boat sank because of a combination of heavy spring rains, a large open cockpit, and a deck drain that badly needed caulking.

3.

 A poorly attached hose (secured with only one hose clamp) can be "lifted" off the seacock as the water freezes and expands. If a seacock is left open, water in the seacock and hose will freeze. As long as the water remains frozen, the boat will remain afloat. When the ice eventually thaws, the boat sinks. Seacocks should be closed over the winter or, in the case of cockpit drains, double-clamped securely with stainless-steel clamps. Note that the nipple in the photo isn't barbed, which makes it that much more vulnerable.

4.

 If water is left in the intake sea strainer, it can freeze and break the bowl. If the seacock is open, the boat sinks as soon as the ice thaws. If it's closed, an unsuspecting owner may open the intake seacock in the spring without noticing the broken sea strainer. Check the sea strainer before you leave the boat!

5.

 If a stuffing box isn't tightened before the boat is laid up, even small amounts of water — a steady drip — can eventually swamp a boat. This could also happen over the summer, but it's more likely in the winter and early spring because owners are more remiss about visiting their boats regularly. The lesson: Visit your boat routinely, regardless of the season.

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill, webmaster of this site, is the author of the book Lubber's log, published by Llumina Press; a boating journal and adventure story of the author's first time experiences in the preparation, maintenance and piloting of a new, unfamiliar boat. 
You can visit his website here.

If I Had A Boat...I'd Rather Be Boating!

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

Have you ever been in that place where you wager, if I could be anywhere else, do anything else other than what I'm doing right now I'd give anything to be there?  I know I have and that place is usually on the water in a boat.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I think music can speak another thousand and when you combine music with pictures you have the next best thing to fully experiencing in real time what the words and pictures express. Linda Brown has given us a gift of both in her video gallery of sailboats on Puget Sound/Washington combined with Lyle Lovett's, "If I had a Boat".

Take some time out from you busy day to indulge yourself in one of your favorite pastimes. Thank you Linda Brown for sharing your love of boating in this way.

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill, webmaster of this site, is the author of the book Lubber's log, published by Llumina Press; a boating journal and adventure story of the author's first time experiences in the preparation, maintenance and piloting of a new, unfamiliar boat. You can visit his website here.

The Earth Hath No Fury Like a Raging Ocean!

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill


“The sea is emotion incarnate. It loves, hates, and weeps. It defies all attempts to capture it with words and rejects all shackles. No matter what you say about it, there is always that which you can't.” 
― Christopher Paolini, Eragon

The raw power and fury of a raging ocean never ceases to give me pause.  I am captivated by it's dominion over anything that stands in its way.  Since the beginning of time man has tried to understand the forces that move the sea.  It has killed millions and reaked havoc on ships, beaches and land structures.  It's fickle by nature and even the best computer models can't always predict its behaviors. It has the power to end life and destroy property mercilessly without warning.

Here's a video reminiscent of Exodus and the parting of the Red Sea, The Deadliest Catch and The Perfect Storm, displaying the ocean in some of its most capricious, angry moods. The effects of the sun, moon and wind make for some trying times riding the briny bronc and this video is a masterpiece of the spectacle and the formidable foe the ocean can be.

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill is the author of the book Lubber's log, published by Llumina Press; a boating journal and adventure story of the author's first time experiences in the preparation, maintenance and piloting of a new, unfamiliar boat.  You can visit his website here.

What Good is a Boat Without Water?

Article by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

Water is everywhere and everyone.  The earth's surface is 70% water, the average adult 55%-65% water.  It's so much a part of our lives, that we often take it for granted until we're without it.  As commonplace and unremarkable this odorless, tasteless liquid is, it's just as equally extraordinary and wonderful as it is mundane; dynamic, essential to life itself, refreshing and most important to boaters, wet and buoyant.

If you're reading this post, it's a sure bet you love the water every bit as much as I do.  For most of us, this love affair with the water starts at an early age and once smitten, there's no returning to a life without it. 

It usually starts in baby steps. Not being quite sure what this new medium is about, you test it.  You discover you can't breathe in it so you mistrust it. When you discover it cools you down in the baking sun, you like it and want more, a fair tradeoff you reason.  Wading in the shallows you realize you can jump, kick, splash and run into the water without harm, your confidence nudging you to venture ever deeper. It's exciting, lots of fun, and you want more.

As your proclivity for water grows, you notice others in the water, swimming "over their heads", not tip toeing on the bottom like you.  Strapping on a life vest and learning to hold your breath underwater touches a milestone and when you're able at last, to cast off the Mae West, swim unassisted, cannonball with gusto and dive to touch bottom headfirst, you've arrived.  Finally, unbridled of fear, you're free to enjoy the water with confidence whenever and wherever you want to get wet. 

Most of us who call ourselves boaters reached a point when we asked ourselves if we're enjoying the best the water had to offer?  Looking beyond the swimmers we saw the boats.  Like a child wading in the shallows we wanted to experience more of our favorite medium and pastime, go faster and farther than we could swim.  Having been under the water, in the water, but not on the water, we bought a boat and narrowed our preference of size, purpose and style to our needs.

Once on the water in our boats, we broke out the rafts, tubes, water skis, rods and reels, inflatables, floating chairs and dinghies. The possibilities for fun on the water were limitless.  No wonder some people lived on it year round.

 I ask you now, where would you be without a body of water to float a boat?  What would you be doing in the summer heat to cool your jets, go under a lawn sprinkler?   Are you satisfied with the local swimming hole, beach, pool, shower or bath?  Heck no, I think you want more.  You know too much.  There's no going back, except to visit.

Water is the core that sustains and invigorates the body, mind and soul of each and every, mariner and boat lover.  Without it, the body withers, the mind wilts and the soul fades. Water is lifeblood; it refreshes, it renews, it replenishes and energizes.  If it's deep, cool and wet, get on it, so you can get in it and under it; your boat is no good without it!

Here's a video to remind you where you came from and who you are my fellow water lovin' boater!

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill is the author of the book, Lubber's Log published by Llumina Press;  a boating primer and adventure story about a couples experiences in moving up to a bigger boat.   You can visit his website here:  Lubbers Log

Classic Wooden Runabouts! Wow, Lets See!

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

Time to celebrate the classic, vintage wooden runabouts of yesteryear.  You know the ones with the varnished mirror like finishes, bronze hardware, vintage gauges, many with bare bones, visible hull frames and hard wooden seats.  The builders I remember most were Chris Craft, Century, Gar Wood, Lyman and Thompson boats of less than 22 feet (7 meters) in length.

I love the styling of these vintage boats, but just as exciting as their appearance and sex appeal there was something indescribable about the sound of the inboards and outboards of the day at full throttle that thrilled me as a boy.  The sight of the old boats rocketing across the water, glistening in the light of day, sometimes obscured completely by plumes of white spray added to their sense of power and liberation, an exhilaration I experience to this day.

Anyway,  this post is a tribute to the pretty old girls of so many years ago, the forerunners of the magnificent boats of today.  Feel free to ogle or take one for a spin in your minds eye. That's what they're there for.

Classic Wooden Runabouts

William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill is the author of the book, Lubber's Log published by Llumina Press; a boating primer and adventure story about a couples experiences in moving up to a bigger boat.  

You can visit his website here.