Captain Rodriguez over at BitterEnd brought this BoatUS press release to our attention:

It’s “Buyer Beware” When Filling Up the Boat – And a Lot of Other Things – at the Gas Station

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 5, 2011 – Most recreational boats in the US are “trailer” boats. Stored in the backyard or driveway, they are trailered to the water and enjoyed for the day. They are also refueled at your local gas station or minimart, which may soon offer a fuel, E15 (or 15% ethanol), that is prohibited by the federal government for use in boat motors and violates engine manufacturer warranties. That has the nation’s largest recreational boat owners group, BoatUS, concerned over the potential for accidental misfueling.

Last week’s EPA’s debut of it’s proposed solution – a small, orange label affixed to the gas pump titled “Attention” – has only heightened the need for boaters to be vigilant, said the Alexandria, Virginia based association.

“As this new fuel starts appearing at the local fuel pump, we see the real likelihood of putting the wrong fuel in your boat,” said BoatUS Vice President of Government Affairs Margaret Podlich. “It could lead to costly engine or fuel system damage, and potentially leave you stranded out on the water with a disabled vessel, compromising your family’s safety. When a boat’s engine stops running, you can’t pull over to the side of the road,” added Podlich.

Earlier this year, the EPA authorized the use of E15 in 2001 model year and newer motor vehicles. However, the agency did not authorize its use in marine engines or a range of off-road vehicles, tools and equipment. Currently, most boaters in the US have transitioned to E10 (10% ethanol), the maximum percentage of ethanol permitted in gasoline before most engine manufacturer warranties are voided. However, many boaters still go out of their way to find ethanol-free fuel.

BoatUS believes it will be hard for consumers to recognize when or where E-15 is being rolled out to their local gas stations or fuel sellers. “Most likely consumers will encounter E-15 for the first time at their local gas station with little or no fanfare, and may be attracted to its price. This means we have to be alert now – it’s really a situation of buyer beware,” said Podlich.

The boater’s group also said the issue goes far beyond gas-powered boat engines. “I encourage anyone fueling – whether it’s for your boat, car, motorcycle, generator or six-gallon portable tank for your lawnmower or leaf-blower, to absolutely know what type of gas is going into that tank,” said Podlich. “Unless you have a 2001 or new motor vehicle, the gasoline-powered engines you own were not built for E15. Now is the time to start knowing which gas stations offer you safe fuel.”

My 2004 Suzuki-manufactured, Johnson-branded 90-hp, 4-stroke EFI outboard motor makes a new noise. A rattling noise that becomes more pronounced the higher the RPMs. I THINK it might be related to the new noise on this video; normally, the prop spins silently in neutral with the engine off. So what is this noise?

Longtime readers will know that I adore a good “Johnson” joke as much as the next powerboater. If you do too, be sure to watch this. Maybe not at work or when the kids are around.

Hmm. My hydraulic trim tabs are running fine, but I get the feeling they’re going to fail me one day. If I were to replace the actuators, I would select another hydraulic unit…wouldn’t I? I never really gave it any thought. Any mechanical component that spends its life partly submerged in saltwater is going to fail sooner or later, but aren’t hydraulics a bit more reliable than electrical motors in that environment? I guess that’s my assumption, and so I’m intrigued by the press release. Let’s see what it says…

RICHMOND, Va. – April 19, 2011 – Lectrotab announces that it is offering electromechanical trim tab packages designed to replace hydraulic-based trim tab actuators.

“The Lectrotab retrofit kits are a direct form, fit and function replacement for most popular brands of hydraulic trim tabs,” said Dan Roberts, president of Linear Devices Corporation. “We are introducing these replacement packages in response to a large number of complaints from boatowners about failures and oil leaks with their installed hydraulic-based systems.”

The Lectrotab electromechanical tab actuator cylinder design incorporates patented features to ensure maximum performance and reliability. The unit is corrosion free, requires no maintenance, provides very accurate tab positioning and maximum lift force, and is totally self-contained for easy installation. The actuator assembly is packaged in a non-metallic permanently sealed housing. No components need to be installed inside the boat. Most importantly, there are no hydraulic lines and no oil to leak out.

The replacement kits include two 12V DC actuator cylinders, cables and choice of a flat rocker control, oval LED control or a wireless control. They are designed for easy drop-in replacement for the boat’s hydraulic trim tab actuators. Lectrotab provides easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions for removing the hydraulic actuators and mounting the Lectrotab cylinders. The installation can be completed in less than three hours with standard tools.

“Our electromechanical systems are designed for years of trouble-free performance in the tough marine environment,” said Roberts. “We’re so confident in the quality of our products that we offer an unprecedented lifetime warranty for our trim tab actuators.”

The 2010 edition of the popular Waggoner Cruising Guide is now available, just in time for the holidays!

As I’ve written before, this is the one “must-have” cruising guide for Puget Sound, the San Juans, the west coast of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and the Inside Passage north to Prince Rupert.

Here are links to my earlier round-up of San Juan Island cruising guides:

San Juan Islands: Cruising Guide Roundup

San Juan Islands: Cruising Guides Redux

Don’t forget to stop by East 714 at the Seattle Boat Show to pick up an updated copy of the indispensable Waggoner Cruising Guide. Bob and Marilynn Hale are there to sign your copy, or just to chat.

As I’ve written before, this is the one “must-have” cruising guide for Puget Sound, the San Juans, the west coast of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and the Inside Passage north to Prince Rupert.

Here are links to my earlier round-up of San Juan Island cruising guides:

San Juan Islands: Cruising Guide Roundup

San Juan Islands: Cruising Guides Redux

I’ve written before about how much I appreciate Rite in the Rain all-weather paper products. I used one for my log aboard Two Lucky Fish, and I carry another smaller one with me every day.

But today, we put a sheet to the ultimate test!

Here’s Blake, 7-month-old offspring of Navagear founder and publisher Aaron. Blake likes paper. He doesn’t write on it. He crumples it and gnaws on it. Sheets of normal paper last about two minutes before some conscientious adult feels obligated to fetch all the goopy bits from his mouth and throw them away.

The Rite in the Rain paper Blake is clutching in his right hand has been actively used for about half an hour.

Once he finally relinquished it, it looked…pretty good, actually! Great products.

Nick Ward, who survived the disastrous 1979 Fastnet race aboard the 30-foot Grimalkin, has recently published a book about his experience.

It’s called Left for Dead: The Untold Story of the Greatest Disaster in Modern Sailing History, and it ought to make interesting reading for anyone heading offshore in a small boat. For a preview, read the story over at the Telegraph.

But a word of warning: I suggest you read it while you’re safely moored in a well-protected harbor somewhere. I was once sailing across the Pacific, and we made the mistake of listening to the book-on-tape version of The Perfect Storm when we were about seven days out…what a stooopid idea that was!

Especially when we got to the part where author Sebastian Junger describes PRECISELY what happens, physiologically, to the human body when it drowns. We listened to that just as night was falling. What were we thinking?!?

Wait a minute…that ain’t right. Ah, here we go:

The new Fisheries Supply catalogs are here!
The new Fisheries Supply catalogs are here!

I know…funny how the least little thing amuses me. But in case my readers haven’t caught on yet, I love Fisheries Supply.

From the website: ‘To get your copy of what has been referred to as the "bible of marine hardware", please provide your shipping address. Free catalogs can only be shipped within the United States. If you reside outside of the United States, we will be happy to provide a freight quote.’

Looking for stocking stuffers for your favorite nautical history buff? Have you seen Arcadia Publishing‘s "Images of America" series of books?

I love them, and I’m not just saying that because my aunt wrote the one about Tacoma’s Waterfront. (Hi Caroline! Just drop the check in the mail. Thanks. )

Only recently did I realize that they aren’t limited to the Pacific Northwest. Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series covers a LOT of ground:

Not only that, but the series covers a lot of ground, topic-wise, as well. It ain’t all shipping and industry, by any means. That’s just the stuff I tend to like.

It seems to me there’s a reason these books are so attractive to us. In an increasingly homogeneous world, where a strip-mall in Idaho looks pretty much the same as one in Louisiana, these books help us preserve our sense of place and history. That might sound a little poetic for a gear and gadgets blog, but that’s the way I feel about it.

The folks from “Rite in the Rain” were at the Pacific Marine Expo, and I picked up a brochure, an all-weather pen, and another pocket-sized spiral notebook…thanks guys!

See, I use these products every day. Into my pockets each morning go my keys, wallet, coin purse, cell phone, and my little Weems & Plath-branded Rite in the Rain 3″ x 5″ all-weather spiral notebook.

Aboard Two Lucky Fish, my log is maintained in a Rite in the Rain #146 4″ x 6″ spiral notebook.

There are all sorts of fancy logbooks available at The Armchair Sailor, but after looking at so many of them, I decided that if it’s too fancy, or if the form is too complicated, it might actually discourage me from writing something in the log.

If I’m just dropping something off at the boat, should I use up a whole page in my fancy log book to record that? What if I spend several hours working on the boat, but I don’t start the engine? I had a feeling that a log that was too formal would become an impediment to record keeping.

Instead, I opted for this simple notebook, and I couldn’t be happier with that decision. If I write two lines about an overnight trip, that’s OK. If I write a whole page about diagnosing a leak, that’s OK. If I let one of my children write their observations from an outing, that’s OK. I don’t have to write anything long, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. The only expectation I’ve set is that I try to write something in it every time I’m aboard the boat.

My Rite in the Rain vessel log is compact and durable. If I don’t get a chance to complete an entry, I can stick it in my pocket and finish it up anywhere, and then add it to my Bring-To-Boat bin for my next trip to the marina. When it’s full, I’ll buy another one just like it, and file the old one. When they are older, the kids will appreciate being able to read dad’s old log books, I suspect; my father didn’t keep a log of our family boat trips, and I now wish that he had.

Sometimes, simpler is better, especially when the simpler solution is of high quality and well-suited to the task. No kickbacks from Rite in the Rain…I just appreciate and use their products.

And this brochure! Dang, they make all manner of specialized all-weather paper products:

• Copier and printer paper (they even have paper for ink-jet printers)
• Military and public safety notebooks
• Soccer notebooks
• Sportsman’s journals

For fun, check out the Clearance Rack at Rite in the Rain: Log scale books (one is shown above), surveying forms, ski-gate judge cards, and other products I can’t even identify. If you just want waterproof scratch pads, there are lots of inexpensive options there.