The Watch Keeper. News and Boating Tips from the USFBA

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US Freshwater Boaters Alliance October 2016 Volume 1, Issue 7 The Watch Keeper News and Boating Tips from the USFBA The 2016 Boating Season in the Midwest Comes to a Close The end has come.

1 US Freshwater Boaters Alliance October 2016 Volume 1, Issue 7 The Watch Keeper News and Boating Tips from the USFBA The 2016 Boating Season in the Midwest Comes to a Close The end has come. At least for most of us who boat in the Midwest. Soon we ll look outside and see a scene like the photo of Behm s Lighthouse to the right. So, many of us have had our boats hauled and prepped for winter storage. And the rest of us are in that process. And like the end to this boating season, this will be the last issue of The Watch Keeper for This month we ll focus on winter layup and some things you can do to prepare for a safe boating season in This month s article by David Friedman offers some tips for prepping and storing your boat. We ll share some training you might take advantage of over the winter to add to your boating skills. And we ll take a brief look back at 2016 s season. There were lots of notable activities and events but also a sad loss of one of our own. This newsletter will give a glimpse into 2016 but in December we ll issue our Annual Report and share some of the details about USFBA contributions to the communities and to boating safety. So, enjoy this issue. Thank you for your support. Have a great fall and winter, enjoy the holidays, and we ll see you next spring! The Members and Officers Of the US Freshwater Boaters Alliance Inside this issue Boating Courses... 2 Remembering Mark Axe... 2 Member Highlight Kevin Mast... 3 USFBA Zodiac 1 Pilot Training... 3 David Friedman... 4 Another Good Year... 6 USFBA By The Numbers... 6 A Look Back Upcoming Events Zodiac Launch April 2017

Online Boating Courses and Seminars Presented by United States Power Squadrons Here s an idea!

You can take in depth classroom instruction conducted in 2 hour sessions spread over several weeks or take online classes in the comfort of your home.

Weather for Boaters, A boater's guide to forecasting, winds and storms. Partner In Command, an essential intro to boating for every crew member.

2 Online Boating Courses and Seminars Presented by United States Power Squadrons Here s an idea! When the winter chill sets in, visit the website of our friends at the US Power Squadron and take a look at the boating courses they offer. You can take in depth classroom instruction conducted in 2 hour sessions spread over several weeks or take online classes in the comfort of your home. Here s just a few of the classes offered online: America's Boating Course, an online boater safety course and state certificate preparation. Weather for Boaters, A boater's guide to forecasting, winds and storms. Partner In Command, an essential intro to boating for every crew member. Remembering Mark Axe In August The US Freshwater Boaters Alliance, the boating community at Indian Lake, and all of us who knew him lost a good friend and a good person when Mark Axe passed away. Or Consider one of the in depth courses. They offer a natural progression of courses, from beginner to advanced, for any boater. These are comprehensive, in-depth courses that typically run between 6 and 8 weeks. For example: Mark was one of the first boaters Seamanship chapter started there. Piloting and Navigation Piloting tireless worker when it came to Advanced Piloting the objectives of the USFBA. Junior Navigation - Celestial navigation working to build a chapter at Navigation - Celestial navigation Indian Lake. Electronic Navigation And although the chapter never Boat systems operation and maintenance membership and proudly flew the Engine Maintenance burgee from his multiple boats. Marine Electrical Systems You ll see Mark s smile next year Marine Communication Systems continue to spread the word Weather about boating safety. Sail For those of us who knew him, Cruising and Cruise Planning at Indian Lake to join the USFBA and quickly became the Chapter Director as we worked to get a Full of good spirit, always quick with a joke or a smile, Mark was a With his wife, Brenda, he began took hold, Mark maintained his on billboards and banners as we we ll miss his presence but always be grateful for his friendship. 2

Member Highlight Kevin Mast One of the founding members of the USFBA, Kevin serves as the Vice Commodore of the organization.

A retired Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Celina, Ohio, Kevin is also a Past Commander of the Grand Lake St Marys US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla.

extraordinary time demands. Kevin, his wife Sandy, and son AJ (also members) own the Boathouse, a Celina boat dealer and maintenance store.

USFBA Zodiac 1 Pilot Training Our work on the USFBA Zodiac continued in October when the members assigned to pilot the Zodiac received training on the water.

3 Member Highlight Kevin Mast One of the founding members of the USFBA, Kevin serves as the Vice Commodore of the organization. In that role he has authority to act on behalf of the Commodore in the Commodore's absence and chairs operational committees as required. A retired Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Celina, Ohio, Kevin is also a Past Commander of the Grand Lake St Marys US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla. When asked why he chose to be a part of the USFBA, Kevin answered quickly, Because it offers a way to engage regular boaters in promoting safety and helping each other without bureaucracy and extraordinary time demands. Kevin, his wife Sandy, and son AJ (also members) own the Boathouse, a Celina boat dealer and maintenance store. And in addition to being regular members, the Boathouse is one of our Commercial Members. Kevin Mast, community businessman, avid boater, and USFBA Member. USFBA Zodiac 1 Pilot Training Our work on the USFBA Zodiac continued in October when the members assigned to pilot the Zodiac received training on the water. Those members were Paul Joseph, Deny Knapschaefer, Jeff Marcum, and Chuck Webster. USFBA Member Randy Gasser came down from Toledo to Grand Lake St Marys to conduct the training. Randy is a retired US Navy Veteran who served as Coxswain on Zodiacs in the Middle East. He covered operational characteristics and idiosyncrasies of the Zodiac and then the members went out on the lake to practice running the vessel at various speeds, become familiar with the controls and electronics, and practice hooking up to a disabled boat and conducting tows. We still have only one of the two Honda 90 hp outboards running but that afforded us an opportunity to see the handling characteristics if one outboard is out of service. To keep up to date on our progress in outfitting this boat, just visit our Facebook Page or go to our Website. 3

4 Fall Layup Time for Boaters By David Friedman As every other boating writer is saying these days, it s the saddest time of the year for a boater. A few diehards are still out there maybe fishing or duck hunting. But soon, even they will be taking their boats out and facing the same problems everyone else faces. At the end of my last column I mentioned thinking about ethanol. For those boaters who have gasoline engines, especially outboards, ethanol has been a major nightmare. Marine mechanics are being driven crazy because the problems are not always apparent. The silver lining in this is that more and more mechanics are starting to recognize the effects of ethanol and are correctly trouble shooting the problems quickly. The bad side is that you are spending more dollars replacing parts you never had to replace this quickly. So, what s the problem? Ethanol is the result of the government trying to find renewable energy sources. Ethanol is a product, generally from corn, that is an additive to gasoline. Right now the mixture is mostly 10% ethanol in every gallon of fuel you buy at the pump. Some stations are offering 15%, so really be careful there. What happens is that ethanol can eat away at seals and rubber hoses. It clogs carburetors and fuel filters and causes water to form in the fuel the longer it remains in your tank. Older outboards are seriously affected by this unless you take some precautions. There are a few theories as to how to handle this situation. Most of the time we recommend storing engines with internal fuel tanks with full tanks over the winter. Leave very little space in the tank for condensation to form but just enough room so that as the weather warms up and the gasoline expands in the tank, it doesn t spill out the tank s vent. If you have a built in tank in the hull of your boat, most mechanics recommend putting plastic tape over the vent of the tank to minimize spillage and formation of extra moisture in the tank. Another recommendation is to add a special additive that inhibits the formation of water in the tank. ValvTect is one of the companies that specializes in these products, but there are many others out there that are just as good. These products should be added when you are laying up the engine for the winter. As a practice for all outboards, whether they have internal or external engines, is to run out the fuel in the fuel line before you leave the boat for any length of time. Even during the summer. If you are leaving the boat for the week, burn off the fuel in the line and let the engine just shut down by itself. For outboards that have internal tanks, just shut off the fuel switch. For those that have external tanks, just disconnect the fuel line from the engine. Continued on Page 5 4

Fall Layup Time for Boaters Continued From Page 4 By David Friedman Because we all tend to store engines and boats outside during the winter, weather plays a major role for the engines.

5 Fall Layup Time for Boaters Continued From Page 4 By David Friedman Because we all tend to store engines and boats outside during the winter, weather plays a major role for the engines. The constant heating and cooling causes moisture to form in the fuel tank, which is why we recommend leaving the tank virtually full, so there is not much room for moisture to form. Bottom line, if it is at all possible, store the engine inside where the temperature ranges are not as wide as outside. If you can t do that, make sure you add an additive to your fuel as you are laying up the engine. There are any number of other recommendations for laying up engines for the winter. If you have been operating in salt water (not a problem in this area) completely flush out the engine s cooling system with fresh water and even run some anti-freeze through it. Change the oil before acids form and sit there all winter. Grease all the appropriate fittings. In short, follow your manufacturer s recommendations don t just pull the boat and leave it on the trailer for the winter. Don t forget the boat itself. Wash it down and clean it before you cover it, BUT, make sure if there is a drain plug, make sure it is open for the winter so that rain or snow doesn t form puddles, freeze and crack your hull. It s not a bad idea to also put a coat of wax on the hull it makes spring cleaning a bit easier. If you have batteries on board, make sure you disconnect them. Some people take them off and put them on trickle chargers for the winter. If they are standard lead acid batteries, make sure they have enough distilled water. I would recommend taking off all electronic gear that could be easily be stolen even in your own back yard. Speaking of that, for safety, if you store your boat on a trailer at home, jack up the trailer, take the wheels off and put cinder blocks under the axles. At the very least, remove the trailer tongue and put some sort of lock on the trailer. The number of boats being stolen from private homes over the past few years has risen dramatically. Good luck over the winter and make big plans for next summer. Also, this is a great time to think about what you think you know and what you really don t know. There are some great courses being offered and perhaps this is the time to learn some new skills, like Navigation and Rules of the Road!! As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at David.Friedman@USFreshwaterBoatersAlliance.com or click HERE for more information. Happy Holidays!!! David David Friedman is a long time boater with over 70 years of experience on the water from small lakes and rivers to coastal off-shore work boating. His experience ranges from operating and racing small power boats as a youngster to currently sailing a 33 foot sail boat on Long Island Sound and points east. He is a 34 year member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary He s held many officer s positions and has served as an Instructor of boating safety courses for the Auxiliary. 5

6 Another Good Year of Boaters Helping Boaters We had a good year and received some nice words of appreciation from leadership in a few of the organizations we partner with. From Brian Miller, Ohio Southwest District Park Manager Guys, I would like to personally thank the members of the USFBA for the invaluable service that you provide!! Thank you for another great season serving the boaters of Grand Lake St. Marys!! Brian From Jeff Grey, Mercer County Sheriff Thank you very much for all of your assistance. The boaters of Mercer County are fortunate to have your organization to assist. Have a great winter and Christmas season! We look forward to continuing the partnership in Jeff Grey From Monte Diegel, Mercer County Administrator I will echo the sheriff s E mail and just say THANK YOU and the USFBA members for your assistance during this summer. It is really great to have an organization like the USFBA to assist our office. We truly will look forward to working with you again in I hope that you and all of your USFBA members have a safe winter. Thank you again! Monte From David Faler, Assistant Park Manager Grand Lake St. Marys State Park Thank you and the rest of the USFBA for all you have done. From emergency calls to providing boats for moving the dredge pipe across the lake. Your help is so greatly appreciated. David USFBA 2016 by the Numbers Year to Date Patrol Hours: YTD 906 Event Hours: YTD 896 Boats in Service: YTD 27 Tows completed: YTD 24 6

7 A Look at the Season of 2016 The US Freshwater Boaters Alliance Boaters Helping Boaters 7

8 US Freshwater Boaters Alliance The mission of the US Freshwater Boaters Alliance is to encourage safe boating practices by promoting boater education, connecting member boaters through formal marine radio communications when on the water, and providing assistance to other boaters when appropriate and safe to do so. Consider joining the USFBA Not only will we help you become a better boater, but your boat fuel and other expenses may be tax deductible. But the most important reason for joining the USFBA is the opportunity to serve your boating community while you continue to enjoy boating as you always have. We don t have uniforms. We don t require crews. Your family is welcome. What we do require is a commitment to safety, the use of a VHF radio, a current vessel safety inspection of your boat, and the completion of an acceptable About Boating Safety class. Interested in learning more? Visit our website at call our main number at (419) or us at CIO@USFreshwaterBoatersAlliance.com. And if you run into an issue on the water, call us. We are after all, Boaters Helping Boaters. US Freshwater Boaters Alliance Primary Business Address PO Box 101 Celina, OH Phone: (419) CIO@USFreshwaterBoatersAlliance,

The Watch Keeper. News and Boating Tips from the USFBA. Partnering for Boater Safety

The Watch Keeper. News and Boating Tips from the USFBA. Partnering for Boater Safety US Freshwater Boaters Alliance June 2016 Volume 1, Issue 3 The Watch Keeper News and Boating Tips from the USFBA Partnering for Boater Safety US Freshwater Boaters Alliance members are committed to boating