Mad Mariner - Articles

Piloting a Freighter

Tom Tripp — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

"All stop! Rudder amidships!" The command from the pilot to the helmsman was loud, almost harsh, betraying the pilot's anxiety. The M/V Marina Star, a 400-foot freighter, was in the narrowest part of the New York Harbor ship channel, heading south toward the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.

Buying a Marinized Computer

Tom Tripp — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

If you are a gadget geek like me – and let's face it, you probably are – re-equipping your boat with new electronics as something akin to party time.

So the prospect of bringing a computer aboard can be exciting, a gateway to enhanced navigation, communication and entertainment capabilities that would have cost thousands of dollars just a few years ago. It can also be intimidating, with a bevy of choices to make and no clear path to follow for solutions.

Reviewing Blackberry and Symbian

Karen and Jeffrey Siegel — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Many boaters who start shopping for an onboard smartphone are bound to encounter one of the hard truths of today's market: mobile phones that work wonderfully on land are not always the best choice for marine use.

Catalina 375

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Rooting Out Red Tide

Michale Vatalaro — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Algae: It's that green stuff that marks the waterline of your boat. It gives the boat ramp its slimy texture at low tide. It's the scum around the edges of your favorite fishing pond as well as the muck that threatened to tangle the Olympic sailing course this summer in China. Usually only a nuisance, algae can thrive when sunlight and nutrients abound, multiplying rapidly till these microscopic organisms actually tint the water with their presence.

The SeaKits Advantage

Tom Tripp — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The dark, crushing ocean depths traveled by nuclear submarines are perhaps the most unforgiving environment we know. It does not require much of a mistake to exact the most premium of penalties.

As a young nuclear engineer aboard one of those submarines, Barry Kallander was trained to understand that harsh reality, and to do what he had to in order to insure the safety of ship and crew. And in some ways, Kallander is still at it.

Hunter 45DS

Tom Tripp — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Step down the companionway on the Hunter 45 Deck Salon, the latest offering from the world's largest sailboat manufacturer, and the impact of a tall and roomy cabin flooded with light is immediate. It stands in sharp contrast to cave–like interiors that sailors know too well.

Onboard a Boat With Apple's iPhone

Karen and Jeffrey Siegel — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

No smartphone has generated more attention than Apple's iPhone when it was released last year. Like all Apple products, the iPhone has a sleek design and elegant feel. The interface is responsive and intuitive. The screen is beautiful even in bright sun. All in all, it's a fun device to use.

But when it comes to your boat, there are a number of drawbacks to the iPhone that raise questions as to whether it is truly the best option if you plan to use just one mobile phone onboard.

Nordhavn 8601

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Discharge Permits

Capt. Art Pine — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

If you've been worrying about the Sept. 30 deadline for obtaining a newly-required federal ballast-discharge permit for your boat, relax. You won't have to get one after all.

Riding to the rescue just in time, Congress has passed legislation that essentially exempts recreational boaters from a recent court ruling that would have required owners of pleasure boats to secure such permits. If lawmakers had not acted, operating your boat without one would have been illegal after Sept. 30.