Mad Mariner - Articles

More Dreary Weather for New England

The Associated Press — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

New England was expected to see another dreary day, while the Pacific Northwest remains under wintry conditions on Friday.

A low pressure system was forecast to continue moving over British Colombia from the Pacific Ocean. As this system pushes further inland throughout the day, it was expected to create a moist cold front that could sweep through the Pacific Northwest and northern California.

This front could obtain ample moisture from the Pacific Ocean, and spread heavy precipitation over the region.

Wet Weather to Persist Over Northwest

The Associated Press — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Wet weather was expected to persist and intensify over the Northwest, while lingering showers could continue over the Northeast on Thursday.

A strong low pressure system was forecast to move into British Colombia and continue pushing a cold front over the Pacific Northwest. This system was expected to have picked up ample moisture and could trigger widespread scattered showers over the region with periods of heavy rain. Another dreary day with rainfall amount of up to 2 inches was expected, while the Cascades and Northern Rockies could see up to 5 inches of new snow accumulation.

Wet Weather Forecast for Eastern US

The Associated Press — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Wet weather was forecast for the Eastern U.S. on Wednesday as a low pressure system hovered over the region.

The system sitting over the Mid-Mississippi River Valley was expected to continue pushing northeastward up the Ohio River Valley and into New England. Flow around the system could continue pulling moist air in from the Gulf of Mexico, causing light and scattered showers to persist.

Wintry Weather Expected to Persist Over Central US

The Associated Press — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Wintry weather was expected to persist over the Central U.S. on Tuesday because of a strong low pressure system over the Midwest.

The system, which brought snow to the Central Rockies, was forecast to continue bringing light and scattered snowfall to the region. It could leave 2 inches of snow in the Central Plains, while the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains could see only a few clouds because of higher pressure hovering over the region.

Testing Chartplotters

Lenny Rudow — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Is the chartplotter on your dash easy to use? Your response may have as much to do with how you process information as the manufacturer's specs. Some units will match your sense of order, while others will leave you scratching your head.

Which brand is the best one for you? That can be a tough question to answer, and most people don't find out until long after they've purchased their electronics package. That's too bad, because once you have Brand X at the helm you have missed the chance to discover that your brain actually finds Brand Z far more intuitive.

Most of us deal with this problem by asking as many people as we can about different units prior to purchase. We'll spend hours at staring at screens in marine supply stores, interrogate our boating buddies about what they like, read articles and Google "easy to use chartplotter" night after night. Then we make a choice and spend the next three years trying to figure out how to use the darn thing.

Does choosing marine electronics really have to be such a shot in the dark?

Chartplotter Shootout: The Contestants

Lenny Rudow — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

We tested five chartplotters, all costing less than $1,500, for ease of use. Here they are, in alphabetical order:

Ferretti 560

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Heavy Snowstorms in Northern China Kill 40

The Associated Press — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

BEIJING (AP) — Unusually early snow storms in north-central China have claimed 40 lives, caused thousands of buildings to collapse and destroyed almost 500,000 acres of winter crops, the Civil Affairs Ministry said Friday.

Nineteen of the deaths resulted from traffic accidents related to the storms that began Nov. 9, the ministry said in a statement on its Web site.

Jarrett Bay 58

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

-TAG

Cold-Molded Construction and a Custom Approach Characterize This Battlewagon

Is Jarrett Bay a custom boat yard, or a production builder?

Considering that it builds far more hulls than the average custom shop – including both cold-molded sportfishermen of all sizes and molded walk-around outboard-powered boats – it's hard to say.

In fact, even though Jarrett Bay has only been around since 1986, it's built more boats than any independent sportfish builder in North Carolina. So, maybe Jarrett Bay is both.

But when you step aboard its 58, there can be no mistake: This is a highly customized machine. At a base price of $2.1 million, it is not cheap. And we found a few things to complain about, like a lack of integrated fishboxes in the cockpit and a safety rail on the bow. But overall, the Jarrett Bay 58 was created to run and fish with the finest cold-molded vessels in the fleet.

Coastal Flooding a Concern as Storm Moves Up Coast

The Associated Press — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Remnants of Tropical Storm Ida are pounding the East Coast, flooding coastal areas in New Jersey after slamming the Carolinas and Virginia.

Strong winds and waves are causing severe beach erosion along the New Jersey shore. However, the rain has not been as heavy as first predicted and that could help ease the flooding.

Many streets are flooded in Cape May County, which was under a state of emergency. Although officials suggested voluntary evacuations of low-lying areas late Thursday, there's no immediate word of any mandatory evacuations.