Steve's Marine Service Blog

The Jersey Shore got a surprise visitor and its one they hope leaves fast.

Tiny But Very Dangerous Clinging Jelly Fish Are Vacationing in New Jersey This Summer

By Jen Kirby

Time to meet the clinging jellyfish, a tiny, invasive sea creature that's coming to ruin your summer. These clinging jellies are not particularly big, but their sting is very, very nasty. They've been spotted in the rivers and inlets in a few New Jersey towns for the first time.

One New Jersey man, swimming in the Shrewsbury River, came across one of these clinging jellies and had to be hospitalized this week. One other New Jersey man who thinks he got stung described the aftermath as if "every single muscle in my body had a Charlie Horse in it. Every muscle felt like it had a knife in it. I couldn't even lay down, just laying down hurt." People have also reported that the sting felt like "bizarre paralysis," or as if “somebody had taken five hypodermic needles ... all at the same time and injected them into my lip." But good news is, at least, is that one person in Massachusetts reported that after “two to three hours of ceaseless pain I started to feel better."

These little guys are from the Pacific Ocean, but ended up in the East Coast sometime in the late 1890s near Martha's Vineyard, probably dragged along with a fishing boat. They've apparently been found elsewhere on the East Coast, including the Long Island Sound. But this is the first recorded instance of one popping up in New Jersey. Clinging jellyfish don't like rough waters, usually preferring to hang out in bays and calmer waters — so Jersey Shore goers are probably safe. And swimming in the Shrewsbury River doesn't sound the greatest, but if you're doing it, definitely stay away from there at night — that's when the hungry clinging jellies come out to feed.

Boat Security Systems

Whether it’s for your own slip at home or when you pull into ports away from home, your boat is an investment, and securing it and how, is a decision you need to make.

Here’s an article addressing some of your security options.

Safety, Security & Peace Of Mind For Your Vessel

By Tom Neale

My first boat security system cost around 10 bucks. It came from RadioShack and wasn't just for boats. Two little components were fastened to my hatch and hatch frame with sticky tape. When their magnets separated, an alarm sounded. It always let me know when the sticky tape came unstuck, except when I wasn't onboard. If I were a thief, I'd have simply pulled the alarm component off and thrown it overboard. Today, boat security systems have gotten much more sophisticated and can cost anywhere from $100 upwards. They can tell you anything you want to know (but perhaps wish you didn't). It's simply a matter of what you need, and how far you want to go for protection.

Types of Systems

Simplistically put, notification of alarm events can be at three different levels.

• Local alarm only: alerts those onboard or on a nearby pier that there's an alarm event.
• Remote communication: alerts a distant owner or monitoring center via cell phone or satellite, using text, voice, or email.
• Interactive: systems that allow owner to effect responses.

The last two require an appropriate communications capability on your boat — either cellular or other Internet access device, and/or a satellite communications device. These may be a part of the system you purchase. With some systems, you pay a one-time fee to build your system, or a fee to establish a basic system, which you may add to later. With systems that communicate, you also pay a recurring fee for monitoring and communications.

Types of Sensors

Systems can utilize multiple sensors, depending on what you wish to monitor and how much you're willing to pay. The sensor is the device that detects an alarm event, then communicates via the system to a local alarm or monitoring service or owner. That which a sensor monitors is often referred to as a "zone." For example, a hatch may be referred to as "zone 1."

When shopping systems, ask about the price of the system and the monthly charges to get an accurate picture of the true cost.

We're all familiar with high-water, fire, and intrusion sensors. But even these have different levels of sophistication. For example, there are sensors not just for high water but also for irregular bilge-pump cycles, which would indicate future flooding. We're also familiar with "burglar sensors," which tell that a door or hatch is open. Sensors can now detect deck vibration to indicate that someone has stepped aboard. Motion sensors can alert to motion within the secured cabin spaces. Sensors can also tell you if the engine has been started, if there is a dangerous noise such as glass breaking, or even if the boat has moved away from the dock, or from a GPS-determined perimeter around a mooring. You can even get sensors that let you know if a cockpit cover or bimini has been unsnapped.

There are also sensors that can detect when a component such as a radar or chartplotter or outboard has been disconnected. At this point, it may be too late for a remote owner to intercede, but you can buy systems that can track the boat or outboard using GPS. Many systems include cameras that record, like a typical security camera in a store, or also broadcast so that you can see what's happening aboard even though you're not there. This may allow you to make a more informed decision as to the action you'd like to take.

The information "sensed" must be effectively communicated. Do you want just a bilge alarm that sets off a horn so that those at the dock know you've got a problem, or do you want it to let you know even if you're on another continent? And do you want the ability to "do something" remotely? The range of possibilities is huge.

Talking Back

When you can respond to your boat, you can do things such as turn on floodlights. This is handy for scaring off boarders and also handy when you're going to arrive at the marina after dark. You can kill your engine(s) if you've been notified that the boat has moved beyond its designated perimeter. You can switch to a different battery bank for more pumping power, or release deterrent gases inside the cabin spaces.

FIRE AND YOUR BOAT

 Whether on the water, in your driveway, or tied up to a dock with no one aboard, it's easier for a fire that gets started on a larger, inboard boat to gain some serious momentum before somebody notices it. Most fires can be traced back to maintenance issues in the DC electrical system, the AC electrical system, and the engine (particularly the engine cooling system); a regular maintenance schedule combined with attention to critical components in each of these systems can have a huge impact on reducing the incidence of fire aboard inboard boats.

But what causes the fires in these different areas?

DC Electrical Fires

In a fire study, Thirty-five percent of the fires that originated were caused by problems in the 12-volt DC electrical system but the fire that starts in the wiring under the headliner or behind a panel in the galley is the exception, not the rule. More than half of DC electrical fires, or 19 percent of all fires originating on inboard-powered boats, were associated with either the engine or the batteries, both of which tend to be in the engine room. That's because there are so many things that can burn in the engine room — fuel, oil from a slow leak, or even, in the case of a gasoline engine, gas fumes — once a DC wiring problem creates some heat.  In addition, starting the engine and charging the batteries generate significantly higher amperages than those in most other areas of the boat. These higher loads create more heat where there are undersized wires, lose or corroded connections, or intermittent shorts. Finally, the vibration from the engine increases the likelihood of chafe in such vulnerable areas as the wiring harness and connections to the alternator and the starter.

Preventing these fires comes down to good electrical maintenance on every component of the DC system associated with the engine and the batteries. Regular maintenance — on a monthly basis during the boating season — should include ensuring all connections are tight from the batteries to the starter to the alternator, making sure wiring is supported and secured to minimize the impact of vibration, keeping battery terminals clean, and inspecting wiring for signs of chafe.

Beyond good maintenance, there are three other steps owners can take to prevent DC electrical fires on inboard boats. Wiring harnesses and starters account for the majority of DC electrical fires on boats 25 years old or older. If you have an older boat and the starter and wiring harness are original, consider replacing them. Another problem area has to do with hooking up the batteries at the beginning of the season. Every year, we see cases where the battery cables were reversed or the batteries were hooked up in parallel instead of in series. See Alerts for some suggestions on ways to avoid this slap-yourself-in-the-head mistake.

 AC Electrical Fires

To have 120-volt, alternating current (AC) to run our air conditioners, our refrigerators, and our water heaters aboard, we usually have to plug in to shore power. Even if you don't have any of these luxuries on your boat, you quite likely still plug in to charge the batteries. In the marine environment, the plugs and inlets/outlets in the shore power system are vulnerable to dirt, corrosion, and moisture, any of which can cause arcing that damages the contacts and eventually leads to increasing resistance and heat buildup.  In addition to the cord itself, the data pinpointed a particularly vulnerable link in the shore power chain: the shore power inlet on the boat. And not the entire inlet, but the terminals at the back of the inlet where the boat's wiring is connected. These inlets are particularly vulnerable to water intrusion, and the connections are subject to vibration and corrosion and are often surrounded by material that ignites easily. They should be pulled out and inspected at least every five years. If there's any sign of corrosion, replace them.

Electric heaters, another hazard continue to be a major source of AC electrical fires aboard. While safer heaters have been developed that are less prone to being tipped over or to igniting anything combustible that falls on them, they still draw a great deal of power, and any corrosion in the shore power system (or worse, household extension cords powering heaters) will tend to build up heat somewhere that can result in a fire.

Automotive-style battery chargers don't have the safeguards to protect your boat while the battery is charging, especially long-term. Battery chargers are much like heaters, but in addition to the demands they make on the shore power cords and connections, using an automotive battery charger instead of a proper marine battery charger can easily lead to fires aboard. High-quality marine battery chargers are not only designed for the marine environment with potted components that resist water intrusion, but they also use multi-stage charging regimes and temperature sensors to make sure the batteries get just the right amount of current at each stage of the charging cycle.

Docking makes boaters nervous. Throw a little wind and current in the mix, and you can find yourself overwhelmed with things to worry about. Your technique shouldn't be one of your worries. Coming alongside a dock or bulkhead can be accomplished in just four steps. But first, you need to know a few things about your boat.

I see the results of not docking appropriately all too often. So please, read this.

This procedure is for outboard- or sterndrive-powered boats. Hopefully you've had enough time at the helm to know how your boat pivots when you throw the wheel hard over in either direction. Many beginning boaters are surprised at how much the stern swings or slides out when they initiate a turn. If you're not familiar with your boat's tendencies, to get a feel, practice by approaching a buoy or crab pot marker as though it were the dock. Once you've got that down, choose which side you want to tie up, deploy fenders, and you're ready to make your approach. These instructions are for a portside tie.

Step 1: Line Up Your Approach

Steps 1 and 2
Slowly approach center of desired berth

When approaching the space on the dock where you want to come alongside, first judge wind and current. If the wind or current will be pushing you toward the dock, a shallow angle will help you keep control and not strike the dock with the bow of the boat. If the wind and/or current are conspiring to keep you off the dock, as so often seems to be the case, you'll need a steeper approach to carry enough momentum to get you into the dock. Start with a 30- to 45-degree angle as you learn what works best for your boat. Aim your bow toward the center of your landing point.

Step 2: Come In Slowly

There's an old saying, "Never approach a dock any faster than you're willing to hit it." Bump the boat in and out of gear to maintain slow progress toward your chosen spot. On twin-engine boats, use one engine at a time to creep in.

Step 3: Time Your Swing

Step 3
Wheel to starboard, engine in forward

When your bow is within, say, half a boat length, swing the wheel over hard to starboard (away from the dock). This is where knowing your boat becomes important, particularly regarding where it pivots. Turn too soon, and you won't end up parallel with the dock. Too late, and bang. With the wheel hard over, bump the engine into gear for an instant to kick the stern to port. This will
also swing the bow away from the dock (to starboard) so you won't hit it.

Step 4: The Flourishing Finish

Step 4
Wheel to port, engine reversed

As the boat glides toward being parallel with the dock, swing the wheel all the way back to port, and kick the engine into reverse (on twins, use the engine farthest from the dock for maximum effect). This will simultaneously stop your headway and pull the stern of the boat to port and closer to the dock. When the boat has stopped moving forward, put it in neutral. The boat should continue side-slipping right up to the dock, allowing you to simply reach out and grab a
line or piling. 

Thanks to Michael Vatalaro, BoatUS Magazine's executive editor

SHARK BREEDING GROUND

It appears the waters off the Island may be a breeding ground for great white sharks. Now, experts are planning to launch a expedition to try to pinpoint an exact location.

A marine research group is looking to launch a great white shark expedition off Long Island.

OCEARCH says it plans to find and tag juvenile great whites in the waters off the Island.

The organization says sharks are the key to our ocean's ecosystems, yet very little is known about their migratory patterns, and mating and birth sites.

OCEARCH has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the money needed for the expedition. This expedition will be unique among all of Ocearch’s other endeavors though, as Fischer and his team have opted to crowdfund it. Utilizing Kickstarter, Ocearch has so far raised over $30,000 of the $150,000 needed for their vessel to set sail in New York waters for the first time. If the funds are successfully raised, Fischer and his cohorts hope to tag juvenile great whites, in an effort to better understand the exact area that serves as their nursery.

Researchers say the sharks are a sign of a healthy ecosystem, but swimmers should be cautious.

The sharks follow their food supply — which is great for Long Island's fishermen — but a tagged great white named Mary Lee was recorded swimming close to East Hampton last month.

 We’ve tagged five great whites on the east coast of the U.S., and based on some of their migratory patterns, we suspect Long Island, New York may be a birthing site.”

What do you think?

Keeping bird droppings off your boat or dock

Harbors seem home to every flying 'dumpster' there is - gulls, cormorants, Canada geese, mallards, and a variety of other little chirpsters that love to park on the boat. I have seen all kinds of remedies that don't work (rubber owls, snakes, scary faces, etc) - but never thought much about it, as the birds never seemed to bother our spot - until this last summer. We were invaded by a flock of English Sparrows that had taken up residence in an abandoned boat house near our slip, and they relished in leaving the boathouse, flying the short trip to our starboard rail, parking, and (you know the rest!). The owner told me many times that during the week, there were often so many birds on this rail, there wasn't room for any more - and the rail is 35' long!

Here’s a solution that I found works better than most I’ve tried, a simple, easy to install, and inexpensive gimmick that really works - PINWHEELS. You know - those little spinning things on the end of a stick you had as a child, that would spin in the breeze. They cost all of a dollar (or less) each, and I use 2-3 on each side, plus one on the bow pulpit. Figure out a way to attach them to the rails (I use Velcro cable ties), and just stick them on before you leave the boat -takes about 2 minutes total. The lightest breeze will make the little buggers spin like crazy - and the birds hate them. It worked so well that the marina uses them too around the marina, and the idea has caught on with other boaters in the area.

This won't prevent the flying bombers from doing their fly-bys, but it will and does keep roosting birds off the boat, especially decks and topsides. It might also work on swim platforms and transoms - haven't tried.

The History of Memorial Day

Originally called Decoration Day, from the early tradition of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags, Memorial Day is a day for remembrance of those who have died in service to our country. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868 to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former Union sailors and soldiers.

During that first national celebration, former Union Gen. and sitting Ohio Congressman James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who were buried there.

“We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”

- James A. Garfield

May 30, 1868 Arlington National Cemetery

This event was inspired by local observances of the day that had taken place in several towns throughout America in the three years after the Civil War. In 1873, New York was the first state to designate Memorial Day as a legal holiday. By the late 1800s, many more cities and communities observed Memorial Day, and several states had declared it a legal holiday. After World War I, it became an occasion for honoring those who died in all of America’s wars and was then more widely established as a national holiday throughout the United States. 

Keep On Charging

It's that little box that keeps the whole show running. Show it the respect it deserves with these simple tips.

Load Testing Your Batteries

On a boat, the easiest way to apply enough load to a battery for a meaningful test is to use the starter motor on the engine as the load. Disconnect the ignition coil, if yours is a gas engine, so the engine won't start up, connect your voltmeter to the battery, and have a friend crank the engine. If the voltage falls below 9.6 volts, you need a new battery.

It Won't Stop Your Heart, But ...

Direct current (DC) might be less likely to shock you than alternating current (AC), but there's a lot more to safety than not getting shocked. DC sparks around charging batteries can cause an explosion. Battery electrolyte is made from sulfuric acid, which can cause severe burns or blindness. DC systems are relatively safe, but still demand your respect and caution.

Don't Let Your Batteries Go Boom

Batteries do go boom from time to time. Explosions involve two things: hydrogen gas and a spark. Hydrogen is the lightest of the elements, so it will disperse quickly if released into a ventilated space. But an explosion could still happen if the electrolyte levels get so low that the plates are no longer covered or, if the vent is clogged, allowing hydrogen to build up. So, be sure your deep-cycle batteries are in a well-ventilated space, check the electrolyte levels regularly, charge it using a marine charger with a regulator, keep grease and other contaminants away from the vents, and watch out for bulges in the battery case, which indicate a buildup of hydrogen gas.