Still bringing the new yacht south

Ahoy.

In last week’s column, I mentioned that all this week, I will be

aboard a 111-foot Codecasa Fantail mega-yacht on a delivery to Union

Lake, Wash.

On board are three experienced captains for this trip. Joining me

are Butch Icobelli and Mitch Keeler, both from San Diego. This is an

expensive mega-yacht and it is important to have the experience on

board, especially heading north with the weather systems this time of

year.

Well, if our route plan holds true, then a little after 7 this

morning, we will change course from a northerly heading of 342

degrees magnetic to an easterly heading of 76 degrees magnetic. This

means we will round Washington’s Cape Flattery, leaving the Pacific

Ocean and entering into the more protected, yet open waters of the

Strait to Juan de Fuca that separates Vancouver Island and

Washington.

For those boaters mentally plotting this course, remember that as

you travel north, the variation increases between true north and

magnetic north. So, charting in our southern latitude of 33 degrees

north, the variation is 13 degrees east, yet today, I am at 48

degrees north with a variation of 19 degrees east.

We plan to touch our first dock this evening at Shilshole Bay

after a nonstop five-day voyage traveling more than 1,213 nautical

miles. On Saturday morning, we will transit up Shilshole Bay through

the locks to the yacht’s new home in Lake Union.

Next week, I will tell you about the trip’s highlights.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Check that your high water bilge alarms are working. What’s that?

You say that you don’t have any high water alarms on your boat? Then

it is time to install high water alarms in your bilges before you

find out the hard way that your boat is sinking.

These alarms are activated by float switches mounted just higher

than the automatic bilge pump’s float switch in the bilge. As the

water rises, the switches trigger an audible alarm. Some also have a

panel with lights that show which switch is activated.

I hear boaters say too often that they have automatic bilge pumps

and are therefore protected. Wrong answer, try again.

After the bilges start to fill up with water because of a blown

cooling hose or maybe because you cracked the hull, overwhelming the

pumps, then you will feel the boat get sluggish and roll from side to

side. However, if you have a bilge alarm, then you would be alerted

at the onset before you are wading in water.

Also, bilge alarms have saved many vessels at dock or tied to a

mooring can. It is common for the house batteries to die or a bilge

pump stop working leaving the boat unprotected. An audible bilge

alarm will alert those nearby your vessel that something is amiss and

that a high pitch squeal is usually a bilge alarm.

One new problem is that new vessels are equipped with carbon

monoxide (CO) detectors that audible squeal sounds identical to a

high water alarm. This is a problem because for some reason, the CO

detectors falsely activate on unattended closed-up vessels, sounding

like a high water alarm.

I do not consider a falsely activating CO detector a concern on an

unattended boat, but if it is a high water alarm, then that is a

major concern or an emergency.

I have had many panicked boat owners call me who have been called

by their marina manager about an alarm going off inside their boat.

Some of these boats are docked as far away as Mexico, and everyone is

deciding what to do in case of flooding.

The CO alarms sound for a while and then shut off, leaving

everyone wondering what it was all about. I have been called for an

activated high water alarm on boats equipped with water alarms.

I think the false alarms are because of the fabrics or materials

releasing a chemical on very hot days. Many people are now turning

off their CO detectors when they leave their boats, but you have to

remember to turn the detectors back on when anyone is aboard.

Boat safe. Next week, I will be back for a week until my next

voyage up the coast.

Safe voyages.

* MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating and harbor columnist. Send

him your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story suggestions by

e-mail to [email protected] or visit BoathouseTV.com.