CARVER
OWNERS CLUB
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CARVER
OWNERS CLUB
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July 2006
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Stories |
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Soot Control - Exhaust Extensions and Fuel Additives Soot control, or keeping exhaust fumes and particles off of the stern of the boat. is a hot topic and has been for several months. While most of the sooting problems are associated with diesel boats, gasoline powered boat owners are also looking at how to get the CO away from the stern of the boat, too. TechGuy looked at three different approaches to solving this problem: moving the exhaust output away from the stern using extensions; cleaning up the fuel and injectors using fuel additives, and; cleaning the carbon out of the engines. It's difficult to design an exhaust pipe extension that works correctly. This is true whether you buy exhaust pipe extensions or have them made. TechGuy discovered that the extensions need to be a specific length and installed a certain way before they are useful at all. But some members love them. "I had my exhaust covers on the transom of my 55 Californian torn off in Katrina and am having trouble finding a replacement. They were fiberglass and about 9 inches in diameter and diverted the exhaust and water down. They seemed to make it quieter. Do you have any ideas as to where to go to buy replacements. I feel like have thoroughly searched the Internet but I may have been using the wrong phrases. Any help would be greatly appreciated." Another member in California built extensions from PVC pipe that extended past his swim platform and he was very pleased with the results. Another member has aftermarket extensions on his older boat and has good results. The problem is finding aftermarket exhaust extensions. As mentioned above, it's not always easy to find them. So, if you have any insights as to where to find exhaust extensions or blueprints for making some, send the information along. The second approach was to use fuel additives. TechGuy tested two different ones by putting one additive in the port tank that fed the port engine and the other additive in the starboard tank that fed the starboard engine. He didn't have to worry about an auxilliary tank confusing the results. TechGuy figured that the fuel condition and consumption in each tank would be similar enough to provide useful results. The two additives tested were Fuel-Tek, generally available on the Internet, and PRI-D, available from West Marine and other fine marine parts stores. Neither additive improved the soot problem. This is not to say that they couldn't make an improvement, given the right conditions. TechGuy thinks that the additives might work at improving the problem if the problem was dirty fuel. His fuel was clean, the tanks were clean, and he filtered the fuel very well. So, this is an inconclusive result. Another member swears by PRI-G in his gasoline engines. If you've used fuel additives, send your results along. TechGuy discovered a third approach, spraying a detergent mix into the engine while running. The theory here is that the detergent loosens the carbon buildup in the engine. Then the carbon is burned and expelled from the exhaust. This is not an approach that a casual boater should attempt, although one engine manufacturer provides such a cleaning solution.
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One of the nicest things that could ever be said about the Club is that some members form great friendships with people they would never have met otherwise. Here's a member's story:
I was down at the Dockmaster's office this
afternoon at Melbourne Harbor Marina, signing a contract for long term
dockage there commencing July 1st., after we come back from a few
weeks trip to the Abacos. The VHF radio interrupted us to advise the
Marina the "Cat's Meow" was inbound for overnight dockage. As I was
walking back to my place, a condo in the Harbor overlooking the
Marina, I noticed the 44' Carver MY coming into dock. It was the
"Cat's Meow."
"Boy," I thought, "It looks just like mine,
without the cockpit." Anyway, went up to my office in my condo, and
thought I'd check my email. Carver Owner's Club News had been sent so
I clicked on that. Down at the bottom of the page under Featured
Boat - Personal Note is a story concerning the "Cat's Meow" from
Patsy and I. It doesn't tell us who "I" is. Nor does it tell us
anything about the geography where the story takes place. I guess I'm
going to walk down to their slip and ask.....
It turns out that Nick stopped by the slip and visited for awhile. Patsy and I (Dave) have not renamed the boat, currently Cat's Meow, to its new name, Ibis. We've run into other members as we've traveled up the ICW from Fort Myers, Florida to the Chesapeake Bay. David Wright is involved in the Rotary Club. When he attended the last Rendezvous, he met Dutch Gundaker. It turns out that the Rotary Club International offers a scholarship for qualified college students. Dutch's grandfather established that scholarship in the memory of his son, Dutch's dad. After David and Dutch made this connection, the local Rotary Club contacted Dutch and invited him to their meeting. Thanks, David. |
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| Dave's Silly Tips I'm getting too old to crawl over and under things to reach different areas in the boat. I bought a "gopher" device from Home Depot and Bed, Bath and Beyond to extend my reach. I use this device to open porthole windows without crawling across the dinette or forward bunk, place oil diapers in the bilge, and pick up tools dropped almost anywhere. The cost is $10 to $20, depending on where you buy it. Bed, Bath, and Beyond had the best price when I bought my last one. Here's a photo.
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Vera's White Sands Marina and Restaurant has been sold. Miss Vera sold the White Sands to younger owners with the stipulation that they restore it to its former glory. According to most reports, it has been. The marina and restaurant is extensively refurbished with all the campy style and eclectic decorating intact. We understand that Miss Vera still visits the restaurant almost every day. We had our rendezvous at Vera's White Sands a couple of years ago in what had to be the most memorable of events. Even without the belly dancer it would have been memorable. We wish the new owners well and look forward to visiting with the boat.
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Towing Services
If you need a towing service, especially in an emergency, you don't think about what qualifications or complaints the tower you are calling has. If you are like me, you just assume that a tower who carries one of the two most recognizable names is competent and qualified. As it turns out, that may not be true. When I think of towing services two names come quickly to mind -
SeaTow and TowBoat/US. I contacted both TowBoat/US and SeaTow
after receiving several complaints from members about each of these
services. My favorite complaint was the one where the towing
captain was so drunk that he could barely stand up. The mate, who
spoke English as a second language, spent part of the time keeping the
captain from falling overboard while taking the damaged boat under tow.
The tow was successful, but very stressful. I asked boat SeaTow
and TowBoat/US for information about screening and qualifying its
authorized towers. I asked how often the is qualification reviewed
and how should our members let the company know that the towing services
provided were less than satisfactory. Finally, I asked if ratings
for the different towers are available from the company? SeaTow did not respond to any inquires. It appears that SeaTow sells franchises. Beyond that, SeaTow's involvement with the franchisees is anybody's guess. Several members have had great experiences with SeaTow and others feel that SeaTow did not provide qualified services. TowBoat/US provided a detailed response. "Thank you for your
questions and for telling us about the towing service complaints of your
members. |
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| Problems with
Frameless Windows A few years ago Carver went to a European style that incorporated frameless windows into the hull. The Club received two reports of the adhesive on these windows failing. Significant leaks resulted from the failure of the adhesive. Carver made repairs to the boat owned by the original owner and made some allowance for damage to personal property. The second report was made by a second owner, not covered under Carver's warranty program. This report is just beginning to go through the process. Another owner reported pops and creaks coming from the windows, especially on the sunny side of the boat. If your boat has frameless windows and they are leaking, let me know. I'm most interested in how your dealer and/or Carver resolved the problem with you.
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Recent Events Reported
Sixth Annual Chesapeake Bay Rendezvous The Club celebrated its sixth annual Chesapeake Bay Rendezvous. About half of the attendees arrived on Thursday. The Friday night get together was a little different this year. We had enough gifts for everyone to receive a rain suit, rain jacket, or bag. The snacks were replaced by gourmet pizza delivered to the party pad. The Saturday Boat Hop was as popular as usual with both McDaniel and Shady Oaks presenting two beautiful, new boats. There was also a rumor that peanut butter and mint fudge was served on one of the boat hop boats. Saturday night featured drinks and dinner at Phillips Inner Harbor. Most members thought the food, especially the appetizers, were much better. Everyone raved about the excellent service. Since our usual birthday person could not be with us, one of the members designated another person as the birthday person. Cleon was either a good sport or just happy to have three desserts. Sunday featured a nice fruit and muffin brunch as we got ready to leave. Second Annual Chesapeake Cruise Our post-Rendezvous cruise this year traveled up the Potomac to Alexandria. We left Baltimore Sunday afternoon and spent the first night on the hook at Shaw Bay. We detoured to Shaw Bay after the Bay Bridge was closed for the Bay Swim. Monday, we attempted to fuel at Lewisetta and could not find the channel. We were able to get into Cole's Plantation without any excitement. Monday night, we stayed on Brenton Bay - one of the most beautiful spots on the Potomac. Tuesday, we continued up the Potomac to Mount Vernon, George and Martha Washington's home. We tied up at his docks and toured the mansion and gardens. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights we stayed at the Alexandria City Marina, right in Old Town Alexandria. The Alexandria City marina was not expensive, $1 per foot per night, plus $2 per night for electricity. Free city-wide wireless is available and we used the devil out of it. Wednesday, we toured the mall, including a visit to the Vietnam Memorial and several Smithsonian museums. Thursday, we toured Olde Town Alexandria and a West Marine store. Friday we ran over 120 miles from Alexandria to Solomons, where we anchored just off the Holiday Inn's Hospitality Harbor. We also had a chance to visit the Tiki Bar. Saturday night we anchored just off the Magothy River in a little cove protected from the wind. The weather cooperated most days, except for a very breezy Saturday. We had a great time.
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| Featured Boat
This month's featured boat is a custom built 440 Cockpit . Click here for more information. http://www.carverownersclub.com/boatSales/detail.php?boatAd=182
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Discounts Available The cruising guide, Managing the Waterway, is now available to Club members at a 20% discount. To order, sign into the Members Only section and follow the link to their web site. We found the book to be a good guide for traveling the Atlantic ICW. IT's made better with the emailed updates for the constantly changing waterway.
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