Mastervolt, an innovator in many areas of marine electrics near and dear to my heart announced yesterday that they have added another distributor to their growing US presence. It turns out that the distributor they selected is a long time ABYC member and supporter, Ward's Marine Electric in Ft. Lauderdale and Riviera Beach Florida. Great choice Mastervolt!

 I know the folks at both companies and I can tell you that if you need top shelf gear and assistance in system design or installation, these are two companies you need to take a good look at. The official press release is here:

Mastervolt Products to be distributed by Wards Marine Electric

Hanover, MD, May 25, 2009 – Mastervolt, manufacturer of high-quality electrical power products and systems solutions, is pleased to announce that Wards Marine Electric of Florida will be distributing the Mastervolt product line.

“For many years, Wards Marine Electric has offered a strong focus and broad understanding of the electrical sector of the marine industry and they serve their customers with great integrity.  Wards, like Mastervolt has a systems approach to the marine electrical market.  Thus, they are an ideal partner to distribute Mastervolt and will offer customers much greater access and availability to the products,“ said Menno Ligterink, General Manager of Mastervolt, Inc.  “The addition of Wards Marine Electrical signals Mastervolt’s continued commitment to an expanding, strategic direction in North America with consistent, knowledgeable distribution and product support.”

Wards Marine Electric will be offering the full line of Mastervolt products and will be stocking the items including the full range of batteries at its Fort Lauderdale and Riviera Beach, Florida facilities.

For more information, please visit the Wards Marine Electric website at www.wardsmarine.com or www.mastervolt.com.

About Mastervolt

Founded in 1991, Mastervolt International is a leading supplier of high-quality electrical power products and systems solutions for the marine industry.  Headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Mastervolt employs @100 full-time staff in six countries including the United States (Hanover, MD headquarters) and has a presence in more than 60 countries.  Mastervolt International is privately owned by its current management and key employees.   For more information, please visit www.mastervolt.com . 

Regarding the Gulf oil spill, I've been sitting back quietly observing the shenanigans as they evolve. I remain amazed that technologically, we have the ability to send a mobile robot to Mars and send back photos of that planet's surface, but we can't seem to figure out a way to plug a hole in the ocean's floor one mile deep. IMHO we should have had this all figured out before  allowing any oil company or sub-contractor to set up a rig. Obviously our thirst for oil out-weighed proper oversight on the part of whatever government organization is responsible for such things.

Now the legal games are beginning, and I compel all readers of this blog to contact their respective congress and senate representatives and scream bloody loud that current liability limits are not even close to realistic in today's world.

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I've believed for years that in spite of all the various governments and their differences around the globe, the world is actually run by four or five people and they all run oil companies.................

In this case there appear to be two companies involved, Transocean LTD. and BP PLC. Transocean has already begun playing games with the legal system, recently filing a petition in a federal court that would limit its liability to $27 million dollars based on a maritime law written in 1851, back when a million dollars was actually a lot of money. So, now the lawyers are lining up. I'm on the side of the hundreds if not thousands of small businesses in the Gulf region that are now beiing affected, from motel operators to crab and shrimp fishers to boat dealers and charter operators. The ripple affect of all this is going to effect all business sectors, retail, wholesale, and service businesses that work on boats are all going to be heavily impacted.

BP, to their credit has consistently stated that it will pay all "legitimate claims" related to this situation, but I really wonder. What they haven't said is that they will pay all legitimate claims up to the limit of their liability............. My inner conspiracy theorist self knows that what is going on right now is at least to some extent political posturing, and BP can certainly afford to wait out the game indefinately.

After the Exxon Valdez incident the 1990 Oil Pollution Act set limits to $75 million for situations like this and these real rulers of the world are fully aware of this. So now the US Senate has several realistic NJ members that have tried unsuccessfully to get an expedited bill through to raise the limit to $10 billion, more in line with today's economy. Remember a billion is the new million in today's world.

So, who in the senate is against raising the liability limits to that extent? Well, go figure, they are all from oil producing states like Alaska, Louisiana and Alabama. Now in fairness to the two Southern gentlemen that are in the Senate representing the folks back home (David Vitter and Jeff Sessions), they really do have to get credit for creative law making proposals. They want to limit the liability to an amount equal to the last four quarters of a company's profits or double the current limit, whichever is greater. Do I think the companies will play accounting games to hide profits, effectively reducing their liability if this bill goes through? You bet I do.

Boater's be tough! Call or write your Senators and Congress people today. Its time to clamp down on the rulers of the world and get the game played fairly. Not happening right now IMHO. So what's Ed's Boat Tip here? Help your fellow boaters and the many folks who work in the marine industry in the Gulf region, contact your representatives, the future of the Gulf Of Mexico depends on it. Please, please, don't count on the government or the oil companies to get this right. They won't without some serious voter griping.

OK, as promised here's my technical update on the issues of boat damage from exposure to Gulf Oil Slicks. As mentioned in my last post Beneteau's customer service supervisor Ward Richardson came out with several strong recommendations yesterday regarding the impact to their boats as a result of sailing through the Gulf Oil Spill. I had questions regarding two of Ward's recommendations. I gave Ward a call this morning to discuss this with him.

My first question was in regards to the gel coat Beneteau is currently using on their boats. Basically there are two types of resin bases used to make gel coat, orthophthalic and isophthalic. Beneteau is currently using the isophthalic variety and further it sounded like they are taking it a step further by mixing in what is known as neopentyl glycol, an agent that will further enhance weathering and chemical resistance capabilities. The isophthalic resin itself is highly resistant to chemical attack, the additive just ups things a notch further. The bottom line here? Beneteau is using extremely high quality gel coat that is superior in every way when it comes to degradation due to weathering and chemical attack.

All this said, Ward expressed to me that he would rather err on the side of caution and leave his recommendation as it stands. Fair enough, and I agree with his position. But, to further elaborate we do need to remember that even the best gel coat is somewhat porous, and it is conceivable that exposure to the oil slick could cause some discoloration. But I'm sticking to my position here as well, I think it is extremely unlikely if the boat is washed as I mention in my Boats.com article and the oil residue is removed. In a worst case scenario, there is a product available that can help, I've used it and can attest to its ability to meet its claims. Check it out at www.oilgoneeasy.com . As for sealing your gel coat, the best product out there is probably BTS Sealant, a polymer based product that will effectively clean and then close the microscopic pores in the gelcoat. it can be purchased online at www.chemical-supermarket.com .

Finally, to the engine issue and Beneteau's recommendation, which actually came via Ward through Yanmar. Again, more erring on the side of caution. The impellars are made of neoprene, quite resistant to exposure to petrolium based products.

So, in closing, I'd be remiss if I were to tell you to ignore your boat builder's recommendations, but I'd also be remiss if I didn't share with you some of the technical facts behind all of this. We don't want Gulf State boaters going into a panic over this whole mess! 

This just in:

"From Regatta Chairman: 

I am happy to report that the owners of boats participating in the Regata al Sol XXVI agreed unanimously to move forward with racing to Isla. The race itself will likely be altered slightly with an offset waypoint(s) to insure a safety margin around the oil slick.

 All agreed that the return trip will provide the greatest logistical challenge. The Regatta Committee plans to post daily updates in Isla with charts and updates from the Coast Guard that will help owners determine their best course of action in bringing their boats home.

 Owners also shared valuable information as to what to do in the unlikely event that a boat should encounter oil.

 In the end, it was agreed that we will continue to monitor the situation closely and share information as we have been doing. Until then, we will continue to deliver boats to Pensacola, prepare food and menus, check sails and rigging and dream of being, once again, at sea. I believe that first cerveza will taste all that much better when we all get down there.

 Thanks again for your support. Guy P. Brierre"

Some of you may be wondering why my interest in this particular regatta. Today you'll be seeing a new feature article that discusses the impact of sailing (or motoring) your boat through an oil slick on the Boats.com website. ( http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2010/05/the-gulf-oil-spill-will-it-destroy-your-boat/ ) I love to do distance racing and this year's Regata al Sol poses some interesting challenges for the participants. For me its technical. We've already seen a post from Michael James discussing the Boat US position, which is that any damage caused by the oil is insurable.

Beneteau came out with a statement yesterday that contradicts in part the advice I provide in my Boats.com article. Beneteau is claiming that if you sail your boat through the oil slick, there will be permanent staining to white gel coat. They are also claiming that running petroleum through the cooling system will cause damage. I disagree with both of these claims, but will be researching this more as today unfolds and will get back to you all later in the day with my findings.

Green Alerion On The Horizon...Ed Sherman

Today it was officially announced that Pearson Composites in Warren, RI is in the process of building a very intriquing and revolutionary boat. 33 ft. and all electric. This boat is going to be different in that there is no fossil fueled engine installed. No hybrid here, it's all electric drive. Pearson has teamed with Mastervolt to create a totally integrated system which will have its power supplied by a pair of Mastervolt Lithium ION batteries. The drive will run at 48 volts DC and the balance of the boat's electrical gear will be powered at 12 volts DC.  The boat is a beauty too, my kind of boat, classic lines and a sweet sailor. Although the boat falls into what has become the modern "day sailor" category, I personally put it in my great weekender category.

 I've been following this project since I first heard about it a month ago and even went to see the boat at the factory earlier this week. For those of you not familiar with the Alerion line, a example one of these beauties is shown below:

 The boat is not a new design, having been around for several years. But, in terms of the propulsion system, it is totally new. Today's press release touches on the new concept:

In November 2009, Mastervolt acquired Dutch-based Bellmann, a leading player in the electrical propulsion systems market, which has been producing dedicated electrical drives for boats since 2002. Their full line of products include drives ranging from 1kW to 20kW complete with matching shafts and propellers, along with control panels and switching gear. Combining Bellmann’s innovations with those of Mastervolt now provides a completely integrated system for the marine market.

Pearson will install a 7.5kW electric drive system onto its new Alerion 33 sailboat.  The fully electric propulsion system will also seamlessly integrate with Mastervolt’s charging system, award winning Lithium Ion battery and MasterBus™ CANbus network. 

“Pearson sees the future of green boating and the many advantages of a total integrated system solution for the boater,” said Michele Goldsmith, Director of Sales at Mastervolt, Inc.  “In the end, it’s all about the boater’s experience.  This integrated system offers a more efficient, quieter, user-friendly, cost-effective and environmentally conscious experience for the boater.”

“Offering this system on our boats is a continuation of our commitment to green boating and boat building practices.  We’re excited to offer a system that matches the quality of our products while satisfying the needs of our customers.” said Scott Bryant, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Pearson Composites, LLC.

The Alerion sailboat is in the midst of the installation process and will be completed in May of 2010.  Mastervolt will display its e-propulsion systems at the upcoming Miami International Boat Show, booth #K67.

I'll be in Miami meeting with the folks at Mastervolt to learn more about this system and will report on the progress of this new boat over the next few months as I track its progress with the engineering department at Pearson.