|
Rudderham's Captain's Comments
Oil company’s
cleanup plan just empty promises
March 24, 1989 might not be a date that any of us
will remember until you recall the name of Captain Joseph Hazelwood,
an alcohol abuser that was in command of the Exxon Valdez when it
went hard aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
The grounding caused the release of nearly all of the 53 million
gallons of oil on board.
Over 11 million gallons quickly spread with the
currents, covering over 3,000 miles of the Alaskan coastline
stretching from Bligh Reef to Kodiak Island. The oil and clean up
efforts killed hundreds of thousands of birds, thousand of marine
mammals, and countless other marine life. The poisons in the oil,
dispersants, and cleaning chemicals and compounds damaged all living
tissue, especially embryos in developing eggs.
The Pacific herring fishing season had to be canceled
and these fisherman’s way of life was about to be ended. Just about
every way of life in Alaska that depended on harvest from the sea
was negatively affected. No one anticipated that 18 years later
there would be pools of oil just under the gravel surface on many
beaches. No one foresaw the collapse of the Pacific herring
population that was oiled by the spill.
In 1993 when fishermen and other class action
plaintiffs sued Exxon, the giant corporation successfully argued to
limit their liability to proven damages. Economic harm was
determined to be $504 million, long term damages were not a part of
the court case, but the jury awarded $5 billion in punitive damages,
Exxon appealed; 19 years after the spill, the fisherman’s wait for
justice is over and not achieved.
Immediately after the spill Exxon met with the
damaged parties and promised, or shall I say bragged, about how they
would take care of all of the damaged parties. Now after many court
hearings the amount due to the damaged parties is $504 million and
the latest argument is for $488 million interest on the $504
million. So a company that last year was the world’s largest
corporation with revenue in excess of $400 billion last year has
beaten the Alaskan fisherman and those associated with it out of
millions.
The NOAA and researchers elsewhere have concluded
that as many as 26,000 gallons of oil remain embedded in the
shoreline and in area rivers and streams. The decay rate was suppose
to be 25 percent per year, but very little of the oil has actually
disappeared. What’s left will stay there for a very long time. Like
the fishermen are saying, empty promises.
Wave energy
New energy news is being announced daily. Improved
solar energy, wind energy, hydrogen fuel cells and I’m sure there is
more to come. Now wave energy is being harnessed for electric
power. Have you ever watched a sea buoy bobbing up and down in the
ocean? Well this power – the up and down motion – is being harnessed
to create electricity.
Since 2005, roughly 200 sites have been proposed. On
the ocean, they are what energy companies call “wave parks.” The
Electric Power Research Institute, a non-profit that conducts
research and development on technology, operations, and the
environment for the global electric power sector, says hydrokinetic
projects in southern Alaska could generate 1,250 billion kilowatt
hours of electricity per year. Electricity at that scale is spoken
of in terawatts. One terawatt equals a billion kilowatts. Projects
in Washington, Oregon, and California could generate 440 terawatt
hours of electricity per year.
Some of the power would be absorbed by the mechanical
devices themselves, but the rest would be converted to clean energy.
There are plans to place up to 200 buoys in one area, most in
comparatively shallow water between 20 and 40 fathoms deep and
taking up three or more miles of area parallel to the shore. You can
rest assured you will hear from fishermen on this, as these buoys
will occupy prime fishing grounds. Several confrontations have
already occurred between the fishermen and the energy seekers.
Expect to hear more on this source of energy.
For more information visit these websites:
• Ocean Power Technologies, www.oceanpowertechnologies.com;
• Pelamis Wave Power,
www.pelamiswave.com;
• Finavera,
www.finavera.com;
• Ocean A Energy Company, www.oceanaenergy.com;
and
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
www.ferc.gov.
Take a soldier fishing
We have all heard the saying “Take a kid fishing,” in
fact there are several web-sites and companies promoting these
events. There is no person more deserving of such a trip than our
soldiers. It might also be fun to bring their children along which
would make it even more memorable. There is now a website focusing
on the topic:
www.takeasoldierfishing.com. If you are interested log on and
make arrangements. If you do, take some photos and send them with
the details to Lakeside so we all can enjoy your trip.
Time to winterize
Now is the time to protect your investment, which can
represent a considerable amount of money. Refer to your owner’s
manual as to what must be done to properly perform the operation.
Keep in mind that if you own a boat that was manufactured prior to
the use of ethanol in fuel, your instructions might be different
than present day boats and could have changed. Always check with
your dealer’s mechanic if you have any questions.
One of the most important winterizing items is your
fuel system. Whether you have an outboard, inboard/outboard or an
inboard boat, they won’t perform with dirty fuel or having water in
the fuel. Now instead of a full tank of fuel when you winterize,
have a quarter of a tank. This is because ethanol will promote water
when it sits for a long period of time. Be sure to add the new
Sta-Bil to protect against corrosion.
Next drain your water separator. If you don’t have
one, install one now. With ethanol in most gas a water-separator is
one of the best preventative steps you can do for your fuel system.
Now that you have the fuel tank squared away you want to fog your
cylinders, check your fuel filters. If you have an inboard or
inboard/outboard engine you will want to open all the drains in the
cooling system so you won’t have a cracked block and a large repair
bill next spring.
While you are performing your winterizing, write down
what you need to do to get ready in the spring, also check hoses,
belts, and wires and replace where needed.
All four-stroke engines should have an oil and filter
change. Fresh oil doesn’t have the old oil chemicals which could
cause corrosion over the winter.
All outboards and inboard/outboards need to have the
lower unit lubrication checked, and if you find water in the unit it
needs to be drained and a seal replaced. Failure to do so will
result in another large expense, a new lower unit when it cracks
from the frozen water in the gear case.
Make sure you grease all the fittings for
tilt-trim-and steering. Check the power steering reservoir if so
equipped.
Remove the propeller and clear debris from the prop
shaft. Keep shaft greased so it won’t corrode or rust. Inspect prop
and if it needs work send it off now so it will be ready in the
spring. If you have an inboard boat and have had excess vibrations
it’s probably time to check the prop and shaft before damage occurs.
If you have any gauges, tachometers etc. that are not
giving correct information, now is the time to repair or replace
them. Any electronics that might need work, well now is the time to
send them in for repair so they will be ready for next season. It’s
also a good time to drop a hint on any new electronics you might
want. Who know if you’ve been good … maybe Santa will surprise you.
If you trailer your boat, don’t forget to check the
tires and grease the wheel bearings. Also inspect and replace where
needed, especially the trailer light system. Note: if your boat is
diesel powered, top off your fuel tanks for winterizing, also add a
fuel conditioner. Starbright has an excellent product that is
available from West Marine.
Finally invite those friends who enjoyed cruises on
your boat last summer and have a wash and wax party. Remember who
shows up so you’ll know who to invite on a cruise next year. Again
if you have any questions contact your mechanic for advice.
Make a list on what you did so you can refer to it
next spring. Record any parts or items you have replaced in your
mechanical log so you can refer to it if needed. It also helps to
keep an accurate mechanical log, especially when you trade-in or
sell your boat. The maintenance performed on the boat recorded in
the log with receipts shows that you did recommended maintenance at
the proper time and therefore you will be purchasing a well
maintained boat, probably one that is better then one without this
log.
Nautical rules of the road
For those of you who cruise our waterways frequently
there is a new book I think you might want aboard. “The One Minute
Guide to the Nautical Rules of the Road,” a United States Power
Squadron guide by Charlie Wing. Cost is $18.95.
Contact: 1-800-262-4729 or
www.internationalmarine.com.
Just by reading the table of contents you’ll likely
find a topic of interest so the next time you are in that situation
you will know the proper rules of the road. In some cases, you will
find a true story that brings to light what can happen when rules
aren’t followed.
The book also has highlighted sections, graphs and
charts. These are well done and make the book easy to follow and
understand.
This book is a must read for aspiring captains. It
also would be a good choice for your captain’s Christmas list. It’s
one of the best quick reference books I’ve read in a long time.
My first sail
Recently I had the occasion to meet Bob Wilson of the
Cruising Wilson’s whose article is featured in Lakeside. We
surveyed and sea trialed a 35’ Benneteau. I couldn’t help but think
that Lake Lanier looks like the Bay of Fundy with the tide out.
Plenty of deep water, you just have to be careful.
On my drive home my thoughts wandered back to my
first experience with a sail powered boat. I spent my summers in
northern Wisconsin at my granddad’s family compound on Big Bass
Lake, west of Land of Lakes. When I was around 6 or 7 years old my
granddad gave me a used 12’ plywood row boat. He gave it to me only
after the first one I thought I had repaired sank right to the
bottom. I guess this was a lesson of some sort that he wanted me to
go through. Anyway, on a lazy afternoon with a slight breeze I got
the idea of putting a sail on this 12’ row boat so I wouldn’t have
to row. I found a 6’ long 2x2 piece of lumber for a mast. Then I
needed a sail and some rope. Well, the small kitchen table had a
table cloth that would make a fine sail and my mother didn’t need
all of her clothesline, so off I went with all the materials to make
my row boat a sailboat. Keep in mind that adults at our summer place
were either in their cabins or out fishing, so I kind of had the run
of the place. I tied a paddle to the stern for a rudder. Affixed the
mast to the front seat and tied the table cloth in a triangle. Now
I had a row boat turned into a cat boat.
I had a favorable breeze to sail across the lake,
which would be about 2? miles. After shoving off and adjusting some
of my makeshift rigging the table cloth blossomed into full sail,
and off I went on my first sail, thinking I won’t have to row again.
When I got to the other side of the lake it finally dawned on me
that it would take much longer to fight the wind back to the dock,
also I realized that if I was to be on time for dinner I would have
to row.
I arrived back at the dock with an audience awaiting
me, among them my mother and granddad. Mother, realizing her table
cloth was hanging from my mast, and granddad, upset cause I’d gone
outside my boundaries of the bay. I blamed it on the wind. I can’t
remember how long I was beached, but I do remember the adults
talking with my mother and granddad about my ingenuity at such a
young age. Needless to say my childhood years were filled with some
great adventures.
Be courteous, practice safe boating and I’ll see you
on the water.
Mike Rudderham is a veteran marine
surveyor with more than 40 years experience in the marine industry.
mike@lakesidenews.com
|
