Excerpts from the previous Scuttlebutt issue.

I really can't find much to say. Things seem to be going well, members are having fun on the net, our finances are in good shape, the web site and Scuttlebutt are better than ever, and the kinks (if there were any) seem to be out of the new weather reporting. Summer's here and all's well.

That said, I'd like to encourage more members to participate in the jobs that keep the net going every day. Serving as a net control, relay or fleet captain a few days each month is a good excuse to keep your rig in top shape, and it's fun! You don't need a kilowatt of power or a fancy beam antenna, just a clean signal from house or boat. We've had openings in the schedule recently, and members have always stepped up to relay positions and pass traffic as needed, but we could use more volunteers so that every position is filled "officially" every day. Give me a shout or send an email to get on the list.

I went on a bike trip in June to attend the Chesapeake Rendezvous at Solomons, and had a great time. I want to thank VC Peter K3PKC for putting it together, and also everyone who showed up to support it. We had good food, fellowship and fun. I know Peter plans to do it again next year, and I hope it becomes an annual event, just like our picnic in Melbourne.

Finally, just for the heck of it, here's a picture of yours truly reading the WRCC weather from station WX4CHS, which is the NOAA weather station at Charleston Airport.

The Waterway CW Net is very active in spite of NCS (Net Control Stations) getting distracted. Sam N4UAU has been off on Scooter Trips. John WA4BAM takes regular duties as captain of a big Boy Scout boat with a big crew and no ham radio. Chuck ND7K is on Southport Island, ME with a small antenna and no amp. Someone always seems to fill in OK and we have averaged between 15 and 25 QNI's per day. Come and join us. For details go to waterwayradio.net, click on CW Net in the left hand column and for a roster of CW ops click on roster at the bottom.

Marti Brown KF4TRG told us about CW ringtones that you can make yourself and download for free! These are good for a variety of cell phones. Your cell phone must have WAP internet access to download the ringtones directly from the site or you'll have to have the ability to connect your phone to the computer so you can download the ringtones using your computer and then transfer them to your phone. This is very, very cool! Here's one Marti made for her phone:

CU on CW 7050 73 Chuck ND7K

When it comes to medical self awareness there is much to learn. It's a never ending process, even for doctors. Today I'll deal with tomatoes and salmonella intestinal infection. I'll not malign tomatoes. They are great, and when served fresh are a good source of vitamin C. The immediate problem is the assertion that fresh uncooked tomatoes may in some cases carry salmonella bacteria. (As of June 9th McDonalds has even stopped serving fresh tomato slices.) About 50 people nationwide have come down with intestinal upset from salmonella (variety saintpaul) on fresh uncooked tomatoes (called 'Roma" or "red round tomatoes"). The CDC reports this from cases occurring in nine states: Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, Illinois, and Indiana. No single vendor of the tomatoes has been identified. The incubation period is 12 to 48 hours after eating the tomatoes. All this leads me to tell you a little about sterilizing fresh fruit and about salmonella in general. This will especially interest live-aboards and those cruising in third world countries.

I'll start with the bacteria Salmonella. Like all living things it has a botanical name. Just like we are called Homo Sapiens (Man that Thinks) the salmonella family members have two names, a first and a last. Example is Salmonella paratyphosa or in the present outbreak Salmonella saintpaul. These various varieties of salmonella generally are transmitted in water or the moisture on foods and get there from dirty human fingers, dirty with feces on unwashed hands. Another source is the use of human feces as fertilizer. Chickens, ducks and Easter turtles carry Salmonella, too.

The Salmonella family of germs produce a variety of diarrhea upsets, but not usually as severe as cholera. Sometimes the illness lasts only a day or so, but at times it lasts several days, or longer. I might mention that E. Coli can cause the same symptoms, as can amoebas, etc. One Salmonella, the one called 'typhosa,' causes typhoid fever, but that is NOT the one presently on today's accused tomatoes.

Salmonella germs are rather fragile; they are killed by drying in a few hours and also are killed by cooking to a reasonable temperature, like 180 deg. F. for 10 minutes or so. In boiling water these germs die in a minute or two. Salmonella are also killed off by the acid in the stomach to some extent, and by chlorine! That's why we use chlorine in some form, like Clorox®, to sterilize questionable drinking water. I suppose safely diluted Muriatic acid (HCl) would kill off the salmonella as well but is less commonly available.

To summarize, Salmonella food poisoning is a constant threat and comes to us by food contaminated by human dirty hands. The germs can be killed by cooking, and by chemicals like chlorine and acids, and possibly just washed away by a good cleaning. Giardia and amoebas are one-celled parasites and are harder to kill. They require filtration, and/or heavy cooking.

Other than adequate washing and cooking of fresh fruit and tomatoes, let's talk about how to sanitize your water and your fruits with Clorox®. To sanitize tomatoes, grapes or apples, immerse them in a Clorox® solution of water made up of a teaspoon of 5% Clorox® for each quart of water, and let the fruit bathe in this for at least 30 minutes. Do not drink the water! It is too strong with the Clorox. To sanitize drinking water use only 2 or 3 drops of Clorox per quart.

Now back to the tomatoes. I suppose in the USA the present concern will pass in time but in the meantime, if you want to continue using fresh tomatoes, get the plum or cherry tomatoes, and if you use the larger ones, wash them well in a solution of diluted Clorox® as above.

The following members or their families have received cards or flowers from the Sunshine Fund recently.

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

The Sunshine fund is not funded through your dues, but is supported by donations collected over the year.

If you are aware of a club member in need of some Sunshine, please contact me via phone (correct in the roster), new email address kc4bgq@earthlink.net., or sunshine@waterwayradio.net.

Please provide me with as much information as possible and a point of contact. This especially holds true if someone is in the hospital. When you receive flowers, please let me know, so I can confirm they were received.

I want to thank the members of the WRCC for your support.

Jean Freeman, KC4BGQ
Sunshine Fund Chairman

The death of Sonny Gager, KJ4EM, leaves an empty place in the hearts of all who knew him. To know Sonny was to love him! I truly don't think I have ever met anyone that was so comfortable in his own skin. He and Linda were two of the most loving, unselfish people we have ever met. Sonny was Commodore of the Waterway Radio & Cruising Club in 1995. His "BIG" voice became a familiar sound on Sunday mornings as net control station.

Sonny & Linda started their boating days in a 22' O'Day but quickly moved to a 30' O'Day. From there they moved to Patience, an Olson 30' they loved to race, racking up six "firsts" and two "seconds" in Abaco races and winning the coveted Pete Johnson bronze trophies. Later they purchased a Tayana 37' which was perfect for cruising. In 1985 they switched to trawlers, the first being a Fisher and later a DeFever 49.9 Slo-N-Ezy. From 1979 through 1997 they spent part of every summer in the Abacos.

Aircraft was another love for Sonny. For 12 years he flew a Mooney Mark 20-A out of Craig Field. For six years he was into gyrocopters which he built himself, enjoying fly-ins to Oshkosh. He built two experimental helicopters which he also enjoyed.

Needless to say, Sonny & Linda never let moss grow under their feet. One of their main hobbies was riding motorcycles. Sonny fell in love with bikes at the age of 12 and by age 15 he had his first Harley. Racing them became his passion and he won so many trophies that recently he discarded 137 of them. He raced professionally in 1961-1963 and was the first to win on the big Daytona race track with a Honda. For 45 years he and Linda attended Daytona Race Week. When anyone would ask Sonny what motorcycle he had, he would say, "which one?" Love of bikes evolved into a business. Starting a custom injection molding business in Jacksonville, Sonny developed face shields which ultimately led to seven patents in the motorcycle accessory business. This may seem like hard work but it was a labor of love, and you can bet Linda was right there in that shop all the time.  As anyone can see, Sonny lived a fun filled, exciting life. Let's not forget the best thing in his entire life — his true "Southern Belle," Linda, his wife of 49 years. The best words to describe Linda are "a true Southern Lady." We love you, Linda!

Yacht policies are not standardized; every insurance company makes its own policy wording. It's important to read your policy, or any policies you may be considering. Don't just go with the best price, and don't settle for agents' remarks like "it's a good company." Get sample policies and do your own analysis, no matter how onerous a chore it may be. (I know, it's easy for me to say, after 37 years in the insurance business.)

To understand an insurance policy, think of it as having four kinds of clauses:

1. Insuring Agreement - An overview of what the policy covers in a broad sense.

2. Exclusions - These specify property or kinds of losses not covered. Generally, if the property or event is not specifically excluded, the insurance applies.

3. Definitions - As you come upon terms in bold print, look up their definitions in the policy; coverage may be granted or taken away there.

4. General Conditions - These specify things you must do before and after a loss to be assured of coverage.

Imagine various loss scenarios; then examine the Insuring Agreement, Exclusions and Definitions to see how the policy would respond to each case. Note that Hull Coverage will have one Insuring Agreement and set of Exclusions, and Liability (aka Protection & Indemnity) will have another.

This year I got quotes and examined the wording of yacht policies offered by BoatUS, Travelers, Zurich and Chubb. The quotes applied to a Jefferson 42 trawler, used summers in the Chesapeake and winters in Florida. Premiums for $140,000 Hull and $300,000 Liability were: BoatUS: $3,461; Chubb: $2,044; Travelers: $1,962; Zurich: $1,808.

I have no personal claims experience with any of these companies. BoatUS has a reputation for fast and fair claims settlement. Zurich recently denied a claim for a friend which in my opinion should have been paid. Beyond that I cannot comment on claims handling. In my review of the four companies' policy wordings, I found differences in coverage which I considered minor. For example, Zurich throws in coverage for the dinghy with a $250 deductible, while Travelers covers the dinghy subject to the 2% policy deductible. Consider these kinds of differences to be sure the policy meets your needs; some items are negotiable.

We don't make claims for small losses, so when I reviewed the wordings, minor coverage issues were less significant to me than the general tone of the policies. I was looking for "reasonableness" of the exclusions and policy conditions. Did the wording seem fair to the policyholder, or was it loaded with ways for the company to wriggle out of paying legitimate claims?

The Zurich policy contains language which, in my opinion, would make it possible for them to deny almost any claim. The significant wording is: "We will not pay for the following, or for loss or damage caused by or resulting from any of the following, regardless of whether any other cause or event contributed concurrently or in any sequence or in any way to the loss: lack of reasonable care or due diligence in the maintenance of the insured yacht." Another clause allows the company to "conduct tests on any insured property, which may include re-floating the insured yacht and the removal of items from it for laboratory analysis" after a loss.

How might those clauses be applied under the following scenario? Suppose you're approaching an inlet under somewhat rough conditions. Suddenly you hear an alarm, the temperature gauge is soaring, and the engine quits. In a matter of minutes the wind and current drive your boat onto a jetty, where it is holed and eventually sinks. In the course of adjusting the loss under the above policy language, it is discovered that a cooling system hose ruptured, causing the engine to overheat and fail at the critical moment. Could the company deny your claim on the grounds that you did not exercise reasonable care in maintaining your boat, saying you should have replaced the hose before it failed? I don't know if they would, but they could. You want to be sure of coverage for such an event, regardless of why it occurred.

The BoatUS policy is equitable, i.e., fairly balanced between the interests of the company and the policyholder. Here's an example of a fair exclusion: "This insurance does not cover any loss caused directly or indirectly by wear and tear, gradual deterioration, mechanical breakdown, however, we will cover immediate consequential property damage resulting from any fire, explosion, sinking, demasting, collision or stranding" (emphasis added). Given the same loss scenario, BoatUS would pay for the entire loss, minus the cost of the failed cooling hose.

The Chubb policy says "We do not cover any loss caused by your failure to use all reasonable means to protect property before, at, or after time of loss." Chubb has an excellent reputation. Still, I'm troubled by this kind of wording; who gets to decide the definition of "reasonable means"? Of the four policies, Travelers' form is the most straightforward, easiest to read, and (along with BoatUS) fairest to the policyholder's interests. The minimal exclusions are basic to the industry. I found nothing in the wording to form a basis for denial of coverage for legitimate insurable losses. Certain things are excluded in all the policies I reviewed, and probably in nearly all marine policies. Normal wear and tear, damage by insects or animals, osmosis, blistering, electrolysis, and delamination are generally not insurable. However, a reasonable policy will not exclude ensuing loss where these excluded conditions may have been present prior to the event.

All the policies reviewed provide similar Liability coverage (traditionally called Protection and Indemnity, or P&I, in marine policies). They all cover amounts you are legally liable to pay because of bodily injury or property damage, pollution from fuel spill, removal of wreck, and defense costs. While coverage is very similar, each company has unique wordings, and the exclusions vary. Check your policy to make sure you don't engage in activities which aren't covered, such as parasailing or driving a jet-ski. Also, check to make sure defense costs are in addition to (not part of) your policy limits.

Comparing policies shows there are significant differences in the value received for comparable premiums. It's up to us to find the best value for our money, and the way to do that is to examine the policy.

Everyone's rightfully concerned about fuel costs these days. BoatUS recently published the following Top Ten Tips on fuel conservation:

1. Leave the extra 'junk' home: Don't load the boat up with weight you don't need. Do a little spring cleaning - unused equipment should be taken home.

2. Water weight: At 8.33 pounds per gallon, why keep the water in the tank topped off if you're only going out for the afternoon?

3. Tune her up: An engine tune-up is an excellent investment and should easily pay for itself over the summer.

4. Tune your prop: If your boat goes 30 mph with a like-new prop and only 27 mph with a prop that's dinged and out of pitch, that's a 10% loss in fuel economy.

5. Paint the boat's bottom: A fouled bottom is like a dull knife. It takes a lot more fuel to push your boat through the water.

6. Keep the boat in trim: Using trim tabs or distributing weight evenly will help move your boat through the water with less fuel.

7. Go with the flow: Consult tide tables and try to travel with the tide whenever possible.

8. Install a fuel flow meter: A fuel flow meter is like a heart monitor; when consumption starts to rise, it's an early warning that something is amiss. A fuel flow meter also allows you to select a comfortable cruising speed that optimizes the amount of fuel being consumed.

9. Do the math: If you don't want to spring for a fuel flow meter (about $300), you can calculate your fuel mileage by dividing distance traveled by gallons at fill-up. Using your logbook, you can then approximate fuel flow using average speeds and time underway.

10. Get a discount: Many of the 885 BoatU.S. Cooperating Marinas around the country offer up to 10 cents off a gallon of gas. To get the discount all you have to do is to show your BoatU.S. membership card. If you aren't already a member, join now for a special WRCC group rate at BoatUS.com/membership or call 800-395-2628.

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