Tuggers

TUGGERSA Lord Nelson Victory Tug Owners Association Quarterly Publication Fall 2017 ~ No. 73

Your Association Officers: From the Wheelhouse President: Note to the Fleet from Dave Howell, Dave Howell Nellie D. 37VT63 Nellie D. 37VT63 [email protected] Four tugs sold this past quarter; the Vice President: most in recent memory.  Add this to Barb Lawrence the three that tugs sold last quarter Raven 37VT04 and, dare I say it, the market is hot.  The National Marine Manufacturer's Association [email protected] expects boat sales to remain good through 2018 citing as reasons, low interest rates, strong consumer confidence, and increased disposable income.  Treasurer: John Niccolls My teachers pounded into me--had I been a good student they simply would have told ex-Knock Off 37VT66 me--that all learning starts with a thorough literature search.  When it comes to learning [email protected] about LNVTs these three sources should definitely be on the top of the literature search list: the LNVT Forum; the LNVT Blog; and Tuggers.  Tuggers goes back to 1999.  The Forum Moderator: Forum contains discussions since 2000.  The Blog, online since 2010, is the newest Phil de l'Etoile source of information and perhaps the richest.  In it you'll find a distillation of important Brave Duck 37VT67 Forum discussions and updates to Tugger’s articles.  [email protected] There's been a real consolidation in the world of marine navigation products. Garmin has Editor: purchased both Active Captain and Navionics.   We use all three products aboard Nellie Bicki Howell because each offers something that the others don't.  Garmin has good hardware.  Active Nellie D. 37VT63 Captain, whose data is group-sourced, is our go to cruising guide.  And Navionics, which [email protected] is good at route planning and chart plotting, is great for its group-sourced depth contours.  What the future will being is uncertain but Garmin's acquisitions have created Chief Tech Officer: an interesting social experiment: will the boating community continue to provide the John Howell group-sourced data?  Nellie D. 37VT63 [email protected] Are you dreading a long off-season without a tug fix?  Join us at the Winter Brunch in Seattle on 24 March 2018.  For more information contact Barb Lawrence, Raven 37VT04, Like us on [email protected]. FaceBook The time comes when each of us must sell our tugs, but we can take solace in the factOn the cover: Pet Tug 37VT60 and that once a Tugger, always a Tugger.  With that in mind I'd like to recognize Ted and KimThistle Dew 37VT46 [Photo by Lou Shann, Tug E. Bear 37VT62, and Fred Nusbickle, Georgia J. 37VT65. They both boughtSteplock, Pet Tug] their tugs brand new and they both sold them last quarter.  On behalf of the fleet, thank you Ted, Kim and Fred for your 30 years of stewardship.On the back: Saltwater Joys 37VT12 ather mooring on Grand Lake, New Keeping it simple and having fun,Brunswick, Canada [Photo byMatthew Brown]What You'll See in this Issue:• In Notes to the Editor, our owners offer some interesting articles to read. Be sure to meet our newest LNVT members in “Welcome Aboard.”• You’ll want to check out \"Captain Cooks\" which features simple, yet tasty recipes.• In \"Tug Bits\" read about the Midwest Rendezvous, renewing documented vessels, the Boat Education Card requirements and more.• You’ll see what projects owners are doing and read some practical advice in this issue’s \"Tug Talk\".1 TUGGERS|Fall 2017 ~ Issue 73

Owners comments regarding various articles from past Tuggers’ issues. Do you have a comment, something to share, or some photos? We want to hear from you! Send them to: [email protected] the last Tuggers we had a few articles regarding seacocks. BoatUS in its December 2017 Issue,published an article on maintaining seacocks by Tom Neale. It is worth a read if you haven’t yet seenthe article. One tip he mentions is that if you apply lubrication to your seacocks, be sure to avoid usingany grease containing graphite. Graphite will lead to galvanic corrosion in bronze and stainless parts.You will find this article at : https://goo.gl/RXLhfkTom Blackwood, Thistle Dew 37VT46, recommended another article, this one in Waggoner, onwinterizing boats. “Preparing Your Boat for Hibernation” by Deane Hislop discusses an extensive listof items that need to be addressed to properly winterize your boat. Find it at: http://goo.gl/RRK1gQA Very Warm Welcome Aboard goes out to this fall’s newest LNVT Association members -owners and wannabes.  It was a busy couple of months this fall for wannabes and owners and I enjoyed seeing so many commentsabout being \"smitten,” love at first sight, bitten by the LNVT bug, etc.  These sentiments bring to mind how we all felt when weknew we were going to be the proud caretakers of our very own Lord Nelson Victory Tug.  Oh, to love a boat....... James Andersen is a wannabe from Canton, MA.  Jim owns a 22' Marshall Catboat and wants to switch over to a tug in a couple of years and has ambitions to do the Great Loop in the future.  Currently smitten and playing the waiting game.  Andy Lawson and Jackie Waggoner are new wannabes from Victoria, BC.  We hope that you quickly find the LNVT of your dreams.  Kenny and Kristin Bishop are the new owners of hull 37VT18 which they have renamed Highland Mary, hailing from Stafford, VA.  This couple is also smitten, plan to retire in 2022, and will be keeping their 27' sailboat in addition to the tug.  Kenny has restored sailboats and is very handy.  These skills should transfer nicely for tug ownership.Jim and Tracy Williamson recently joined the LNVT Association as wannabes. They have lived around the water and ownedboats all their lives.  They indicated, \"No other pleasure boat has captured the look and feel of LNVT.”.Another bitten andsmitten!  Jim and Tracy look forward to meeting other LNVT members.Pat Dennison of Asheville, NC has joined as a wannabe. He is planning to look at the tugs for sale and hopes to meet many of theowners this coming year. He is currently looking through the LNVT.org site and reading the back issues of Tuggers. We hope hefinds a tug and joins us soon as an owner.Ben and Lynn Phillips of Chattanooga, TN are the proud new owners of L'il Toot 37VT75.  As they were bringing their LNVT to itsnew home, a great shot of their boat in the locks was taken and they became the CoverGirl for the Tennessee River “ChickamaugaLock Report.”Dave and Martha Stauffer of San Diego , CA recently joined as wannabes.  They saw their first LNVT in Poulsbo 10-12 years ago -love at first sight and are still in love (with the boat) it seems (don't want to assume anything you know).  Dave and Martha hopeto buy an LNVT 37 in the next year and will cruise San Diego Bay, Catalina Island and possibly the Puget Sound.Pat Miederhoff recently purchased Nelson's Victory 49VT06.  We would love to hear about Pat's story and interest in the LNVT.John and Vicki Hansen from San Francisco, CA purchased Georgia J 37VT64. They recently trucked their tug from San Diego toher new home in San Francisco. We look forward to hearing more about their adventures.Welcome aboard and congratulations to all of you.  We, the LNVT Association, look forward to getting to know you and hope thatyou will not hesitate in reaching out to the fleet if you have questions or want to see other LNVTs, etc.Barb Lawrence, Vice President, LNVT Association (Raven 37VT04) 2TUGGERS|Fall 2017 ~ Issue 73

Captain CooksIn this issue we are sharing some more easy yet tasty recipes from fellow Tuggers. These recipessound perfect for those chilly Winter days ahead. World Class Chicken in 20 Minutes Sauce Bases: Bicki Howell, Nellie D. 37VT63 Lemon-Tarragon The Basic Recipe: 3/4 cup chicken broth 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice Heat 1 Tbsp butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium-heat. Sprinkle 4 1/4 tsp dried tarragon boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb.) with salt and freshly 1/4 tsp grated lemon peel ground pepper. Place chicken in skillet; cook until golden and just firm, about Garnish: tarragon sprigs or lemon spice 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to serving dish and keep warm. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion to skillet and cook until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Greek Add your choice of sauce base (listed at right) to skillet and cook until sauce is reduced by half, about 3-5 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken and top with the 3/4 cup chicken broth coordinating garnish. 1 Tbsp fresh dill (or 1/2 Tbsp dried) 1/4 tsp grated lemon peel Makes 4 servings. Garnish: 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese and 8 Greek olives Coconut Curry Cauliflower Soup Mediterranean Sue Mackie, John William 37VT68 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream [From Taste of Home, November 2016] 1 Tbsp dried tomato bits Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 Tbsp olive oil Garnish: 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1 med onion, finely chopped 3 Tbsp yellow curry paste Coq Au Vin 2 medium heads cauliflower, broken into florets 1/3 cup chicken broth 1 carton (32 oz) vegetable broth 1/3 cup red wine 1 cup coconut milk 1/2 lb mushrooms, halved 1/2 cup frozen pearl onions In a large sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. 1/4 tsp thyme Add onion, cook and stir until softened, 2-3 minutes. Garnish with: 2 slices bacon, cooked and Add curry paste; cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. crumbled, and 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley Add cauliflower and broth. Increase heat to high; bring to a boil. Tijuana Reduce to medium-low; cook covered about 20 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and cook another minute. 3/4 cup chicken broth Remove from heat; cook slightly. 1 minced jalapeño chili Purée in batches in blender or food processor. 1 tsp cumin 1/8 tsp ground red pepper Makes 10 servings (2-1/2 qt) Garnish: 1/3 cup sour cream, 1 plum tomato diced and 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro3 TUGGERS|Fall 2017 ~ Issue 73

Stories and news about this and that ... 
 2017 Hurricane Updates We are happy to report that two tugs directly in the paths of recent hurricanes have survived without serious damage. Liz Harding keeps Mocko Jumbie 37VT48 on St. Croix, USVI.  Hurricane Maria, when she was a Category 5, went right over the island. \"We made it through [Hurricane Maria] just fine, comparatively.  At least a dozen vessels were totally destroyed.  Very heart breaking.   We are still without power, but everything is ok.  We actually ran the boat for a good 4 hours around Buck Island to give the batteries a good charge.  She has been running better than ever.\" From an email conversation with Liz Harding, 27 November 2017. Marty Raymond, Cruz-In 37VT74, told us, “Cruz-In is one tough tug. She is afloat in her slip [after Hurricane Irma hit her home port in Key West].” After getting aboard in early October they indicated the port side rub rail needed to be replaced and some touch up paint was required.LNVT Officially Announces Fall in WisconsinAccording to the St. Croix Marina’s newsletter, E-Mariner, it is officially Fall when Al and RiePeterson’s Kedge 37VT43 comes out of the water. Al and Rie are original LNVT owners , buying Kedgein 1987, and they have been at the St. Croix Marina for 60 years. Back in 1957 Al was a 30 year old andproud owner of a 22’ outboard Trojan. Kedge remains one of the favorite boats in the marina. In 2013they were awarded the LNVT Loren Hart Award. Buy the LNVT dream! [Find more details at: LNVT.org]Carla B 37VT05 Rogue 37VT73 Mocko Jumbie 37VT49 Victory 49VT04(Yacht World) (Yacht World) (For Sale by Owner) Ed Markus, 003-165-185-4339DW Yacht Sales, 877-299-2561 Patrick Harrington, 360-982-8682 Elizabeth Harding, [email protected]:  Waterloo, NY , Location: Anacortes , WA [email protected] Location: Den Helder, NetherlandsAsking price: $99,500 Asking price: $109,900 Location: St Croix, USVI Asking Price: $342,068 Asking Price: $105,000 4TUGGERS|Fall 2017 ~ Issue 73

T
 he 2017 Midwest RendezvousFour tugs, ten owners, family members and friends got together for thefifth annual LNVT Midwest Rendezvous. The main event has beenheld each year at the St. Croix Marina in Hudson, Wisconsin. Alsoincluded this year was an overnight raft up on the St. Croix River nearPrescott, Wisconsin. Photo right (L-R): Kedge 37VT43, Jack Robert37VT17, Our Villa 37VT56 and Hjortie 37VT33. This year’s event [ Photos by Dave Howell with assistance from Lee Anderson] was once again organized and Lee Anderson, hosted by Trevor Joe Glinski and and Stephanie Dave Howell, Croteau, Hjortie. were spotted helping at the It was especially BBQ. fun helping the Croteau’s daughter Ashleythrow a surprise 60th birthdaycelebration for her parents.All the boats were looking bristol Every year lots of time isfor the Rendezvous. Dee Anderson spent talking about tugwas seen sprucing up Jack Robert’s projects, maintenance andbow pudding the week before the cruising. The big topics thisgathering. time were seacocks and bilge pumps. Food seems to be a common theme at all of our LNVT Rendezvous! One of the highlights of the Stephanie Croteau certainly made Rendezvous is the parade along the sure everyone had plenty of great St. Croix River. Keeping with food to eat. (L-R:) Rie & Al tradition, Al and Rie Peterson aboard Peterson, Kedge, Ashley Croteau, Kedge led the way for the other Hjortie, and Arvilla & Joe Glinski, captains. The outing always gets a lot Our Villa. of attention from people ashore as well as from all the local boaters.The St. Croix Marina’s club houseprovided the perfect spot for pot Above: Leelucks and socializing. (L-R:) Lee Anderson, enjoysAnderson, Jack Robert, Dave being crew while DeeHowell, Nellie D. 37VT63, Dee is captain.Anderson, Arvilla & Joe Glinski,and Rie & Al Peterson. Left: Hjortie and Jack Robert on parade. Dee and Lee Anderson, always plan and provide the most scrumptious breakfast buffet for the attendees. This year was no exception!5 TUGGERS|Fall 2017 ~ Issue 73

Boating Safety Education Annual Coast GuardBicki Howell, Nellie D. 37VT63 Documentation [email protected] Lee Anderson, Jack Robert 37VT17According to the American Boating Association, boating [email protected] saves lives. And, in that vane, many states nowrequire boat operators to provide proof of completion of a  safe boating course. A Boater Eduction Card, issued by theState Wildlife Resources Agency, has become the accepted All of our boats, a total of 3, have been Coast Guard registeredstandard for this requirement. vessels and this is true for Jack Robert.  Just getting the registration When operating your boat in multiple transferred when we purchased him was an ordeal but that is states’ waters it is important to know another story.  I only bring it up so that you might think I would which require a Boating Education pay attention to the renewal date and take care of getting the Card. But, what’s a little confusing is the Document of Registration renewed on time.  There it sits law tends to vary from state to state. In prominently displayed in a frame right in the wheel house where Imy state of Maryland, the Boat Education Card is mandatoryfor boat operators born on or after July 1, 1972. In can see the date easily…but didn’t.  When I did finally notice that IWashington State, the requirement is for boat operators bornafter January 1, 1955. Whereas in Florida it is required for was out of date it was beyond the grace period.  So now what?boat operators born after January 1, 1988. Everyoneoperating a pleasure craft in Canada must have a Pleasure  Craft Operator Card as proof they passed a boat safetycourse in Canada [Note: US Citizens operating a boat in I went on theCanada for more than 45 consecutive days must have theBoating Education Card or the Pleasure Craft Operator Internet, did aCard]. The good news is that every state (and Canada)which has mandatory boater education requirements also search and wenthas reciprocity, in other words they will accept BoatEducation Cards issued by any other state. to what I thoughtSince we routinely cruise Nellie outside of our state, and are was the Coastcurrently in Canadian waters, we thought it prudent tocomplete the course work to obtain our Boating Education Guard’sCard. There are several ways to complete the training.Courses are offered by the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, The US documentPower Squadron, National Safe Boating Council, Boat-Edand Safe Boating America, just to name a few. Courses can renewal page.  Icost upwards of $29.95 and most can be completed on line. was so frazzledI searched for the least expensive and easiest way tocomplete the course and obtain the Boaters Education Card. and in a hurry, IThe winner, in my view, was BOATUS Foundation’s On-lineState Specific Boating Safety Courses at: https:// did not reallywww.boatus.org/free/#state The Maryland course has 6lessons which are estimated to take 4-8 hours to complete, look at the sitefollowed by a 75 question final exam. After passing the examyou can print a certificate for proof of completion (free) or closely.  At thesubmit the printed certificate to the Maryland Department ofNatural Resources for an official Boat Education Card ($10 right are picturesfee). So, this Winter Dave and I plan to complete the boatingsafety course through BoatUS. With the Boat Education Card of the site I wentwe will both be in compliance with any state and Canadianlaws regarding boater education requirements. to and the current USCG Third Party site (L) versus USCG site (R) site.   You will notice the Internet address for the site I went to is not a .mil site but a .org site.  The colors match the USCG site and it looks pretty official.  I thought I was where I was supposed to be but I really did not look closely enough.  It cost me big time.   I went along working feverishly to get my document renewed without paying any attention.  In the past I had always gotten a renewal notice in the mail and it was free.  Things had changed.  The USCG no longer sends out an annual renewal and now renewing has a fee attached to it.  I did not know what the fee was.  I was absolutely floored when I saw it was going to cost me $86.  The actual USCG fee is $26 but I was not on the Coast Guard site.  I was actually on a third-party site that did documentation submittals for the unwary.  For the extra $60 I got nothing extra that I would not get going directly to the Coast Guard site.  I found out later that the USCG has changed their site to try and reduce this from happening to other people.  The new site is much easier to navigate than the previous site.  There are two lessons I have learned.  First, take my time when on the net and make sure I am where I actually want to be.  If I don’t, it could cost me.  The second lesson I have learned is to use my calendar app to put in a reminder to do the renewal a couple of weeks before the expiration date.  This will provide a reminder in time to get the renewal processed. 6TUGGERS|Fall 2017 ~ Issue 73

What Fellow Owners are Working On...Winterizing Tip Allen Hansen, Hansen's HarborA tip about when you install household faucets on your boat.   When they are installed they have a check valve or back flowpreventer.  This means when you are winterizing and vacuuming the whole system to the hot water heater, those faucets will notdrain because of the back flow preventer.  So you must to go to the faucet head and vacuum there.  If you fill your system full ofantifreeze and pump than no worries, it all goes through.  Can We Make It?Dave Howell, Nellie D. [email protected] definition of stress?  A strong current pushing your tug into a bridge that you'renot sure you can get under.Here's a simple, inexpensive solution: a landscaper's level (see photo above). With the mast down the highest object on Nellie D. is thewheelhouse mounted radome.  So, positioning the level at the radome's height and then looking at the bridge through the level tells usall we needed to know.  If the level's reticle is below the height of the bridge’s lowest steel, there's clearance.  If not, it's probably best towait for the bridge to open.  2018 Rendezvous Schedule Start Making Your Plans to Join us! East Coast - July 20-22 in Burlington, Vermont on beautiful Lake Champlain. Plans are underway for a fun event hosted by Keefer and Bill Irwin, Callisto 37VT19. This historic city promises to offer a great backdrop for this venue. If you think you might attend, please let Keefer know to help her get a head count for planning purposes. Contact her at [email protected], Vermont West Coast - September 21 -23 in Bremerton, Washington. This city offers great opportunities for people to join us either with their tug or to come via land. There is easy access via ferry from downtown Seattle. More details will be coming soon from the event’s organizer Macy Galbreath, Lady 37VT08. Contact her at: [email protected] - September 28 - 30 in Hudson, Wisconsin. This is a great annual event hosted by Trevor and Stephanie Croteau, Hjortie37VT33. On Thursday night the tugs will anchor near Prescott, Wisconsin on the St. Croix River. Friday the tugs cruise north toHudson, Wisconsin for the main event where attendees can join in the fun via land. Activities include pot lucks and a tug parade on theriver. Contact Trevor at [email protected] TUGGERS|Fall 2017 ~ Issue 73

Reversing the Window Drip EdgeStateroom StepsHandrail John Mackie, John William 37VT68This Simple 15 minute job I am currently installing a “ Isaksen drip edge “ [John Iskasen,flips the handrail 180 degrees. Neptune 37VT35 designed and installed this drip edge on hisThe major benefit is that the boat - ed.] over the windows out ofhandrail is better positioned to help someone coming up the PVC trim board. I was fitting thestairs. A second benefit is it makes installing an underway pieces when our rain started lastfloorboard over the stairwell easier. week, 2-1/2 inches per hour for 5 hours and they worked great. NoFirst, remove the bolt holding each end of the handrail. The top window leaks from the trackbolt is accessible via the compartment underneath the helm filling and spilling over. I alsostation. The lower bolt is located in the engine room. Next, installed them over the aft pilotrotate the handrail and finally, reinstall the two bolts. house windows which eliminated a previous problem leak.  I removed the teak half round, (as seen in the photo) and will prime and paint that area prior to final installation. Preflight Engine CheckDave Howell, Nellie D. [email protected] have a good head of stream on when, all of a sudden, there's a loud bang and Nellie emits a big cloud of black smoke from theexhaust.  Bicki and I exchange a brief anxious look before Bicki throttles down and I dive into the engine room.  I look at the engine'sraw water seacock.  It's closed.  Oops.When doing engine room checks I rely on the mnemonic WOBBS--water, oil, belt, bilge, strainer.  This mental checklist worked greatuntil today, and then it failed miserably.  In retrospect it wasn't the routine that failed, it was its application.    The duckweed was so thick in Muscatine, Iowa that the Mississippi looked more like a lawn than a river.  When doing the WOBBS check, and knowing how thick the duckweed was, I decided to open and clean the strainer rather than do just the normal, external, visual inspection.  And, this leads us to the crux of the problem.  WOBBS is really a preflight inspection--the last thing that should be done before starting the engine.  If the inspection leads to some maintenance actions, like adding oil or coolant, then the entire WOBBS inspection should be performed again.  Duckweed in Mississippi Lock 16,  Since this incident we've added a raw water flow alarm.  There are some good ones on the Muscatine, Iowa market like Borel's.  Nellie's is simply a 140°F sensor/switch that's nylon tied to the 3\" exhaust hose just downstream of the exhaust elbow.  There are only two wires to connect: one goes to ground; the other to the alarm trigger used by the oil pressure sending unit.  For $1 in parts and a little labor, the alarm is a lot of bang for the buck.   Epilog:  The loud bang and black smoke were fortuitous for they alerted us to the closed raw water seacock.  But, what caused thebang and the smoke?  The answer lies in how the muffler was made. An LNVT's muffler has some small lengths of PVC pipe insideit.  The PVC was used as a form for the fiberglass and probably should have been removed after the muffler was built.  When theuncooled exhaust gas entered the muffler it curdled the PVC pipes and they partially peeled away from the fiberglass.  This restrictedthe exhaust's flow and built-up back pressure.  The burp we heard was the pressure clearing the PVC obstruction.  The black smokewas a result of poor combustion  due to the high back pressure.  8TUGGERS|Fall 2017 ~ Issue 73