Red Right Return - Navigation Buoys, Day Markers and More

 I'm often asked some interesting questions through my YouTube videos and, more often than not, I take a simple query and reply with half of a book. So, rather than simply leaving those interactions on YouTube, I figured I could share it with you all, here on the Blog. . .

 Here was today's question; ". . for a subscriber/boating newbie here; I noticed in your lake travels, there are these red and green buoys, to which you always pass between them .. why is this and what is their purpose?"

 The long and short of the Red & Green markers is to indicate where safe water is. As one cannot 'see' how deep a given area of a lake, river or canal might be, the buoys (floating) or day beacons (land based) indicate the edge of a safe way for navigation. Used in conjunction with marine charts (paper or digital), mariners can safely pass through an area where the water is shallower than what is otherwise encountered in a given area.

 That said, different boats need different depths to pass through a waterway without risking running aground and that's where the charts come in. The captain of even the smallest boat must be aware of how much draft their vessel draws - how deep in the water it sits - as well as other factors that might determine what a safe depth might be for navigating.

 For example, our current boat 'Boogaboo IV' draws approximately 40" of water, with an average load. Load refers to all the weight on the boat, including the boat itself, plus other considerations such as fuel, water, passengers, gear, food and yes, even beer ;-) As well, that draft (the depth of the boat in the water, not the beer on tap) will be greatly affected by sea conditions. If we were travelling though rough water, our boat could begin to pitch up and down, making the average depth of water we were travelling through vary considerably, depending if we were on the crest or bottom of each wave. So, if we were travelling through water with only 4 feet of depth and it was wavy, we could bounce up and down enough to touch bottom. And that's not a good thing! Also, if a passing boat were to throw off a large wake (it happens all the time), we could (and do) get bounced around.

 For all of the above reasons, it is imperative one knows where they are and can relate to their proximity to danger, as well as changing sea conditions. And that's where those red and green markers come in.

 So, why red and green, you ask? I'll tell you. In North America, as well as other parts of the world, we follow the Red-Right-Return system of telling us which is the safe side of a given marker. In MOST cases, heading upstream (against the current), the red marker is kept to the starboard, or right, side of the boat. When heading in the opposite direction, the opposite is true and one would then keep the green markers on their starboard side.

 Confused? Don't worry, it gets better. When going through areas such as Georgian Bay, that all goes out the window. Throw in other 'Aids To Navigation' such as yellow Cardinal Buoys, black (or red) and white Fairway Markers, Red/Green/Red OR Green/Red/Green Bifurcation Markers and (sometimes) land based Range Markers and you will soon realize that there's lots to learn about boating for the serious cruiser!

 Unfortunately, many boaters are blissfully unaware of what many of these things mean - or the meaning behind them

 I should really start a video series on how to learn these things and how they are put in to practice to help folks out. There is also something called 'The Rules Of The Road', which plainly lays out who has the right-of-way when on the water. Sadly and frustratingly, there are many, many boaters who don't have a clue what that means, or how to employ the rules to maintain safety. Here is a quick video I posted last summer after I got ticked off by someone who was in the aforementioned column of not knowing;

 I hope my long winded overview on this helps you better understand what goes on. If not, at least it may inspire to you learn a bit more. . . And now you also know why I put this off until I had a bit more free time ;-)

Cruisers Yachts 390 Sports Coupe Review

  I'm happy to announce that I will be writing a number of boat reviews for the eBay Motors Blog :-) This look at the Cruisers Yachts 390 Sports Coupe is the first in the series.

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When looking for an express cruiser, most purchasers generally take into account two main criteria; cruisability and overnight accommodations. Well, this 2011 Cruisers Yachts 390 Sports Coupe has added one more benchmark - entertaining.

 Equipped with a full complement of factory options as well as many aftermarket items, this ‘freshwater only’ boat is ready to hit the water in style. Impressing your guests will merely be icing on the cake.

The sleek exterior styling is enhanced by a moulded hardtop that includes a retractable hatch with sunroof and centre windshield section that opens for direct access to the bow via moulded in steps next to the helm. This will come in handy as the boat has a less than generous walk-around, built that way to expand the space in the cockpit and the cabin areas.

Boarding the boat from the swim platform, you will be walking on the Flexiteek marine decking that extends throughout the cockpit area. Made from synthetic materials, this product provides excellent non slip performance, easy maintenance and clean up – without sacrificing natural teak-wood trees.

 Before stepping inside, take note of the four LED light enhanced speakers planted in the transom. These are only part of the impressive stereo system that is powered by no less than three amplifiers pushing a total of ten mid/high range speakers plus three sub-woofers. The main Sony head unit, located in the cabin, can also be controlled by a dash mounted remote located at the helm. A fixed mounted flat screen TV rounds out the A/V lineup.

 All those toys are sure to heat things up, so it’s a good thing the cockpit is equipped with a fridge/ice maker, bar sink and reverse cycle air conditioning to keep things cool.  Removable cockpit tables can be set at the aft seating or in front of the double wide companion seat, situated beside the helm. At the helm, you will also find a Raymarine C90 multifunction/GPS chartplotter as well as the controls for the Volvo 550 IPS (8.1 litre, gas fueled) power plants.

 Volvo pioneered pod drives for use on pleasure boats and, according to manufacturer specs, the benefits of the 550 IPS units include the following;

• 30% reduced fuel consumption
• 30% less CO2 emissions
• 50% lower perceived noise level
• 40% longer cruising range
• 20% higher top-speed
• More predictable handling
• Joystick docking

 Because the pod drives are situated under the boat, instead of hanging off the transom, the engines can be placed farther aft, freeing up living space in the cabin. And since they use drive by wire technology and can operate at completely opposing angles and at different engine speeds, the computer controlled joystick commands make docking child’s play.

Also of note is that the Volvo IPS 550’s were the first inboard gas engines to incorporate a catalytic converter. The engineers at Volvo knew that for this to work, the exhaust gases would have to remain at a considerably higher temperature than what would be the norm in a traditional marine exhaust system, where cooling water is introduced into the exhaust stream. This is not suitable for the catalytic system to be effective. So, the workaround is to utilize a double walled, titanium coated aluminum exhaust, with water flowing between the inner and outer layers, thus providing the heat needed while cooling the exhaust walls. And you thought all the cool engine technology was reserved for the automotive world.

  A power assisted rear deck and fixed ladder to the engine room provides easy access to the four batteries (on Smart charger) and Kohler generator. The quick detach propane gas BBQ grill also stores out of the way down here when not being used on the swim platform.

Moving below decks, we find the galley to port, at the base of the stairs. Cruisers Yachts decided to forego a mid-cabin arrangement and instead took advantage of the room gained by using the IPS drives by pushing the entire main cabin farther aft. The result of this layout is a larger feeling cabin and the ‘Sports Coupe’ designation. The trade-off is that the privacy of an extra mid-cabin stateroom is lost. Not a problem for a cruising couple, or for those who may only have guests overnighting on rare occasions, but might present issues if younger kids are aboard regularly.

 The large, open cabin on the 390 is further accentuated by the design of the forward berth. To maximize volume (and moving around area) on the boat, the designers placed the bed at an angle to conserve space, yet were still able to fit in a queen size berth. For those times when extra sleeping space is needed, there is a privacy curtain that screens off the fold out aft couch, providing accommodations for two more.

  The entertainment factor continues with two more flat screen TVs, one in the cabin and one in the forward berth. A KVH TracVision satellite system provides signals when out on the water. Even under way, or gently rolling at anchor, the gyro stabilized receiver holds a positive fix on the signal.
A separate reverse air/heat system keeps things comfy in the cabin. A full head with separate shower is to port, forward of the galley. Large, elliptical fixed windows behind the main settee, as well as in the galley, along with two porthole windows in the forward berth bring natural light into the cabin. There are also opening, overhead hatches, complete with slide away SkyScreen covers.

 One last look back on deck, we find a polished, stainless steel anchor with windlass, dual windshield wipers and reclining deck lounge pads. There is a transom mounted hot and cold shower and for rainy days, a canvas mooring cover.

 This boat has one more fun feature to offer. When the sun goes down, go ahead and turn on the MEGA LED light show system that features 8 different colours with 8 different functions and speeds. There are 36 individual LED underwater lights, comprised of two pods with 12 lights each and two pods with 6 lights each. If that’s not enough for you, there’s even LED lights in the side vents. . . Now that’s entertainment!