The captain estimates that in three years, at least $3 million will have to be spent reskinning the hull or it will no longer be considered seaworthy. This is not an abused boat, and she has received topnotch care all her life. All I have been told is that "corrosion" gradually eats away at steel hulls over time, at least when they're in saltwater.

I'm not going to do anything drastic for what was, in my estimation, merely a thoughtless mistake. We are taking what steps we can to avoid having this sort of thing in the future. Now for the commentary: This post was essentially cross-posted from the [ChesapeakeCruising] Yahoo group so I took the time to look at their archive.

Alternatively, ask him if he will reimburse you for every gallon of fuel you use over his estimate for the duration of your boat ownership and see if he will go for it. It is my understanding that turbo diesels have a narrower "happy" range than conventionally aspirated diesels. The torque peak is higher and sharper.

I'd guess $3BU is a good estimate for a pair of Lehmans.... Cheers, Rob Brueckner 1972 Hatteras Yachtfish

That was my experience, also, although one my one trip south on the ICW a couple of years ago we used the GPS for determining SOG so we could estimate how far we would be able to get before sunset (this was in early November) and the effect of river or tidal currents.

Boat U S estimates the recreational boating loss to be over $680 million this year. I suspect it will be higher, since this was issued almost a month ago, and the full impact of Ivan was not known. This does not include commercial boating or marinas and private docks.

Here is where it gets dicey in my estimation. If you have never had a bow pulpit, only a bow roller, the structure under the deck (if any exists) may not be substantial enough to provide good holding for the leverage the pulpit will exert on the fasteners when lifting/pulling the anchor or when anchored and there is stress on the rode.

I would estimate 100-150 people were there, most with visions of Bahamian palm trees and warm temps dancing in their heads. Eileen Quinn gave a really enjoyable concert, singing her songs of the cruising and boating life.

At http://www.yachtsurvey.com/GasNdiesel.htm David Pascoe says: "...There is a very simple formula you can apply to estimate service life: simply multiply the cubic inch displacement of the engine times one. The result is the maximum amount of horse power you can have and still expect a reasonable service life.

The estimate assumes a 50% efficient propeller, probably a bit higher than the norm for most trawlers. I would increase this power by 50% to take care of bad weather and the eventual hull fouling. Don't make the mistake of slapping in a couple of 200 hp diesels. It will just cost you a lot of money and aggravation.