Thermostatic control of Cummins block heater

Easy Heat EH-38 Thermostatically Controlled Device


Water has a unique property; when it freezes it expands.  Most items contract when cooled, but water has this very annoying property that can cause damage to pipes and machinery.

When winterizing a boat, preparing it for the cold winter months, boat owners choose between draining water systems or heating their boats to overcome this freeze.  The decision is based on if they plan to do winter boating.  Our east-coast clients will generally pull their boats from the water and winterize.  West coast boaters enjoy the relatively moderate conditions and boat all winter long.

I have always suggested to my clients that they plug or cover the engine room air intakes so that the winter winds do not allow cold air to enter the machinery spaces.  Put in foam plugs or cover the intakes with shelf liner adhesive film.  Either solution keeps the warm air in the engine room.

Our Cummins engines are equipped with a "block heater"  this is an 800-watt 120-volt heater element that keeps the engine warm.  They are great for winter storage and make the engine very easy to start in cold conditions.  The block heater will keep the engine and its surrounds toasty warm.  The downside is that it is not thermostatically controlled so it is always pulling  6.66-amps or over 19,200-watts of power each day.  Very expensive if left on all winter.

The Easy Heat Thermostatically Controlled Device is the solution!  It will switch on a 1500-watt load automatically at 38-degrees, and switch off at 50-degrees.  Just plug the block heater into the device and use the outlet in the engine room.  She will be warm on those coldest nights.

Easy Heat EH-38 is less then $15 at Amazon.

Shelf liner film:  http://www.amazon.com/Duck-1115496-Laminate-Adhesive-12-Inch/dp/B002AS9NC6/ref=lp_3744211_1_4?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1462385138&sr=1-4

Easy Heat Device: http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Heat-EH-38-Thermostatically-Controlled/dp/B0000DGA8P?ie=UTF8&refRID=GJN2GJ5YEPJ5WJ03QD4B&ref_=pd_ybh_a_4

Surveyors inspect American Tug

Joint meeting of NAMS & SAMS tour American Tug factory

We recently led a tour of the American Tug factory in La Conner for a joint meeting of the northwest surveyors.  This included both SAMS the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors and NAMS, the National Association of Marine Surveyors. 

When purchasing a pre-owned boat a Marine Survey is conducted to inspect the boat and make sure the boat is in good shape and is free of defects, damage and to assess its value.  This protects the buyer and is also required by banks and marine insurance carriers.

SAMS and NAMS are the two organizations that accredit surveyors and are your assurance of the surveys quality. 

It was fun to have the group come through the factory as they recognized our great quality, while at the same time asking us some good technical questions.

Seattle Boats Afloat Show - September 16-20

Please come to the Seattle Boats Afloat Show on Lake Union at Chandlers Cove.  September 16-20.



On display is a new American Tug 485, a gorgeous American Tug 41 Flybridge, and an American Tug 365.  Great boats!
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Come by and say hello.  Steve, Cindy & Gerry

New American Tug Owners Burgee designed

Update:  New ATUGOA burgee chosen at the 2015 Rendezvous
Congratulations Alan Grube for your submission, the new American Tug Owners burgee.

Alan has won a new Ring Buoy with graphics donated by Scott Soes of the Anders Sign Company.  Thanks Scott for supporting our fleet.


Let’s design a burgee!  The American Tug Owners need their own unique burgee to fly with pride from the stem fitting.

Download the entry form PDF here.
Submit your entries to the factory at info@americantugs.com prior to the big Fall Rendezvous over Labor Day weekend.  We will be displaying all the entrants on Saturday, September 5th and then taking ballots prior to the dinner.
Let me know of any questions.  Steve 206-930-6139 or steve@americantugs.com

Drone attacks Trawlerrow

Thanks Shawn Severn for your drone flight & video.




You can visit our docks anytime, call Steve Scruggs at 206-930-6139.  steve@americantugs.com

Rollout! American Tug 485 hull #5

American Tugs is proud to announce the rollout of "American Dream"

Click for a time lapse video of her rollout

American Tug 485 hull #5 was launched on July 10, 2015.  Congratulations, she is gorgeous!

Thank you for working with American Tugs!

Sold Boat: 2004 American Tug 41

2004 American Tug 41      Prime Time II            Now Sold!

 Built for her current owner; the original Pacific Northwest dealer for American Tugs.  She is well equipped and has been very meticulously maintained by an experienced yachtsman.
The American Tug 41 is a beautifully crafted raised pilothouse motor yacht.

Built in La Conner, Washington on a semi-displacement hull and designed to operate super efficiently at displacement hull-speeds.  When the skipper desires or the situation requires she can be powered up to run in semi-displacement trim allowing her to safely pass the narrows, rapids or areas of adverse current found all along the Inside Passage.  American Tugs are ideally suited for northwest 4-season cruising.

Powered by the Cummins QSC-540 common rail engine with complete maintenance records.  Equipped with bow and stern thrusters, Simrad 17-inch color displays & multi-function repeaters, Furuno NavNet color radar, chart plotter and high-power fish finder, built in PC with Coastal Explorer software, Tanner mast, factory custom cabinetry, abundant engine spares, Village Marine 600-gpd watermaker, Nova Kool refrigerator, Force Ten stove,  Hydronic heat system, Stidd helm chair, 11.5-foot AB inflatable with console and Yamaha 25 engine, etc.. The complete list is impressive.

Equipped to fish and proven lucky; Prime Time II has a trolling valve on the marine gear, two bridge-deck mounted deep freezers, Tanner stainless rocket launchers, custom stainless cleaning station, Tanner downrigger mounts, Simrad multi repeater in aft cockpit, custom rod security locker, and a gorgeous Magma stainless barbecue center.

Click here for a gallery of high resolution photos

Here is the Yachtworld listing with full details

Prime Time II is ready for your next Expedition; to the Broughton's, Alaska or Mexico!

Now moored on Trawler Row in La Conner Marina, just below the American Tug factory.   Call Steve Scruggs to make a private appointment to see her.  Call 360-466-6139 or steve@americantugs.com

Stern reel for smaller boats

In the Pacific Northwest we have a unique need for the stern reel.  Given our summertime light wind and always present tides, boats can swing on their anchors.  To minimize the amount of space that a boat takes up in an anchorage, it is customary to put out a stern line to shore to keep the boat from swinging around the moorage unnecessarily.


Generally the line will be 1/4", 5/16" or 3/8" polypro.  Poly is inexpensive, it floats and is normally in a highly visible color.   The 1/4" line may be appropriate for many boats as it is doubled up between the boat and shore.  The line gets fed from the boat, around a fixed object on shore and is brought back to the boat so you can easily retrieve the line when you are ready to depart.

Here is a recent discovery that may be great on smaller boats (up to 40-footers?) as it can carry about 400-feet of 1/4" poly line.

Alert Stamping 7000WR Pro-Reel Cord Carrier

This cord reel was purchased from Amazon and sells for under $30.  We were able to load about 400-feet of 1/4" poly line.  There were four screws we replaced with stainless in order to make it better for the marine environment.  Quality was good, and it is made in the USA.


My last post with a stern line generated much interest.  Since that time I have heard that Mr. Brooks no longer makes his reels.  See: http://americantugnews.blogspot.ca/2012/11/stern-tie-reel.html.  That reel held more line and was appropriate for larger boats or those wanting to carry larger diameter line.


The new reel has been sent off with a client aboard his American Tug 395 for field trials in Desolation Sound.  A report will follow later in the summer.


We still are looking for the best stern line reel solutions.  Please submit your solution to: steve@americantugs.com.


Thank you,

Steve

Spring Fling 2015

Last month we had another wonderful Spring Fling at Deer Harbor, WA.  Over 30 American Tugs in attendance.  Thanks to Rex & Susan for hosting a fun weekend.

Thanks for a really good event!

Ketchikan to La Conner 2015: A delivery home

Cortes Island to Ladysmith    88-miles

The last couple days of the trip is the run home from the Desolation Sound area.  The choice is which way to go; down the Vancouver Island side or along the mainland side.  Normally there are some great stops along the way.  The east side has the Copelands, Lund, walking the beaches of Savory Island, the Harmony Islands, Pender, etc..  The west side has Comox, Hornby, Lasqueti and Newcastle Island, etc.. Everyone has their favorite spots and they are all worth more time.  We, of course, are going to blow past all of them and keep moving south.

The weather report looks nice with a 5-10 knot north westerly breeze and flat sea state.  We will be on the ebb tide until about 1pm then a big flood will come, remember that we are now south of Cortes and the ebb flows southerly.  The flood tide will oppose the likely growing afternoon northerly wind and stand the seas up a bit more than the smooth morning seas.  The ebb is favorable to our trip south and then as we get towards Nanaimo we will be bucking the current, when we are trying to enter the Gulf Islands it will be near max-flood at Dodd Narrows, Gabriola or Porlier Pass.  The large flood means that all of the passes & narrows into the Gulf's will be flowing between 5-7 knots against us which will be prohibitive.

Whiskey Golf is closed on this day, this should always be checked as the test area WG will need to be navigated around should the Canadian Forces be active.  Listen to the VHF weather and listen for this detail.

6:40 AM: Checked the engine and genset, added 1-quart of oil to the main, it has been running great.

7 AM: Fired up the engine and departed Cortes Bay.

Looking west into Desolation Sound

7:15 AM: Gerry and I talked about which way to go, choosing between the east and west sides as we head south to the Gulf Islands.  We chose to go along the east shore mostly because we were considering a stop at Lund to hit the bakery and since WG was closed we could beeline across the Straits of Georgia.  Mileage either way is basically the same.

Lund

8:15 AM: We passed Lund, but had forgotten about visiting the bakery.

9:45 AM:  Passed Powell River

2 PM:  Crossing over from south end of Texada towards Nanaimo, wind has built to 15-knots and the seas are stacking 1-2 feet with the new flood tide, still very nice.

Dodd Narrows - watch out for very strong currents - we waited for calmer water

4:10 PM:  Arrived at Dodd Narrows, max flood at 4:14pm running 6.9-knots northerly (against us).  This is not something to mess with.

4:30 PM:  Anchor down in False Narrows, 30-feet of water.  Nap time.

Dodd Narrows - better conditions transiting

6:45 PM: We head through Dodd on the dying flood.  Smooth passage.

8:13 PM:  Tied up at Dunsmuir Island near Ladysmith.

A really nice one-day passage from the Desolation area to the Gulf Islands.


Ladysmith  to La Conner    69.5-miles

I am wrapping up this series on our delivery of La Rose to La Conner.   You know how to work your way home from the Gulf Islands and I don't want this to get boring.

Sunrise over the Gulf Islands

In short we got up early, checked the boat over and fired up the engine.  Then left as early as possible so that we could clear customs in Anacortes before 2:30 PM when the Border Protection Agents close the shop in mid-afternoon and clear the Ferry from Sydney.   We then made our way down the Swinomish to La Conner and my dock along Trawler Row.  We tied up at 3:30 in the afternoon.

My crew - Scott & Gerry

Our entire delivery from Ketchikan to La Conner was a joy.  The boat performed very well, we ate good food and told a lot of jokes.  A fun week!

The trip was 664.7 miles.  We added 91-hours to the Lehman 135.  7-1/2 days on the water very well spent.

Thanks for reading,

Steve