Netanyahu's party claims Israel's election was stolen.

Sound familiar?

An incumbent attempting to establish a false reality through accusations and loud repetition. These people don't get embarrassed.

Unmanned Vessels--Would You See This?

I've been reading forum posts by sailors concerned by the increase in unmanned monitoring vessels. This concerns a collision on Lake Erie. The NTSB has recommendations for improving the safety of such operations. What bothers me is that they assigned no responsibility to the powerboat that ran down what could have been a kayaker. It was daylight, and the drone was transmitting AIS, which the powerboat was not monitoring (not required, but it was a 45' boat moving at 25 mph, which in my mind, increases responsibility).

 Read the report. Reach your own conclusions.

NTSB report 

 ----- 

 A small excerpt from the NTSB report, MIR-26-32.

... While the USV was underway near the WE08 site, the recreational vessel owner
was transiting back to Safe Harbor Toledo Beach on a southwest heading at cruising
speed (about 25 mph). Having owned and operated vessels in the Monroe area for
over 20 years, the operator had a thorough understanding of the area and was
navigating his vessel visually. Although the sun was positioned at a low angle in the
western sky off the starboard side of the vessel, the operator told investigators that
the sun was not impairing his vision. He stated there was about 2–3 miles of visibility.
 

With an overall length of 15.7 feet, the USV had a similar length to a small-sized
recreational vessel such as a kayak, canoe, rowboat, or powered skiff. The USV had a
yellow hull, meant to help make it more visible to other vessel operators. However,
due to the vessel’s design, only about 1 foot of freeboard was visible. Additionally,
most of the main deck was covered with solar paneling, which was dark in color, thus
obscuring the vessel’s yellow coloring and making it blend in with the surrounding
water. At the time of the collision, waves were 3 feet, which would have intermittently
obscured the USV’s hull as it dropped through the troughs of the waves and made it
difficult to discern the USV in the water (figure 15 shows the vessel underway in
similar wave conditions). Further, most of the USV’s hull appeared dark yellow when
viewed from the side, as the vessel’s design cast a shadow on the hull....

Winter is Coming

 I previously posted lead-acid battery voltage vs. temperature and state of charge (SOC).

 

If you have switched to lithium iron phosphate, there is also a relationship between temperature, voltage, and state of charge. The drop is less, but remember that lithium cannot be charged below freezing and the battery management system (BMS) will disconnect the battery from charging below about 35F. Additionally, the BMS will disconnect the battery completely below 11.5 volts (typical setting) until charging current is applied and the battery rises above 11.8 volts (typical).

 

 

I installed a Li-Time battery (weight savings, price, and the lead was dead) and I have experienced both sorts of cut-offs (very low slow solar through the winter, and charger failure). In both cases, the battery woke up when charging was applied.

 

 

Childs Hill, A Grown-Up's Mountain

 I'm quite sure I will not reach the summit, but I toil on the slope. Sailing. Shop skills. Engineering skills. The view is improving every year. As for understanding people and cultures, I'm not far above the canyon, but at least I know that.

 

 

Trump Aranges Deal for Rusian Diesel

A coward. A corrupt politician trying to sway an election. Un-American. A humiliation to the Republican Party. A humiliation of the Republican Party. Please count the American servicemen's lives that have been spent and lost in the fight against totalitarianism and communism. Trump spits on our brave men. He likes Putin because he is like Putin.

There aren't enough words for a worm like this. Further, the entire Republican Party, every Representative and Senator, has made itself culpable. No blame-shifting allowed, when you support such a man. You are hiding behind such a man.

Keeping the Gasoline Tank Cool (And protected from UV)

By law, above-ground gasoline tanks are ALWAYS painted white or silver. This minimizes solar heating and thus minimizes day/night breathing emissions. I'm a tank inspector from way back. I had a consulting business, and I've been around, over and in thousands of tanks, from 500-10,000,000 gallons. 

 E10 loves to absorb water from the atmosphere. If the water content reaches about 0.5% (more in summer, less in winter), the water will separate, taking the alcohol with it and creating a 15%-by-volume layer that won't burn. Phase separation, as this is called, is very unusual because absorption from the air is a very slow process, taking months. The usual cause, in fact, is a leaking filler cap or vent, not absorption.  It's a slow process, taking months to become important. But prudence requires closing the vent whenever the engine is not in use. Spray can sneak in through the vent.

Water absorption does NOT need to reach phase-separating levels to cause problems. At just a few hundred ppm, sludge generation increases. The gasoline becomes weakly conductive and galvanic corrosion blooms in the carb bowl (brass and aluminum are an active pair). Gasoline also evaporates, and the loss of the most volatile portions can make starting more difficult, and increase gum formation. Better to keep it sealed. 

But a sealed tank builds pressure. Over time, UV damages the tank and the tank becomes weak.  It would be nice to keep it out of the sun. Some people like Sunbrella covers. But on my boat, it would just get grungy with spilled oil, gas, lichens, and algae. 

 Paint is simpler. Since the tank is mostly covered by the seat, there was no need to paint the whole thing. If it was, I might paint the whole thing, leaving only the code stamp exposed (not on a seam).

Simple. The tank is protected from UV and stays cool. It's been seven years, 365 days per year, and the paint is still there.

  

Tiller Pilot Cover

 The leading cause of death for tiller pilots is moisture intrusion in the rain. In the UK they are common on eBay, but not here.

 A few days ago I had to take a 4-hour rainy sail to move my boat between marinas for service. After three years (Total Boat Krypton) the bottom needed anti-fouling paint, and Herrington Harbor North has decided that hauling trimarans scares them, so they won't do it anymore.  

So when the rain started, I pulled out the cover I had made from a scrap of clear vinyl snipped from an old dodger.  No sewing was required. I just folded it, somthing like wrapping a box, and popped a rivet in each of the corners. The bottom is open for ventilation. The tiller pilot stays bone dry, since it produces a small amount of heat in service, sufficient to prevent condensation and evaporate any stray drops.

You can see the buttons and use them right through the vinyl. Very easy. 

You can read the details here: https://www.practical-sailor.com/marine-electronics/no-sew-diy-tiller-pilot-cover/