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Got a letter from the insurance co. yesterday: "Get the boat out of the water or protect it the best you can with booms. Don't operate sea water cooled engine in oily water." What about all those boats on TV out there trying to help clean up? I don't know, but I would imagine a sucked in tar ball would gum things up a bit.

I don't think this mess will really sink in until the East Coast is fouled. Too big to clean.

The boats that are running through the oil have significantly bigger water intakes that your outboard. Plus they are mainly targeting slicks. It's probably not the greatest thing to have running through the cooling system but can't be much worse that a constant flow of salt water on metal parts.

If I seen a Oi-lslick in front of the boat, I would shut off the motor, raise the prop out of the water and put up the sails.

Sloop John B wrote: I don't think this mess will really sink in until the East Coast is fouled. Too big to clean.

I agree.

NOTE: have you guys seen the worlds largest oil skimmer ship sent in to help in oil cleanup: "A WHALE", (yes that's it's name), made in Taiwan, now located at the mouth of the Mississippi. This guy is 10 stories tall, 3 1/2 football fields long.

LOUIS B HOLUB wrote:
NOTE: have you guys seen the worlds largest oil skimmer ship sent in to help in oil cleanup: "

Too Bad this ship wasnt headed to the Gulf about 75 days ago..

Has this ship already existed, or was it put into emergency construction just for the Gulf Spill.?

LOUIS B HOLUB wrote: NOTE: have you guys seen the worlds largest oil skimmer ship sent in to help in oil cleanup: "A WHALE", (yes that's it's name), made in Taiwan, now located at the mouth of the Mississippi. This guy is 10 stories tall, 3 1/2 football fields long.

No, I have not seen or heard about a skimmer ship that big.
Do you have a link?

Phil M

"Oil disturbance in Gulf" Disaster is more like it. Rob

No, I have not seen or heard about a skimmer ship that big.
Do you have a link?

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/03/gi ... lf-mexico/

Big boat!!! I couldn't tell if it had a white or blue hull, though

White hull. I just watched CNN hourly news. ITs still in the testing process right now.

It claims to be able to suck up 21 million gallons of OIl daily. Of course we will have to wait a few days to see how well this Whale can suck up the Oil Disaster in the Gulf.

As a recreational boater I am required by law to have life preserverser, fire extinguishers. horn, and I cant dump my porta-potty waste into the water. If my boat should sink, or I spill gasoline or oil, I am responsible for my Spill.

Maybe the World should demand that these Oil Drilling Operations have a Whale type ship and rescue equipment NEAR-BY in case of an emergency.. Disaster.

BESIDES STOPPING THE LEAK - - - this ship (A Whale) might be the answer to much of the problem - - - but it will still take a LOT of people and resources to clean up the shoreline, beaches, marshes, etc.

Rick Less

Most Beach resort towns have beach cleaning tractors. They tow a trailor which picks up the surface sand and sifts it back to the beach while gathering all the beer cans, trash & debris.

You would think they could scoop up all the contaminated sand, transport it to burn it up in a incinerator, which could generate electricity. the scorched sand could be re-cycled for concrete or constuction projects.

If I dont see one on the news soon, I will invent & build a few, and save the Gulf Beaches. I might even smuggle out some Crude and make my own fuel.

Its less about cleaning up the beach areas (simple enough) but how to clean up the rocky areas and the marshes. Now that would be some invention.

A short time ago, before the BP disaster, the EPA and the marinas would fine you if you accidentally spilled a few drops of gasoline into the water while fueling.

The latest estimate as of July 4th is almost 85 million gallons have poured into the Gulf. Sure makes those few drops I might have spilled seem rather insignificant.