Bertram33 User Forum

Well we went out for a sunset cruise last night...it was a very warm evening, but we are fortunate so far in that there is no oil off our SW Florida shores yet. There was a light breeze and the water temperture in the pass was 89 degrees. My question is about using the boat if there is evidence of oil on the water, and whether anyone has any experience with that. I would imagine at some point we'll see some of the tar balls floating in the water and wshing up on the beach. What are the concerns for the cooling system etc?

There is a marina up in MA that has been dealing with coal tar sheen for over 10 years. Basically some coal ash and other nasty stuff was dumped into the river and is now leaching up to the surface. It has been a major environmental issue for several years. Anyway the damage to the boats has been cosmetic (the sheen gets stuck to the hull and bakes on with the sun)... difficult to remove. I wouldn't be worried about the cooling system as you intake is below the surface. If you see the sheens avoid them anyway.

Guess we'll be finding out evetually. I don't think it would be any more than messy...unless you suck up a tar ball. Gene Dugan Boca Raton, Fl. "Nauti Marie" 1989 33 FBC 2007 8.1 Crusaders

Any one operating in the area of a spill should take as much care as possible to avoid it! The oil will ruin bottom paint and pressure washing will force it into Gelcoat and awlgrip.

Be sure to collect your checks from BP for your damages.