Author: Alexander Toulas

Seasickness. For anyone who’s ever experienced it, even just the word is almost enough to make them want to lose their lunch. Seasickness, also known to mariners as Mal de Mer, is a form of motion sickness that can be particularly unpleasant and debilitating given the combined forces of the confining nature of boats and the unpredictably violent sea. It’s hardly a fatal condition to have, but the symptoms of nausea, stomach cramps, and dehydration due to excessive vomiting that are sure to accompany it make coming down with a case of seasickness a quick and sure-fire way to ruin any boating excursion. The condition…

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Summer is here and many families here in Florida are using the season to escape for a vacation on one of the many cruise ships that find port here. The popular misconception about cruises of the past is that they were reserved only for the “newly-wed and nearly dead”, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth, at least of the modernized diesel-powered cruises of today. Indeed, we’ve now entered a new era of cruising. With larger cruise ships, higher occupancy rates, and more competitive pricing, cruises have actually managed to become the fastest-growing segment of the travel market in the past several years and…

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Just one month ago in April 2016, Carmen Johnson, a 15 year-old cheerleader from Priceville High, Alabama, and her friend Raegan Gargis jumped from a family boating dock in Winston County after a day of picnicking in the warm Spring weather. But immediately, it was apparent to Carmen’s father, also present at the time, that something was seriously wrong. The girls screamed out for help but were completely submerged within seconds of hitting the water. Sadly, Carmen never resurfaced and her lifeless body was recovered an hour later. While authorities were initially apprehensive to determine a definitive cause of the young woman’s death, it has…

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Someone slipping and falling overboard is one of the most terrifying experiences one can have on your marine diesel vessel. While these unfortunate accidents do happen from time to time, the good news is that with some quick thinking and teamwork, chances are that you’ll be able to rescue your companion with ease. The first thing to do when you’ve noticed that someone has fallen overboard, regardless of their sex, is to yell “Man Overboard” as loud as you possibly can along the port or starboard sides of the vessel in an effort to alert the rest of the topside crew. Continue to yell until…

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Fuel is a necessary component for any diesel engine, so in the interest of cutting long-term costs, many businesses and individuals choose to buy their supplies in bulk. While this approach certainly seems to make financial sense in the short term, the excess fuel will of course require long term storage, a considerable expense in and of itself. Adding to the further cost of fuel storage is the risk of storing it for too long, leading to the fuel’s expiration. This liability does not just apply to diesel fuel stored in barrels for later use, but also applies to the unused fuel that sits stagnant…

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No matter how enjoyable it may be to take a vessel out onto the open water, most would probably agree that boats aren’t the most fuel efficient vehicles around. The costs related to a boat’s fuel needs alone can be high enough to scare off all but the bravest boaters. In fact boats used so much more fuel when compared to land based vehicles, that their fuel use is measured in gallons per hour, or gph, as opposed to miles per gallon. That being said, the fewer gallons your vessel manages to burn per hour, the better. If your vessel runs on a marine diesel…

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Found in many diesel-powered vessels of all kinds, a Four-Stroke Diesel Engine is a type of engine that is so named because it requires that the piston complete four strokes while turning a crankshaft in order for internal combustion to occur. As the engine reciprocates, the piston moves up and down the cylinder twice, with the crankshaft revolving twice. The heat of the engine is then transferred to the fuel at constant pressure. The four strokes required for this process are the Induction or Intake Stroke, the Compression Stroke, the Power or Combustion stroke, and the Exhaust Stroke. 1. The Induction or Intake Stroke During…

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The sea provides endless enjoyment for diesel powered vessel owners all over the world. But as beautiful as the open ocean is, it can be equally as dangerous and unpredictable for the initiated and uninitiated alike. Whether it is a novice or seasoned veteran behind the wheel, the ocean makes no discrimination with its violent power. Even the most experienced seafarers can find themselves caught off guard by inclement weather, navigational miscalculation, mechanical problems, or a nearly infinite number of other unexpected problem scenarios. No one is immune to the water’s mystery and power. That is why regardless of experience or skill level, there are…

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Over the past several decades, the state of our planet’s environmental health has become a critical concern that is never far from our public consciousness. It has become one of the most important and divisive issues facing our society today, swaying the results of national policies, laws, and elections every year. Regardless of political affiliation, most would agree that something must be done to ease the damage being done to our oceans, forests, and other valuable ecosystems by humanity’s wasteful and irresponsible means of energy production. The most obvious cause of our currently deteriorated environmental state is the transportation industry, the primary source of excessive…

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