Sailing in Oil - yacht perspective on the Gulf of Mexico disaster

by Capt. Tom Serio, The Triton/Sail-World Cruising on 7 Jul 2010 There's a new vocabulary developed since the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. There are 'tar balls, plumes, slicks and sheens'. Here Captain Tom Serio, a freelance Captain, writer and photographer in South Florida, tells www.thetriton.com!The_Triton the perspective for yachts these days in the Gulf.

Oil doesn’t belong in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, but it continues to spew out of a broken well pipe a mile below the surface and 41 miles off the Louisiana coast.

Since an explosion on and the subsequent sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on April 20, it’s estimated that tens of millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf. Oil in various forms has fouled waterways, sea life, marsh lands and other ecosystems, with no end in sight.

The latest estimate is that the slick covers a surface area of 2,500 square miles, but with the location changing daily due to local weather.

A significant risk is if the oil is picked up by the Gulf’s Loop Current, it can be carried through the Straits of Florida and into the Atlantic Basin Gulf Stream, carrying it up along the U.S. Eastern seaboard. Now considered the largest offshore spill in U.S. history, its impact and potential effect on the economy is staggering. And the yachting industry is not immune.

Several major yacht builders are based in Gulf Coast regions, as are some popular cruising grounds and destinations. Concerns range from running through the oil to boaters who may stop boating in oil-affected areas. Having never experienced a situation like this, most are erring on the side of caution and taking necessary precautions.

For every question raised about running a boat through oily water, there is an uncertain answer. Some think running through a thin film of oil on the surface should not be a problem. But running through any oil may impact an engine’s operation and potentially void a warranty, not to mention what it can do to a yacht’s finish.

Oil is a liquid but can vary in form, from free flowing to congealed clumps with the consistency of molasses. Ingesting oil into an engine can inhibit the flow of cooling water by clogging the intake strainers or damaging raw water pump impellers. Additionally, oil that coats internal surfaces of heat exchanges, oil coolers or other cooling devices may impede the proper transfer of heat, resulting in overheating. And that can be for main engines or generators.

'The physical condition of the oil makes a difference in what it can do to a vessel's systems,' said Charles Stephens, a marine insurance adjuster, who posted comments on The Triton's forum about this topic. 'The main point is that it will create heat in an engine if the oil blocks cooling systems.

'Most insurance companies will not pay any claims since the spill has been widely reported and everyone knew about it, even if it should cause a fire later for an engine overheating,' he said.

Popular yacht insurer Lloyd's of London has filed a lawsuit asking a federal judge to declare that Transocean Ltd.'s excess insurance carriers have no obligation to cover BP P.L.C. for cleanup costs or damage claims resulting from the spill.

According to court documents, Lloyd's argues that in its contract with the oil rig's company, Transocean, BP agreed to hold the rig owner harmless for excess pollution coverage 'from and against any loss, damages, expense, claims, fine, penalty, demand or liability for pollution or contamination including control and removal thereof.'

Running a watermaker system or even an air conditioning system while transiting in oily areas also would likely cause damage. Oil traces on internal parts may mean significant maintenance and again void warranties. It would be best to shut off the water intakes of these systems if there is a possibility of being in oil-laden waters.

A recent press release by Volvo Penta doesn’t directly mention warranty issues, but it does recomment -- and strongly -- that 'boat owners need to exercise special diligence to protect their boat investment.' Volvo goes on to say that experience shows ingestion of even small amounts of oil into engine cooling systems may cause damage to the engine or subsystems.

You may wonder how those response and supply ships dealing with the fuel spill can handle the oily water. Most commercial vessels such as the ones in the Gulf now have keel coolers, which is a closed cooling system where the cooling lines run along the keel for cooling, never ingesting outside water.

Of importance, too, is bottom paint. Joe Purtell of Interlux shared Interlux’s guidelines for the treatment of boats contaminated with oil. Ablative bottom finishes contaminated by oil can become 'blocked', preventing the biocide from being released and leading to premature fouling and inferior adhesion of any subsequent antifouling applications. For more on Interlux’s notice and to learn what Awlgrip recommends for topcoats, click here.

Economically, the accident could be a disaster for more than just the environment. Trinity Yachts of Gulfport, Miss., is positioned up a well-protected waterway, but the only way in or out is via Biloxi Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. Tar balls and oil slicks are well into the coastal estuaries in the coastal areas of that area.

When asked about running yachts through an oil field, Frank Allen of Trinity Yachts said, 'You just don’t want to run through it.'

Rich Lazzara of Lazzara Yachts in Tampa is unsure what the disaster might mean for future yacht sales. Although he has a number of yachts in production, including two new models, Lazzara mentioned that many of his customers cruise the Gulf and East Coast of the United States.

'They may hold off buying a new yacht for a year or so if their favorite cruising areas have oil,' he said.