LETTERS ⇑⇓AN ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP IS EVEN BETTER I should add one thing to Tony Deluca's April issue suggestion of using a squeeze bulb to prime a diesel engine when necessary. If the fuel level is below the fuel pump on the engine, a vacuum can be drawn from lifting the fuel, causing the bulb to collapse. This would block the fuel and cause the engine to die. By the time you got the floorboards up, the bulb would have expanded, concealing the cause of the problem. This happened to me 41 years ago, so I installed a 12-volt fuel pump in the line for priming and transferring fuel. Since then I've had no problems. A second comment. One of the causes of engine overheating is that sometimes air will collect and remain at a high point in the raw water intake, resulting in a restricted flow of cooling water. A bleeder valve should be installed at any high point in the line. Ernie Copp Orient Star, Cheoy Lee Offshore 50 Long Beach
MARINA AMENITIES • Full service harbor master's office • Waterfront dining • Free WiFi access • Guest facilities with restrooms, showers and dressing rooms
• Water sport rentals • Surveillance and electronic controlled gates • Individual water hook ups • Garbage and recycling disposal
Sausalito's Finest Marina 85 LIBERTY SHIP WAY, #205, SAUSALITO, CA 94965
415•331•5550 FAX 415•331•8523 www.schoonmakermarina.com Page 38 •
Latitude 38
• May, 2014
⇑⇓DIPPING INTO THE BUCKET We are part of a high-end hospitality/culinary service, and we want to explore the possibility of serving the clientele at the St. Barth Bucket in 2015. We would appreciate any information regarding the race, island, accommodations, villas and so forth. Renee Randolph & chef John Myers Aquatic Culture, San Rafael Renee and John — The Bucket is a very high-end event that is served by a number of well-established yacht concierge and hospitality services, most of which are based out of St. Barth and Newport, Rhode Island. It's a niche market where most providers have known and dealt with their clients for years. Indeed, many times the businesses have been started by wives of captains. So in addition to having a built-in clientele, they know many of the other captains and boat owners. Also, they are good friends with many of the owners of restaurants, villas, and other providers on the tiny island. In our opinion, it would be difficult for a West Coast outfit to break in, particularly if you weren't fluent in French and didn't have an intimate knowledge of the island's very limited resources and the very subjective needs of superyacht owners. You can find out everything about the Bucket online, starting with the Bucket website at www.bucketregattas.com/stbarths. ⇑⇓IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME I read the April 4 'Lectronic piece about a man 'casting' for a reality television show based on cruising and starting with the Baja Ha-Ha. I'm not surprised, as it was only a matter of time before something like that was proposed. I completely agree with Latitude's opinion, which is that cruising and reality television should not cross paths, so I was surprised that there might be filming during the Ha-Ha. Latitude is savvy enough to know that reality television has nothing to do with reality. I know plenty of people who have worked on such shows and, generally speaking, the shows are scripted, set up, or manipulated, or the drama is created in post-production. They don't have much in common with what really happens. When it comes to sailing — and television — most of the world is a bit clueless and will believe whatever they are shown. I know that filming a reality television show would bring a lot of publicity to the Ha-Ha, but you might think about how