It has been stated before, but I reiterate: There are TWO (2) items to consider: One is the ROC or Restricted Operator's Certificate that you must have to transmit on marine VHF. This requirement is still in force and there can be heavy fines for violations. The other is the Station License which has been dropped for small pleasure boats. So: one is a certificate to be able to operate, issued to a PERSON, very much like a drivers license is to operate a car and it requires a short course and government supervised, written test. Once issued, it is for life of that person. The other, the station license is for the equipment i.e. the actual VHF transceiver. (following the above analogy, it would be the registration/license for a car complete with license plates). It is that requirement only that has recently been removed for pleasure craft in Canada. All clear now like the fog at Peggy's Cove, eh? George of Scaramouche in Canada who used to be a Power Squadron Instructor and knows about those things

We have a 36 foot (40' overall) sundeck semi-displacement twin screw trawler. The boat was purchased with 240 feet of anchor chain which gives the vessel a "bow-down attitude when at rest. Is it worth carrying all that weight of chain or would I be better off with rope? We do all our boating in Southern California with a usually pacific Pacific ocean and anchor only if there is no mooring available. Ralph Salerno M/V ANCORA

jeanann@jps.net writes: > Just rec'd a Boat & Cottage Companion from the Canadian Co- >Hy-Plant, >delivered to Cal for $29US. Good sucker, better than a big turkey >baster >would be. Ideal for my purpose of manual bilge pumping. It can also >unclog sinks, comes with a mounting bracket and floats. Thanks again >to >the listee who recommended it (sorry, I lost your name). If >interested, >the phone # for Hy-Plant is 905 420-5224. > > I have no affiliation with the Co, so blah, blah, blah. > > Michael Wilkie It was I who recommended it after buying one for myself. My marina is right next door to Hy-Plant's store. I also discovered it is a great toy-tool to keep youngsters in the summer occupied as it shoots water about 40 feet. I have a pesky cormorant duck visitor who persists to sit on and defacate from my windvane on top of my 32 ft mast. I intend to test the "Turkey-baster " on that duck coming summer. Ciao - George of Scaramouche on lake Ontario, Canada.

docmoss@tampabay.rr.com writes: >if you >get diarreha you can baste the Cormorant right back. I guess you had cormorants too, they seem to have permanent diarreha while perching and rotating on the windvane.....

Good news: What you ordered was a "RainStick" built to water plants in hanging baskets. You should have bought a "BoatCompanion". They are really the same thing except for the "Shnozzle" on the end. One is curved, the other is straight. I gave your e-mail, where you so humourously described how the "shnozzle" went "shwimming", to the shop next doors and they promised to take care of your problem. Please let me know how it all works out. Ciao - George of Scaramouche, Lake Ontario, Canada I have no connection to "hyplant@therainstick.com" other than that they are located within the same marina where I live and keep my boat - sometimes they smile at me.

jcw@rti.org writes: >At least our Canadian friends have some minimal testing required to >get >their comparable permit. (and it's only $25 CDN) Which I hope improves communication on the water.... I hope.... darn optimist!

msvbeluga@yahoo.com writes: >every time a cormorant takes off >he takes a dump(i could think of worse ways to put it ) I was wondering if they use that technique sort-of as a rocket-assist technique like older fighter planes did....

That would not resolve anything, in my humble opinion. We would still have the same amount of words only in a big lump and would lose the spontaneity we enjoy now. No, self-control is the answer IMHO. Quoting only a short line of what was said before and speaking in telegram style. That is what I would lke to recommend. It's not the information we need to curtail but the wordiness, eh! Cheers etc - George of Scaramouche

e16@telus.net writes: > >Microsoft Outlook Help says the following: "On the Tools menu, click >Options, and then click the Mail Delivery tab. Select the Don't >download >messages larger than check box, and then enter a number in the box." PocketMail will do that as well or give you only the headers which is what I do and then decide to download if I wnat to see the whole catastrophy (In Zorba's words....)