A Nautical Truth Off Topic-The Banter Room Forums

A Nautical Truth

Long ago, over the seas and far away, I was informed the waxing and waning of that celestial silver orb – the moon, exerted a gravitational pull that is responsible for the flooding and ebbing of the tides.

Au contraire, I now have hard evidence to prove that it is in fact quite the reverse – it is water that is magnetic and has its way with the moon.

My very good ship, the DownEaster 38 Eclipse, recently spent five months on the hard, due to a four-year old Volvo Penta MD40 that had a penchant for ingesting copious quantities of the Chesapeake Bay and, as a result, needed rebuilding before its time.  Yes, of course the warranty had long since expired.

In all that time on the hard, surrounded by nothing but very dry land, no matter what I brought on deck – be it a winch handle, sunglasses, parts, pieces, any and all tools, a gidget, a gadget, a widget or whatever you care to name – not a one of them fell overboard.  Not one, nothing, nada, zip, zilch, zero!

I, on the other hand – body of water that I am, fell off the ladder on numerous occasions and why?   It’s obvious... consisting mostly of H2O, not only did I need to find my own level which, in this case, was a good way below and beyond the boatyard but of course, the magnetic effect kicked in.

This experience only served to enlighten me as to why it’s known as 'the hard'.  However, the moment Eclipse was launched, any and all gear or items not physically attached to the boat, be it by line, chain, screws or bolts, were instantly attracted by (and to) the water and immediately leapt like lemmings over the side, completely avoiding all contact with the deck, bulwarks, coamings, stanchions, lifelines, toe or cap rail and sank to a murky and watery grave, never to be seen again or, as in the case of my mobile phone, heard from again.

One would think, that if what goes up must come down is a universal truth, then its opposite – what goes down must come up should also hold true.  Unfortunately such is not the case, especially when it comes to the marine environment... the Titanic for instance.

As any seafaring soul who has undoubtedly witnessed the magnetic water phenomenon may attest, it has been the norm ever since mankind crawled out of the proverbial primordial, and is consistent with my theory . . . . . water is magnetic.

If you need confirmation, go to sea with your cell phone or car keys in your pocket – I dare you.

This singular fact is true of any system of water, including the shower.  You may choose to believe that you dropped the soap, but you didn’t.  In actuality, it was the water flowing down the drain (clockwise or counter, depending on its positive or negative polarity) following its natural instinct and the soap succumbed to the draw of its overpowering magnetic force.

Oh, still you doubt me?  Then look no further than the north pole – a prodigious amount of . . . . . what?  Frozen, yes you guessed it, water – and you may trust your compass, as all good sailors know, to point you in the direction of that icy place as the pole is most definitely and indisputably magnetic.

This proves once and for all, never mind the moon – water is magnetic!

 Eclipse at sunset.