What will provide the US (and the rest of the world) with the next Industrial Revolution? And will the boating industry survive it all?

I think this is an interesting question. The way I see it, humans as an evolutionary creature have stagnated somewhat. Being a Gen X'er, I listen to all the stories the Baby Boomers tell about how good the 60's and 70's were. Indeed, I wasn't around to witness what I believe to be the pinnacle of human achievement - man's first steps on the Moon. Since then money has become the new God (yes, I've watched the Zeitgeist Addendum a few times!). Other than continually improving on technology we already had back then - like the fledgling internet, we haven't achieved much more.

There is still poverty and human suffering. There is still war. There is still the requirement for the economic slave - the wage slave, to get up and go to work. To go and work and create the money to repay the debts, issued by banking organisations for money that never actually existed. Okay, I've lost you? You better go to YouTube and watch Zeitgeist Addeundum right now. But one point is that the western world and particularly the United States, has never been in more debt. The USA is lending so much money from China to buy Chinese products that it simply cannot repay those loans. Undoubtedly China know it. It's a case of 'in for a penny, in for a pound' now. There's no turning back because that snowball is too big to stop. 

To get out of the hole that has been dug at an ever-increasing speed, the US and indeed the rest of the world needs a new industrial revolution. The USA needs it to get out of debt and repay its loans - and feed and house its own populace (many of whom have in recent years lost their homes). To some extent we are working on it. But not fast enough. However, the climate change argument is bringing with it change. Mind you, we're still using obsolete technology; petrol engines, upon which most boats still rely. But cars are becoming more economical, emit fewer emmissions and we are slowly but surely manufacturing more efficient home appliances and the uptake of biodegradable materials is increasing. We're trying to recycle and trying hard to clean up.

But the problem is that our bond to fossil fuels is hard to break. As with almost everything, the dominance of a few wealthy individuals and politically powerful corporations means that we are stuck using obsolete technology, despite the fact inventions such as the Orbital Engine were created to move us forward. Put it simply, the next Industrial Revolution is being held back to suit the never-ending and boundaryless greed of the few who benefit from continued use of fossil fuels.

Think about it for a moment. For electric cars to be produced en masse, it would require re-engineering of production plants worldwide and on an unprecented scale. Think about all the idle productive capacity in places like Detroit and Ohio right now. Workers would have to be re-skilled - particularly those employed in the industries servicing fossil fuel mining and production. And car manufacturing. The batteries powering the vehicles would have to be improved continually and at a rapid rate to enable our economies to operate at the level they do now. So R&D efforts worldwide would also have to triple or quadruple.

Now I'd argue that all of this should have happened a lot earlier. That it should have been done by now and a lot faster, too. Not that the oil companies would agree with me - or that they ever will. When you're making billions of dollars a day, who gives a damn about what happens to the rest of the world, right? 'Hey, they can burn! Just keep them burning our oil!' So we're still filling our boats with petrol (and a few of us with diesel) and most of us are up to our eyeballs in debt. And that is the legacy that will be passed onto future generations.

What will become of our boats? Sailors need not worry as much about this. But anyone who knows boats knows that they are very, very different to cars! It only takes your first encounter berthing your baby to arrive at the last-minute realization they don't have brakes! But seriously, the resistance of water against a hull is enormous in terms of pressure. We really ask a lot of marine engines when we get that hull on the plane or push that displacement hull through the water. An engine pushing something relatively small on wheels is completely different to propelling a one-tonne or fifty tonne vessel through water. Spare a thought for those 1,000-foot-long 100,000 tonne container ships bringing in all those goods from China! (Imagine those batteries!!!)

Sure the first genuinely electric cars and boats would be slow. Slower than what we have now. But think back to the first Ford motor car and think of how far we have come in such a short space of time. And think of how much faster technology will improve because we already have the basis to improve on it - computing power, knowledge and awareness, none of which existed when the first Industrial Revolution took flight.

So electric is just one option. We've got hybrid and we're doing solar power, looking into hydro and all sorts of other technology. But it's not happening at a 'Revolution' speed and time is money - certainly in America, where you can count the debt growing in the millions of dollars per second that you read this article. The point is that it is Amercia that needs the Revoltion most. And the rest of the world needs America to find and create that Revolution. The sad thing is that it will most likely be China who kickstarts the next Industrial Revolution. It will be China, mass producing electric and other sorts of cars, boats and appliances and selling them to an America that has no cash and no future. All for the sake of keeping a few Texans and a few more Arabs very happy. Zeitgeist it is.

Oh, I forgot! It can't be done right? Funny that. We developed technology that blast us through the stratosphere and put human beings on alien landscape we call the moon. That was July 20, 1969. And what have we done since?

How often do you service your boat's marine batteries?

Yes, I deliberately used the word 'service' to catch your eye. Because chances are you might check your boat's engine oil levels. You probably monitor your boat's power steering fluid levels and the gear lubricant levels. You might check the belts for tension. You might even monitor salt and corrsion build-up on parts of the engine and clean and spray with anti-corrosio paint.

But how often do you think about checking your boat's batteries. They need some attention too, but are easy to forget about. After all, it's boat engines that are the big ticket items that we worry about having to replace. But given some basic and routine maintenance, marine batteries can enjoy an extended life and you can be rewarded with lower operating costs in not having to replace them earlier than otherwise required.

Basic maintenance for a marine battery involves observation more than anything. Most of the time you should not need to do much, or anything at all. But you should make it a priority to check your boat's batteries as part of your basic maintenance routine.

The terminals on a marine battery can oxidize the same as a car's. This means you need to check the battery terminals regularly for corrosion, especially if your boat doesn't get used often. Corrosion can appear as a build-up of white powdery deposits around either or both of the battery terminals. There can also be a bit of color mixed in - a bluish-green tint. These deposits can be the result of chemical exchanges involving vapors and the battery terminal.

Directions for inspecting and cleaning you boat's marine batteries:

1. Remove the battery box cover/s. Disconnect the battery cables from the battery terminals by loosening the nut on each cable clamp. Once they are loose, always ensure you remove the cable clamp from the negative terminal first. It’s marked with a minus (-) sign and the positive terminal has a plus (+) symbol. The cables may not lift off easily and may need to be gently wiggled free until the clamp comes off the terminal. If there is a lot of corrosion present, you may need to use of pair of locking pliers. Be careful not to short any spanner or tools you use against the nearby metal objects when they’re in contact with the marine battery.
2. Secure the loose cables using tie and duct tape so that they cannot accidentally fall back onto the terminals.
3. Examine the condition of the battery cables and clamps for corrosion or excess wear. Should any damage appear extensive, immediately replace the cables and clamps to avoid potential problems.
4. Check the battery's casing for cracks and the battery terminals for signs of damage. If you find either, replace the marine battery.
5. Mix a small quantity of baking soda with water and paste directly onto the terminal posts.
6. Dip a toothbrush in water and use it to scrub the baking soda into the terminal posts and cable clamps. Skin and eye protection should be worn.
7. You can also use a battery terminal cleaner brush on it. Clean the insides of the cable clamps by using a clamp cleaner or use a plain soap-free steel wool pad.
8. Wipe the terminals, battery cover and cable clamps dry with a clean, disposable, lint-free rag.
9. Use a product like CRC Battery Terminal Protector or Lanox. This comes in an aerosol spray pack and provides a protective film over the terminals to reduce the liklihood of corrosion build-up. Cover all exposed metal surfaces on the battery posts, battery cables, and clamps.
10. Replace the positive clamp first and then replace the negative clamp. Tighten them securely with the spanner and replace the battery box cover.

Checking the electrolyte levels in a marine battery.

Remove the vent cap/s. The fluid levels should just cover the interior lead plates and distilled water (available at all supermarkets) should be added if fluid levels are down. You should habitually check the marine battery's electrolyte levels whenever you are checking your engine oil and lubricant levels in the boat. There is a fill well visible underneath the vent cap. Fill the well to cover the lead plates, but avoid overfilling the battery. Always use distilled water for servicing a marine battery. Ensure the vent caps is replaced and tightened after checking the fluid level. Never add acid to a marine battery.