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March 2010 
Bottom Paint Test UpdatesThese six-month and 18-month bottom paint test updates cover dozens of antifouling paints that were immersed in Florida waters. Tested paints include marine coatings from Blue Water, Epaint, Flexdel, Interlux, Pettit, Sea Hawk, and Copper Coat, an epoxy-copper blend that claims multi-year protection. BoatKoat Laminate’s experimental stick-on antifouling for sailboats also was included in the fray. Hard antifouling paints and ablative antifouling paints work differently and are intended for different applications. Find out which type best matches your sailing style and boat maintenance regimen. Testers flagged the best bottom paints in each category, including ablative paints, hard paints, freshwater paints, aluminum paints, racing paints, water-based paints, and eco-friendly paints. Copper-free bottom paints and low-copper coatings performed surprisingly well at the six-month mark. Practical Sailor Takes a Close Look at the State of Boat Cleats Boat cleats are an elegantly simple yet essential piece of marine hardware. Yet, after scrutinizing cleats at the Annapolis and Miami boat shows, it appears that while there a few innovative designs and tried-and-true classic models, many builders are using sub-par installations. The shape of a cleat needs to take in the significance of how a cleat locks a line in place and yet still allows a crew member to control the easing or snubbing process. Proper topping and backing cleat plates can greatly improve cleats durability and long-term performance. Some hide-away cleats or pop-up cleats have water drainage issues and less-than-robust support structures. Other designs use the less-secure rings and eyes instead of proper cleats. Marine Inverter-Chargers Test Part 2 The Practical Sailor February 2010 issue launched our test of marine inverter-chargers with a look at the inverter capabilities of units from six manufacturers. This report compares the battery charger functions of the inverter-chargers from Charles Industries, Magnum Energy, Mastervolt, ProMariner, Tripp Lite, and Xantrex. Our recommendations differ based on an owner’s needs. One unit is excellent for sailboat owners with larger AGM or gel-cell batteries who plan to expand their systems down the road, while another is better suited for those who have no expansion plans, offering a combination of lower price, features, and sophistication. Stabilizing Cameras and Video Cameras Underway Anyone who has tried to steady a camera aboard a boat knows how difficult it can be to keep the equipment dry, compose the shot, and level the horizon, all the while keeping yourself and your camera on board. Given hull vibrations, wave action, and the unevenness of the deck, setting up a stable work platform presents challenges that marine photographers try to solve using a variety of camera mounts. Practical Sailor recently tested three types of camera mounts: a beanbag camera mount from Omnipod, the Camo-Pro 7; two flexible devices from GorillaPod, the heavy-duty GorillaPod Focus and the GorillaPod SLR Zoom; and specialized, self-leveling camera mounts from Horizon True. Cape Dory 25 Do-It-Yourself Refit Cape Dory sloops—even those like the 25, which was not designed by Carl Alberg—have one of the most loyal followings among production boats. These loyal owners, added to a reputation for quality construction, enables Cape Dory boats to hold their resale value well, making them prime candidates for a do-it-yourself project boat like Practical Sailor’s test boat, Satori, a 1981 Cape Dory 25. Satori was purchased in 2008 in Sarasota, Fla., for $1,500. Although structurally sound for a boat her age, the interior had been gutted. Satori’s sale price included an inventory of like-new sails, a new 5-horsepower Nissan outboard, and ground tackle. Completely rebuilding a boat’s interior would seem daunting to many, but Satori owner Jon Perkins is a carpenter by trade so he had the tools, resources, and know-how to get the job done. Cape Dory is an ideal fixer-upper boat, if the owner is up for the project. On today market, the Cape Dory 25 can fetch $3,000-$8,000. The pocket cruiser is also an excellent boat to fix and sail as a nice weekend cruiser for a family or a coastal cruiser for a couple. HeatMate Takes the Chill Off When temperatures decrease, the search for viable heating options by shivering sailors invariably increases. A recent cold winter’s night provided the perfect opportunity for one blue-nosed liveaboard Practical Sailor tester to check out the HeatMate 5200 heater-stove from Contoure International Inc. The HeatMate 5200 is a portable, non-pressurized alcohol heater that easily converts into a stove. Weighing in at about 5 pounds, the fairly compact, aluminum unit measures approximately 11.75 inches tall by 11.5 inches in diameter, and it comes assembled and ready to go. New Clear, No-rust Propane Tanks Unlike aluminum or steel propane tanks, clear composite tanks allow users to see how much fuel remains, a nice feature in an LPG tank. Following our year-long evaluation of Ragasco’s 9-kilogram one-piece blow-molded tank, Practical Sailor tested the American-made Lite Cylinder, a two-piece composite tank. The two tanks have nearly identical dimensions, and may be a challenge to fit in a standard propane locker designed for metal tanks. In fire tests, composite tanks melt rather than “explode” like metal tanks, giving them a slight edge in safety, and the non-metal tanks resist rusting, a common problem of aluminum LPG tanks. |
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