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Mailport: February 2010
Used-Boat Review Request I would prefer
to read boat reviews about affordable used boats. I could be wrong, but I expect
many of your readers are like myself and are value-conscious sailors. There’s no
way I would buy a new boat and take the depreciation hit that comes with it,
even if I could afford the price tag. I’m not
currently in the market for buying a boat, but I always read used-boat reviews.
Like many, I am a closet boat shopper, pretty much all the time. Ivan
Leith, More Used-Boat Reviews The reason I
subscribe is so that I can enjoy a reasonable-sized boat (28-35 feet) at an
affordable cost. (Currently, I cruise a Catalina 27 and race a Mirage 24.) I’m
always interested in boat reviews and specs, particularly ones that are in my
price range (under $45,000). I’m particularly interested as I’m looking to
upgrade in a year or so. Alan
Waterhouse, Thanks to all
who e-mailed recently with product-test requests and boat review suggestions.
Given the current buyers’ market for used boats, we will be stepping up coverage
in this area. E-mail practicalsailor@belvoirpubs.com with your
suggestions. Rusty Can Why, if I can
buy a can of shaving cream for $6 with a bottom that does not leave rust rings,
can I not buy a can of air for $12-$14 with the same feature? This peccadillo
has been rattling around in my brain for years, ever since my first can of
compressed air started leaving rust stains. David
Short, Foggy Electronics In your
evaluations of Raymarine chartplotters (June 2009 and October 2009), I wonder if
you had any feedback similar to the experience I have had with the Raymarine 435
A-Series chartplotter.
I first
installed a new Ray 435 in 2005. I returned it several times because of fogging
inside the screen as a result of moisture. Each time, it was returned to me as
"fixed" for reinstallation. In spring 2009, Sailcraft Service in Oriental, N.C.,
a Raymarine dealer, swapped my old one for a new one. On Oct. 6, 2009, I
replaced the one I received in the spring because of the moisture issue. On Oct.
31, 2009, that new one showed signs of fogging on the inside of the
screen. I’m on my
fourth Ray 435 plotter, the second one in a year, and the moisture problem has
never been resolved. Ed
Bliss, Readers have
reported this problem (and PS has seen it in some test products) in
several different brands of marine electronics. The fogging tends to happens on
cool, humid days, and in our recent tests, went away after a few minutes, once
the unit warmed up. We contacted
Raymarine about your issues. Jim Hand, Raymarine senior marketing manager,
explained that although Raychart 435s are waterproof, a handful of customers
have reported small amounts of condensation inside the display between the LCD
and the glass. "We would need to actually get one of the units in our service
center to understand why moisture is in the display," Hand said. "For customers
who experience this, we recommend they return the unit to our service
department. Our service department will perform a modification to the front
fascia of the unit to prevent the condensation from occurring
again." Two-Part Nightmare I would like to
share my experience with two of the two-part varnish systems: Smith’s Five-year
Clear (www.smithandcompany.com) and Signature Finishes’ Honey Teak
(www.signaturefinish.com). I was drawn to
the products by their manufacturers’ promises of longevity, years without
re-coating. They lived up to their claims of durability and gloss, but then came
the issue of removal and/or repair. With the Smith,
the coating lasted for five years, as advertised. Then it failed at the edges
and some areas lifted off the wood. The Smith finish is very hard, so forget
sanding it off. Paint remover pastes did not work either. Smith and Co.
recommended using MEK and then covering the solvent-treated areas with aluminum
foil. That may work in the lab but not on a boat in the California sun.
Eventually, I
resorted to using a heat gun. But you have to apply high heat because the
coating softens only at a very high temperature—just about when the teak starts
to turn dark. You have to be very careful not to burn the teak or melt the
adjacent fiberglass. Excellent coating but a pain to remove. Next came Honey
Teak, which also showed good staying power. Failure was evident when some
blisters developed. After sanding the areas for about an hour, I began itching
all over my body, had watery eyes and incessant sneezing even though I had been
wearing a mask. I immediately changed clothes and took a shower. The itching
stopped. Two days later, I tried again. Within five minutes, the symptoms
returned. I called the
maker, and they explained that my reaction was unusually strong. I eventually
hired a professional painter to remove the Honey Teak with Jabsco paint
remover. Prospective
users of these varnishes should keep in mind the difficult removal/repair when
the coatings fail. I am now back
to using Pratt & Lambert, a favorite in our area, re-coating annually. I am
still using Smith Penetrating Epoxy to prep before applying varnish. It really
helps to reduce peeling of the varnish at the edges. Richard
Leute, As we’ve
mentioned in past articles on two-part exterior wood coatings (December 2007),
their biggest downside is that removal is a serious chore. (We’ve suffered our
fair share of hand cramps from holding a heat gun and scraper for hours on end!)
The trick to maintaining a super-hard, two-part varnish finish is to stay on top
of it. Any time a blister appears or the coating dulls, repair the spot
immediately. These band-aid measures will delay the need to break out the heat
gun, but not indefinitely. A side note:
Smith & Co.’s Five-year Clear has been discontinued temporarily. The maker
has not yet set a date to resume manufacturing it. Boat Hunt Success Over the last
two years, I’ve asked you questions about buying a 27- to 28-foot used sailboat.
You promptly sent me your advice. Last month, we purchased a Precision 23. It
fit our family needs very well. Thank you for your help. Howard
Solomon, Marpro vs. Blue Water Your October
2009 issue notes that Blue Water antifouling also sells under the name MarPro.
Can I assume that the products are the same? It would appear that the MarPro is
more heavily discounted. I have used the Blue Water Coppershield SCX 45 but
found that by the end of the summer, there was a heavy coat of sea fur growing
on the bottom. There wasn’t much in the way of barnacles, but I lost at least 1½
knots by the end of the season. Ed
Reiss, According to
maker Blue Water Marine Paint (http://www.bluewatermarinepaint.com/),
the Blue Water and MarPro antifouling paint lines are effectively the same, with
the MarPro brand generally sold through boatyards and the Blue Water more of a
retail brand. We have not analyzed the formulas
ourselves. Propane
Fridges My question is
about refrigeration. In my RV, I have a propane refrigerator/freezer. (It also
works on 12- or 120-volt electricity.) It works great while using hardly any
propane at all. Why have I never seen a marine version of this concept?
I understand
that the unit must be level to operate on propane, but as I am at anchor or at a
dock much of the time I use my boat, that shouldn’t be a major issue. This would
free up the major electrical demands that most marine refrigeration entails.
Peter
Mahr, We’ve seen a
few propane refrigeration systems on boats, mostly multihulls, but they are
rare—likely for the issues you mention, primarily the importance of a level
playing field. Unlike an RV, a
boat is a huge propane sink with no drain, increasing the risk of explosion.
It’s one thing to have a propane stove with no pilot light, that you’re
attending when it is ignited, but a fridge that is on all the time would require
multiple safety shutoffs. Efficiency
might also be an issue. Anyone considering propane refrigeration for a galley
should first consult the American Boat and Yacht Council’s
(www.abycinc.org) technical reports for its guidelines for propane
systems. Navionics for iPhone I understand
you are going to do an article on navigating by phone using the iPhone. I
thought you may be interested in my recent experience with one app for that
phone. Last fall, we
had a holiday Parade of Boats on Lake Lanier, Ga. The clear night with almost
full moon did not eventuate, and with all the lights on the boats, ours
included, it was difficult to find the markers—particularly since none on the
lake are illuminated. I had just downloaded Navionics for the iPhone (Southern
Lakes database) and decided to use that as our navigation aid to get back to the
dock, some 3-4 miles. Running on the AT&T 3G network, it tracked us clearly,
was accurate to within feet, and did not miss any obstructions, shores, or
docks. It was easy to use and extremely fast when changing zoom (more like
instant) and loading. (www.navionics.com) I also had
iNavX (www.inavx.net) but was unhappy with it due to its very slow speed
and refresh times. Navionics is an
amazing product. The app cost all of $6.99 vs. the $49.99 of iNavX. Bruce M. Whyte,
M.D.,
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