Tools & Techniques
Here's a collection of useful information for boaters of any experience level.
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How to Prevent Head Odors Aboard Your Sailboat
While permeation of waste gases through flexible sanitation hose is a major source of odors in the head, it is not the only one. This article looks at the possible sources one by one. We believe that replacing flexible white PVC sanitation hose with SeaLand OdorSafe hose will help eliminate odors. But it, too, will eventually fail, albeit after a much longer time. You can prolong the lifespan of OdorSafe or any sanitation hose by eliminating low spots in the installation where sewage collects. No sewage sitting in the hose, no hose failure. Hence, vigorous flushing of the hose helps, too. This is fine if you’re offshore and pumping directly overboard, but if pumping into a holding tank, overflushing fills the tank that much faster.
Winterizing the Engine: Maintenance that Is Truly Preventive
Winterizing an inboard engine installation means a lot more than filling the cooling system with antifreeze and stuffing a rag in the exhaust outlet. It means taking care of the exhaust system, the fuel system, the engine controls, and other components of the drive train, such as the shaft and prop. If you want to do these things yourself none of them is difficult, only time consuming plan on a long day of work, or perhaps a leisurely weekend.
Ethanol Fuel Attacks Outboard Engines, Inboard Engines and Fuel Tanks
Who wouldn’t accept with open arms a renewable product that is produced right here in the United States, reduces our dependency on foreign oil, and reduces pollution? You’ve probably already heard of biodiesel, a fuel made from, among other things, soybeans and used deep-fryer oils. Similarly, ethanol or ethyl alcohol is made from various agricultural products such as sugar cane and corn. (It’s what moonshiners used to make in rural stills in the early part of the last century.) Here in the U.S., where huge quantities of corn are grown, this seems like a natural fit. When mixed with gasoline, usually at a 10-percent ratio, it’s referred to as either E10 or gasohol. The resulting product, an oxygenate, allows fuel to burn more efficiently and thus produces less pollution.
Practical Sailor Advisor: Marine Sanitation and Holding Tanks
We own a Com-Pac 25 and we enjoy making improvements to her. Now I'd like to replace all the flexible hose plumbing in the head compartment with PVC, hoping that'll eliminate the odor problems we occasionally have. Also, the holding tank, which is located under the port settee, just aft of the head, is too small, but it probably couldn't be replaced with a larger one because of the size of the access hatch. I wonder if the whole compartment it sits in could be turned into a permanent built-in holding tank enclosed by the hull and quarter berth with added fiberglass to form the two ends and the top. Is this ever done?
Practical Sailor Advisor: Resale Value of Diesel Boat Engines
We own a 1975 Tartan 34C, still powered with the original Farymann R30 (V2) diesel engine. In its 28 years of service (all on the Great Lakes), the diesel has never had a mechanical problem, and has never failed to start (speaks highly for the quality of the product). I would estimate the engine has approximately 1,000 of operation (25-30 hours/year). We are looking to do some extended cruising on the Great Lakes after I retire in a couple of years, but have some concern about the prospect of being hundreds of miles from home with a 30+ year old engine. Some say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," and that's what we may well do. However, we are also considering having the engine rebuilt (estimated cost $3-6K), or installing a new engine (estimated cost $9-10K).
Practical Sailor Advisor: Using Laptops for Nautical Navigational Purposes
I am using a laptop computer in the cockpit of my sailboat for navigation purposes. My problem is the "washout" appearance of the sailing charts due to reflected light. I can barely see the screen in bright daylight. I have tried making an enclosure around the laptop, but this is cumbersome and results in little viewing improvement. Do you know of a flat screen monitor that I can connect to my laptop and mount remotely that has good viewing in bright daylight?
Practical Sailor Advisor: Maintaining Your Mainsail
On most boats, it's not possible to keep the mainsail from contacting the shroud. This is particularly true on boats with spreaders that are swept far aft. The shrouds do leave streaks, but worse, they wear the sail, especially on the stitching. Streaks like that are mostly just dirt, and can usually be removed with a mild soap solution and a soft brush. The chafe problem is a bit trickier. In the old days, baggy wrinkle reduced the wear, and helped with two other problems—keeping lazy sailors busy and making good use of old line. Today a good boom vang, whose real purpose is to help shape the sail, will tend to minimize the amount of sail that's in contact with the shroud, by making the belly of the sail flatter (the wildly popular Vang Diet).
Practical Sailor Advisor: Diesel Engine Maintenance
In a previous Practical Sailor Advisor, the question of revving a diesel upon ending a run was addressed. I am a mechanic but not a marine diesel mechanic. So if Mike Muessel says it isn't necessary, I am not one to disagree. But for argument's sake, let me quote from my OEM Yanmar manual that I have from a 1989 2GM20(F) manual, pages 62, 63, that I have with my 1989 Hunter 30...
Practical Sailor Advisor: Self Tending Headsails
There are some boats from the IOR-inspired design era that would be troublesome to retrofit with self-tacking jibs (as primary, all-weather headsails) because their mainsails are "abnormally" small—designed to take advantage of IOR ratings. We forwarded your question to naval architect Steve Killing, who designed for C&C Yachts in the 1970s when the C&C24 was created. Here's his answer:
Practical Sailor Advisor: Floorboard Varnish Facts
Practical Sailor has been testing varnish for years and will not flinch from this challenge. We know not where Mr. Kearney got the impression that either of the varnishes he named are not for use below the waterline. Varnish is, first and foremost, a sealer. Varnish used to be relatively simple stuff derived by squeezing resins out of various plants and adding a drying oil derived from the nuts of tung trees. Add a chemical to speed the drying, flatten it, and you had a tough, shiny, waterproof coating. Nowadays, varnish is a fancy formulation that defies description by anyone other than chemists working in a very specialized field. Most varnish these days claims to be polyurethane and who’s to dispute that? "Poly" means "many" or “something made of this.” So, whether they foam it (Styrofoam), roll it (Saranwrap), or pour it, it’s all plastic.
Practical Sailor Advisor: Maintaining Your Saildrive
Saildrives are neither fish nor fowl in the sailboat propulsion field, and are a close relative of the popular powerboat outdrive units. For the sailboat manufacturer they represent a quicker, more versatile and non-technical engine installation route as compared to a conventional inboard installation. Gone is the propeller shaft, along with its attendant coupling, stuffing box, cutless bearing, stern tube, and strut. Also missing are the alignment procedures between the engine and shaft that must be done on the production line. The saildrive can easily be mounted facing forward or aft, and because it isn't constrained by shaft angle or aperture location, it offers the builder more versatility in engine placement.
Practical Sailor Advisor: Anchoring Hand Signals
Is there an agreed-upon set of hand signals for anchoring, between the anchorer on the foredeck and the helmsman, or does everyone just make up their own? There are no hard and fast rules about these things—whatever you and your crew agree on and practice can work, but remember that once the anchoring spot or mooring has been agreed-upon, it's the person on the foredeck who should be controlling the boat. The helmsman needs to follow the signals—they're not merely "suggestions." Both contributors need to have a good sense of how the boat will carry through the water in neutral in various conditions, and what the engine can be expected to do to the momentum when shifted in and out of gear at low speed.
Practical Sailor Advisor: Four-Stroke Outboard Motors
Manufacturers understandably want their customers to get the best life and performance out of their engines, so outboard engine manuals encourage the user to flush the engine with fresh water after each use, especially after running in salt water. It's definitely a good idea, because aluminum lower units are susceptible to corrosion, and salt can and does scale up in the engine's cooling passages. It's also a good idea to flush if you run in water with a lot of silt or particulates in it. The trouble is, it really is impractical for many people, and you're a good example. Few who leave their outboard-powered boats on moorings or in slips will haul the boat or the engine during the course of the season with the sole purpose of flushing the engine. It just doesn't happen. People who keep their boats on trailers or storage racks have it easier in this regard, and they're generally more dedicated in their flushing practices.
Offshore Log: A Pitch for Adjusting Pitch
When we installed a Max-Prop VP feathering prop on Calypso back in 1996, we did it with two purposes in mind: to reduce drag under sail, and to increase maneuverability in tight quarters, particularly in reverse gear. During a survey prior to turning her over to her new owners, we were reminded of yet a third advantage of this versatile propeller, an advantage that, to us, more than compensates for the price difference between the VP and standard versions of the Max-Prop, and almost any other prop, for that matter: the ability to change propeller pitch without hauling the boat.
Life Raft Stowage: The Overlooked Necessity
Sometimes, it seems that safety is a dirty word in the boat-building industry. A favorite marketing catchword is “blue water cruiser.” We assume this means a boat capable of going to sea, rather than a boat designed to tiptoe along the shore.
Offshore Log: Back to School
You're tearing along at seven knots, trying desperately to reach harbor before total darkness. Suddenly you're aware that visibility is deteriorating—your running lights are reflecting back at you, and it seems darker than it should be for this time of day. It's not just getting dark—it's getting foggy. Visibility must be a lot worse than you thought, and your palms feel cold and wet, much more so than justified by the weather.
Offshore Log: Gelcoat Maintenance
Painting fiberglass boats is a huge business. The development of high-gloss, long-lived polyurethanes means you can get multiple years out of a paint job. But a good paint job can be breathtakingly expensive, and a single careless docking can mar that beautiful finish. Better by far is a program of gelcoat maintenance that preserves the finish your boat came with for as long as
possible. Whether it's topsides or superstructure, your gelcoat surfaces will last a long, long time if properly cared for.
Offshore Log: IMX 45 Boat Review
Nick Nicholson recently returned from the Marblehead-Halifax Race, in which he was aboard the winning boat as navigator. He decided to devote his column this month to a review of that boat. The new IMX 45 is the Jeppesen brothers' largest IMS racing boat, but it makes a surprisingly comfortable performance cruiser with the wave of a magic wand—and a day of work to install removable cruising options.
Sparkling Brightwork: Careful Attention to the Details
It takes practice to produce a perfect, mirror finish on varnished wood, but it is not so much a difficult task as an exacting one, where attention to detail and no short cuts are the secrets to success. Whether you are finishing new wood, refinishing old wood, or maintaining a finish in good condition, the basics are the same. Tools and materials required are sandpaper, vacuum cleaner or dusting brush, tack rag, brushes, and of course varnish and thinner.
Offshore Log: Kiwi Spars, Hatches, and Pumps
With New Zealand's yacht construction industry booming, it's inevitable that associated industries such as sparmaking should enjoy parallel growth. New Zealand has long been a leader in composite construction of one-off boats for both racing and cruising. That same expertise, coupled with the advantage of a relatively low labor rate, has spilled over into the sparmaking sector in a big way.
Do You Want a Headsail Luff-groove Device?
Just 15 years ago, one of the hardest jobs on the foredeck of a racing boat was to make a quick headsail change. Unless the boat was equipped with two headstays, which adds considerable windage, the headsail change drill meant releasing the lowest hanks on the headsail in use, tacking down the new sail, hanking it on below the head-sail already up, taking a deep breath, letting the jib halyard run, then going like mad to get the hanks open on the old jib, all the time listening to the skipper scream to hurry up.
Offshore Log: Made In New Zealand
New Zealand may be a small island nation on the far side of the world, but that little nation is having an impact on the US marine industry all out of proportion to its size. At the recent Ft. Lauderdale boat show, New Zealand-built yachts won four major superyacht awards for excellence in construction. In 2001, the value of New Zealand marine industry exports was about $175 million US. In the last five years, exports have increased in value about 23% per year, at a time when large parts of the US marine industry have been relatively stagnant.
Do-It-Yourself Fender Boards
Fender boards are practically a necessity when lying along side pilings. They are designed to ride outboard of two fenders, protecting a larger section of the topsides than the two fenders could provide alone. Without fender boards, no matter how you position and secure your boat and fenders, the movement of the tide and the boat will invariably displace the position of the fenders relative to the pilings. The result? Dinged and scratched topsides.
Offshore Log: More Gear for the New Year
It's hard to believe that when we took off around the world just seven years ago, Calypso was one of the few sailboats of her size to boast a reverse-osmosis watermaker. Our Village Marine Little Wonder was a real workhorse that did yeoman duty during our circumnavigation. Its one weak point was relatively high power consumption for its output.
Improve your Catalina 30: Upgrading the Worlds Most Popular 30-Footer
The Catalina 30 is a remarkable success story. We suspect that more Catalina 30s have been built than any other boat of that size anywhere in the world. While the basic boat has remained unchanged since it was introduced in1975, there have been dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of minor developments in the boat in the course of a production run that is approaching 4,000 hulls.
Offshore Log: More Kiwi Companies
If you live in the US, you've probably never heard of Manson anchors. But for most sailors in New Zealand, Australia, and the rest of Asia, "Manson" is the synonym for anchor. In a small factory on the outskirts of Auckland, Manson builds the plow, ray, and kedge anchors that are standard equipment not just on normal-sized sailboats throughout the Pacific, but are widely seen on superyachts throughout the world. Manson was founded in the late 1970s when Kerry Mair took a close look at the CQR anchor and figured he could do a better job more cheaply. In typical Kiwi fashion, he took an existing design, adapted it to local conditions and materials, and went to work producing it.
User Report: Lasdrop Shaft Seal
On my 40’ wood boat Daybreak I had a stuffing box problem. The gland leaked worse and worse, especially when motoring. It is very inaccessible, and could not be further tightened. The stuffing box needed to be repacked, but this couldn’t be done without major effort because of insufficient space between the gland and the shaft coupling at the transmission. The Lasdrop shaft seal looked like it might solve several problems at the same time.
Offshore Log: New Gear for the New Year
This is the time of year when sailors in the frozen north plan their winter projects and think of next summer, with perhaps one eye on a warm-weather winter charter to see them through. This is the time of year when southern sailors—or those lucky enough to head south with the birds for the winter—cast a pitying eye on their northern cousins.
Boat Clinic: Tuning the Masthead Rig
Tuning the rig of a boat is one of the necessary -and pleasant -tasks which must be done to achieve good performance. In an untuned boat, the mast bends in odd ways, and this in turn causes the sails to set badly. By contrast, on a well tuned boat, the rig bends in a controlled fashion, allowing the sails to do their best. For this reason, an avid racer will be constantly fiddling with the tune of his boat, while for most of us a one time job during commissioning may suffice.
Offshore Log: Open Class Monohulls
While the attention of much of the sailing world in February was focused on the America's Cup matches, a very different but equally innovative group of boats was leaving Tauranga, a small port south of Auckland, on the next leg of their 29,000-mile odyssey around the world. Practical Sailor caught up with the 11-strong fleet before departure and took a close look at these singlehanded racers.
The Multifarious Mainsheet
The mainsail is a big part of the motive power of almost every sailboat. The art of mainsail control, however, is a relatively modern one. One tool that greatly facilitates mainsail control is the traveler.
Traditionally, the mainsheet traveler was a heavy bronze or iron rod that allowed some control over the position of the boom relative to the centerline of the boat.
Offshore Log: Still In Class
It's not unusual for a Practical Sailor article to generate a fair amount of reader response. This is particularly true when we either get on our soapbox or venture far out on a fragile limb, both of which we do on a regular basis. "Back to School," the Offshore Log in the October 1 issue, generated an unusual number of responses from professional navigators: those who are involved in teaching navigation and seamanship, those who have had careers as navigators in the military, and those who are regular navigators of racing yachts. Some of our correspondents asked to reprint the article to hand out to their classes, commending it for its emphasis on the fact that traditional piloting skills still have an important role in an age when many sailors don't even bother to learn them.
Solution to a Problem: Custom Shower Sump and Pump
Amid the excitement and anticipation of taking delivery of a new boat, one tends to discount the importance of certain items. In my case, when I switched on the “shower sump” breaker of my pride and joy and heard no pump running, I initially wasn’t too concerned. During commissioning, however, I gave more thought to the drainage of the shower and decided to launch an investigation.
Offshore Log: The Volvo Open 70
In November 5, 2005, an elite fleet of racing sailboats will depart a southern Mediterranean port, bound on a 31,000-mile odyssey, racing around the world in the Volvo Ocean Race. These 70-foot sloops—the Volvo Open 70s—will be the fastest offshore monohulls of their size ever built. At about 26,000 pounds, they will also be among the lightest big ocean racers ever conceived. With their huge sail plans—a masthead 100 feet off the water, mainsails of 1,880 square feet, masthead spinnakers of 5,380 square feet—these canting-keel boats will have power-to-weight ratios more like racing motorcycles than oceangoing sailboats.
Mast Support for Trailerable Boats
On most trailerable boats, when the mast is stowed for travel it is lashed to the bow pulpit and stern rail with no support at all in the middle. For just a few dollars’ worth of readily-available material you can make a pair of mast supports that not only provide the needed support but also make mast handling much easier.
Offshore Log: Waypoints
For most sailors, a waypoint is a point on a surface, a defined location with special meaning. It can be a goal, an obstacle to avoid, or merely a marker to be passed on the way to somewhere else. For us, waypoints exist in time as well as space. Waypoints are three-dimensional: latitude, longitude, date and time. With Calypso going to new owners, it's a good time to revisit some of those waypoints.
Checking and Replacing: Keelbolts, Part 1
The largest fasteners in any sailboat with outside ballast are likely to be the bolts holding the ballast keel to the hull. As a rule, designers specify keelbolts by a tremendous factor, on the order of ten to one or more. Nevertheless, this safety margin does not guarantee eternal life for keelbolts. Corrosion takes its toll, sometimes more quickly than you might think. It is almost impossible to generalize about the longevity of keelbolts, since so many variables influence the life of a metal immersed in water.
Boat Clinic: Minor Repair to Cored Decks
A fairly common ailment with cored decks is the presence of soft spots where the outer skin has delaminated from the core material. Typically these areas are found around the mast and on the foredeck where heavy-footed spinnaker handlers have trod, but they are candidates to occur anywhere in a relatively large, flat span of unsupported deck. As long as the areas are small-no more than one or two square feet-repairs are quite simple and can usually be accomplished by injecting epoxy resin underneath the skin into the affected area.
Maintenance of Interior Teak
For the last decade or so, the majority of all production boats built in the U.S. have been trimmed above and belowdecks with teak. Teak makes abundant sense on deck. With resistance to weathering as its primary virtue, however, teak makes less sense for use as trim below. Nevertheless, the simplicity of finishing teak, the economy of a single variety of wood in inventory, and the ready acceptance by boat buyers, are all attractive reasons why boatbuilders use the wood for interior decor.
Can You-Should You-Build Your Own Fiberglass Tanks?
Due to the litigious environment in today’s society, I feel compelled to advise that fuel tanks used in boats-especially those used to store gasoline or alcohol-based fuels-be built by persons or firms specializing in the manufacture of marine tanks.
Maintaining Your Boat’s Electrical System
The battery is the heart of a boat’s 12-volt electrical system. In it, a chemical reaction maintains a potential difference or voltage, which “pumps” or pushes electrons around whichever circuits are switched on or are “closed.” No charges should flow through an “open” or incomplete circuit; if they do, you’ve got a problem, which we’ll get to later.
The Rig: Keep it Standing
When was the last time you went carefully over every detail of your boat’s rig? The chances are good that it may have been a few years, and it’s possible that you may never have looked at it in the detail it deserves.
Choosing Ground Tackle for Cruising
A broad range of choices confronts the sailor in choosing ground tackle for cruising. Advertising claims would lead one to believe that each type of anchor is best. Well, don’t believe it!
Do-It-Yourself Autopilot Installation
Whenever you read about radar, loran, SSB, VHF and other electronic goodies, you’ll find the writer also extolling the virtues of an autopilot with the admonition that “you can’t install it yourself” and to “screen the installer carefully.”
Stop That Leak!
Alot of water has gone over the dam since the days whenboats were caulked with cotton, and storm windows were snugged up with putty. Modern chemistry has presented us with new choices of sealants for everything, including the kitchen sink.
Stemming Troublesome Deck Leaks
Deck joints don’t leak as much as they used to. Most builders have switched to less leak-prone types of joints, and most are more conscientious about fastening and sealing them.
Peeling Paint on the Portlights
Peeling Paint on the Portlights Our 5" x 12" aluminum Bomar portlights, retrofitted to our 1978 Val- iant 40 in 1987, are losing their paint, which is peeling. We don't want to remove the eight portlights (which cost about $200 each) because none of themleak...andthat's important. They were installed with polysulphide, which has great adhesiveness. Re- moving the portlights would ruin them. Can we remove the paint, or should we just sand them and re- paint?
Portlight Gasket Source
Please click on the following link to read Practical Sailor's piece on Portlight Gasket Source from the Spare Parts archive...
Upgrading the C&C 33 Part I
In July 1990 we bought a 1975 C & C 33 to function as a test platform for Practical Sailor. We chose it
above others for several reasons: The design seemed typical of many modern sailboats, with a fin keel and spade rudder and moderate displacement; C & C had a good reputation; and the price was right.
Upgrading the C&C 33 Part II
For hull bottom and topside repair, we love our Porter-Cable random orbit sander and WEST System Microlight Fairing Compound. Micron CSC bottom paint again rated 'Fair' in Narragansett Bay.
Offshore Log: Essential Forecasting Tools
Our years of sailing in New England and the Caribbean, with their stable, predictable weather patterns, left us ill-prepared to deal with the vagaries of weather in other parts of the world. Faced with the reality of spending weeks at sea at a time, we no longer had the luxury of waiting for suitable weather windows that would encompass an entire passage.
The Complete Propane Appliance System
Of course, everything on a boat is a compromise, and so it is with propane. It has two nasty traits that must be dealt with: Propane is heavier than air, which allows the gas to collect in the bilge in the event of a leak; and propane is explosive when it collects in such places. With the numerous horror stories concerning propane explosions and fires that have been reported in the boating press, the timid might be frightened away.
Getting the Charge Out of Lightning
Every year, a surprising number of boats are struck by lightning. Almost invariably, there is some damage to the boat or its equipment. The damage can range from minor electrical problems to serious hull damage. No matter how well protected the boat may be, few manage to escape unscathed.
A Rose is a Rose is a Rose, and Wood is Wood is...
For the boat owner customizing his boat, the choice of wood to use in a project can be as interesting as the design or execution of the job. Because of the overwhelming use of teak and mahogany in boatbuilding today, this opportunity to select a different wood is often overlooked.
Practical Sailor Advisor - Sails and Rigging
Cutting sailing rope can be tough - As for cutting nylon and Dacron rope, “cut” is a misnomer. Don’t saw back and forth with a knife. The edge will go hopelessly dull in a hurry. Instead, apply a ring of tape, place the line on a narrow wood block, position the knife blade on the rope and simply rock back and forth. “Cutting” the more exotic braided lines poses problems. The very advanced core fibers called Kevlar, Technora, Vectran, Certran, etc. are, as advertised, stronger (by weight) than steel. They don’t melt at any temperature you can muster up with a Hot Knife, HotBlade or Zippo lighter. Further, they resist a knife blade with a vengeance.
Offshore Log: Fit To Be Tied
Tying a boat to a dock and pilings isn’t exactly rocket science, but it's surprising how easy it is to forget some of the basics. Bow and stern lines stop the boat from moving transversely in the slip, while spring lines control fore and aft movement. For a side-tie, a bow line, a stern line, and fore and aft springs will have to do. For a tie-off in the middle of a slip, add a second set of bow and stern lines, but a single set of springs will normally suffice.
Offshore Log: Rigged For Downwind
A cruising boat has for downwind sailing much the same hardware as a racing
boat. The only difference is that the cruising boat is more likely to use an
asymmetrical “gennaker” style downwind sail than the conventional symmetrical
spinnakers used by most racing boats. In addition, the cruising boat may want to
set a headsail on the pole for deep running or for heavier air, when the
gennaker may not be the right call.
Offshore Log: Engine Spares For Cruising
Perhaps the biggest surprise during our 30,000-mile circumnavigation
was just how critical the engine is to a cruising sailboat. We motored or
motorsailed almost 25 percent of the miles that passed under our keel. The
engine also provided battery charging for everything from lighting to making
fresh water. It drove the refrigeration system, and made hot water.
