Inside Practical Sailor

After living in Florida for so many years, it is easy to forget the risks associated with colder waters, as the video on cold-water survival that I have included in this weeks blog post demonstrates. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the risk of drowning increases nearly five times if the water temperature is below 59 degrees. That puts many sailors in the Northeast, West Coast, and Great Lakes areas at risk for most, if not all of the year.

If you're putting your boat into storage this winter, one of the simplest jobs you can do to save you headaches next spring is to make sure youve treated your fuel system for storage. For owners of diesel engines, you want to protect your tank year-round against biological growth-primarily fungus and bacteria. For owners of gasoline powered boats-the bad side effects of ethanol fuel are your chief enemy. Our test of biocide treatments safe for diesel fuel singled out products from Biobor, Racor, Starbrite, and Valvtect as good choices.For those with gasoline engines, the problems with ethanol require a specialized product. This months issue has an update on our test of ethanol fuel additives for marine engines. BioborEB again proved its superior ability to fight corrosion. Sta-Bil Marine Formula, Star Tron, and Mercury QuikStor (the most expensive treatment, by far) picked up recommendations. Sea Foam came in as the low-budget contender.

Those boatowners preparing their gasoline-powered boats for winter storage will want to take a look at our gas additive test which compares the corrosion fight characteristics of such products as Biobor EB, Valv Tect, Sta-bil Marine Formula, Mercury QuickStor, Sea Foam and others. It is important to keep in mind that additives can't solve real gasoline-quality problems. At best, consider additives to be only a final tweaking opportunity, something to supplement the following fuel-management practices.

In our upcoming test of marine sealants we looked at ways to develop bonds between common polyurethane sealants and polyethylene plastics-the kind of plastic used in a variety of marine products ranging from fuel tanks to baseplates. Starboard is one of the most common brand-name high-density polyethylene materials, and it is notoriously difficult to seal or bond using conventional caulks or adhesive sealants. But there is a partial solution to using an adhesive sealant with plastic, and our tests show it works.

Our first surprises came when we began pull- and push-testing the telescoping boathooks. Only one pole consistently held firm under load. All the others slipped at loads between 100 and 185 pounds. We then tested them in compression. Most of the poles could manage 170-pounds of compression, although a few telescoping poles slipped.

Each time Practical Sailor conducts an anchor test, we get questions about the materials used in anchors, particularly stainless steel. Stainless steel is much less prone to unsightly and destructive oxidation than mild steel, even when it has been hot-dipped galvanized and protected by a heat-bonded zinc coating.

As high-speed, cellular data service extends throughout the coastal U.S. and abroad, the ability to turn your phone into a mobile hotspot (MiFi) has diminished the need for a Wi-Fi connection to a shore-based network. But cellular data plans can be expensive, service can be spotty, and high-speed data isn't offered everywhere. In the October 2016 issue of Practical Sailor we look at an integrated antenna/WiFi adapter/router that allows you to quickly connect to the internet using either a shore-based Wi-Fi network or cellular service (2G/3G/4G/LTE).

Murphys Law has an affinity for old marine diesel engines with aging fuel systems. Contaminated fuel is a common problem, and late last year we looked at various additives that claim to preserve stability in both gasoline and diesel fuel during long-term storage. But fuel system maintenance doesn't stop during the sailing season. Here are some fuel-system management practices that will help you avoid any fuel-related problems this season.

Do they check your boat when you go back to America?They do, I said, though I had no idea if anyone did. And I think the Cuban customs officials bring dogs on board, before we leave, to make sure no one is hiding on the boat.

Most long-time readers are familiar with our ratings categories-Best Choice, Recommended, and Budget Buy-but their significance might not be so obvious to new readers. In fact, weve received a number of letters from people asking us to clarify what these ratings mean. So, here it is.