Boat Maintenance

In the April 2015 issue, Practical Sailor evaluated four handheld VHF radios loaded with all the bells and whistles, including longer battery life, positive flotation, internal GPS, and digital selective calling (DSC) capabilities. Out performing VHFs from Icom, West Marine, and its own product line was the Standard Horizon HX870, which grabbed a spot on our Editors Choice list.

Most boat owners regard their boat as a living, breathing thing, but when real living things-especially the microscopic variety-move aboard and start occupying large swaths of damp real estate, its time to draw the line. Weve done a series of reports on mildew in past articles, but those black spots on the deck, lines, and canvas probably arent mildew. Mildew and mold require darkness, and even the shaded areas on deck are too well lit. Those spots are more likely black algae and lichens, the latter a symbiotic combination of algae and fungus.

For testing, we used the same abrasion rig we used to test sewn eyes and rope (see PS March 2015). A modified wood lathe sawed line samples back and forth (a 3/4-inch stroke) at seven cycles per second through a 10-millimeter test stanchion hole. We tested each sample to failure, effectively condensing months or years of wear into just minutes.

Our testing made us wonder whether we are better off with a core-and-cover lifeline with a tough cover, like New England Ropes WR2, or an uncovered rope like Samson Amsteel, which is much stronger than the smaller-diameter WR2 core. (Because of the way WR2 is spliced, the cover should not be counted toward strength.)

To see how chafe points can develop on stanchions, we ran standard steel cable through our test stanchion holes for an hour. As expected, the sawing action wore a rough-edged groove, but several other things became apparent.

The article Dissecting the Art of Staying Upright (see PS June 2015 online) was very timely for me, but I am struggling with how to apply it to real life and specific boats. How do I find information on the angle of vanishing stability for specific boats? Can you point me to other articles like yours where I can learn more?

Those who enjoyed our recent three-part special report highlighting the trends in sailboat design and construction-focusing on structure, stability, and performance - can thank PS Technical Editor Ralph Naranjo, who called upon his decades of experience as a voyager, boatyard manager, and marine safety consultant to weave those pieces together. The articles offer a peek at what youll find in his outstanding opus, The Art of Seamanship, which was published last spring and is now available in the Practical Sailor online bookstore, www.practical-sailor.com/books.

Some ports and anchorages are safer than others, but it never hurts to be cautious when it comes to boat security. When youre away from the boat, blasting a loud stereo down below can give the appearance that someone is onboard and may slow a prospective thief. (Doesnt everyone turn radios and TVs off when they leave?) Trailing a spare dinghy or kayak off the stern is also a good deterrent, as is on-deck illumination.

We usually use 3M polyurethane caulks for boat projects: 5200 for permanent fixes, or 4200 if its something that might need servicing later. The 3M products are impressive but are too expensive for use around the house. About 15 years ago, while looking for something better than silicone and latex caulks for general use, I noticed Loctites PL line of caulks and decided to give them a try, thinking they might be useful for some onboard applications.

As requested in your July 2015 article, Keeping Water Clean and Fresh, we are suggesting an evaluation of the two-part liquid Pristine (www.pristine.ca) and the Puri Sol water treatments; both use a process utilizing chlorine dioxide for killing bacteria and viruses in contaminated water. This means of sanitizing is purportedly used in hospitals in Europe, and in our experience, it is easy and effective. We have used it in the flexible bladder tanks that were original equipment on our motor-sailer for many years. It is used, apparently, by the military, as well.