Boat Maintenance

Early this month, irate boat owners from Marina del Rey, Calif., packed the regional water-quality board meeting, protesting a rule that would require them to switch to a copper-free antifouling paint by the year 2024. The board unanimously voted in favor of the rule, moving it another step forward in the legislative process-a bureaucratic cricket match that will drag on for several years.

A lot can be learned from really small boats that carry no crew. In fact, sailing robotics-SailBot for short-is attracting sailors and engineering students from universities across North America and Europe. These competitive research programs are a proving ground for on-the-water autonomous craft, and they give us a glimpse of what the future of marine electronics may have in store.

Tankless propane water heaters carry serious risk of causing carbon-monoxide poisoning or oxygen depletion when mounted in a tight or sealed space. Because a boat is more tightly sealed than a shoreside home, the carbon monoxide is more likely to become trapped. Multiple boater deaths have been attributed to tankless water heaters, and several brands have been recalled over the years-among them Wolter Water Heater, Paloma, and Rheem-Rudd-because they posed a carbon-monoxide poisoning hazard.

Sailboats have a bit of advantage over their power cousins in that we have more high spots that can be used creatively. In my installation, the diesel vent line (fuel-grade hose) loops high inside at the transom and back down to the through-hull. Through the use of a check valve, air flows out, but intake air comes in through the AVD, which is attached to the underside of the deck; no additional support needed. The unit is readily available for inspection or replacement through the transom locker, and it is not in the way of any equipment that needs to go in or out. Love the H2Out AVD2 vent filter; kudos to Pindell Engineering.

We first reported on PropSpeed-an expensive two-part etching primer with a silicone-based top coat designed to prevent propeller fouling by being super slick-in the November 2006 issue and gave an update on our field tests in the July 2010 issue. A recent field report from PS contributor and bluewater voyager Capt. John Neal of Mahina Expeditions confirmed our past findings: While the coating is intact, PropSpeed works. However, we've had mixed reader and…

PS readers already know MacENC (PS, July 2013) is a good charting program. I recently experienced terrific customer service from the company. I used MacEnc (www.gpsnavx.com/macenc/) as my backup chartplotting software on a trip to Bermuda in 2007. A month ago, preparing for another offshore trip, I emailed their customer service, asking whether I could update the program and transfer it to a newer laptop.

The boys father was at the helm-though you wouldnt know it at first glance. He sat to the side of his son with his hand casually nudging the spoke around seven oclock, so his son wouldnt notice. The boy stood rigid behind the wheel, both hands tightly wrapped at 10 and 12. He stared straight ahead with curious, excited eyes that rarely fixed on one object or person for very long. A bird. A channel marker. The sky.

Whats the best way to keep your dodger or biminis clear-vinyl windows looking new? We tested sprays, creams, and pastes to find the best way to clean and protect clear vinyl products like Strataglass, Regalite, and OSea. This report is an early look at the long-term test, which will be running for three years and includes cleaners and protectants from Imar, 303 Products, Star brite, AquaTech Marine, 3M, Meguiars, and Novus.

After several months of testing the panels, we established some preliminary findings regarding different vinyl brands. The untreated Strataglass, OSea, and Regalite panels were equally clear; there was a slight difference in their coloring, but this is typical and in use, it would never be noticed.

The Strataglass users maintenance guide states the following: We recommend using only Imar Products. Imar Strataglass Protective Polish, Imar Strataglass Protective Cleaner, and mild soap (preferably Imar Yacht Soap Concentrate) on Strataglass. We no longer recommend the use of any other products, regardless of the manufacturers claims. Use of harsh cleaners like Simple Green and/or pine will dull the curtains quickly. Using any other product(s) void the factory warranty. The guide further warns: Use of RAINEX, Pledge, or Plexus on Strataglass appears to work for a short time but then dulls the surface and presents an Orange Peel effect. Do not use any of these products.