Boat Maintenance

A few years back, we profiled a number of excellent local boatyards (PS, June 2009) that help do-it-yourselfers thrive. Here, we profile yards at the opposite side of the spectrum-facilities that specialize in keel-to-masthead care for their customers.

The lure of sailing is a magnet that draws us toward boat ownership, but annual maintenance, and costly refits are a less-welcome fait accompli. Self-sufficiency will always be our emphasis, but we have also noticed that fewer recreational sailors have the time, training, or the inclination to tackle the big jobs. A common thread among this growing group of do-it-for-me sailors is the desire to become a smarter consumer of the services offered by a very diverse marine industry. Here, we offer an insiders guide on choosing the right boatyard and quality contractors.

When we last tested clear-vinyl window protectants, we raised the concern that some products might actually damage the vinyl. PS tester Drew Fryes recent work with mildew cleaners brought up another concern: Can overspray from canvas cleaners and treatments, or other common chemicals, damage the clear-vinyl windows? We tested canvas water-repellents, cleaning chemicals, and common cockpit chemicals to see whether any overspray would harm Strataglass. A few totally ruined the window sample.

Weve had good experiences with Walker Bay products, so we expected a lot from the companys inflatable stand-up paddleboard (iSUP), the 12-foot Airis Hardtop Tour. Rated for 275 pounds, the board features a standard bungee tie-down strap for gear and a carrying bag.

I have often referred to (former PS Editor) Dan Spurrs book, Spurrs Guide to Upgrading Your Cruising Sailboat, and I was going to follow Spurrs advice and build a plywood/glass tank to add auxiliary diesel tankage to my Morgan 382. But the Gougeon Brothers / West System website (www.westsystem.com) makes it sound contrary to standards and potentially damaging to insurance coverage.

Terry Thatcher,
Morgan 382
Portland, Ore.

Coast Survey also has launched a new product, free PDF nautical charts, on a trial basis and is seeking mariner input. From now through Jan. 22, 2014, sailors can download about a thousand high-resolution printable charts-nearly the entire NOAA suite-as PDF files. The PDF charts, which are almost exact images of the traditional print charts, will be updated weekly.

While repairing a 50-gallon water tank on my 1995 Mason, I broke the Hart Systems Tank Tender penetration tube. Since this is such a small-priced item but does so much to help with monitoring tank contents, I sent an email to Hart Systems (www.hartsystems.com) asking for help in obtaining the very small part.

Your tape test (PS, October 2013) did not include 3M 256, but I thought Id pass on a lesson learned to your readers. Having recently completed painting my deck, for the first time in 37 years, I encountered an unforeseen problem.

The place PS call home is an office building and workshop in Sarasota, Fla., where weve been based since 2005. However, most of our tests take place where our testers live-from Marblehead, Mass., to Sydney, Australia. For this months water heater test, Technical Editor Ralph Naranjos basement in Annapolis, Md., resembled the boiler-strewn lot in Steinbecks Cannery Row. For our sanitation tests, tester Drew Fryes Virginia backyard became the battlefield in a war against boat odors.

Its been 12 months since testers mounted the 12 nonskid test panels on the roof, subjecting them to south Floridas semi-tropical weather around the clock, without any cleaning. The test field included the big names in marine maintenance products-AkzoNobel (Interlux and Awlgrip), Pettit, West Marine, and Epifanes-as well as companies specializing in nonskid paint, Pachena (KiwiGrip) and Durabak, and three that make nonskid mats, SeaDek, Tiflex, and Soft Deck. With the service life of nonskid paints and mats ranging from three years to a decade or more, we didnt expect to see much change in the test panels, but there were a few surprises.