Boat Maintenance

Your mention of dissimilar metals and also chlorinated water rang a bell with me. The pressure-relief valves on many water heaters are made of bronze or another metal. One year, on the advice of a friend, I removed my water heaters valve for cleaning and found some of the most foul hydrogen-sulfide odor imaginable, along with some black gooey substance. Its a powerful smell. Since then, Ive been removing, cleaning, and flushing that valve at the start and in the middle of each season; 95 percent of my water odor problems disappeared.

I have a 6-year-old Garhauer traveller. The sheaves came loose and lost their bearings. At the recent Annapolis boat show, I asked the Garhauer Marine reps how to get replacement bearings. They had me send the carriers back, and they replaced the sheaves for free.

I don't believe the village of Warapu exists anymore. The ocean carried it away. The school . . . the district government building . . . most of the houses . . . all gone . . . washed out to sea by a tsunami that crashed ashore in Papua New Guinea in 1998. …

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.