Boat Maintenance

If you have your heart set on applying antifouling to an inflatable (PVC or Hypalon), there are several options available. All of the so-called inflatable bottom paints are water-based, flexible coatings. Pettit Hydrocoat, Pettit Inflatable Boat Antifouling Paint, Interlux Fiberglass Bottomkote Aqua, and Sea Hawk Inflatable bottom paint (www.seahawkpaints.com) are just some of the options.

Letters to Practical Sailor, August 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: Wing Dinghy, Rope Hygiene, Multi-Pump Bilges, Water Tank Sealsnt and More!

Letters to Practical Sailor, August 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: Weems and Plath, and Moorhouse Sailmakers.

Letters to Practical Sailor, June 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: Barnacle Barrier Success, Pump Switches, Antifouling Field Report and more!

Modern boatbuilders, in their desire to make boats as appealing and comfortable as possible, have made it inherently difficult to conserve water. Plumbing fixtures work just the same as those at home. The demand pressure water pump is quick to maintain pressure and oh so quiet, almost as good as city water. Of course theres hot water aboard, even though we have to sacrifice a quart of cold down the drain before we feel the warmth. The obvious solution to better onboard water management is a manual pump, either hand or foot operated. I recognized this face a whileago, but felt that manual water pumps were for day sailors, not for bona fide cruising sailboats. Pressure water is something you graduate to after paying your dues messing with plastic water jugs and on-deck sun showers. I for one certainly didnt want to regress-even though it wouls be nice for once to have cruising agendas planned around something other than the size of the water tank.

Being a team of diehard do-it-yourselfers, we decided to try our own hand at devising a workable solution to defeating line chafe. After fiddling with canvas, old fire hose, and even messing around with some Kevlar, we settled on leather—an old rigger’s standby. It proved to be rugged and remained unholed after a ride on the belt sander. The fabrication process was kids craft 101, and there was something quite seafaring about the result. …

Being a team of diehard do-it-yourselfers, we decided to try our own hand at devising a workable solution to defeating line chafe. After fiddling with canvas, old fire hose, and even messing around with some Kevlar, we settled on leather—an old rigger’s standby. It proved to be rugged and remained unholed after a ride on the belt sander. The fabrication process was kids craft 101, and there was something quite seafaring about the result. …

Letters to Practical Sailor, July 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: Boat Shoes, Rope Cleaning, Rigging Care, Drain Surgery and More!

Letters to Practical Sailor, June 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: Whale Pumps, Rigging and More!

Every spring, there are numerous online forums discussing the best rope-cleaning methods. Practical Sailors interviews with technical representatives from major rope makers Bluewater Ropes, New England Ropes, Samson Cordage, and Yale Cordage yielded uniformly conservative guidance on how to get the grit out of old lines without destroying the rope's integrity. Testers also took to the laundry room to determine the effects of detergent, wash cycles, acids, bases and solvents, fabric softeners, power washing, bleach, hot water, and heat on rope strength and stretch.