Boat Maintenance

To keep from being pulled under in a collision between a tanker and my sailboat, I "pulled the ripcord" to release the snap shackle on my Standard West Marine Safety Tether . The tether release lanyard was outfitted with a series of balls. (See bottom photo at right.) I had rehearsed reaching for and feeling the release toggle many times so it would come naturally in an emergency. The balls have a distinct feel. There was nothing on my PFD or foul-weather jacket that resembled them. The replacement tether I bought from West Marine (ISAF Specification Safety Tether, No. 9553504) has a new toggle on the snap-shackle release lanyard that consists of an open triangle of plastic. This is dangerous, in my opinion! In my first few hours of using the new tether, in moderate sea conditions, I managed to snag the triangular loop on something and release the snap shackle. I am now replacing all triangular loop pulls with bead pulls that I have crafted myself.

Practical Sailor testers compared Tackticks improved Race Master system to the Nexus Start Pack 3, a hybrid wired/wireless system. The Tacktick Micronet wireless wind instrument, a compact system featuring wireless display and a masthead sensor, has a strong following among racers. It has proven to be a good choice for those sailors serious about improving race performance as it has many options for tracking performance on the course in real time. Its ability to work with a 12-volt system makes it a good choice for small boats. The versatile, expandable Nexus hybrid has an impressive and intuitive interface and a graphic analog wind representation. It provides all of the basic functions a cruiser or racer uses most, and testers found the analog wind display appealing.

In August 2008, Practical Sailor launched a topside paint test in search of a high-gloss, easy-to-apply, durable coating for fiberglass hulls. The initial report focused on the application characteristics for 29 topside paints, including multiple white coatings and a handful of colored topside coatings. This report taps the best topside paints after their being exposed to the New England weather for a year. Testers rated each paints appearance, abrasion resistance, scratch resistance, hardness, and stain resistance. PS compared seven enamels, 12 mono-urethanes, eight two-part linear polyurethanes (LPUs), and two water-based paints. After 12 months exposure, the majority of the topside paint test field was holding up admirably. Test paints included products from Interlux, Crystalac, Epifanes, Insignia Coatings, Kirby Paint Co., Pettit, Sherwin-Williams, Signature Finishes, and West Marine.

Billed as the worlds only shorepower corrosion detector with reverse polarity indicator by West Marine, Marincos new Galvan-Alert attaches to your existing 30-amp shorepower inlet and power cord and monitors galvanic and stray current corrosion flowing through the green ground wire ground of your shorepower system. Appearance-wise, the GalvanAlert is similar to a miniature Marinco power cord. It is well constructed and utilizes the same plugs, connectors, and locking rings that are familiar to most every boater with an AC shorepower cord. The GalvanAlert has four LED indicators-a green LED to indicate power, a red LED indicating reverse polarity, and two other LEDs to show medium (green) and high (red) galvanic corrosion activity.

Practical Sailor tested bottom paints from seven major makers of boat maintenance products. In this report, we compare the 12-month performance of 39 ablative paints and 31 hard paints. We also offer the test results of 18 antifoulings after 24 months in the water, and rate the top specialty antifoulings in specific niches, such as eco-friendly bottom paints, aluminum-safe paints, race-ready antifoulings, fast-drying bottom paints, and budget bottom paints. The bottom paints were tested in both Florida and Connecticut waters. The manufacturers include Alwgrip, Blue Water, Epaint, Flexdel, Interlux, Pettit, and Sea Hawk. Some of the best bottom paints included Epaint EP-21, Pettit Hydrocoat, Epaint ZO, Blue Water Kolor, Interlux Fiberglass Bottomkote, and Sea Hawk Sharkskin.

It probably comes as no surprise to our readers that Practical Sailor editors are serious gadget junkies. Our jobs feed our habits with a steady supply of gear to play with, disassemble, and subject to mild abuse. The latest product to evoke the "kid in the candy store" reaction from our staff was the Power8workshop Delux. Powertools, in particular, hold a special place in our hearts, and this was a whole box of cordless powertools, neatly kitted in a plastic and stainless carrying case, promising workshop capability anywhere with space enough to put the 23-by-12-by-16-inch setup.

The way I was taught towing Lightnings to LIS regattas, you used a towing hitch around the mast for the line ahead and a similar hitch around the mast for the line to the boat astern. A towing hitch (two wraps around the mast, a wrap around the standing part, back the other way around the mast and two half-hitches around the standing part) could be cast off under tension or even eased under way to place the boat astern on the second wave. Bowlines, we were told, presented a danger of catching a finger in the knot if the towline came under tension while you were catching on or casting off the tow.Recently, a sailing director setting up a tow of Ideal 18s, directed us to tie a bowline with a generous bight around the mast and then to take up the towline from the boat astern and tie a bowline through the bight around the mast. He asserted that this would produce no pressure on the mast at all, as the forward pressure of the tow would be offset by the aft pressure of the boats behind. Can you advise on the best method for securing sailboats in a tow? And what is the optimal distance between boats in a tow?

Our July 2009 issue compared 26 bottled waxes and gave an update on our test of 10 traditional paste waxes. This month, we offer a one-year checkup on acrylic coatings. Acrylic coatings differ from paste waxes in their chemistry and how they are applied. Acrylic finishes penetrate pores and chemically bond to the boats surface. We tracked down seven products, applied them to our blue-hulled test boat, and rated them at the one-year mark. Products tested were Vertglas from Lovett Marine, Poli Glow, NewGlass2, Star brite Glass Cote, Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze, Higley FiberGloss Restorer, and Presto Gelcoat Rejuvenator.

Boat maintenance master Don Casey, on the BoatUS website (www.boatus.com), suggests cleaning the surface using a mild abrasive like Bar Keeper’s Friend (www.barkeepersfriend.com) and fine bronze wool, and then sealing the surface with a wax. Sparmaker Seldén Mast recommends applying Woody Wax (www.woody-wax.com) using bronze wool to seal the surface and remove the pox. Casey cautions against using a polish on aluminum as some are so abrasive they will peel away the anodizing. We’ve had success with Mothers (www.mothers.com) and Prism Polish (www.mppros.com), but we do not recommend using the Mothers with the Powerball on aluminum. Be sure to read the label on any polish before using it; some advise against use on anodized aluminum.

Practical Sailor editors pored over the dozens of products reviewed in the previous months to find the best of the best sailing gear, products that are worthy of the designation Gear of the Year. This years editors choice list includes a rugged rope clutch (Spinlock), a grippy ratchet block (Ronstan), feature-filled VHF handheld radios (Standard Horizon and Cobra), high-quality nesting cookware (Magma), a proven paste wax (Collinite), an ocean-ready first-aid kit (Adventure Medical Kits), a reliable LED bulb for cabin lighting (Imtra), an economical ice box conversion kit (Frigoboat), an innovative ultrasonic tank sensor (BEP Marine), cold-weather gloves (Gill), and an easy-to-install Wi-Fi booster (5mileWiFi).