Boat Maintenance

I have a 1980 Albin Cumulous with an iron keel. The keel has recently been cleaned, primed, and painted, and is holding up well. However, the seam between the keel and the keel stub is opening up. The keel bolts are not leaking. The last time this seam opened, I squeezed in some 3M 101 polysulfide sealant and that seemed to work. Is there a better sealant that I should be using?

We recently installed an aluminum fuel tank on our 1984 Endeavour 40. During installation, we took several steps to avoid galvanic corrosion, including fixing gaskets at contact points, providing airspace around the tank, and connecting it to the boats grounding system. We considered connecting one of those "zinc fish" to the grounding system, hung over the side at the dock. Could I fasten a small zinc to the tanks grounding tab? Or attach zincs to each tank and through-hull?

The two-part varnish test launch is the third installment of an ongoing report on our marine exterior wood coatings test, which began with an introduction to one-part varnishes (August 2007), followed by our synthetics and wood stains review (October 2007). The two-part teak coatings being tested are the Bristol Finish Traditional Amber, Smith & Co.s Five-Year Clear, HMG Paints Acrythane XSC, Interluxs Perfection, and Bonstones Nautiking NautiThane.

In May of this year, we reported on a product called Barnacle Buster from Trac Ecological. Although the products principal purpose is to combat marine growth and mineral deposits in cooling systems, it is also billed as an eco-friendly hull cleaner that will safely remove barnacles. At that time, we tested only its ability to remove hull barnacles. It was not as potent as other products weve tried, but effective and more pleasant to work with. Recently, we tested a companion product from Trac Ecological, the Port-O-Flush Junior. This portable flushing kit features a 120-volt impellor-type pump mounted at the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket that is fitted with both inlet and outlet valves. The pump draws approximately 1 amp and has a maximum flow rate of 5 gallons per minute. It comes with two 10-foot-long, 5/8-inch nylon-reinforced hoses with fittings and two pairs NPT nylon male adapters (-inch and -inch thread).

Testers evaluated 25 different flashlights. Among these were products from Inova, Underwater Kinetics, Tektite, Sea Fit, Streamlight, Garrity, Pelican, Dr. LED, and IQ Lights. The goal of this test was to find a flashlight that was compact, light, and provided superior spotlight and wide angle illumination for objects in close range. Unfortunately, no light we tested answered all of these requirements. The winners proved to be units that excelled at one. We also discovered that size still matters, and more batteries means more power, more light, and more life. The best marine flashlight is one that suits your needs. A well-equipped sailor needs a few different flashlights to cover all the bases: one thats a dedicated spotlight, one that lights up the lockers, one that serves the needs of bright, wide angle floodlight, and lastly a tiny pocket light used for in-the-cockpit chart reading or other instances when you need a quick light but want to preserve your night vision.

For the last year, Practical Sailor has been conducting head-to-head antifouling field tests on four boats (two sail, two power). In August 2005, we painted one of our test power boats-a 21-foot Parker-with three coats each of two products: Interluxs Tarr & Wonson Copper Boat, a soft paint, or sloughing workboat paint, that is one of the cheapest on the market, and Interluxs Micron 66, an advanced (and expensive), ablative copolymer paint blended to release biocide at a controlled rate. So far, Tarr & Wonsons field testing and panel results indicate that a budget paint will hold out well for at least one season without hard growth, although you may have to scrub the bottom once or twice. At one-third the price of Micron 66, the Tarr & Wonson paint is not as effective, nor do we expect it to be.

In the last decade, tool manufacturers have drastically improved their standard products. Today, all of the major manufacturers offer professional-grade power tools at reasonable prices. My personal choices are based on a wealth of experience with literally hundreds of tools owned by myself, my employees, and subcontractors. It boils down to reliable and versatile tools. The must-haves include: Hitachi angle grinder, Porter Cable Orbital Sander, Fein Multi-master, Dremel, Makita 14.4-volt drill driver, Makita 9.6-volt angle drill, and an 18-volt Milwaukee reciprocating saw.

We tested 22 products from 15 companies, dividing the playing field into four categories based on the type of stain remover: gel, liquid, spray, and powder. Those tested included products from Boatlife, Davis FSR, Interlux, Marykate, Spray Nine, West Marine, Y-10, Aurora, Nautical Ease, Star brite, Poli-Ox, Boat Brite, MDR Amazon, Sudbury, and Toon Brite. Picking the top products was a tough job considering the minor differences in performance. We found that the thicker gels worked best and were the safest to use. They are easier to apply thanks to their easy-to-see color and their consistency. In the end, all of the Excellent rated products are effective, but to avoid the cleaners with sinus-scorching vapors, go by the individual product descriptions in the review.

The Bridgenorth Bailer is a combination hand-pump, telescoping boat hook, and deck brush, but it has more than three uses. As a boat hook, it is-as Dr. Evil says-pretty standard, really. The hook tip is smaller than many, but stout, and will work to snag lines and pendants up to about 3/4 of an inch. The tip of the hook has the intake/discharge hole for the pump, and can be fitted into the deck brush. Unlike a typical boat pump like the Beckson Thirsty-Mate, the Bridgenorth has no flow-through valve for a separate discharge-you push out what you pull in through the same hole, so its not meant for serious de-bailing. Instead, the first purpose of the Bridgenorth is to suck water out of hard-to-reach places like the catacombs of the bilge, a dinghy skeg well, or under floorboards. The second is clean-water squirting. The volume is not great, but the pressure is excellent. Its ideal for spot [IMGCAP(2)]rinse-offs, and with the brush attached, decks can be scrubbed without hauling around a bucket or hose.

One of our campaigns over the last several years has featured knives and multitools as personal emergency tools that maintain and implement a sense of preparedness for the unexpected, even when ashore. Articles in several previous issues (March and August 2004, January and August 2005) have touched on this subject. To provide instinctive access in an emergency, the tools must be personal (worn on the person). So, when we evaluate personal tools, we always pose the question, "Would we wear this tool off the boat?" If yes, then the tool is personal gear; if no, we consider it strictly a multitool.