Mailport & PS Advisor

Joker valves are no joke for us. Weve spent far too many hours tackling what has to be one of the least favorite tasks of sailor-dom-the cleaning and rebuilding of the marine head. Situated at the toilet outlet, the joker is the infamous valve between what you want in the toilet bowl (odorless clear water) and what you want out (the other stuff). It never seems to work right and requires the sort of lavish attention wed rather save for our beloved. The most common problem is that the valve stiffens with lime deposits and remains open, allowing holding tank odors to permeate back into the cabin. When we heard Thetford had come up with yet another iteration of the infamous valve, we were intrigued.

When I searched the internet for advice on repairing a small leak between the lens and sealant on a 20-year-old Lewmar Ocean 60 hatch, on my 1996 Valiant 42, I was dismayed by the dearth of information. Even the Lewmar site does not provide a schematic of the hatch or a service manual. You can purchase a new gasket but that is not what is leaking. There is no mention of the sealant. Hatchmasters quoted a repair cost 1/2 the price of a new replacement with a greater than four-week turnaround. I would still have to remove and replace the hatch. I will wing it, but thinking that if it came to that, I would definitely not want to replace it with a hatch I could not readily service myself. In my subsequent search I found a reference to a PS July 1, 1994 comparison of Offshore Deck Hatches. I was then dismayed to find that the PS archives stop at year 2000. Fortunately, after some rummaging I found the print version. It was still relevant and useful. In fact as far as I can tell, it is the most recent hatch comparison out there.

Regarding your recent blog post on the future of wood on boats (see Farewell to the Wood-trimmed Boat? Inside Practical Sailor blog), my last boat was a beautiful, cold-molded (West System) custom 26-footer designed by Gary Mull. It was built by the very talented late Jim McClelland of McClelland Boatworks in Kenora, Ontario.

The US Navy has finally gotten around to a serious study of watch standing schedules (https://goo.gl/dE4W4R). As an active duty Navy Medical Officer, I certainly saw enough injuries related to sleep deprivation; fortunately, none were as disastrous as the recent collisions. I am glad to see the navy move away from a centuries old approach to scheduling watches.

Thank you for the distillation of basic cleaning agents (see The One Bucket Cleaning Kit, May 2017). The presentation is clear and will be cost-saving. Id like to add a plug for a small sponge and Bon Ami. Most gelcoat blemishes disappear with this basic combo. Other abrasive cleaners (e.g. Comet) mar the finish. In my experience Bon Ami is the most friendly to gelcoat. Just make sure you use boat soap to clean afterwards, or it leaves a residue.

I was wondering if there is any information regarding the protocol for replacing canvas with a rigid Bimini/dodger on a small 36-foot catamaran. I could not find a review of solid Bimini replacements. We have strong stainless steel frames. They are fixed with metal struts with no flexible straps. I do want to be able to see the sails from the helm and bulkhead mount. I want to be able to take advantage of roll up clear plastic front and side curtains. Most summers my current set stays in the rolled up position. They have since shrunk enough that they can no longer be fully snapped.

In response to your recent blog post on Inside Practical Sailor regarding dogs on boats, weve had two schipperkes aboard more than a half dozen boats for the past 25 years, and theyve been everything we could ask for in boat dogs. Smart, attentive, loving, mischief-loving, and, did I say smart? Katy, who lived to 13, and Dory, who is 121/2 and still going strong, have been ideal boat dogs for my wife and I.

Were been following the Torqeedo portable electric outboard since our first test of the Travel 801 in 2008. Since then, weve put two of these motors into long-term service on test boats. Both are still operating with no major problems, but we have received a few reports from disappointed owners. PS reader John Poindexter, a retired naval officer who sails on the Chesapeake Bay, sent us an account of his experience with the Torqeedo.

I honestly hope you can help. Several weeks ago local seagulls had a sushi feast on my boat. The leftovers were large and small and mostly on non-skid. When I got to the boat I cleaned up whatever I could pick up, but the sun-baked stains remained. Ive tried whatever I possibly could including Barkeepers Friend and Total Boat White Knight. They both have oxalic acid as main ingredient. It stayed there for 30-40 minutes, I didnt touch it. Next I got oxalic acid as powder and made my own very strong mix. Again, no major effect. Next, In desperation, I broke out 3000 PSI power washer, which again didnt remove the stains. My marine biologist friend said to try Draino.

A few years ago, Custom Marine Canvas made a cover for my nav-pod. It protects the electronic chart and some electrical controls. At the same time, it enables crew members to be able to use the grab rails around the binnacle. This was the first time this shop had made such a cover. Favorably impressed by the good work on the nav-pod cover, last fall I asked if they made winter covers. The answer was yes.