Mailport & PS Advisor

[IMGCAP(1)] In your Oct. 21, 2014 blog on calling mayday on an SSB, I wish you would have included what should be done to configure a Digital Selective Calling (DSC)-capable handheld VHF radio with a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number. If the radio is only used on one boat, thats pretty straightforward (see PS Mailport, October 2011 online), but what should one do if they own a DSC-capable radio but don't own a boat (for…

When I see a boat flying the Jolly Roger, I assume that the owner is ignorant of the murders of and terror wreaked on sailors by pirates in recent years, or perhaps just thoughtless. But I was shocked to see such a boat pictured on your front cover of the December 2014 issue. The owner of that boat, which is flying the Bahamas courtesy flag, and therefore appears to be outside the U.S., also is not following flag etiquette regarding the use of the yacht ensign, which must never be flown in international or foreign waters since it has no standing as a national ensign. (U.S. Power Squadrons website, www.usps.org).

With the untimely passing of the Perfect Home EWHE4 dehumidifier after just 18 months (see PS Mailport, December 2014 online), the EvaDry 2200 remains our top pick for an onboard dehumidifier, and the EvaDry maker has recently introduced a 12-volt plug for the unit. Still going strong after 2 years (see PS, June 2013), PSs EvaDry test unit is still removing water at rated capacity, the fan is quiet, the power supply runs only 20 degrees above ambient temperature, and the plugs remain tight. It has been thrown in lockers, knocked off countertops in rough weather, and frozen repeatedly.

This is a quick note to say how impressed we have been with Vesper Marine (www.vespermarine.com) and its WMX850 AIS transceiver. As you highlighted in your review of AIS units (see PS, September 2014 online), the Human-Machine interface for AIS and anchor alarm is very intuitive and flexible, unlike many of the multifunction displays available. With its very low power consumption, it allows us to keep it continuously on at anchor, for the anchor alarm, and at sea, without concerns about the power draw. As we are cruising full time with a family of five onboard in the South Pacific, we are almost exclusively at anchor or on passage, and therefore, the unit is almost always turned on.

In your recent review of shackles (PS, September 2014), you tossed in a statement about recoating the soft shackles bimonthly with a UV protectant. Why? And what part of the shackle needs treatment? If Dyneema loses its UV resistance that readily, its news to me. Do my Dyneema lifelines need similar treatment?

This is in regard to the excellent November and December 2014 articles on SSB radios. I installed an Icom M802, KISS counterpoise, GAM backstay antenna, and Pactor Dragon modem for our Pacific crossing. Our boat is now on the hard in Fiji. We spent two years cruising in the Sea of Cortez prior to sailing to the Marquesas. …

When we reviewed the Mantus Chain Hook (see PS December 2013), we found a lot to like, but testers criticized the hooks tendency to come off the chain in some conditions, particularly when the chain was lying on the bottom in calm conditions. Mantus went back to the drawing board with the hook, and provided us with their newly designed injection molded latch retrofit to test.

I dropped off my fabulous 33-kilogram Spade anchor at San Diego Galvanizing (www.sandiegogalvanizing.com) to get rid of some rust stains. The shops owner, Lewis Wise, called me and said he couldnt do the job. Why? Safety. As a metallurgist, Wise said that due to a small patch of corrosion at the junction of the stock and the flukes, he believed the anchor should be retired. What an incredible example of true integrity!

In your recent article on engine coolants (see PS October 2014 online), you wrote about replacement intervals for coolants, and Im looking for clarification. You indicated that the following heavy-duty coolants for diesels were coolants, not antifreeze: Zerex GO5, Peak Final Charge NOAT, and Detroit Diesel Power Cool Plus. You also suggested that I replace the coolant every 1,000 hours, . . . (and for little used engines) changing the coolant every five years is a more practical approach.

I bought the Perfect Home dehumidifier based on your October 2014 report. You mentioned that you bypassed the converter to use 4 amps at 12 volts; how did you do that? Is there a cord or something that I can buy?