Mailport & PS Advisor

Letters to Practical Sailor, February 2012. This month's letters cover subjects such as: Engine-Free, Titanium, Sabre Solace Twin, and More!

Letters to Practical Sailor, January 2012. This month's letters cover subjects such as: Flare disposal, Chainplate failures, MOB Pole storage and more!

Although we’ve tackled our share of varnish with a heat gun and scraper, we’ve never used them to strip bottom paint. The obvious concerns would be marring the gelcoat and the noxious fumes created by heating paint solvents and active ingredients. Our first choice for removing antifouling would be sodablasting (PS, October 2011), but as that’s not an option for you, we’d consider chemical stripping (PS, April 2008 and March 2009), wet-sanding, or vacuum sanding.

Letters to Practical Sailor, December 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: boatleather, pump plumbing, dinghy wheels, and more!

It’s a good idea to keep expired flares on hand to use as backups (on board or in a vehicle), but be sure to store them in a clearly labeled container separate from your current flares. If you find yourself with an overstock of old—or unwanted—hand flares, however, you must dispose of them properly. Unfortunately there’s no set agency that deals with expired flare disposal or recycling. Because state and federal laws pertaining to flare disposal and transportation vary, there’s no single disposal policy.

Letters to Practical Sailor, November 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: Eastport Pram Fan, Coppercoat, Lightning strikes and More!

Any thoughts on how to get the “spark” back in the burners on our Force 10 stove? The ignition sparkers on all three burners are, at best, sporadic. I’ve gotten some basic info from the factory, but it hasn’t helped. The ignitor’s battery has been replaced, the ends cleaned, and what I thought might be the issue—stove grease—has been taken care of.

Letters to Practical Sailor, October 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: DIY Dingy Wheels, Infant PFD Field Test Phone Foulies, and More!

Most of today’s fixed VHF marine radios come equipped with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) capability, and many high-end handheld VHFs do as well. For years, Practical Sailor has recommended that buyers select a model with this capability—and for good reason: As the U.S. Coast Guard’s new marine radio network Rescue 21 becomes operational, rescue centers are able to receive instant distress alerts from DSC-capable VHF radios. However, spending the extra money to have a feature-loaded, DSC-capable VHF offers little benefit if you do not have the radio properly registered and set up. The Coast Guard recently issued a safety alert, warning that mariners were endangering their lives and those of their crew by having a DSC-capable VHF that lacks identifying information.

I just read an editorial in another magazine stating that next year, only low-sulfur diesel will be sold at fuel docks. They went on to say that you can kiss your old diesel goodbye and re-power. I really don’t want to do that. Our 27-year-old M-30 Universal is running just fine. It seems to me that an additive should take the place as a lube that sulfur did for the engine. What is your opinion?