Hi Phyllis,

Your first thought of not being on the water during lightning is the best; a lightning strike is very bad news and I've been struck in a carbon fiber yacht, so I know from which I speak.

First, lightning always takes the path of least resistance to ground. In some circumstances, being in a metal boat can be a great advantage in a lightning storm. If you have a tall metal (aluminum) mast to act as a lightning conductor and a metal hull, the lightning will travel down your mast, around the hull and to the water (ground). According to the "Faraday's Cage" principle, if you are inside the cabin and not touching the aluminum hull or deck, i.e. sitting on the wooden interior, the current will pass around the hull to the water and you will remain perfectly safe. In the case of a fiberglass boat, the rig should always be grounded to the keel with heavy gauge wire, to give lightning a path to ground should the boat be struck. Often the guard rails will be grounded too, as these also act as good conductors. But again, inside on a wooden bench you should be safe.

In the case of your friend's 19-foot fishing boat, if it has a cabin then inside there would be the safest place to be, BUT not in direct contact with the hull or any other metal component. For example, make sure you are sitting on a wooden bench or a plastic ice box. If the boat in question is a simple bare aluminum hulled "open" style boat, unfortunately your chances of escaping injury are greatly reduced in the event of a direct hit. The reason is in a 19-foot boat you are at best 9.5 feet away from the point of contact, and if your are sitting on an aluminum bench seat, you are now part of the path to ground. Not good!

If you do find yourself caught out in an electrical storm, your best bet is to head for home as quickly as possible, or if possible get close to a land mass with higher elevation, or better yet high buildings/structures on that land mass. As a last resort, make sure you have a molded plastic ice chest to serve as a non-metallic seat.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Vance,

I've used with good success a product called Aqua Chem Shock Treatment for pools. It comes in powder form to be diluted in water and contains slightly less than 30% Lithium Hypochlorite. Works great! Just what the doctor ordered.

Best,

Captain Craig Bliss

Hi Doug,

It's pretty difficult to diagnose something like you describe from long distance, but there are only three places to look: 1. the transmission itself; 2. the mechanical linkage to the transmission shift arm; or 3. the shifter itself.

You said you had a tech adjust the linkage at the engine. If that cured the problem temporarily and now it is back, then I would think that's the place to start again. There are numerous ways that the mechanical linkage attaches to various shift arms and I'm not familiar with your specific Alpha 1 drive. It either attaches to different holes in the shifter arm, or with a set of adjusting nuts that when moved in combination will adjust the linkage. From your description, it sounds like you have the latter. Assuming that to be the case, then there should be a set, or lock nut, behind the adjusting nuts that will keep the setting. So, if the adjustment the tech did solved the problem for a while, then most likely the set nut has loosened and allowed the linkage to slip.

One simple test you can run is to disconnect the linkage and manually shift the transmission (while tied to the dock) using the shift lever. If it moves easily from forward to neutral to reverse, then the problem is either the set point for the linkage, or in the shifter itself. Assuming the transmission moves smoothly with manual shifting, then reconnect and adjust the linkage. If it now shifts smoothly, you've isolated your problem to the linkage adjustment. If you can't get it to shift smoothly with the linkage adjustment, then it is the shifter itself.

First thing I would do, depending on the amount of time that passed after the tech made the adjustment, is call him back and ask him to adjust it again for free. You can also DIY by trial and error - - but remember, it doesn't take a lot of adjustment, maybe an 1/8th of an inch or so, to significantly change the mechanical advantage.

Happy shifting,

Captain Michael Clayton

Hi Chuck,

I'd love to say, don't worry, we've all done the same thing at some point, but to be honest, I haven't. Nonetheless, my boating days aren't over yet, so there is always the chance, and so we're laughing with you not at you.

The famous sailor Nigel Calder has actually written on this very subject. It seems that the solution is to use alcohol!!!

But, before you start, immediately isolate the tank from the boat's pumps and plumbing as both fuel and alcohol can swell and damage the rubber seals and valves. You must use a remote pump if possible with a pipe in through the inspection hatch if you have one, alternatively disconnect the outlet hose and connect this to your remote pump, then replace the outlet hose after the problem is resolved.

First, you will have to empty your tanks and dispose of the contaminated water appropriately, a good marine engineer will have a facility for this. Next step is to rinse the tank with alcohol and lots of it. A rubbing alcohol is best, but failing that, the cheapest, strongest Vodka you can find will also work well.

Tip, place a generous amount (3-4 gallons) of the alcohol into the tank and if possible slosh it around a bit. If possible, unbolt your tank enough to tilt it back and forth. This will tackle the majority of the fuel scum left behind after the initial draining. Pump out the alcohol and fuel now in the bottom of the tank and dispose of properly.

There will still be residual fuel on the walls of the tank that you need to deal with. Again pour a generous amount of alcohol into the tank - - about 2 gallons for a 100 gallon tank and then fill it to the top with water. Let this mixture sit for several hours, the longer the better, then pump dry. If you can still smell, or taste fuel after this, repeat the treatment until you can neither smell or taste fuel.

Ultimately, this process will clear your tanks.

Good luck,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Skip,

Over the years I have dabbled in fiberglass, paint and gelcoat repairs and I know enough to tell you that adding a door is certainly possible. I've seen far more ambitious DIY projects successfully completed and short of taking a look myself, I can't think of any real serious issues.

However, as a first time DIY project, this is probably not something to attempt without some professional help. I've seen DIY projects that are beautiful and then those that to be kind are less than beautiful and what usually separated the two projects was professional involvement at least at the beginning if not all the way through the project. So, that's my first recommendation as a semi-successful project may devalue your boat more than it will cost to have it done with professional help.

That said, I think the principle would be to cut out the shape of the door from the inside and outside, saving the cut outs for the swing of the door itself. Then I would make hardwood frames to fill the gap between the wall of the transom as well as for the door. These frames should be treated to prevent rot. Fix the frames in position with epoxy and then laminate over them with glass fiber. These surfaces can then be fared smooth and painted/gelcoated to match the surrounding transom and cockpit. Again I think this is pretty ambitious for the first-time DIY laminator, but then I don't know your level of competence.

It's been my experience that if you are friendly and ask, most yards are willing to let DIY owners work alongside the professionals to learn from the experience.

Best of luck,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hello Vic,

You have a legitimate concern with the use of E-10 or similar types of fuel. The nature of the problem, is that ethanol has a high affinity to water and E-10 fuel at 60 degrees will "absorb" as much as 3.8 teaspoons of water per gallon.

Specifically in the marine industry, having vented fuel systems, low turnover of stored fuel, significant temperature fluctuations, and also being in a high humidity environment, the fuel will quickly pick up this moisture. On a small scale, this is not a problem as the suspended fuel will be burned off in the engine under continued fuel consumption. The real problem begins with stored fuel deterioration which in E-10 fuels begins after a couple of months and rapidly increases in 3-6 months. As the ethanol breaks down and evaporates, the moisture in released from suspension and settles out as water in the fuel tank and the octane level of the fuel begins to lower. Once that happens the problems get worse. That's why you should never store E-10 fuel over a winter season.

Here are some practical considerations that may help:

1. Consider installing a preliminary fuel/water separator with no more than a 30 micron filter, and let your primary engine fuel filter serve as the smallest filter in the system.


2. Here's a good suggestion, use your boat more often and burn off your fuel keeping it "fresh" with the highest grade available.


3. Treat your fuel (which you are doing) with additives such as "Sta-Bil" or "Gas Shok." Caution, keep in mind that additives can change the octane level.

Regardless, I highly recommend you seek out professional advice from you local boat dealer and send off an email to the engine manufacturer describing what you want to do, and seek their recommendations for a preliminary fuel/water separator. Good luck with this one, there is no one simple solution to the problem.

Lastly, there are a number of organizations fighting the E-10 regulations, the NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Association) for one, so get involved and add your voice to the growing concern of other recreational boaters. If this fuel trend continues, then it certainly gives more credence to diesel considerations; Yanmar and Yamaha make diesel outboards and there are a number of Chinese models as well. If the trend continues, expect to see more diesel outboards.

Hope this helps,

Captain Gordon Hartschuh

Hello Glenn,

Lifting a dingy with a motor using a small block and tackle assembly will greatly reduce the strain on your back. The only concern I see is two fold: first I would verify with Hurley that the model davits on your particular vessel are designed to carry the weight you are anticipating and second that the stern navigation light will not be blocked with the position of the new dingy and larger motor.

Common block and tackle systems are usually in the ratios of 4:1 to 8:1 although higher ratios are obtainable. Harken sailing hardware has an excellent website to assist in determining solutions to your problem. The first link I would recommend is for reeving diagrams at www.harken.com click HERE to go directly to the reeving diagrams. For an example, if you want to calculate the force required to lift a 250 pound vessel with a 4:1 ratio system, you would divide the force by 4, this will yield a 62.5 pound pull to lift the weight. The 4:1 system shown on the above link consists of a double block which would attach to the dingy and a double block with a becket that would attach to the yacht. You will also need to calculate 5 times the length of your lift to have an adequate amount of line for a block and tackle system.

Far more elaborate systems are available, click HERE to see them, although I do not think this is necessary to solve your problem.

Keep in mind that this is a linear force that only pulls in a straight line. The option to side load the dingy onto the davits may be the only way to use a block and tackle. The videos I saw on Hurley’s website http://www.hurleymarine.com/ showed an option of pulling the dingy up and out of the water then slightly rotating the dingy to seat onto the cradle. This rotation may prove to be difficult depending on the angle of pull or possibly the attachment point on the dingy. Before drilling any holes I would experiment with various angles of pull to determine the best.

Hope this assists you,
Captain Gordon L Hartschuh

Hi Helen,

Normally, I would associate water in the oil with a blown head gasket or a cracked cylinder head which would either occur from overheating the engine, an old gasket that has worn out, or a bad installation of the gasket from new or at replacement. If this is the case, then the engine would require a new gasket and the head should be inspected by a mechanic and be pressure tested before re-installation. This is a pretty big job and unless you are pretty handy with a wrench, I would get it done by a professional.

There is an easy way to test this before you pull the engine apart. The head gasket in the engine separates the flow of cooling water through various channels from the piston cylinders where the head and block are bolted together. If there is a breach (even hairline) in the gasket, then the cooling water is able to get from the cooling channels into the piston chambers and thus into the oil. If this is the case you will notice three things when the engine is running:

1. The engine will begin to overheat as the oil emulsifies and looses its ability to lubricate the engine.


2. The cooling water level will begin to drop as the water leaks into the piston chambers and into the oil reservoir.


3. You will notice air bubbles, bubbling up into the header tank. These bubbles are coming from the piston chambers; as the piston compresses the air in the chamber, prior to and during combustion air is forced back through the gasket breach and makes its way back to the header tank. These bubbles can often be quite obvious.

Health and Safety Warning!!! DO NOT take the pressure cap off the water tank on the engine when the engine is running or hot. If the engine is overheating, boiling water and or steam under serious pressure will blast out and scald you. When looking for these bubbles you should be looking at the remote plastic header tank, it is OK to take the top off this tank before you start the engine, and leave it off as you start to run the engine, but don't look directly into the header tank and if possible use a mirror and flashlight. Be careful with the header tank as sometimes if the leak is bad, the air from the cylinders can back up the water and it may begin to overflow. If this happens, shut down the engine immediately to avoid a cleanup mess.

If you make these checks and find no bubbles and the water level remains constant, then the head gasket is NOT your problem. If this is the case, you should perhaps be looking into the possibility of sea water backing up and siphoning through the exhaust into the engine after the engine is shut down. The engine exhaust should be fitted with an anti-siphon loop. At the top of this loop will be a valve to let air in but no exhaust water out. Check that this valve is functioning correctly as this could also be the problem and it is a lot cheaper to repair than the head gasket.

Best of luck,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Larry,

I'm sad to say that this sounds pretty serious and this is definitely a repair that needs to be made out of the water. Further, if you can see seepage with the naked eye, you need to take quick and decisive action.

You could well be right in that there may be delamination and/or some pretty serious osmosis. I would recommend having the boat hauled and the whole hull surveyed for moisture content and delamination. The results of this will dictate the remedy, but I am not a qualified fiberglass/delamination expert. Your surveyor should be able to direct you on this.

Best regards,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Ken,

In general, the pencil zincs on heat exchangers are located on the bottom of the cylinder. I've attached a link to a photo of a Mercruiser 7.4 that has a yellow exchanger on it - - the zinc is seen on the lower left. Click the link below:

http://bpi.ebasicpower.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=eBasicPower&Product_Code=SANMC-323&Category_Code=MER8H-IB

Hope this helps,

Captain Craig Bliss

Hi Bob,

I think you are doing the right thing with penetrating oil and patience. You might also try fully submerging the chain in diesel fuel (wonderful lubricant) and moving each link a little bit at a time over the course of several hours. Eventually I'm confident this chain will loosen up.

Best,

Captain Bob Wellen

Hi Ron,

As far as size is concerned 42' is plenty for a couple to live aboard comfortably, especially so in a power boat. It's also going to be a lot easier finding a slip for it. Alden and Wesmac are both quality designed and constructed boats and either one would be a good choice and provide a lot of enjoyment. I would recommend walking the docks at your local marinas and talking with boat owners in the size range you are thinking about and pick their brains about size and drives.

Moving to your drive question - - while at speed, it is difficult for a jet drive to suck in debris; your only worry would be at low speed in shallow water where the chances increase. I'm a bit old school myself, so my choice would be an inboard - - if you foul the prop you can always dive on it to remove the debris. Also, an inboard solution is always less expensive than jet drive. The trade-off is always draft; if you will be in really shallow water much of the time, then jet drive is your best solution. But, if most of your time is spent with at least 4 feet of depth under your keel then an outboard should do fine and be less costly in the long run.

Drop me a line and let me know what you decide, I'd be interested in your solution.

Best,

Captain Craig Bliss

Hello H.E.,

Here's a little trivia on how we got to 16 bells on New Year's. The Ship's Bell has traditionally been carried on board since man developed shaping of metal, and it was made of brass with the ship's name engraved on it. The practice of ringing bells at sea is as old as the bells themselves and served several purposes. Sounding the ship's bell was used to call the crew to quarters, as a fog signal, for special occasions, and also to mark the passing of time.

In years past, accurate clocks were not available, or to expensive to carry aboard, so sand hour glasses were used to measure time. The ship's boys or midshipmen were assigned responsibility for turning the hour glass, usually every half hour, with the practice of sounding the ship's bell every time the sand glass was turned.

Unlike civil clocks, the number of strikes of the ship's bell does not indicate the hour; instead, they were sounded to mark the time of a duty period. Starting at the beginning of a duty period, every half hour was marked by the ringing of one bell, with an additional ring for each subsequent half hour. Therefore 1230 was marked with one bell, 1300 by two bells and so on, counting until eight bells were sounded marking the end of a four-hour duty period, hence the saying "Eight bells and all is well."

NEW YEAR'S EVE - 16 Bells

On 31 December at the end of the evening watch at 2400, sixteen bells were struck to mark the end of an old year and the beginning of a new. Tradition called for the oldest person on board to "ring out" the old year with 8 bells, while the youngest person on board followed with 8 bells to "ring in" the new.

All the best,

Captain Gordon Hartschuh

Hi Ron,

I'm not much of an expert on these types of craft, so can't really give you much advice of brands, but hull shape no problem. A flat bottom will promote early planing and this would be useful if you want to reduce the size of engine needed. The downside is it will be uncomfortable when the chop builds up. A rounded hull will take longer to plane, but remain more comfortable in choppy conditions.

As far as engines go, Yamaha is the ONLY engine I would buy. It's far from the cheapest, but you can't beat the dependability, the quiet sound and the fuel economy on their new engines. For other manufacturers Honda and Mercury also make great engines.

For size, your dealer is the best source. They should be able to size the engine based on the boat your by and is gross weight.

Best regards,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Terry,

I just experienced a similar issue with an air conditioning raw water outlet. Mind you, this happened just two days before leaving the Caribbean to sail non-stop to Newport, RI.

The seal on the circulation pump had gone and was leaking water coming from the seawater inlet even when switched off as the whole installation is below the waterline. I closed the through-hull to prevent any further leaking until I could replace the seal. We cast off the lines and set sail without any further thought about danger.

On the first day out I noticed the bilge pump was cycling continuously and checked the bilge to find that we had taken aboard approximately 60-80 gallons of sea water, probably more considering the cycling of the bilge pump. The water was leaking from the broken seal. What transpired was the sea water outlet (located 6 inches above the waterline) at rest, was now on the windward side and given our heeling angle was about 4 feet above the waterline. Our installation did not include an anti-siphon loop between the outlet and the air conditioning circulation pump. Thus, the waves were splashing into the outlet, filling the pipe to the pump and then draining into the bilge through the broken seal.

So . . . Yes, you could install a non-return valve, but my concern is that these valves can easily get stuck in the open position with a piece of debris or fail all together. Also, placing a valve in the line may restrict pump flow. Without a shadow of a doubt, I would immediately install an anti-siphon loop. Take the outlet pipe from the pump to a point on the boat much higher than the waterline in a loop before it continues down to the outlet. Further to this, at the highest point of the loop you should install a breather valve to allow air in, but no water out; this will prevent a back siphon. Installing the anti-siphon loop should be pretty easy to do yourself and the various parts are inexpensive and can be found in most chandleries.

Good job on noticing this one Terry - - it could ruin you whole day.

Best regards,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Ron,

I recently answered a similar question about a boat "not being for sale to U.S. citizens while in U.S. waters." Look up that answer as part of it pertains to your situation as well. Also, I invoke the same disclaimer for that answer, that I am not a lawyer and I am not providing legal advise.

That said, here's your answer. Get a good broker to represent you in the purchase. Take delivery of the yacht off-shore, that way you avoid sales tax all together. You will have to pay U.S. Duty when you bring it back into U.S. waters, but this is much less than the sales tax. Personally, I would document the yacht in Delaware as it is a "duty free" state. This is done all the time and your broker can guide you down this simple path. I would also talk to Atlantic Documentation in Annapolis, MD as they specialize in this sort of thing and can handle the entire process for you.

Now regarding California. You said the boat won't be in California waters, at least for a while. However, being a California resident, the state will attempt to collect personal property tax and that is why it is important that you document monthly expenditures such as dockage, fuel, repair bills that will prove the boat was not in California waters. As far as sales tax goes, the sale didn't take place in California, the boat isn't in California and therefore California isn't entitled to sales tax. Again you may be asked to prove that and that is why I would work with Atlantic Documentation.

Check with your broker, but I believe if you have owned the boat for more than one year, you can then legally bring the yacht into California waters without paying sales tax; it might be eighteen months now. Again you will need documentation of the ownership period. But if you eventually do bring the boat to California waters and keep it there, then ultimately you will end up paying personal property tax.

Get yourself a good broker, talk to Atlantic Documentation and it will all go smoothly.

Hope this helps,

Captain Bob Wellen

Hi Richard,

This is an interesting problem, stray current is exactly that, it meanders wherever there is an electrical pathway. In other words it's not selective. The perplexing issue is that you say the port-side anode doesn't decompose, but the starboard-side anode does. You also state that the halos and corrosion on the metal underwater parts is worse on the port side where the anode doesn't decompose. This begs the question - - is there and a break in the electrical connection to the port-side zinc anode? That's where I would start.

Moving on, let's assume you've verified that the port anode has electrical connection, then we have to look a stray current sources. Preforming a stray current test is pretty simple when the boat is out of the water. Just take a regular voltmeter and attach the negative lead to the negative side of your service batteries, then touch the positive probe one at a time to the engine block, propeller shaft, your bonded system, keel bolts (if you have them), bow thruster casing (again if you have one), ans so on until you find the source of the stray current. With the boat out of the water the current should read very close to 0.0 Volts. If you do find a stray current then try to isolate it by switching off one at a time at the switch panel the various electrical appliances until you see the voltage disappear. Once you isolate the source, then you can trace the wires back to the offending item.

I recently had to do this on a new Swan 82 and managed to trace a stray current back to some faulty wiring in a compass light. I only took me about half a day, so it's a much less daunting task than it may seem.

However, the fact that your halos and corrosion appear more on the port side and the port side anode isn't decomposing at more or less the same rate as the starboard side suggests to me that the connection to the port side anode is damaged in some way or possibly severed.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Captain Ian Fagg

Hello Art,

If you are planning to take the rudders right back to bare metal, then you should use a suitable metal primer before applying the bottom paint. Check the paint manufacturer's recommendations of specific primers and methodology for painting onto bare metal.

If however, the paint is in good condition and has been previously painted with the same product as the bottom coat, then you can go ahead with giving it a light sanding (80 grit) and re-apply the same paint over the top. Remember, the paint is ablative so sand lightly and make sure you don't go down to bare metal, otherwise you will need to prime. Also, make sure you give it a good wash with soap and water to remove any sanding dust and let it dry well before re-coating.

On the annode, the most important thing is that it make full contact with the whole of it's surface area to the bare metal of the rudder/trim tab. It doesn't really matter if you remove the annode before or after you paint, just don't paint under where it goes and don't paint the annode itself, it needs water contact to do its job.

Best regards,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Richard,

The answer lies in the total amps of stored power. The 6-volt batteries hooked in series have more total cranking power. Most likely Egg Harbor chose the set up because of battery technology in 1984 and the 454 engines require a lot of cranking power. However, battery technology has improved dramatically in the last twenty years so today a single 12-volt deep cycle marine battery will work just as well. Hope this answer helps.

Best,

Captain Bob Wellen

Hi Dave,

Well it is clear you've given considerable thought to this issue. Without actually seeing the spaces you have to work with it's difficult for me to make a decisive recommendation. However, I would suggest that since you already have a slight list to Starboard, that you favour finding a location to Port to try and balance the weight distribution. Concerning trim, you can temporarily secure the inverter in the space where you think you might install it, then make a few runs to see what affect it has on trim. If it affects trim negatively, then find another space and try again until you find the spot with minimal affect. Everything on boats is a matter of compromise.

Now, as far as the run length, if the manufacturers data is recommending that you keep the run shorter than 10 ft., then I would definitely stay within those parameters as you may find that the warranty is voided if you are outside those specifications.

Next, going through bulkheads isn't a problem, but there are several things you need to consider:

- Is the bulkhead watertight? If so, you will need to make sure that after you pass the wire that you fill the hole with a quality marine grade sealent to ensure it maintains it's water tight integrity.

- When you drill through the bulkhead, be it Wood, GRP, or Foam core, you will need to seal the edges again to prevent water ingress. In the case of Wood or GRP, epoxy will be fine, but if it is Foam core you will need something to bridge the gap. I recommend epoxying a section of G10 tubeing to fill the gap. This has worked well for me.

- Lastly, make sure you consider chafe when passing a hose or wire through a bulkhead. There will always be a danger that the wire/pipe may chafe on the hole it is passed through. Make sure you add some additional conduit at this point to protect against chafe.

- Finally, when you have the inverter installed, run it under some high loads and check to see how hot the wire gets. There should be no odour and although the wire may get slightly warm, it should not get hot.

I hope this helps you pick the best of your alternatives.

Cheers,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Art,

5200 is probably not the best material for this application. I would favor an Epoxy filler. West Systems is arguably the best product on the market and available at most good marine stores. I checked online and found a great PDF file you can download with very detailed directions on how to apply and which of their products to use. Click HERE to download the PDF. The link in case you need it is http://westsystem.com/ss/assets/HowTo-Publications/Fiberglass-Boat-Repair-and-Maintenance.pdf; you will find what you need in Section 2 of this document. You'll probably also want to save this PDF because it is loaded with information for future repairs.

Happy repairs,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hello Mr. Greenbacker,

Well this was a tough one and I had to do a bit of work including talking with a friend who is a shipwright. It's hard because we can't "see" the problem, but here is what I learned. The track for your door works with rollers, to remove the door you need to get to those rollers first and remove them. This will then allow the door to be lifted out. My shipwright friend says all rollers work with an adjuster to keep a snug fit, so you should first try adjusting the roller height, this might save you a lot of work.

If the adjuster trick doesn't work, then the problem is going to be gaining access to the rollers. Chris Craft usually hide the mechanism behind some sort of skirting/vanity board. The skirting, which is probably glued in place, needs to be removed to gain access. Sadly, the only solution is going to be to somehow carefully pry the skirting off. I suspect you are not going to be able to avoid getting out the sand paper and varnish brush when the job is complete. Personally, I would recommend replacing the board with tapped screws to provide a more user friendly means of removing it in the future.

Good luck,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Art,

It is true that Sea-Ray uses Petit Hydrocoat on all their boats. Hydrocoat is an ablative, meaning a small amount of the paint wears away each time you use the boat to keep exposing fresh bioside. It's water-based and easy to work with for a DIY project, but there are a couple of questions to consider.

You said your boat is new and has been in the water for only a few months and mainly in fresh water. Hydrocoat is a multi-year paint so it begs the question why is it failing so soon? It's also interesting that you said it has come up at the "edges." All bottom paint should extend at least 3 inches above the waterline to avoid the "edge" problem. It may be that after purchasing the boat and adding the weight of your personal items that the boat now sits lower in the water and that can be the source of the edge problem. Just make sure when repainting to have at least 3 inches of paint above the waterline.

Although the manufacturer states that no sanding is required, pressure washing at a minimum will be required to make sure the surface is clean. Since Hydrocoat is an ablative paint, pressure washing will remove some layers of the old paint, so as long as the boat is out of the water you may want to consider a light coat over the entire bottom. If you are just touching up, and not intending to sand the area, then make sure you understand fully what Petit will cover in the event that the adhesion fails. For example, will they cover paint cost only? Is it covered only if professionally applied?

Touching up the bottom scrapes is easy enough and the product is thin so you shouldn't have a problem blending the edges either. Just keep in mind the surface preparation and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Also make sure the paint extends 3 inches above the waterline.

Best,

Captain Bob Wellen

Hi Art,

This is a problem that a lot of boat owners are facing and I just went through it last year so I will give your our experience. When Congress passed the law that forced all stations to convert to digital broadcasts by June 12, 2009, they created a big problem for boaters. Unfortunately, you only have two choices:

1. Replace the sets with DTV ready televisions; or


2. Connect your analog TV's to a digital-to-analog converter box.

As you know, space is at a premium on a boat and the ability to install a large converter box on top of the TV;s just isn't possible. The typical tuner costs $60-70 and slightly more for a unit that uses an RF remote instead of IR. The advantage of an RF model is the unit can be mounted out of site in a storage locker, under a berth, etc.

We decided to start with the master cabin first and bought an Artec converter with an RF remote. Installation was straightforward and we mounted the unit under the master berth. Immediately we had a signal, but the quality of the signal was marginal. As we continued trying to improve the signal we learned that the quality of the antenna and the "sensitivity" of the tuner, meaning how it will respond to low signal, are key. We upgraded the antenna and it significantly improved the signal at the dock, but underway the pitch and roll of the boat resulted in loss of signal and a frozen, or black screen.

Long story short, we tried other receiver/antenna combinations and were able to finally get a sustained picture underway, but the quality of the picture was not acceptable to the owner, so in the end we ended up replacing all the TV's with digital ready TV's. The high gain digital antenna we had bought works well with the DTV sets and provides good picture quality underway and excellent picture quality at anchor or dock. Plus you don't need a converter box.

So, to answer your question, if you are willing to accept a marginal to good picture at anchor or dock with limited or no reception while underway, than an RF controlled converter box may be your solution. It is certainly the least expensive solution. If however, you want excellent picture quality, then your only choice is to replace the existing analog sets with DTV. Wish I had better news for you, but based on our experience, biting the bullet and upgrading to DTV is the best way to go.

Happy channel surfing,

Captain Mike Clayton

Hello Anibal,

Well, this is a double problem. Because Halon depletes the ozone layer, it was outlawed in 1993, but systems could be recharged until 2002. Since your system has discharged, the first problem is you will need to replace the Halon system with one of the newer FM-200 or FE-241 chemical systems. FE-241 is approved for unoccupied spaces like engine rooms, so that's your best bet.

The bigger problem is the engines won't start. On all the vessels I have run, the engines have automatic tripped relays to shut down the engines just before the Halon is released and I'm sure this is the case with your 2D-tronics. This prevents the orange powder from being sucked into the engine intake. I hope this was the case with your engines. So, the first thing to check is whether the relay has been reset, or re-fused. If it hasn't, that will prevent the engines from starting.

A common mistake after an accidental discharge is restarting the engines to get back to the dock before cleaning up the orange powder. Hopefully, that didn't happen in your case, because the engines will suck the powder into the intake. Remove and check the inside of the air filters and the injector ports for the presence of orange powder. If the engines turn over, but won't start, the engines are probably just fine, but you will now have to clean the area where the valve surfaces mate up atop the engine.

Even if it is simply the relay switch that needs resetting, you should have a qualified marine diesel mechanic inspect the engines before restarting. Also, change the oil and filter and the air and fuel filters as well before restart. Lastly, I would contact the manufacture of the fire suppression equipment for advice on cleanup and price quotes for a new FE-241 system. Most of what you already have can be used for the new system. Hope this helps.

Good luck,

Captain Bob Wellen

Hi Ron,

I can't comment on Jet-Drive boats because as yet, I have no experience with them. I have heard mixed reports both for and against, the biggest plus being safety of not having a propeller.

I have just outfitted a Swan 82 with a new 14-foot tender with a 40hp 4-stroke engine and am very pleased with the result. We went for an AB 14 fiberglass inflatable open style boat, the engin being a Yamaha F40. The open (no console) design works well for us as we often ferry a lot of guests and luggage around, and not having the cockpit space taken up with a console is definitely a benefit. On the flip side, the boat is pretty lively and needs an experienced driver, especially in choppy/windy conditions. A center console in the boat does add a little more stability and controllability, especially with a 50hp engine.

I would avoid an aluminum bottom like the plague. I have had a number of these over the years and to be frank, none of the manufacturers of these boats paint them very well. Many sail boaters like the aluminum for the small amount of weight saving, but I honestly believe it's not worth it.

Caribe and AB both make a good boat. The Caribe has larger tubes, a benefit for keeping dry, but more difficult to get in and out of from the water. The AB has more of a "turn up" in the bow and a deeper "V" so a slightly smoother ride in choppy conditions, but still a wetter ride than a Caribe in my opinion. If you want to spend a little more cash then I believe the Novurania makes a very high quality product.

Happy tender hunting,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Robert,

The short answer is NO, you shouldn't be using the VHF for communication between crew members on the same boat, even on the low power setting. Some fixed type VHF's do have built in intercom systems with other VHF's in the same network, but they use a hard wire, not the VHF radio frequencies. Also, some of the newest and more expensive handheld VHF's do have private personal communication channels not part of the regular VHF frequencies; these are OK to use intra-vessel. But, if you do require an intercom system there are a number of relatively inexpensive radios on the market that are weather resistant and come with ear pieces for hands free operation and they are often voice activated. These come in especially handy when your crew member is at the bow ready to release the anchor and you are at the helm and it is nice to be able to communicate with your crew without having to shout and it looks all that bit more professional.

Cheers,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi John,

Basically there are two ways to winterize the fresh water system on a boat. You can drain the system including the hot water tank (the Dry method), or you can fill the system with RV-approved non-toxic antifreeze (the Wet method).

The "Dry" method requires more than just draining the system, as small amounts of water can remain trapped in low areas, elbows, and fittings. Once these small amounts of water freeze in place they can/will damage the plumbing. But, to properly use the dry method you need to use compressed air to blow out any remaining water after draining the system. This requires an air compressor and appropriate adapters, but is otherwise straightforward. Connect the compressor and let it run until the plumbing is completely dry.

The "Wet" method is where the hot water heater bypass comes in. It is nothing more than a bypass valve installed on the water heater that allows you to bypass the heater when filling the system with antifreeze. Depending on the size of your tank this can save you 6-12 gallons of antifreeze. They sell these so-called kits, but frankly, you can simply connect the "In" and "Out" lines to the water heater and you've created your own bypass valve; no need to buy one.

An additional problem when using the "Wet" method is you have to remove water filters, make sure you flush antifreeze through the heads, shower drains, sink drains, and grey water tanks. For black water tanks make sure they are pumped out and then winterize them with a couple of gallons of antifreeze.

So the answer to your question is that you don't need the bypass at all if you are using the "Dry" method. If using the "Wet" method I would simply connect the in/out lines after draining the water heater and then pump the antifreeze through the system.

At the end of the day, I prefer the Dry method, it costs less, you don't have to flush the system when re-commissioning in the spring, and you don't need a bypass valve. Regardless of which method you use, you still need to winterize the holding tanks.

Best,

Captain Craig Bliss

Hi Jay -

Yes you can use Muriatic Acid as a bottom wash, but it depends on what your are trying to remove. Basically, all marine bottom cleaners contain acids, usually Muriatic acid. Muriatic acid is hydrochloric acid and also known as swimming pool acid, so it is very inexpensive when bought at a swimming pool supply store.

If you are trying to remove barnacles and heavy growth, first scrape the barnacles and slime off the bottom, then brush full-strength Muriatic acid over the spots and areas of heavy growth. Let sit for 15 mintues, then scrub with a good boat soap and lots of water.

If it is just a general bottom clean, there are lots of bottom cleaning products that work very well. If you want to use Muriatic acid, then I recommend diluting it 50/50 with water, wiping or brushing the bottom and waiting 15 minutes before washing with a good marine boat soap and lots of water.

Remember, Muriatic acis is caustic, so take all necessary precaustions not to breathe the fumes and not to get it on you skin or in your eyes.

Good luck

Captain Bob Wellen

Hi Edwin,

I took a look at the page link you provided and read the reviews. It certainly sounds promising. However, all of these miracle products seem to have one thing in common, they all contain an acid, be it citric, Phosphoric or worse still Muriatic acid. Over time using these products, working them deep into the pores of the gelcoat as the product suggests, will begin to leave the surface chalky. Knowing this, I would recommend using the product sparingly and then after an application, using some kind of wax to seal the hull. My current favourite hull cleaner is Sea Power Marine Cleaner and Wax which I recommended on Pro's Products on this website. You can buy the product through the website, or West Marine. I use this product on the Swan 82 I run and know it is a quality product.

Bottom line is this; you can use any strong degreaser to wash your hull to remove dirt and grime. For example, diluting a bilge cleaner works well. I find that Osfo (also in Pro's Products) either sprayed on or brushed on works very well for removing rust stains, but best kept away from painted surfaces, especially Awl Craft 2000 (I speak from experience on this !!), and then always seal the boat with wax afterwards to maintain a good shine.

Sadly to maintain a hull in perfect condition is always going to involve some elbow grease. You can find both of these products at most marine product stores.

Good luck,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Lawrence,

You will definitely be able to have the repair made without replacing the whole rail. You said the supports were "snapped off" but I suspect they were badly scratched and bent from the impact, so your fabricator will probably choose to replace the uprights. Any reputable stainless steel fabricator can easily match the undamaged supports. Once the welding is complete, the polishing process should remove any discoloration and your rail will look like new again.

Unfortunately, you will need to remove the rail in order to have the job done, I can't imagine many welders would be prepared to try and do this outside. Find yourself an experienced marine welder and perhaps check out some of his work before you commit to letting him do the job. Shouldn't be too big of a job and the rail will look like new again.

Best of luck,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Marty,

To start, there is definitely an obstruction somewhere in the coolant loop, or the coolant pump has failed. Also, sometimes there is a screen in the coolant loop that may need to be cleaned; check your owner's manual to see if that is the case here.

Assuming that you have checked the coolant pump and it is working properly, another thing you can try is to drain all the coolant, then connect a garden hose under pressure and flush water through to see if it passes at the different points of the coolant loop; that way you can isolate the point of blockage.

My next advice is to seek a trained mechanic. There is definitely blockage, but attempts to disassemble the coolant loop by a novice may open a bigger can of worms, with gaskets needing to be replaced once a section is opened.

Sorry I couldn't be more help, but make sure the pump is working properly, then clean the screen (if applicable), then do the garden hose test to isolate the blockage, then seek the advice of a trained mechanic as these problems are not simple.

Best,

Captain Bob Wellen

Hi John,

The 320 Sea Ray Sundancer is a very nice boat. The Smartcraft gauge setup with the standard 2/260-hp Mercrusier can display speed from two different senders: the paddle wheel; or at speed the GPS. My understanding is that whenever a GPS signal is available, it will always override the paddle wheel input. As you stated, there is an adjustment in the speedometer calibration process where you can set the speed at which the Smartcraft gauges change from the paddle wheel input to the GPS - - the “paddle to pitot transition” in your owner’s manual. You also said you currently have the transition set at 21 knots and I think that is the source of your error “check paddle/trans spd”. First, that error message doesn’t “affect” anything, the GPS speed is always more accurate than the paddle wheel. Second, to get rid of the error message, try setting the transition speed (paddle to pitot) to 5 knots. The error you’re seeing is because the Smartcraft gauges are receiving different signals that are in conflict - - i.e. the GPS is showing one speed (the more accurate) and the paddle wheel another (less accurate). Adjusting the transition speed to 5 knots should eliminate the error message. Alternately, in the speedometer calibration you can select “Use GPS Speed” as the speed input and the gauges will always take their input from the GPS sensor. You only need the paddle wheel input for very low speeds in “Troll Control” mode. If that doesn’t solve the issue, then there is an error in your Smartcraft unit that will require a visit from an authorized Mercruiser representative. Good luck and safe boating.

Captain Craig Bliss

Dear Jerry,

Assuming this is a Bennet brand trim system, I agree it is a bit confusing as the labeling on the port & starboard rocker switches are labeled "bow down/bow up". If they are deployed simultaneously "bow down" it does in fact result in the bow moving downward as a result of the stern being induced with lift.

An easier way to think about the trim tabs is "lift" in the stern independently either from the port or starboard stern quarter. Try thinking about them this way on your next excursion and you should have a more enjoyable trim tab experience.

Best, Capt Bob Wellen