Hi Mike,

Wow, those are some pretty big stones!! It's important to make a good repair here as water ingress into the core of the deck will ultimately lead to delamination and further issues. If you haven't already, I would suggest you make sure the damage is covered until you have time to fix it.

If you are not already familiar with West System products, you're going to be by the time your finished. West Systems has a fantastic online brochure which I suggest you download and refer to during your planning of the repair.  Here's the link: www.westsystem.com/ss/use-guides.

First you will need to take a grinding disc and grind back the damaged area, make sure you expose some of the foam/wood core and work the surrounding area into a dish shape.

Next, make sure you really dry out the core well, if necessary build a little tent over the area and position a hair dryer over the damage until you are sure it is really dry. Then clean up the area with Acetone to make it ready for glassing over.

Cut some glass cloth pieces sized to fill the dish you've created. You'll want to use 5-8 layers depending on the thickness of the deck and cloth. Here's the trick, place the smallest piece in the bottom and make each successive piece slightly larger in size to overlap until you reach the top. Follow the directions in your West System download in the "applying cloth/tape" section.

When this is completed and cured you will now want to fare out the repair so that it's nice and flush. Sand the repair with a block or orbital sander keeping it flat to the surface. Inevitably there will be pockets in the glass/epoxy where the surface isn't flush. These areas need to be filled with Epoxy and 407, again see the "fairing" section in your West System download.

When cured, sand down the surface until it is nice and flush, repeat the process again if necessary to fill any last pockets that may have been missed the first time around.

To match the finish to the surrounding deck, again the West System download outlines all of the finishes you may be trying to achieve. The toughest finish is the diamond print - - first you have to match the gelcoat color, then you will need to make a mold from another area of the deck using the 407 which you already have. Wax up an area with some release wax and pour some resin over it. When dry, it should pull off easily and you will have your mold of the diamond print. After painting the repair area you can now use this mold to replicate the print by pressing it into the deck over the wet gelcoat and using something heavy to keep it in place while it cures. Sounds easy enough, but I recommend a couple of test runs on some scrap material first until you get the hang of it.

While it seems like a lot of trouble, this is something I would definitely recommend that every boat owner learn to do. It's not the last time you will need to repair a damaged area on deck or the hull and it will save you a lot of money in the long run if you're capable of doing it yourself.

Good luck and best regards,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Mike,

Sorry to hear about the hole in your deck, but it is difficult to assess the damage without seeing it. The hail stone may have only damaged a small area of the gelcoat, in which you could probably repair the damage yourself with a gelcoat repair kit. Overton makes a good repair kit and here's the link to their website: http://search.overtons.com. If the damage is larger, or if it compromised the fiberglass deck, you are getting into repairs best done by a local professional.

Couple of questions for you. Does your boat have a headliner, or a skin on the ceiling? If so, can you remove it to see if the fiberglass is cracked?  If the fiberglass is cracked, then you need to repair that BEFORE working on the topside. For repairing gelcoat Marine Tex is the best product and here is the link to that product: http://www.marinetex.com/

Sounds like the stone just pitted the fore deck without causing damage to the fiberglass and that the damage is small, so if that is the case, you simply need to dry the area very well and use a fiberglass repair kit. If I'm wrong about the amount of damage, then a professional is your best bet.

Hope this helps.

Best

Captain Craig Bliss

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

Hello H.E.,

Gordon has it right. Back in the day (and maybe still) on tall ships bells were rung to keep track of time during watches. During a four hour watch bells were rung every half hour, thus on the eighth bell the watch was over. On the New Year they would sound 16 bells, 8 for the old year and 8 for the new year.  And yes, the oldest crew member sounded the first eight, the youngest sounded the last eight.

Have a good watch,

Captain Craig Bliss

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 Marco,

I recently became much more educated on Sika products after failing three times to successfully fasten a lexan window back into its frame. I contacted Sika and spoke with a factory representative. My mistake was the absence of a primer - - this may also be your problem.

Looking through the products on the Sika website it looks like the best product for your application will be the "Sika 221" but I would also recommend using the 215 primer for wood, plastics and composites. There is also a 208 product for cleaning prior to use, that will remover the existing Sika you have there from the failed attempt.

Hope this helps.

Best,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hello Marco,

I have primarily used Sikaflex for sealant applications, and 3M products for bonding. From the Sikaflex line Sikaflex 252 seems to be the best bet for your application as it is a sealant and a bonding agent.

Surface prep is the key, you must remove all the old adhesive and make sure you wipe the area on the transom with acetone to remove any last traces of dirt, wax and old adhesive. Next, on the rubber "bumper" strip, give the side that you will be applying the adhesive to, a good hand sand with 80-grit paper. This will give the adhesive "tooth" to hold onto, and then wipe this with acetone as well before applying the adhesive.

To hold the bumper in place while you wait for it to cure, I would fasten some 2-inch blue low tack tape on the hull and the rubber in strategic spots (the ends and five or six in between, then duct tape across that. The blue tape is just to keep that nasty duct tape adhesive off of your gelcoat.

Hope this helps,

Captain Craig Bliss

Hi Frank,

I think you are talking about the Hull Identification Number (HIN #). The manufacturer must affix two such numbers to the hull and usually one is stamped into the gelcoat on the starboard outboard transom with the other on a fixed member of the hull beneath a fitting, generally in the engine room or on the mast base of a sailboat. Here's a link that tells you everything you need to know - - click HERE

The following is an excerpt from the actual regulations Coast Guard Department of Transportation; CGD 79-013, 48 FR 40718.

Sec. 181.23—Hull identification numbers required
(a) A manufacturer (or importer), as defined in Sec. 181.3 of this part, must identify each boat produced or imported with two hull identification numbers that meet the requirements of this subpart:

(1) A primary hull identification number affixed in accordance with Secs. 181.29(a) and (c) of this subpart; and

(2) A duplicate hull identification number affixed in accordance with Secs. 181.29(b) and (c) of this subpart.

Look carefully at the top of the starboard transom, you should find the HIN number there, unless the hull has been painted or repaired in a way that obscures the HIN number. It should be within two inches of the deck joint.

Hope this helps.

Best,

Captain Mike Clayton

Hi Frank,

Ahh yes, the documentation number is different than the HIN number, my mistake. Your certificate of documentation will have your documentation number on it. It is up to the owner to then affix that number in the format No. XXXXXXX to a permanent and highly visible structural member of the boat. Usually, the number is routed into a header board above the navigation station, or a companionway. You certainly shouldn't have to look for 40 minutes - - that means the owner either never had the number mounted, or took it with him when he sold the boat to your friend. In either case, your friend should do exactly what you said - - affix the number in a permanent and visible area.

All the best,

Mike

Hi Richard,

I asked around a little on this one and there seems to be no hard and fast answer to your question, but I did learn some items of interest. Since ethanol has been added to gasoline a number of people have had problems with degrading plastic tanks, so if your tanks are plastic, there probably is some benefit in draining the gasoline for storage to avoid aging your tanks.

My research on draining tanks during the winter season to prevent congealing and/or separation produced hazy results. But the consensus seems to be that the colder your climate in the winter, the more important this becomes. Here's a link that my friend Gordon Hartschuh provided and it may be helpful: 

http://www.fuel-testers.com/review_gas_treatment_products.htm

The problem, as I'm sure you are aware, is the build up of condensation in the tanks during the winter season if the tanks are empty or partially filled. So here is the procedure I would follow to be safe: 1.) At the end of the season before you winterize, drain all of the gasoline from your tank (pre-plan to use most of the fuel as end of season approaches) then "run" the last of the fuel out before you haul; 2.) At the beginning of the new season, lead the fuel drain line from the tank(s) to a bucket, then take a wet vac (make sure the canister is clean), plug the hose into the filler of your tank and switch it own. This will pressurize the system and any condensation that has built up in the tank during winter will be pushed out of the tank into your bucket, now you're free to fill the tanks and prime the system. Make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions for priming the fuel system.

As for the "Sta bil" type products, the consensus again is to use fuel conditioners for gasoline engines to prevent congealing in the injection ports/carburetors, especially if laid up for long periods.  However, to be safe, the preferred method is still to drain your tanks for the winter to avoid all the issues with congealing, fuel separation, and condensation.

Hope this helps.

Best,

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 Bob,

Sorry for the late reply, but I have to give credit to Cay Electronics in Portsmouth, RI for their help in answering your question.

Your battery ground wire is also acting as NMEA ground, your radio ground can also be NMEA ground so there is no need to keep these two wires isolated from each other, and you will not damage your NMEA port by connecting them. There are however, a couple of cautions to be aware of. If your hull is aluminum or steel, you will need a galvanic isolator between the NMEA black wire and the battery negative - - DO NOT connect these wires if you have a reversed ground system (+ve ground). Reversed ground is not common in the USA, but is often used in some boats built in Europe and Australia and on large ships.

I spoke with Cay Electronics and they will be happy to supply any  parts you may need; here's the link to their website:  http://www.cayelectronics.com/

Hope this works for you,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi John,

The good news is your friends are right! It's all pretty straight forward stuff and you should be able to service both of them in a day. I don't have access to a service manual, but the Crusader website has a page devoted to service manuals - - here's the link http://www.crusaderengines.com/Owners%20Info/manuals.html.

The following are the steps and general process:

1. Shut the thru-hull that supplies sea water to the engines.

2. You need to drain the coolent from the fresh water side of the exchanger/engine. There will usually be a drain plug on the lower end of the exchanger, probably the aft end. Remove the filler cap, then unscrew the drain plug and drain the fluid into a bucket. If you can get a bucket into position, use a funnel and a piece of hose to channel the fluid into a bucket. Failing that, you can let the fluid run into the bilge, but then you have a bit of a clean up problem on your hands. Remember to turn off the bilge pump at the switch panel before draining into the bilge; use a manual hand pump to pump the fluid into a bucket and clean the residual with a sponge. The bucket, if it works, serves one other purpose, it indicates the volume of fluid needed to recharge the system afterward.

3. Drain the sea water side. On my engine I have a drain plug on the oil cooler for the gear box which is lower than the heat exchanger and all in the same system. Look for it as you may also have a drain plug somewhere else. Again unscrew the lowest drain plug in the system and drain the sea water into a bucket, or the bilge.

4. After draining both sides of the system, you can remove your end caps and look inside. Check for bits of impellers that may have broken off and calcium build up. Having gone this far, I would recommend going the extra mile as follows.

5. Now remove all the hoses in any order appropriate, unbolt the exchangers from the engines and take them out to the dock.

6. Take a fresh water hose and with the end caps removed, flush the exchangers with fresh water.

7. Inspect for calcium build up inside the pipes, if necessary take a metal rod similar in diameter to the inside of the tubes and pass it through to push out any calcium and debris that may be blocking the tubes. Then flush again with fresh water.

8. Once you are happy that the exchanger is clean and you can see clearly through all of the tubes, you can reassemble in reverse order. Even if they don't look worn, it's work replacing the end cap gaskets as a precaution.

9. Replace the drain plugs and open the thru-hull.  The salt water side of the engine will self bleed.

10. Fill the engine with coolent. I recommend buying a pre-mix coolent, but if you use undiluted coolent, dilute it ONLY with distilled water - - tap water will be band for both your engines and the exchangers. You will have a bleed valve somewhere on the engine, quite possibly on top of the housing for the thermostat, but look all over the engine for something at the highest point of the fresh water circuit. Open the bleed valve and fill the system until this valve begins to weep fluid, then shut it off and continue to fill the header tank until full, then replace the filler cap. If you have an expansion tank, you can now fill that to the desired fill line.

11. Recheck that all of your hoses are connected and tight with no signs of leaks. Double check that your engine intake thru-hull is open. Now start the engine (in neutral) and let it run for a couple of minutes (2-3 min). Shut the engine off and check the coolant level - - top off if necessary. Repeat this process 5-6 times until you are happy that the engine has taken all the coolent it wants. Then run the engine for at least 20 minutes, monitoring the fluid level and also checking for leaks at temperature.

12. When you are happy there are no leaks and the fluid level at temperature is stable, shut down the engines. Job Done!

Here's another tip for you. If you find your exchangers to be particularly clogged up when you inspect them, it would be advisable to take them to a mechanic for an acid bath.  While there, he can perform a pressure test just to make sure there are no leaks between the fresh and salt water sides. But this depends a little on how old your engines are and how long it has been since a full service check was performed.

In the end it is a pretty straight forward job.

Have fun,

Captain Ian Fagg