Even underway, housekeeping is still important, even more important in some ways. I am in the process of writing a book on it. Literally. While in port, you tend to have the usual household dust and detritus. The focus changes when underway. The start of my draft priorities are:
1. Water. If there is water or wetness anywhere. Remove it immediately, follow with a type of anti-bacterial cleanser, and then suitable cleaner/polish for the surface. (i.e. a clorox wipe followed by murphy's oil soap once the clorox dissipates.) If you don't use the suitable surface cleaner, the disinfectant may erode or visibly degrade the surface. If you don't use the disinfectant, you risk the change of molds, etc. Anything wet (clothing, etc.) needs to be dried before being placed in laundry. Hang it on the lifelines, or lay it out on the decks. If you can't dry it in inside, get it outside until you can. Outside will always have wet areas, that is ok. (I will explain later.)
2. Floor debris. The first few days in any underway are spent replacing things you thought were secure in new places they will be. This is only a second to water as dry is so important. Things rolling around can cause both damage to person and property. A pan falling can dent the floor. Over time, if not stored correctly, this can lead to a need to replace vice just resurface the floor once its integrity has been compromised. Anything rolling or falling can get underfoot leading to personal injury or even worse. You may lose a crew member in the extreme.
3. Galley....
So, you see where this is going. I have cross posted this to the Poseidon Marine blog as I want to let everyone know the book is in work. So, no real musings on Poseidon and Laralei today. As it was they were watched by the rest of the crew most of the day so I could get the boat cleaning done. (Note: Just remember no mopping while underway. Things get too slippery.)
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Rivets, Divets and Bungs - 6.12.11
Need to run something down the mast? Hate trying to catch a line? Try this helpful hint from our dock neighbors (modified a bit by us):
Buy a thin line and cut it to exactly your mast length. Buy a cheap single speed bicycle chain. Connect the two.
Before you head up the mast to drop it down (WARNING: Going aloft is dangerous, and can result in death if not done correctly. If you have any concerns, talk to a professional. All information here is for informational purposes only, and is not an attempt by us to tell you how to proceed correctly, just which items we use for a job.):
1. Measure off the chain length on the OPPOSITE end of the line. (This way you have extra in your hand up top, yet know when it should hit the hole in the bottom.)
2. Put the cable, antenna and whatever else you need up with you in a bag. (We use the reusable grocery bags that ball up into themselves when not in use.)
3. Check the connection of your harness before hauling up. Hang off the deck a foot and make sure nothing gives. Use a safety line. And, be careful! Always work in at least pairs when aloft. (We like a climbing harness and self hauling pulley system.)
4. When aloft, drop the chain first down the mast to weight the line, and have your partner try to catch it through the hole in the bottom of the mast. (Easier said than done, and may take a few tries...but don't give up!)
5. Attach the cable that needs hauled down to the top of the line, and feed it down as your partner at the bottom pulls it out.
Enjoy!
(Oh, don't forget to climb back down.)
Buy a thin line and cut it to exactly your mast length. Buy a cheap single speed bicycle chain. Connect the two.
Before you head up the mast to drop it down (WARNING: Going aloft is dangerous, and can result in death if not done correctly. If you have any concerns, talk to a professional. All information here is for informational purposes only, and is not an attempt by us to tell you how to proceed correctly, just which items we use for a job.):
1. Measure off the chain length on the OPPOSITE end of the line. (This way you have extra in your hand up top, yet know when it should hit the hole in the bottom.)
2. Put the cable, antenna and whatever else you need up with you in a bag. (We use the reusable grocery bags that ball up into themselves when not in use.)
3. Check the connection of your harness before hauling up. Hang off the deck a foot and make sure nothing gives. Use a safety line. And, be careful! Always work in at least pairs when aloft. (We like a climbing harness and self hauling pulley system.)
4. When aloft, drop the chain first down the mast to weight the line, and have your partner try to catch it through the hole in the bottom of the mast. (Easier said than done, and may take a few tries...but don't give up!)
5. Attach the cable that needs hauled down to the top of the line, and feed it down as your partner at the bottom pulls it out.
Enjoy!
(Oh, don't forget to climb back down.)
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Rivets, Divets and Bungs - 1.12.11
As you go through your cleaning routine, don't forget your upholstery. Your settee can grow things just like the couch in your house if you don't keep it clean (as can your mattresses and anything else). Get a small, portable carpet cleaner and use it on a regular basis, any time you spill something, and definitely if there is a smell. If the weather permits, throw the cushions topside to air out while they dry. (If it is cold, don't forget to leave some heat on inside with them or they may take so long to dry out you cause mold/mildew from the cleaning.)
We use the Bissell Little Green ProHeat every week where kids play/monthly everywhere else, but there are many options available. They also have hard surface cleaners...we're going to test one soon! (So, stay tuned after the new year...)
We use the Bissell Little Green ProHeat every week where kids play/monthly everywhere else, but there are many options available. They also have hard surface cleaners...we're going to test one soon! (So, stay tuned after the new year...)
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Rivets, Divets and Bungs - 29.11.11
Looking to re-do your bright work during the winter season? (i.e. varnish your wood) Make sure that you look at the varnish can closely. Good varnishes have different compositions for different temperature ranges. This ensures that you get a good flow when cold, and you don't have it so runny that drying takes forever if hot out. (Also remember that if you are working inside, you will probably have the heater on...)
We use and recommend Epiphanes, though there are other good ones out there. Our rule of thumb, if it works for you stick with it and tell your friends! :)
We use and recommend Epiphanes, though there are other good ones out there. Our rule of thumb, if it works for you stick with it and tell your friends! :)
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Weekend Checkup - The Head (or Marine Sanitation Device)
This weekend we take a look at our head / toilet / MSD / etc. With the exception of an occaisional odor, these pieces of equipment tend to work fairly well. When they do break, look out! You are usually in for something you would rather avoid.....and just go sailing. I will go over a couple of common issues with the marine head and ways to fix them or avoid them.
Issues are usually grouped into two categories: SMELLS and CLOGS
SMELLS: Even though the marine head's job is messy business all around, a properly installed / maintained system should not smell. Smells can originate from many sources, particularly in a saltwater system (newer freshwater systems alleviate some of this), and can be divided into either the salt water supply system or the discharge / head tank side.
Salt Water Supply Smells: When you are using salt water to flush your head you are drawing in a petri dish of living organisms which, if left in your system, die. I believe in most cases the (bad) smell associated with your head is this smell. One way to reduce the size of vegetation and organisms brought into the system is to install a strainer in the suction line (see your manufacturers recommendations for type/size). Without this strainer, organisms and plant matter can get stuck in the flushing holes along the rim of the bowl. As far as the smell from the bottom of the bowl - your best option is to pump the salt water out (dry setting) and then add some fresh water with bleach to remove the smell. For us liveaboards, this in not normally an issue if you are using your head regularly as the water remains fresh. For those that have to leave their boat, the head can provide a nice little welcome back smell if you keep the bowl full of salt water during your absence.
Discharge Side Smells: On the discharge side, not only do you have the salt water issue but you now have it combined with whatever bodily business you added to mix. This can sit in the lines in various places based on system design. The real issue with keeping the smell away on this side is maintaining an air tight / leak free system. A simple visual inspection can identify many of these - key areas to look at are hose connections and gaskets. Anywhere you see signs of leakage you are also identifying a likely contributor to the smell. These need to be fixed immediately - hopefully just a little tightening of a hose clamp followed by a proper cleaning of the area. If not, a hose replacement may be required. Another source of smell is permeation of the hose itself. Modern hoses provide a cure for this ( http://www.tridentmarine.com/stage/sanitation.htm). An easy way to determine if your hoses are permeated is to rub a rag or paper towel along the outside of the hose to see if it picks up the smell; if it does, you need to replace the hoses. Go for the good stuff here since you will hopefully only have to replace them once.
CLOGS: Two main culprits here. Either something was thrown in the toilet that should not have been, or scale and calcium built up in the discharge lines. Hopefully it is not the first because often these can require disassembly of the system to locate the blockage.
Foreign Object: If there is a foreign object, you can get creative to dislodge it (snake, water hose, plunger, etc.) or hope it breaks down over time. Many modern sanitation systems (Vacuflush, Electroscan, etc. ) may limit your options in order to protect the system.
Scale and Calcium Buildup: This can be a real problem with salt water systems, but you can avoid it with a little maintenance. Scale slowly constricts the diameter of your discharge line and can prevent correct flushing (hard to flush, bowl will not empty) and create clogs. If your system is new / clean, a regimen of flushing a pint of white vinegar through the lines once a month will prevent or slow most scale buildup. Move the vinegar through the system slowly: first let it sit in the bowl, then a pump or two to get it into the macerator / pump section, and then move it slowly through the discharge lines.
If you think you have heavy scale build up, the next option is Muriatic Acid (available at your local hardware store - Ace Hardware - Muriatic Acid ). Mix 10% with water and take proper safety precautions - linked item claims to be a "safer" version. This stuff is a miracle worker; it will eat through the calcium deposits like magic. Don't bother scrubbing the toilet, this stuff cleans it to a shining white. It does not hurt plastic or porcelain and only has minor affects on metal after prolonged exposure. The only problem is that it may work too good. In a highly scaled hose, dissolved calcium may get trapped and clog the line downstream. More acid will help to work it through. One good way to make sure you clean all of the discharge side is to close the discharge through hull and take out the vented portion of the vented loop ( Groco - Vented Loop) if you can. Clean the flapper and pour the Muriatic Acid down the discharge hose. If you had calcium deposits you will be amazed at the results.
Clean up with plenty of bleach and call it a day!
Don Casey talks on this subject as well: http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/04.htm
Hopefully this help you out - I just spent a weekend working this issue and, believe me, it was not pretty. But, I was really impressed by the Muriatic Acid (How had I not heard of this before?). So, give it a shot!
Thanks for stopping by!
Issues are usually grouped into two categories: SMELLS and CLOGS
SMELLS: Even though the marine head's job is messy business all around, a properly installed / maintained system should not smell. Smells can originate from many sources, particularly in a saltwater system (newer freshwater systems alleviate some of this), and can be divided into either the salt water supply system or the discharge / head tank side.
Salt Water Supply Smells: When you are using salt water to flush your head you are drawing in a petri dish of living organisms which, if left in your system, die. I believe in most cases the (bad) smell associated with your head is this smell. One way to reduce the size of vegetation and organisms brought into the system is to install a strainer in the suction line (see your manufacturers recommendations for type/size). Without this strainer, organisms and plant matter can get stuck in the flushing holes along the rim of the bowl. As far as the smell from the bottom of the bowl - your best option is to pump the salt water out (dry setting) and then add some fresh water with bleach to remove the smell. For us liveaboards, this in not normally an issue if you are using your head regularly as the water remains fresh. For those that have to leave their boat, the head can provide a nice little welcome back smell if you keep the bowl full of salt water during your absence.
Discharge Side Smells: On the discharge side, not only do you have the salt water issue but you now have it combined with whatever bodily business you added to mix. This can sit in the lines in various places based on system design. The real issue with keeping the smell away on this side is maintaining an air tight / leak free system. A simple visual inspection can identify many of these - key areas to look at are hose connections and gaskets. Anywhere you see signs of leakage you are also identifying a likely contributor to the smell. These need to be fixed immediately - hopefully just a little tightening of a hose clamp followed by a proper cleaning of the area. If not, a hose replacement may be required. Another source of smell is permeation of the hose itself. Modern hoses provide a cure for this ( http://www.tridentmarine.com/stage/sanitation.htm). An easy way to determine if your hoses are permeated is to rub a rag or paper towel along the outside of the hose to see if it picks up the smell; if it does, you need to replace the hoses. Go for the good stuff here since you will hopefully only have to replace them once.
CLOGS: Two main culprits here. Either something was thrown in the toilet that should not have been, or scale and calcium built up in the discharge lines. Hopefully it is not the first because often these can require disassembly of the system to locate the blockage.
Foreign Object: If there is a foreign object, you can get creative to dislodge it (snake, water hose, plunger, etc.) or hope it breaks down over time. Many modern sanitation systems (Vacuflush, Electroscan, etc. ) may limit your options in order to protect the system.
Scale and Calcium Buildup: This can be a real problem with salt water systems, but you can avoid it with a little maintenance. Scale slowly constricts the diameter of your discharge line and can prevent correct flushing (hard to flush, bowl will not empty) and create clogs. If your system is new / clean, a regimen of flushing a pint of white vinegar through the lines once a month will prevent or slow most scale buildup. Move the vinegar through the system slowly: first let it sit in the bowl, then a pump or two to get it into the macerator / pump section, and then move it slowly through the discharge lines.
If you think you have heavy scale build up, the next option is Muriatic Acid (available at your local hardware store - Ace Hardware - Muriatic Acid ). Mix 10% with water and take proper safety precautions - linked item claims to be a "safer" version. This stuff is a miracle worker; it will eat through the calcium deposits like magic. Don't bother scrubbing the toilet, this stuff cleans it to a shining white. It does not hurt plastic or porcelain and only has minor affects on metal after prolonged exposure. The only problem is that it may work too good. In a highly scaled hose, dissolved calcium may get trapped and clog the line downstream. More acid will help to work it through. One good way to make sure you clean all of the discharge side is to close the discharge through hull and take out the vented portion of the vented loop ( Groco - Vented Loop) if you can. Clean the flapper and pour the Muriatic Acid down the discharge hose. If you had calcium deposits you will be amazed at the results.
Clean up with plenty of bleach and call it a day!
Don Casey talks on this subject as well: http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/04.htm
Hopefully this help you out - I just spent a weekend working this issue and, believe me, it was not pretty. But, I was really impressed by the Muriatic Acid (How had I not heard of this before?). So, give it a shot!
Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Rivets, Divets and Bungs - 22.11.11
Need a quick way to clean your head before guests arrive? Grab a pint of vinegar from your galley, let it sit until you see the shiny toilet, wipe away any remaining lines, and flush! (For a more thorough cleaning use muriatic acid...CAUTION: read all Warnings on the label as acids are corrosive and can harm you or even kill you if used improperly.)
Friday, November 11, 2011
Veteran's Day Sale and Blog Schedule
Alright, it has finally arrived! Our Veteran's Day sale is up and running...please email us (webmaster(at)springhaney.com) if you have any issues.
Our form mail (contact us page) should be working flawlessly. If you sent a request and haven't heard from us, try again. Or, you can call or email anytime!
And, finally, our updated blog schedule (NEW ITEMS!):
1. Rivets, Divets and Bungs - Tuesday and Thursday. Whatever random thoughts cross our mind about yachts, marine management, and life aboard.
2. Your Question - Wednesday (NEW!). Submit your question on our website or on Facebook for the experts to answer! If your question is used, you will receive a 5% off coupon for services! (Non-transferable, one-time use, void where prohibited, must meet minimum requirements.)
3. Weekend Checkup - Friday am through Monday am. We kept this one, as it seems to be a favorite. Which system is next? Find out tomorrow!
4.Testing and Reviews - Our yacht becomes a guinea pig. We test items, procedures and practices on our boat, and tell you about them here. Hopefully, you are saved some head- and heart-ache. :)
Make sure to subscribe if you haven't already to avoid missing anything.
Have a great week!
Our form mail (contact us page) should be working flawlessly. If you sent a request and haven't heard from us, try again. Or, you can call or email anytime!
And, finally, our updated blog schedule (NEW ITEMS!):
1. Rivets, Divets and Bungs - Tuesday and Thursday. Whatever random thoughts cross our mind about yachts, marine management, and life aboard.
2. Your Question - Wednesday (NEW!). Submit your question on our website or on Facebook for the experts to answer! If your question is used, you will receive a 5% off coupon for services! (Non-transferable, one-time use, void where prohibited, must meet minimum requirements.)
3. Weekend Checkup - Friday am through Monday am. We kept this one, as it seems to be a favorite. Which system is next? Find out tomorrow!
4.Testing and Reviews - Our yacht becomes a guinea pig. We test items, procedures and practices on our boat, and tell you about them here. Hopefully, you are saved some head- and heart-ache. :)
Make sure to subscribe if you haven't already to avoid missing anything.
Have a great week!
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