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! :)
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Wacky Wednesday #5
I had heard great things about PoliGlow, and owned two full kits and the PoliOx bottle for a couple of years. When, I finally got around to testing it on our black-hulled boat, I learned a few lessons:
1. Use the PoliOx generously. If you cover an automobile polisher (~$20 at Walmart, Target, etc.) with the powder, clean a no greater than a five foot section of hull. I started with 15-20 feet...guess what? I had to go back again...and again...and, well, eventually I learned.
2. Rinse. If the hull does not look spotless, repeat step one. Keep doing this until the wet hull looks EXACTLY like you want. Otherwise, you will be re-doing it. Trust me on this one. There are still places I have to go back, remove the Glow, and re-Ox, not just re-Prep. Oh, and make sure you rinse all the way down to the water. It WILL eat paint. Don't say I didn't warn you, not to mention the bottle too in big letters. Luckily, I did read this so I managed to not remove any excess.
3. Once you have the entire hull on one side completed, notice I said one side, then you are ready for the PoliPrep. Do not try to do both sides at once, you will be repeating yourself later...
4. For the PoliPrep, I put on come coveralls and goggles and hung out on a kayak with the buffer again. Just make sure your power cord is fused and plugged into a GCA socket. Here is the fun part...while using the buffer with one hand, keep the cord out of the water and fend yourself off of the hull with the other. Yes, your arms get tired; your legs will too. Luckily, our waterline was about the kayak height, so I wasn't bumping the clean hull area. Again, five foot sections...notice a trend here? Guess where else it states this? Yep, the bottle.
5. This is where I screwed up, and now laugh at myself. I PoliOxed and PoliPreped the entire hull. Then went to Glow. Bad idea. Ox one side at a time, Prep the entire side, then go back and re-Prep the first 5' section. Once this dries (follow the time on the bottle), take out the sponge with the pad to Glow. Again, you will be repeating a lot more if you don't listen to this...It is amazing how much junk can build up on a clean hull in the time it takes you to work five feet of it.
6. For PoliGlow, use the big sponge...in your gloved hand. I could see maybe trying to use it on a stick if you are hauled out, but the evenness of pressure really requires a hand. Use the little piece of cloth to wipe any drips quickly. It is fairly useless for anything else. Five foot sections again...and overlap them. It didn't seem to make a difference in how far the overlap was. I did get better, cleaner coverage using the sponge vertically instead of horizontally. This took a little longer to dry, but was worth it.
7. Go do something else for ten minutes...or stare at polish drying.
8. Repeat the Glow coat on the same five feet.
9. Repeat steps 6-8 until you see the shine you want. It took me about 5-10 coats depending on the part of the hull. Ignore the coats amount on the bottle, use more (or fewer) until it looks like you want when it is dry. Granted, we had not had anyone successfully de-ox it in years...many many years.
10. Move over five feet. Repeat from step 5 for the next five feet.
While it takes a while, it is worth it. The good lesson learned? Nothing worth doing is easy. I put in days vice the hours I had hoped for, and still had touch-up work to do where I had rushed. However, on a hull that at least four "marine cleaners/handymen/guy on the docks" had tried to unsuccessfully clean/buff/polish, I can now see my reflection...in color...on a black hull. Oh, and remember, make sure that the varnishing you did that morning is dry before pulling out the automobile buffer...just saying...you never know...
1. Use the PoliOx generously. If you cover an automobile polisher (~$20 at Walmart, Target, etc.) with the powder, clean a no greater than a five foot section of hull. I started with 15-20 feet...guess what? I had to go back again...and again...and, well, eventually I learned.
2. Rinse. If the hull does not look spotless, repeat step one. Keep doing this until the wet hull looks EXACTLY like you want. Otherwise, you will be re-doing it. Trust me on this one. There are still places I have to go back, remove the Glow, and re-Ox, not just re-Prep. Oh, and make sure you rinse all the way down to the water. It WILL eat paint. Don't say I didn't warn you, not to mention the bottle too in big letters. Luckily, I did read this so I managed to not remove any excess.
3. Once you have the entire hull on one side completed, notice I said one side, then you are ready for the PoliPrep. Do not try to do both sides at once, you will be repeating yourself later...
4. For the PoliPrep, I put on come coveralls and goggles and hung out on a kayak with the buffer again. Just make sure your power cord is fused and plugged into a GCA socket. Here is the fun part...while using the buffer with one hand, keep the cord out of the water and fend yourself off of the hull with the other. Yes, your arms get tired; your legs will too. Luckily, our waterline was about the kayak height, so I wasn't bumping the clean hull area. Again, five foot sections...notice a trend here? Guess where else it states this? Yep, the bottle.
5. This is where I screwed up, and now laugh at myself. I PoliOxed and PoliPreped the entire hull. Then went to Glow. Bad idea. Ox one side at a time, Prep the entire side, then go back and re-Prep the first 5' section. Once this dries (follow the time on the bottle), take out the sponge with the pad to Glow. Again, you will be repeating a lot more if you don't listen to this...It is amazing how much junk can build up on a clean hull in the time it takes you to work five feet of it.
6. For PoliGlow, use the big sponge...in your gloved hand. I could see maybe trying to use it on a stick if you are hauled out, but the evenness of pressure really requires a hand. Use the little piece of cloth to wipe any drips quickly. It is fairly useless for anything else. Five foot sections again...and overlap them. It didn't seem to make a difference in how far the overlap was. I did get better, cleaner coverage using the sponge vertically instead of horizontally. This took a little longer to dry, but was worth it.
7. Go do something else for ten minutes...or stare at polish drying.
8. Repeat the Glow coat on the same five feet.
9. Repeat steps 6-8 until you see the shine you want. It took me about 5-10 coats depending on the part of the hull. Ignore the coats amount on the bottle, use more (or fewer) until it looks like you want when it is dry. Granted, we had not had anyone successfully de-ox it in years...many many years.
10. Move over five feet. Repeat from step 5 for the next five feet.
While it takes a while, it is worth it. The good lesson learned? Nothing worth doing is easy. I put in days vice the hours I had hoped for, and still had touch-up work to do where I had rushed. However, on a hull that at least four "marine cleaners/handymen/guy on the docks" had tried to unsuccessfully clean/buff/polish, I can now see my reflection...in color...on a black hull. Oh, and remember, make sure that the varnishing you did that morning is dry before pulling out the automobile buffer...just saying...you never know...
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Wacky Wednesday #4
Eight months pregnant, in the port lazarette, with the 9/16" wrench. Sometimes I feel like I am playing clue...what I looked like to others, well I probably don't want to know ;). Enjoy the mental humor this week. Oh, and if you must know, I was hard resetting the inverter/battery charger since it likes to have a mind of its own on occaision.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Wacky Wednesday #3 ~ahem~ Thursday
Alright, so lots of new stuff in work for the website, so was distracted from writing this yesterday. You'll have to check back soon!
If you sail, I am sure you are familiar with the apprehension of pulling in somewhere unknown for the first time. Sure, you read the charts and have the GPS up and are standing by your radio. You're even following the directions given to you by the marina...in this case Hotel Corral in Ensenada.
Now, add on two-handing a 37' full-keel sailboat in the fog. In our defense, it was not foggy when we started pulling into Bahia Todos los Santos ("All Saints Bay"). But, by the time we were hitting the fog, it had wrapped around us to the point we were calling on all of the saints to keep us off the rocks. You see, there is this breakwater for Hotel Corral that the GPS wanted us to motor right through. Based on course and speed, we were very close, but didn't want to turn too early, or you miss the tiny entrance. Heading back out to sea to wait out the fog was not an option either due to the heavy shipping traffic moving in and out. We could hear their horns, and turning out would force us South right into their lanes.
What did we do? Well, while my better half manned the tiller, I went to the bow for a Titanic - King of the World moment. I could hear breakers. That was not good. However, I couldn't see anything and we knew we had shoreline to the left as well. I yelled back that I heard them from ahead, and we swapped positions to double-check. Water depth was still good. 5+ feet below the keel...but it would be all the way in we knew. Right after I took the helm, I saw rocks. Not little rocks either. mid-size boulders jutting up ready to eat us. I think that I was already turning, thank the gods for a tiller - will always believe it is a faster method of turning, by the time that I yelled out "Turning starboard, ROCKS!" I am sure it was loud enough to be heard, though it may have been a bit hysterical in tone. It wasn't until I was parallel to the breakwater and breathing again that we could see the rocks from the bow. And then, it was mainly looking down to make sure we weren't getting too close to any that were submerged.
With the initial shock over and the marina three-turn narrow channel up ahead, the fog was lingering. However, to our luck, the marina itself, as we have come to find out on follow up trips, seems to always be an oasis. You pass the entrance marker and the fog stops. Gladly, as I think my nerves were dead.
The lesson this week? Fog is fickle...while you think you should be able to see better from the bow, that is not always the case. Communication is key, and is the primary reason we made it safely. Never assume your bow lookout (or the helm in the other direction) can see anything you do. Yelling works on a 37' barely. I would recommend something else (walkie-talkie like) for bigger or even high winds in smaller boats. You never know what you are going to encounter on a gorgeous day. :)
If you sail, I am sure you are familiar with the apprehension of pulling in somewhere unknown for the first time. Sure, you read the charts and have the GPS up and are standing by your radio. You're even following the directions given to you by the marina...in this case Hotel Corral in Ensenada.
Now, add on two-handing a 37' full-keel sailboat in the fog. In our defense, it was not foggy when we started pulling into Bahia Todos los Santos ("All Saints Bay"). But, by the time we were hitting the fog, it had wrapped around us to the point we were calling on all of the saints to keep us off the rocks. You see, there is this breakwater for Hotel Corral that the GPS wanted us to motor right through. Based on course and speed, we were very close, but didn't want to turn too early, or you miss the tiny entrance. Heading back out to sea to wait out the fog was not an option either due to the heavy shipping traffic moving in and out. We could hear their horns, and turning out would force us South right into their lanes.
What did we do? Well, while my better half manned the tiller, I went to the bow for a Titanic - King of the World moment. I could hear breakers. That was not good. However, I couldn't see anything and we knew we had shoreline to the left as well. I yelled back that I heard them from ahead, and we swapped positions to double-check. Water depth was still good. 5+ feet below the keel...but it would be all the way in we knew. Right after I took the helm, I saw rocks. Not little rocks either. mid-size boulders jutting up ready to eat us. I think that I was already turning, thank the gods for a tiller - will always believe it is a faster method of turning, by the time that I yelled out "Turning starboard, ROCKS!" I am sure it was loud enough to be heard, though it may have been a bit hysterical in tone. It wasn't until I was parallel to the breakwater and breathing again that we could see the rocks from the bow. And then, it was mainly looking down to make sure we weren't getting too close to any that were submerged.
With the initial shock over and the marina three-turn narrow channel up ahead, the fog was lingering. However, to our luck, the marina itself, as we have come to find out on follow up trips, seems to always be an oasis. You pass the entrance marker and the fog stops. Gladly, as I think my nerves were dead.
The lesson this week? Fog is fickle...while you think you should be able to see better from the bow, that is not always the case. Communication is key, and is the primary reason we made it safely. Never assume your bow lookout (or the helm in the other direction) can see anything you do. Yelling works on a 37' barely. I would recommend something else (walkie-talkie like) for bigger or even high winds in smaller boats. You never know what you are going to encounter on a gorgeous day. :)
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