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DIY_4c_7x10-5#1.indd 1 1/29/09 2:31:37 PM

COLUMNS #2 - 2009
20 Electronics
Better, Brighter Bulbs: Replacing incandes-
cent bulbs with LED ones in navigation light
fixtures delivers a sizeable power savings but
not all bulbs are created equal in terms of
longevity or brightness. By Harry Hungate

22 Engines
Emergency Preparedness: While having an
engine spares kit onboard won’t prevent a
breakdown while underway, it does give you 8
the tools to deal with minor failures on the
spot. By Steve Auger

36 Seaworthy
Current Thinking on Galvanic Corrosion:
15 24
When it comes to boats, dissimilar metals
and water do mix and therein lies the rub.
Know your anodes and methods of isolation
to protect metal fittings. By Bob Adriance

38 Boat Handling
Defending the Boat: When a boat gets
between a dock and a hard spot, you need
to know how to protect it from damage.
Fenders, strategically placed and properly
secured, can do that job. By David and 30 34
Zora Aiken

40 Gear and Gadgets

Breathe Easy: Regularly cleaning your
engine’s air filter offers the optimum in
engine protection and this inexpensive kit
does the job well. By Garrett Lambert

41 DIY Projects
A Tach for Outboards; Interior Facelift; 8 Extreme Deck Makeover
Not a Cushy Job Next to repowering, professional deck refinishing is the single most
48 View From The Stern expensive refit project. The key to success is in the approach strategy to
Add Some Water, Have Some Fun: Tough this labor-intensive job. It’s all in swapping “elbow grease” for dollar
times for the recreational marine industry savings. By Nick Bailey
don’t have to dictate your joy of boating. Fuel
prices are half that of last season and there
are other opportunities to stretch your boat-
15 Giving Your Diesel its Annual Physical
ing dollars. By Roger Marshall These words of wisdom are proof positive that taking take care of the
simple stuff on a diesel engine is the smart investment strategy to big
DEPARTMENTS dividends in long, reliable service. By Nigel Calder
2 Currents
Events, letters, news
24 Transom Takedown
Runabouts and some larger powerboats with transoms cored with layers
3 Ask The Experts of plywood are at risk of damage from water intrusion that eventually rots
Band-Aid Fix for Painted Finishes; Cure the wood. The repair job isn’t difficult, it just takes a little knowledge and
for Power Loss; Repairing Fiberglass Thru-
effort. By Roger Marshall
Exhausts; Not a Hot Solution; Plugging
Holes; Cooling System Failure; Wiring
Cables; Troubleshooting Tachs; Smoke 26 Refit Reflections
Signals Sage advice from 10 years of boat refits for anyone who is considering a
7 Tech Tips major boat overhaul or for those who are contemplating the pros and cons
of buying an older vessel. By Jim Discher

56 Issues of DIY 30 Renew Your Cockpit Floor

Whether you call it a “floor” or a “sole,” this cork composite treading sur-
Get all the DIY past face improves the comfort and security underfoot with an added benefit of
articles on CD-ROM a new and pleasing appearance. By Harry Hungate and Jane Lothrop
56 ISSUES OF DIY
Just $99.95 34 Tame Your Main
A full-batten mainsail system is an inexpensive upgrade that brings new
To order call
1-888-658-2628 life to a tired sail and lets you hoist, lower and reef with ease.
or order online at By Jan Mundy
www.diy-boat.com On the Cover: BearBoat, a fully restored ‘89 Trojan International 12 Meter Express, at anchor off
See ad on page 47. Catalina Island, California. See Jim Discher’s story on page 26. Photo by Kim Discher.
DIY Boat Owner 2009-2
(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628 1
 CURRENTS

Edited by Jan Mundy

have the opportunity to enjoy plentiful tinuous.” If you’re not sure what’s on your
oceans and beautiful blue waters, as we boat, don’t operate the blower continu-
Reader’s Tool Sites have,” said Geoff Eisenberg, CEO of West ously. Blower manufacturers recommend
Further to the article on websites for do- Marine. blowers not be left running for more than
it-yourselfers in the 2009-#1 issue, we The competition is open to individu- 15 to 30 minutes. If run continuously, the
heard from a number of readers who als, manufacturers, distributors and/or bearing in the motor may seize and the
emailed us with their favorites. Here are inventors of boating products. The panel plastic fan can catch fire.
four more to add to your list: of judges includes Ruth Wood, President,
BoatU.S. Foundation and Chuck Husick, High Current Caution
www.american-sailing.com former president of Chris-Craft Boats, DIY
The American Sailing Association (ASA) contributor and BoatU.S. Magazine’s
certifies sailors at all skill levels, includ- technical editor.
ing the certification of sailing instructors. The judges will select the winner based
Individual memberships are available and on such factors as how effectively the
the benefits are bountiful. product improves the marine environment,
conserves natural resources, reduces the
www.myboatsgear.com “carbon wake” of boating (i.e., fossil fuel
This is a store where you can shop for consumption) and how it improves upon
information, the experiential kind, in 18 products currently on the market.

Jan Mundy
categories and 200 plus sub categories. Complete rules and entry forms are
The site presents reviews of the latest and found at www.westmarine.com/green.
greatest boating equipment, sailing acces- West Marine will announce the winner
sories, safety gear, books and clothing. at the 2010 Miami International Boat
Show. Good quality shorepower cords are built
www.uspowerboating.com to take a lot of use but not abuse. The
US Powerboating offers on-the-water Bilge Blowers Beware cord shown in the photo above was
training, along with classroom instruction pinched between the dock and the boat
through participating schools, community If you operate the bilge blower while during a storm. Though it may appear
programs and clubs. An affiliate of ASA underway as a means to help cool the to work, a pinched wire could cause a
(see above), courses start at the entry engine and remove noxious odors, think short and a fire. If you think a cord may
level and progress into advanced boat again. Some blowers are designed to be damaged, inspect it carefully. Any
handling, cruising and applied piloting withstand continuous operation and some crushed areas or flat spots mean trouble.
and navigation. aren’t. Don’t use it. Most cords carry 30 to 50
Read the label or owner’s manual. If amps and a fire can easily start before a
www.sailrite.com you’re buying a new blower, the less breaker trips. Also, don’t store flamma-
Sailrite is the one-stop shopping source for expensive models say “intermittent;” the bles in a locker that’s adjacent to your
anything and everything that you need for more expensive blowers are marked “con- shorepower connection. Q
fabric and other soft goods projects. The
site includes material specs, accessories
and the right kind of sewing machines for
the DIYer who wants to make a dodger,
cushions, curtains, covers and more.
You can even see project videos of other
ENTER TO WIN $25,000
DIYer’s work. Sailrite is more than just a Could you use an extra $25,000? Who couldn’t!
store; it’s the total resource for sewing and From now until November, when you join
stitching. BoatU.S., renew your membership or spon-
sor a new BoatU.S. or BoatU.S. ANGLER
Green Boating Contest member, you’ll automatically be entered
to win $25,000 in the BoatU.S. Wave of
As part of its mission to improve and Fortune Sweepstakes.
protect marine habitat, West Marine, the In addition, you can increase your chances
nation's largest boating supplies retailer, of winning $25,000, or win weekly BoatU.S.
will award a $10,000 prize for the “Green gear or monthly prizes by simply playing the
Product of the Year.” online DockIt game, a simulated test of boat-
“One of West Marine’s goals is to be ing skill. Log onto www.boatus.com/games
an industry leader in sustainability and, to play.
through this initiative, we hope to encour- The sweepstakes runs until November 30,
age innovation and a steady stream of 2009. For more information, visit the BoatU.S. website at www.BoatUS.com/
environmentally friendly products so our WaveofFortune, send an e-mail to Membership@BoatUS.com or call BoatU.S.
children and our children’s children will Member Services at 800/395-2628.

2 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628
 ASK THE EXPERTS

Band-Aid Fix for the surface, then light pressure. As paint glass pipe. The old fiberglass pipe requires
Painted Finishes is softer than gelcoat, there’s a better cutting out and a replacement thru-hull
chance of burning through it than gelcoat. fitting installed. As you can imagine, I am
Q: Do you know of a product that will Do a test spot first in an inconspicuous more than a little nervous about cutting a
put a shine on scuffed Awlgrip? The com- area to determine the amount of pressure huge hole in my transom.
pany suggests using only its cleaner and required. James Priest, Fredonia, New York
buffing/wax product. Rather than repaint Next step is to apply the glaze. This is
my hull for $6,000, there must be a way what gives the paint a mirror-like gloss. A: There are two ways to replace molded
to take the edge off a few “dock scuffs.” Apply glaze with a black foam waffle pad; fiberglass exhaust ports. The first option
Chip Lohman, Woodbridge, Virginia never use a wool pad. (Waffle pads work is to cut off the glass pipes and fit an off-
fast and generate less heat.) Again, start the-shelf metal exhaust thru-hull fitting.
with medium pressure and then lighten Assuming the existing glass exhaust pipe
up. This helps to dry the glaze and buff is joined perpendicular (90 degrees) to
the surface to a high gloss. When applying the transom it should not involve cutting
compound or glaze, be careful you don’t a huge hole in your transom. If it connects
scorch the paint. Work in the solution over at a significant angle the existing port and
a small area, say a 2' (609mm) square any transom cutout will be elliptical so
area. These products act as a lubricant in that case it requires an angled metal
and, once you see the solution work into exhaust port. The other option involves
the paint, stop. Aged, badly faded painted replacement with new glass pipes. This
Jan Mundy

finishes may require additional compound- requires skilled glasswork and since this
ing. Since glaze has no UV inhibitors, the is a below-the-waterline fitting carrying
3M Perfect-it system can extend the longev- last step is to apply a quality marine wax potentially lethal exhaust gases, I do not
ity of an oxidized urethane paint finish but as or polish to protect your glossy finish from recommend you attempt it unless you are
aging and fading continues, eventually, repaint- sun damage. very experienced working with fiberglass.
ing is the only cure. — Jan Mundy Your insurance company would be inclined
to agree. Note that all materials used in
A: If your boat has an aged polyurethane Cure for Power Loss marine engine exhaust systems should
finish and you have applied the Awlcare meet the requirements of ABYC standard
Protective Sealer and are unable to regain Q: My dinghy outboard, a 3.3 hp, two- P-1, Marine Engine Exhaust Systems,
the gloss, the Perfect-it system will revive cycle, 2006 Mercury, will start and idle in including hose, piping, fittings, etc.
the paint and give you a few more years neutral but quits under a load. I removed
before the surface needs repainting. This the carburetor, cleaned and inspected it
should be considered as a last ditch and filled with a fresh gas/oil mix. Now
approach and should never be applied to the engine does not get full power under a
a finish in good condition. Using incorrect load. What’s causing the problem?
products or wrong technique can destroy Ed Pysa, Ridgefield, Connecticut
a painted finish. This is the main reason
why manufacturers of urethane coatings, A: If you are certain that both the car-
such as Awlgrip, don’t endorse sanding buretor main jet and idle jet are clear,
and buffing of their coatings. use a piece of thin wire and push it right
3M Perfect-it is a four-step system: through the jet. I suggest you install a
Vetus

sand to remove any defects and then com- new spark plug, if you have not done so
pound to remove sanding scratches and already. If the problem continues, then
Vetus stainless-steel transom exhaust connec-
sander swirl marks, follow with a glaze most likely the exhaust ports are plugged
tion comes in sizes from 1-9/16" to 6" (39mm
to remove swirl marks from compounding with carbon and/or engine deposits. Refer
to 152mm).
and deliver a high gloss and then wax to to DIY 2008-#3 issue for details on how
protect the hull from UV damage. After to decarbonize your engine. You’ll need It may be feasible to repair the exist-
washing the hull with boat soap, sand the to purchase a can of Mercury Powertune ing glass pipes. As I don't have a clear
hull with 1,500-grit wet paper or 1,200- Engine Cleaner to do this job. description of the damage you refer to,
grit dry paper. Dry sanding is faster; wet — Steve Auger it is difficult to give any prescribed detail
sanding is messy and there’s the slurry to for a repair. Are there leaks? Are you
clean up. Repairing Fiberglass concerned by gelcoat cracks showing in
Wipe off the sanding residue and apply Thru-Exhausts and adjacent to the exhaust port on the
the Perfect-it rubbing compound with a Q: The exhaust thru-hull fittings on exterior of the transom? If it is just gelcoat
white foam or wool buff pad. (Foam is my ‘86 Cruisers are damaged possibly cracks that lead you to believe the ports
not as aggressive as wool.) Mount the from past overheating of twin 260 hp are damaged you may want to get a sec-
pad on a soft foam pack-up pad and run Mercruiser inboard engines. These fittings ond opinion. In many cases, the gelcoat
the polisher/sander at 1,800 rpm. Begin are below the waterline and are construct- cracks are due to normal thermal expan-
buffing by applying a medium pressure on ed of 3" (76mm) diameter molded-in fiber- sion and contraction and this may not

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628 3
 ASK THE EXPERTS

be a structural problem at all but rather tening a caulked metal thru-hull, a new the detailed information Eemax provides
a cosmetic issue. These cracks are very fiberglass pipe (usually Vernatube made makes plain what the various size heaters
common on molded exhaust ports on vari- by Centek, www.centekindustries.com/ will and will not do. Providing a nice hot
ous models including many Sea Rays from product_descriptions.html) is glassed shower from room temperature water at
the ‘80s. It is certainly possible to do the into the transom opening with new glass normal flow rates is not what the smaller
gelcoat repairs to fix the problem but the secondary bonds to the inside face of the models sold at West Marine (and sized for
cracks may eventually return. transom. The outside will also need to be typical shorepower service) are capable of
To replace the glass exhaust port(s) glassed, filled and faired and then, if any delivering.
with a metal thru-hull fitting, follow these gelcoat is exposed above the waterline, a — Nick Bailey
steps. First check the inside dimension color-matched gelcoat repair is required
(ID) of the exhaust port from the outside to finish off the cosmetics. Plugging Holes
of the transom and compare this to the 3" — Nick Bailey
(76mm) hose barb outside dimension of Q: I’m removing stainless steel bolts from
the various 3" (76mm) nominal exhaust Not a Hot Solution the fiberglass and plywood transom on my
fittings commercially available. The ID 22' (6.7m) Bayliner Explorer. What is the
port opening will be a bit undersized as Q: I see that West Marine sells an on- best way to plug the holes so that mois-
it corresponds to the inside diameter of demand hot water system for boats and ture will not seep into the plywood?
the glass tube, not the ID of the hose. As wondered if you could give me any details Ian Waymark, Gabriola, British Columbia
long as the difference is not more than on these? If this system works well, I
0.25" (6mm) this does not present a big could build a larger freshwater storage
problem. tank that would look after the needs of
Next, get your hands on an appropri- my “city-fied” wife who uses water as if
ate thru-hull to match the hose ID and we had a boat full of it.
then arrange haulout at your DIY yard Art Moseley, Shady Lady, Lake Simcoe, Ontario
for a weekend. To gain access to the
exhaust port glass pipe stub, remove A: Not really, not the way you (or the
the rubber exhaust hose attached to the Mrs.) might expect. The demand heater
exhaust port. If it was overheated, you carried by West Marine is the Eemax tank-
should replace the hose anyway. Shroud less water heater and the most powerful
the engine room against dust and/or set model West Marine sells draws 29 amps
up a dust removal ventilation or vacuum of 120-volts AC shorepower, which is
system. Put on a haz-mat suit (or hooded close to the absolute maximum you can
coveralls), gloves and a good respirator squeeze from a single 30-amp shorepower
type dust mask. Remove the fiberglass outlet.
pipe stub from the transom by cutting it Unfortunately, according to the siz-
off with a jigsaw so that it is nearly flush ing guide and performance formulae
with the inside facing transom panel. Use published on the Eemax website (www.

Nick Bailey
a grinder with a 36-grit disc to remove eemaxinc.com/images/sizingguide.pdf)
and clean up the stub of the tube and and, assuming a typical boat water pump
also flatten the adjacent inner face of maximum flow rate of 3 gallons per min- A long-term hole patch involves restoring and
the transom. Recheck the exhaust port ute (gpm), this 3.5 kW water heater is reconnecting the glass laminate over the hole.
opening ID versus the thru-hull hose barb only going to raise the water temperature This requires a little prep work and planning
outside dimension. about 8F (13C). To get lukewarm water as well as some basic skills for working with
Use a coarse-grit drum sander fitted at 90F (32C) from 70F (21C) tank water fiberglass.
to an electric drill to enlarge the hole as requires reducing the flow rate to a mere
necessary. Dry fit the exhaust port thru- 1.2 gpm. Obviously, this is not enough A: It may sound a little disingenuous but,
hull and drill the fastener holes where for a good shower but okay for filling a by far, the simplest way to seal the bolt
required. Install and caulk the thru-hull washbasin. To get a nice hot shower at holes is to put bolts back in as plugs. Be
with generous amounts of a polyurethane 110F (43C), at 3 gpm, from the same sure to bed them with lots of polyurethane
sealant (3M 5200 or equivalent). After 70F (21C) tank water requires a house- sealant (e.g. 3M 5200) and once the nuts
the sealant has fully cured, connect the hold size 240-volt demand heater drawing on the inside facing transom panel are
new (and possibly longer) exhaust hose a massive 17.6 kW. Eemax does make secure, they are not going anywhere. If
with new stainless steel, heavy-duty hose demand heaters big enough to handle this you prefer a more permanent fix, the best
clamps, doubling the clamps as required but you won’t be able to power them off a solution is to do a proper fiberglass patch
by the ABYC standard. Launch the boat normal shorepower service. This requires over the holes. This would be a small-
and check carefully for exhaust or water a 100-amp, 240-volt service or a 20 kW scale version of the repair outlined in the
leaks. gen-set. article titled, “Patching Plumbing Holes”
Replacing the existing glass exhaust Many of the customer reviews on the in DIY 2008-#3. Avoid the temptation to
ports follows the same procedure as West Marine website are quite disap- just fill the hole with sealant or a patch-
above but, instead of mechanically fas- pointed with these demand heaters but ing compound. Without glass fibers or a

4 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628
 ASK THE EXPERTS

solid mechanical fitting to reinforce the ture so connect the pressure tester to a to crimp battery cable?
filler goop, it will crack and leak sooner cold engine and run it up to temperature. Bob Griffiths, Parry Sound, Ontario
or later. The system should make and maintain
— Nick Bailey 15 psi. Now, shut down the engine and
see if the pressure remains at 15 psi for
Cooling System Failure at least 10 minutes. You can add a small
amount of cooling system sealer without
Q: My boat has twin MIE 228 305 any detrimental effects.
Mercruisers and the starboard engine — Steve Auger
seems to have a thirst for coolant, maybe
a gallon every 25 hours. I cannot find any Wiring Cables
leaks but there is a milky discharge in the Position the crimp tool in the middle of the lug
water from the exhaust on engine start up. Q: I intend to enhance the lightning barrel. Little or no wire should be visible out-
Will adding a coolant leak stop work in a protection on my sailboat by joining side the lug.
closed-cooling system? each of the forestay, backstay, shrouds,
Wade Jurke, Vanderhoof, British Columbia mast and engine to the keel bolts using A: Battery cable is best cut with the
tinned 4 AWG battery cable. The pul- Ancor lug crimper and the tool of choice
A: Coolant loss from a closed-loop cool- pit, stanchions, winches, etc., will be for stripping cable that cuts the cover
ing system is usually caused by (in order linked by 6 AWG battery cable bonded around the circumference of the cable
of most likely to least likely): an exhaust to the keel bolts. This task includes pre- and lessens the chance of nicking the
manifold to riser gasket failure; cracked paring a number of lengths of battery wire strands is Ancor’s 702065 (www.
tube in the heat exchanger; cylinder head cable with two tinned lugs per length. I marinco.com/product/battery-cable-strip-
gasket leak; intake manifold gasket leak. need to know the best way to cut bat- per). To prep the cable, cut approximately
Most of these failures are detectable tery cable? Also, I would appreciate your 16cm (5/8") of the vinyl cover off each
with a pressure test. If the leak is small suggestion on how to strip battery cable cable end using the cable stripper tool.
enough, however, you may not be able to insulation without nicking the tinned Peel off the cover and then check that the
make the system fail at room tempera- strands within and what is the best way exposed wire bottoms out in the lug with

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 ASK THE EXPERTS

little bare wire visible. Using the crimping meters fit both outboard and inboard
tool, select the correct size slot for your two- and four-cycle engines. Verify that
wire and align the lug so that it crimps at your tachometer is on the correct setting DIY Boat Owner™
The Marine Maintenance Magazine™
its midpoint. Strike the crimping tool with for an eight-cylinder, four-cycle engine. P.O. Box 22473
a hammer, using multiple blows if neces- The tachometer requires a minimum Alexandria, VA 22304
sary, until the tool is fully compressed. 12 volts DC to operate correctly. Using a
Be sure to hold the tool and lug in place multimeter set on the 20-volt DC setting, Publisher: Nancy Michelman
so that subsequent blows strike the lug check the voltage supply by connecting Executive Editor: Elaine Dickinson
in the same spot each time. the red meter lead on the “I” terminal of
Next, cut a length of shrink tubing long the tachometer (should be a purple wire) Editor: Jan Mundy
enough to extend from the barrel of the and the black meter lead on the tachom-
Advertising Sales Manager: John Bratten
lug to about 1" (25mm) over the vinyl eter “G” terminal (should be a black wire) 703/461-4389/ jbratten@BoatUS.com
cover. Shrink the tubing using a heat and then start the engine. Voltage supply
gun, butane torch or similar device. Be needs to be 12 to 15 volts DC. If this Technical Editor: Patricia Kearns
careful not to burn the wire cover. Use checks out, then you need to verify that
caution when using an open flame on a the tach signal lead is working. Set the Circulation: Susan Clark
boat, especially in compartments that multimeter to the ohms scale and check Designer & Illustrator: Joe VanVeenen
may contain explosive gases. Ventilate the continuity of the gray tach wire.
the work area well before starting the Disconnect this wire from the tach and Cover Photo by: Kim Discher
flame and always have a fire extinguish- the negative side of the coil and hook up
Contributors:
er at hand for instant use. Allow the lug each end to a meter lead of the multime- Bob Adriance, David and Zora Aiken, Steve
to cool completely before disturbing the ter. There should be 0 ohms resistance. If Auger, Nick Bailey, Nigel Calder, Jim Discher,
wire. Install the cable and then stand there is resistance, replace the tach signal Harry Hungate, Garrett Lambert, Jane
back and admire your work. wire. If there is no resistance, then switch Lothrop, Roger Marshall, John Payne.
— Jan Mundy your port and starboard tachs in the dash
Director of Advertising:
and see if the problem follows the tach. If Steve Kalman 888/658-BOAT (2628), ext. 2
Troubleshooting Tachs it does then the tach is faulty. E-mail: stevek@diy-boat.com
— Steve Auger
Q: The tachometers on my ‘88 Carver REQUEST A MEDIA KIT
www.diy-boat.com
Mariner with twin Mercruiser Bluewater Smoke Signals
5.7L inboards with Thunderbolt 4 ignition Subscription Inquiries:
intermittently read as much as 10 rpm Q: My boat’s 454 Crusader engine blows Call 888/658-BOAT (2628) weekdays 8am
higher than normal without any throttle white steam out the exhaust at wide-open to 5pm EST or log onto DIY ONLINE: www.
diy-boat.com
adjustment. Both tachs were tested and throttle, less at idle. My mechanic found
they checked out okay. water in the cylinders. The head gasket Subscription Rates:
Murray Abbott, Toronto, Ontario is okay and the block is not cracked. The 1 year (4 issues) $25
Canadian residents add $5
boat has been winterized professionally Foreign residents add $25
every year. What causes water in cylin- EZINE (web version) 1 year $15
ders? Payable in U.S. Funds only
Ottis Escoe Sr., Garden city, Michigan
DIY Boat Owner #2 Summer Issue 2009; DIY Boat
Owner, ISSN #1201-5598 is published quarterly by Boat
A: Sources of water in the cylinders Owners Association of the United States, 880 S. Pickett
include: a cracked cylinder head near or Street, Alexandria, VA 22304-4695. Periodical postage
at the valve seat, which can be found by paid at Alexandria, VA and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send change of address to DIY Boat
pressure testing; rain or seawater enter- Owner, PO Box 22473, Alexandria, VA 22304-2473
ing the flame arrestor, which is usually a DIY Boat Owner™ and The Marine Maintenance
hatch cover or vent issue; improper engine Magazine™ are registered trademarks.
or exhaust elbow height that allows less ©No part of DIY Boat Owner magazine may be
than 16" (406mm) difference between the reprinted or used without the express written consent
Steve Auger

of the publisher. All materials contained herein are

top of the exhaust elbow and the waterline copyrighted and all rights reserved.
outside the boat; cracked cylinder block, While all precautions have been taken to ensure
exhaust manifold, riser or elbow or even a accuracy and safety in the execution of articles, plans
Use a multimeter to verify that the tachometer and illustrations in this magazine, the publisher accepts
cracked intake manifold near the thermo-
has the required operating voltage. no responsibility for accidents, material losses or injuries
stat housing; or a blown head gasket. The resulting from the use of information supplied in these
correct way to test a cooling system is to articles, plans or illustrations.
A: A tachometer is a gauge that displays pressure test the system prior to disassem-
engine speed based on the number of bling the engine. If the engine is already Printed in USA
pulses from the negative side of the igni- disassembled, each component will have
tion. The pulses coincide with the firing to be checked separately.
of each spark plug. Most marine tacho- — Steve Auger Q

6 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628
 Tech Tips
Clean Connections: The best Super Bond: To repair small pinhole
solution for removing the telltale blu- leaks in Hypalon inflatables, fully inflate
ish-green corrosion off cable end termi- the boat, put a few drops of Crazy Glue on
nals of your boat’s bonding system is to a finger-tip-size Hypalon patch, smear the
apply a spray of common white vinegar, patch around in a circular motion, then
which softens the corrosion, and then press hard for 10 seconds. It works “in
wipe with a wire brush. a pinch.”
Jim Discher, BearBoat, Long Beach, California Derek Hewson, San Pedro, California

Slip fit: When your open-end wrench Whip Wrap:

Jan Mundy
is too big, insert a washer to adjust the When a fiberglass
jaw for a snug fit. VHF radio anten-
na splinters from
Cleat Secure: The proper way to UV damage, slip a
secure a line to cleat is to take a single Davis Instruments
round turn around the base of the cleat, snap-on 3/8" by 6'
Joe VanVeenen

then engage the horns in a Figure 8. To (9mm by 1.8m)

leave unattended, make the last turn a plastic shroud cable cover over the
half hitch for security. antenna for a $4 or less fix.

Sticky Comfort: A yoga mat cut in

Renewable Glue Brush: To half has a multitude of uses aboard. Use
make an always-ready-to-use glue it to protect decks from crab traps, gear, Although reader tips are accepted as submitted in good
faith, DIY has not tested or proven those tips. DIY offers
brush, poke a length of line through tools and dirty beach shoes. Lay it in the no guarantee or warranty as related to their fitness or
a hand-size piece of 1/2" (12mm) ID engine room to cushion the mechanic. If suitability for service or application as reported.
hose and splay the end. After using, you need to leave with the tide and you

TECH TIPS
cut off the used part and pull more rope haven't stowed everything, just take it
through the tube for the next job. below and stack all gear on the mat and

WANTED
it won't go anywhere. Of course, you can
take it on deck and practice Pranayama
Joe VanVeenen

at sunrise.
Julia Johnson, Sea Swan, Published tips receive a
Seattle, Washington
BoatU.S. Canvas Bag
Protect China: Separate your galley
dishes by putting a coffee filter between
Throwaway Rim Liner: To keep a each dish. You can buy packs of 1,000
paint can rim clean, press a pipe cleaner filters at the Dollar Store for almost
in the recess and, when the job’s com- nothing.
pleted, lift it out and replace the lid.
Brush Ointment: If cleaning a quality
Jewel in the Rough: For a long China bristle brush leaves the bristles feel-
lasting corrosion blocker, spray your ing “dried out” and not as supple as they
engine exterior with Boeshield T-9, a were originally, after a thorough cleaning,
heavy, waxy solution that’s messy to rub some face or skin cream that contains
apply, but don’t wipe it off. It leaves an lanolin into the bristles. Clean it in brush
ugly looking residue that should only be cleaner before reusing. The perfect accesssory for
removed when you decide to sell your holding your boating gear, water
boat, and at that time, you will have a Roller Proof: Many roller covers are bottles and other gear. This bag
nearly new looking engine. unidirectional. To verify this, hold the roll- also easily turns into a backpack for
er lightly and turn it, first in one direction hands-free carrying.
Scratch-less Barnacle Scraper: and then in the opposite direction, to see Just send us a description of your
To remove the “glue” rings left on the hull if the nap stands up when turned against boat-tested tip or technique, along with
after removing barnacles, use a piece of the “grain.” Be sure to mount the roller on a photo (if available), your name, boat
1" by 6" (25mm by 152mm) Plexiglas, of the handle so the paint is not applied in name and homeport to:
any thickness, and bevel cut the “work- the “wrong” direction.
ing” end to give it the necessary bite to
flick off the barnacle rings.
Mike Myers, Wendy Lynn,
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
DIY TECH TIPS
P.O. Box 22473, Alexandria, VA 22304
or E-mail to: tech@diy-boat.com

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 PRO SERIES

EXTREME
Deck Makeover
Next to repowering, professional deck refinishing is the single most expensive
refit project. The key to success is in the approach strategy to this
labor-intensive job. It’s all in swapping “elbow grease” for dollar savings.

Story and photos by Nick Bailey

What can you do to bring back the boat to four times the cost of a hull paint job.
show gleam when the best compounds For example, if it takes 100 man-hours to
and waxes have no effect? If budget allows, refinish a 40' (12.1m) hull, the bare mini-
there is nothing to equal a professionally mum labor expected for a relatively simple
applied linear polyurethane (LPU) paint deck job is around 200 hours.
such as Awlgrip, Interspray 900 or Imron. At that number, we’re not factoring in
If your budget has more time available repairs or a flying bridge and we are con-
than cash, many of the techniques below sidering only a deck design with a simple
are also applicable to DIY deck refinishing cockpit and a customer willing to “re-re”
using Interlux Protection or Brightside. the fittings. For a 40' (12.1m) motor yacht
Professional deck refinishing that with a flying bridge, areas of the deck
includes all the upper surfaces (deck, cabin molding needing repair and lots of deck
trunk, cockpit, flying bridge) is expensive. Major core repairs are a good reason to refinish hardware to be considered, the labor esti-
It is, next to repowering, the single most a deck. mate can approach the 400-hour mark.
expensive aspect of most major refit proj- Multiply those hours by the yard’s hourly
ects. suming to prep-sand; large surface areas labor rate and add 10% to 15% for mate-
Like spar refinishing [Ed: For step-by- that are folded up to make them appear rials (plus haulout, blocking, taxes, envi-
step details on spar refinishing refer to deceptively small (cockpits, flying bridges) ronmental surcharges, etc.) for an estimate
DIY 2009-#1 issue], the “devil is in the and, ultimately the smooth surface and total. Compare that dollar cost to the cost
details” and that cliché translates to large non-skid paint applications. in personal time of a die-hard do-it-your-
amounts of labor. There are lots of fittings All this plus the reality that most decks selfer putting in 20 hours every few week-
to remove and reinstall (“re-re”) or to mask need repairs at stress cracks and/or core ends. Do the math based on 40 hours a
and work around; complex shapes with replacement prior to painting means that month and you might be boating again in
many inside corners that are time con- it’s normal for a deck paint job to be two 10 months.

8 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 PRO SERIES

Some fittings are masked, others removed.

lead to recommending some invasive approach that will only lead to a future
testing to confirm or deny observations repair and refinishing headache.
formed in non-destructive testing. This
survey is a prerequisite to any deck Prep
paint job. As with any paint job, it’s the quality of
Hairline stress cracks or crazing that the prep work that predicts the success
may be inconspicuous on weathered gel- of the final finish and a clean, dry sur-
coat will print through the gleaming new face is essential. So before the paint goes
paint and be painfully obvious. Paint on, all working surfaces are scrubbed
Underlying fiberglass problems, including minor alone cannot fill cracks so repairs here with detergent, good brushes and/or
gelcoat cracks, require repair prior to painting. are mandatory. This usually involves 3M ScotchBrite pads, and followed by
“vee-ing out” the crack with a Dremel a thorough freshwater rinse. Next, adhe-
Repairs tool or, if there is a cluster of cracks or sive-backed vinyl graphics or stripes are
There is not much point going to all crazing over a wider area, using a mini- removed by applying heat with a hair
the trouble of a top-notch paint job if grinder to remove the cracked gelcoat dryer or heat gun and peeling them away
there are underlying problems with the until sound glass laminate substrate is manually or using a rotary rubber “eras-
laminate or core. Often the strip min- all you see. The removals are followed er” striping wheel. Digital photos taken
ing involved in large-scale core repairs by filling and fairing with epoxy or vinyl- before the removals come in handy later
requires a paint job to restore the ester fairing compound to restore the as reference memory for restoring the
appearance of the deck after all the contour. (Generally polyester fillers are name and registration markings.
glass work is done but to do the oppo- only used to fill the smallest defects due All fittings are now reviewed and des-
site, refinish the deck while ignoring to their high shrinkage during cure.) If ignated for removal, masking or disposal.
the underlying structural issues is really the crack continues into the laminate it This usually involves a walkthrough with
getting the cart before the horse. One requires a glass patch prior to filling and the boat owner to make the final decisions.
famous yard manager refers to this error fairing. No shortcuts here. The payback Instructions marked on the deck adjacent
as “chroming a turd.” I know of one DIY will be in deep regret. to each fitting simplify the process. Use
deck paint job where, after months of Not all the hardware removed is the digital camera again to capture a
hard work, the boat owner discovered destined to be reinstalled. Any deck record of all hardware placements for refer-
large areas of wet core under the new paint job is an opportunity to upgrade ence when it’s time to reinstall the fittings.
paint job. I believe he has since been or change fittings that serve broken or After removing and/or masking all fittings
talked down from the window ledge but, obsolete equipment. The holes that and prior to sanding, any openings to the
to avoid a similar nightmare, engage a remain from the previous installations interior of the boat, including the engine
qualified marine surveyor to perform a rarely fit any new substitutes so before spaces, are sealed with plastic sheet or
thorough inspection, with the usual and you fill them and forget them, repair heavy masking paper (not newspaper) to
accepted percussion sounding and tak- them properly. Again, no shortcuts here. prevent the inevitable dust created in this
ing moisture meter readings, which can Filling the holes with putty is a Band-aid process from entering the boat.

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 PRO SERIES

Most detail prep-sanding must still be done by Blue machinist's dye is useful as a sanding
hand. Tools like this Fein edge sander can help guide.
speed up the work.

Removal of original non-skid pattern using a

1,500 rpm polisher fitted with a foam pad and
40-grit disc. Only use a sanding tool this aggres-
sive to prep non-skid areas that will receive a
textured finish. Note haz-mat gear worn by the
technician — these are nasty materials!

with a slightly finer grit (120 to 180).

Old paint that is incompatible or poorly
adhered must be completely removed.
Non-skid surfaces involve differ-
ent prep options. If the skid-resistant
pattern is to be preserved, you must
decide whether to mask it off and leave
it untouched and original or to paint it.
Unfortunately, preserving and painting
non-skid requires compromises in the
paint process. Obviously, any prep sand-
It’s not necessary to paint non-skid in good condition; just mask well to protect from paint overspray. ing will, at a minimum, flatten or blur
the pattern. Reasonable paint adhesion
can usually be achieved if the prep is
The area to be prepped and painted for standard prep sanding of gelcoat. A limited to a thorough scratching with a
is delineated with 3M Fine Line #218 dual action (DA) sander with hook and ScotchBrite pad but this is only possible
masking tape, backed by conventional loop paper is the weapon of choice and with a very flat and open non-skid pat-
masking tape. The remainder of the boat sanding continues until every trace of tern. After primer and topcoat is added,
is shrouded or masked with a substan- the original gloss is gone. Careful hand the pattern is still recognizable but it
tial apron. Residues of bedding com- sanding or the use of a special detail could hardly be called aggressively skid-
pounds and sealant remaining from the sanding tool is required in places where resistant.
hardware removals are scraped off the the DA sander can’t reach or at corners The best option is to sand the old
deck and needed repairs can now com- and edges. non-skid completely off and reapply a
mence. A final cleaning and degreasing One optional technique that helps new non-skid either with an aggregate
with solvent (acetone, or a commercial ensure complete sanding coverage and impregnated or thickened stucco-like
dewaxer such as Interlux Fiberglass avoid repeating areas already done is to topcoat (discussed on page 14). Other
Solvent Wash 202, US Paint Awl-Prep) use a rag or brush to apply machinist’s reverse molding patterns can be fabri-
is recommended to remove any remain- indicator dye, diluted with acetone, on cated but that is for another discussion.
ing contaminants, including those from the surface prior to sanding. Once the prep sanding is complete,
marking pens used in the prep process. A previously painted surface that has the copious dust is blown off the boat
proven to be well adhered and com- with dry, oil-free compressed air and
Prep Sanding patible, as evidenced by the scratch the surface wiped clear of residuals with
The amount of abrasion required adhesion test [ED: Refer to page 14 in clean dry rags followed by a two-cloth
depends on the hardness of the surface DIY 2009-#2 issue], is prep sanded solvent wipe. The surface is now ready
but 100 to 150-grit paper is typical in much the same way as gelcoat but for priming.

10 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628
 PRO SERIES

Primer application.

Priming
Why prime? The epoxy primers featured
in every high-quality LPU paint system
provide a hard coating that seals off the
porous substrate. This provides the best After priming comes slicking with epoxy
adhesion for the topcoat and is essential sanding surfacer, a high-build primer with a
to a consistent gloss finish. Also, until the consistency somewhere between ketchup and
primer is applied, it’s impossible to deter- mayonnaise.
mine what additional work is left to repair
pinholes, scratch marks (usually from content, which, in turn, governs the film
overzealous hand sanding) and such prior thickness of a single coat: low, medium,
to topcoat application. high and ultra. There are even thicker The primer reveals all surface defects includ-
Primers come in different “build” clas- variations but those are classified as ing pinholes (top) and prep-sanding scratches,
sifications depending on their solids sprayable fairing compounds. The dif- which are filled with sanding surfacer (bottom).

Photo: Hugh Horton

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DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628 11
 PRO SERIES

(top) Applying the surfacer with a putty knife Proper spray booth ventilation that removes
allows it to be squeezed into a every tiny paint overspray mist helps ensure a good gloss,
defect. (bottom) It is not unusual to require a what the pros call “definition of image.”
lot of sanding surfacer.

Masking for non-skid application on two clas-

sics: (top) Hatteras 53, (bottom) Boston Whaler
Outrage 21.

Deck topcoat application often requires a team effort, even on a small boat like this Boston Whaler
Outrage 21.

ferent applications for all these different rags to remove the last traces of dust.
primers is beyond the scope of this article Any source of dust, such as on adjacent
but the most common primer usage for masked surfaces or on the paint booth
over-coating gelcoat is to spray apply two interior are also blown clear of dust and
or three coats of a low-build primer fol- cleaned.
lowed the next day by trowel or squeegee
application of a medium-build primer/ Topcoating
sanding surfacer as required to fill any The first phase of topcoat application in Creating a curved corner for future non-skid with
pinholes or scratch marks revealed by the the smooth glossy areas (or semi-gloss 3M Fine Line masking tape.
low-build primer. as many prefer on decks) follows imme-
Once the primers have cured (usu- diately once the dust cleanup is finished.
ally overnight) the entire primed surface The two-part paint and catalyst is mixed a fast reducer for cooler temperatures.
is carefully sanded with a medium fine in the correct proportions and thinned The correct viscosity is verified by tim-
paper (220 to 400 grit), compressed air with the appropriate reducer for the ing how long the mix takes to flow out
blown to remove dust; solvent wiped and ambient temperature. A slow evaporat- the drain hole in a calibration cup (a.k.a.
then wiped again with specialized tack ing reducer is chosen in hot weather and Zhan cup).

12 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 PRO SERIES

operation. This massive floor-to-ceiling

ventilation system constantly clears out
the clouds of overspray mist and traps
it in the booth exit filters, preventing the
overspray from contaminating the envi-
ronment or settling back down onto the
curing high-gloss paint. This overspray
redeposition can be a big problem and,
if allowed to occur, it will inevitably and
severely mar the gloss finish.
Professionals that are forced to spray
paint in poorly ventilated sheds are driv-
en crazy by this problem and will work
around it by using the faster drying but
softer acrylic urethanes. These can be
buffed to improve the gloss. Some con-
tractors resort to even more desperate
measures to achieve an acceptable gloss
such as wet sanding the cured topcoat
with 1,000 grit and applying a final clear
coat. That is a lot of extra labor. A proper
Rolling on a polyurethane stucco non-skid. spray booth is one very important and
expensive piece of shop infrastructure that
At this point, the painters finish suit- paints contain isocyanates). The booth air is rarely available to the DIY painter.
ing up in their haz-mat suits, rubber make-up machinery is started to provide Applying topcoat to the upper works of
gloves taped at the cuff and NIOSH/ a steady cross-flow of filtered air at a con- a larger yacht may end up being done in
MSHA approved respirators (most LPU stant temperature throughout the spray two or three stages due to the sheer size

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DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628 13
 PRO SERIES

(above) Before: Most of the hardware on this

Rhodes Reliant will be removed. (left) After:
Teak refinished and all hardware reinstalled.

of the job. Additional colors for stripes or There are several ways to do non-
accents also require a separate “shoot.” skid but painted non-skid is usually
Deck painting is further complicated either sprayed on as a mix of regular
(and the labor cost increased) by the need LPU topcoat combined with flattening
for at least a two-man team during spray paste and a specialized aggregate (e.g.
painting. The assistant’s job is to handle Awlgrip Griptex) or rolled on as a pre-
the spray-gun air hoses and keep them mixed ready-made paint (e.g. Interlux
from dragging across the freshly painted Interdeck). It also can be applied by roll-
Tada! Roll-out to launch.
surfaces. er as a mayonnaise consistency stucco
The first coat is applied and allowed to created on the shop floor very similar to
“flash-off” (evaporate reducers) for about gelcoat stucco. I have never found this ly. Regardless, some edge trimming and
30 minutes. Two more coats are usually paint stucco method in any of the paint tidying of the non-skid is usually required.
required. The volatile organic compounds manufacturer’s guidelines but at our
(VOCs) in the reducer and paint are unfor- shop we make it with Awlgrip topcoat Reassembly
tunately lost into the air, an unavoidable and Awlcat #3 brushing catalyst com- This phase seems to go on forever and
environmental consequence of almost any bined with flattener and colloidal silica. is where many jobs go over budget. With
paint job. VOC emissions are becoming (The details shall remain a trade secret). any luck the customer has volunteered to
more tightly controlled in many jurisdic- This stucco non-skid is easy to apply, has do it. It is also where the installer gets
tions prompting the paint manufacturers good grip and can be tailored to be more the opportunity to put big scratches in the
to work towards lower VOC content in or less aggressive. It also ages well as it new paint job as a screwdriver or half-
all paints. Someday we may even see a does not get spotty and lose grip over the installed fitting slips and there’s an audi-
water-based, high-gloss topcoat with com- years as the tiny aggregate bits wear off. ble expletive heard. Masking off the new
parable durability but so far there aren’t Regardless of application technique, the paint with heavy paper or one of the new
any. flattener additive is a key ingredient in all proprietary spray-on protective coatings
So far we have painted around the non- painted non-skid. If omitted, the non-skid can minimize shop damage and wear.
skid areas allowing a slight overlap. Once is glossy and gets very slick when wet. It may be several weeks, depending on
the fresh paint has cured enough to be Not good. the temperature, before the new coatings
masked and handled (usually the next Non-skid application usually requires achieve their full mechanical properties,
day) it is covered where needed by pro- two coats for good coverage. It builds to i.e. hardness.
tective paper and the masking and lay-out a fairly thick coating so as soon as pos- At last, it is time to let the graphics guy
of the non-skid areas begin. sible after it’s rolled or sprayed it is wise to onboard to do the vinyl and here comes
The perimeter is masked with 3M Fine carefully remove the perimeter masking. the Travelift. Q
Line and all the corner radii carefully con- We try not to drag the tape over the fresh
About the author: Nick Bailey is a frequent DIY
structed. Any topcoat overspray onto the surface. If this step is left till the non-skid contributor and past Pro Series topics include
non-skid areas is heavy scuffed with a has cured, it will be difficult to remove core repairs, filling and fairing, hull refinishing,
brown ScotchBrite pad, wiped and tack the tape from under the cured paint; or non-skid repairs and patching holes. For a com-
ragged. worse, the paint edge will tear off uneven- plete article index, go to www.diy-boat.com.

14 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628
 DIESEL Check for dirt in primary and the secondary engine-mounted fuel filters.

Giving Your Diesel its

ANNUAL PHYSICAL
The words of wisdom that follow are proof positive that taking take care of the simple stuff on a
diesel engine is the smart investment strategy to big dividends in long, reliable service.

Story and photos by Nigel Calder

From time to time I am asked if there ed, then there is a good probability that
is a simple way to gauge the health of the maintenance has not been done on
an older diesel engine. To some extent, schedule.
there is. The following are some of the Records may be supplemented by
checks I like to make. verbal reports, which can be reveal-
I begin with a visual inspection of the ing. I might be told that the filters were
exterior of the engine and its ancillary changed more regularly than called for
components (exhaust system, controls, because they have been fouling. While I
etc.). Engines that see little use (nota- am supposed to be impressed with the
bly those in sailboats) tend to decay operator’s diligence, I will, in fact, be
from the outside, rather than fail from wondering if the boat has a fuel con-
the inside. I’m also looking to see if the tamination problem.
owner has taken pride in the engine’s
appearance, because, as often as not, a Fuel System
clean engine has been well maintained. The fuel system is the single most expen-
Cleanliness is not easily faked since it sive set of components on a diesel engine.
takes a good deal more than a super- Given that contaminated fuel is one of the
ficial wash down with a degreaser to principle causes of marine diesel break- Take a fuel sample from the tank using a hand
remove the ingrained pockets of dirt and downs, I want to know that the fuel sys- pump to confirm fuel quality.
corrosion that accumulate on a habitu- tem has been kept scrupulously clean.
ally dirty engine. Clean fuel requires both a primary and from the lowest point in the fuel tank.
Cleanliness coupled to meticulous a secondary filter. I may open the filters to Unfortunately, on most tanks to gain
maintenance records is even better. see if they are dirty. The engine-mounted access you need to take off an inspec-
These records should note, at the least, (secondary) filter needs close attention. If tion plate. I insert a tube and use a
all oil and filter changes, all fuel filter it is even moderately soiled, the engine small hand pump discharging into a
changes and any other work, together has a potentially serious problem. jam jar. I allow the sample to settle
with the engine hours at which the work A really useful check of the gen- for a few minutes, at which point any
was done. Note that, if an engine has no eral state of the fuel system can be significant contamination (water, sedi-
hour meter or the hours are not record- made by examining a sample of fuel ment, bacteria) is immediately appar-

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628 15
 DIESEL

Regular oil analysis will forewarn of problems. In this finger test, one shows clean fuel (left), the
other dirty fuel (right).

ent. If the tank is contaminated, espe- cedures and/or an engine showing its
cially with dirt or bacteria, the entire age. Diesel engines, which are consis-
fuel system is suspect. tently under loaded and/or not run long
A dirty tank needs cleaning, regard- enough to warm up, are particularly
less of how much trouble this may be prone to problems. These operating
(and it can be quite a bit of trouble). If it conditions lead to fouling of the valves
is not cleaned, the next time the boat is and piston rings, glazing of the cylinder
in rough water, the sediment or bacteria walls, loss of compression and numer-
gets stirred up and sucked into the fuel ous other problems.
system where, at best, it plugs the filters Next, I locate the water lift muffler,
and may shut down the motor, and at into which the exhaust from the engine
worst it can lead to ruptured filters and discharges, and remove the inlet and
a wrecked engine. exhaust hoses from it. I look inside the
hoses and inside the muffler. There (top) Remove the water pump cover and (bot-
tom) check the raw-water pump impeller for
Oil Analysis may well be a light greasy film of car-
damage.
An excellent way to gauge the state of bon and that’s okay. If there is any kind
an engine is through regular oil analy- of a crust, you can bet the valves and
sis, but it’s a rare owner who does this pistons are also fouled. The engine
(I am guilty on this count, myself). If needs an expensive overhaul and a
done, oil samples should always be review of the manner in which it has
sent to the same lab. The analysis been operated.
tracks microscopic quantities of numer-
ous metals and other substances. What Water and Oil Don’t Mix
the analyst is looking for are sudden Occasionally, when you take oil sam-
changes, which can then be correlated ples, or wipe your finger around the
with specific developing failures. A one- inside of the valve cover or the oil filler
time sample does not provide the same tube, you find oil with a creamy color Emulsified (water contaminated) oil in the valve
history, although it picks up major and texture. This is symptomatic of cover.
problems and establishes a base line water in the oil. This water can come
reference for future sampling. from the raw-water cooling system, via
In the absence of oil analysis, I like the exhaust, or from the freshwater (as many are) and the vanes on the
to take a couple of drops of oil from system. The former is more typical and rubber impeller pump fail (not uncom-
the dip stick and smear them around relatively easy to fix, which is just as mon), when the engine is at rest, water
my fingers. Since soot is a normal well because the latter generally indi- can siphon into the cooling system,
byproduct of diesel engine operation, cates an expensive repair. One way to flow through the heat exchanger and
unless the oil has just been changed, determine where the water has come fill the exhaust to the point at which
it will be black, but with an element from is to get an oil analysis; water it backs up into the engine. The water
of translucency. However, if oil change from the freshwater cooling system has then flows past any exhaust valve that
procedures have been neglected or the glycol (anti-freeze) in it, which shows is open (at least one will be), filling that
engine is suffering from ”blow by” (see up in the analysis. cylinder and, from there, it dribbles
discussion on page 19), the oil is likely The raw-water cooling system has down the sides of the piston into the
to be intensely black and completely a rubber impeller pump that draws sump (and the oil).
opaque. water in via a through hull, circulates There are two lines of defense
I remove the oil filler cap and wipe it through a heat exchanger, and dis- against this siphoning: a regular
my finger around the underside of the charges it into the exhaust. The exhaust check of the impeller in the raw-water
valve cover. A black sludge in here is gases carry this water overboard. If the pump and a siphon break somewhere
also indicative of poor oil change pro- engine is installed below the waterline between the raw-water inlet and the

16 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628
 DIESEL

exhaust. The latter is at the top of a heat exchanger require a professional If the heat exchanger has removable
loop of hose that goes above the water- fix. end caps (some do; some don’t), you can
line. Unfortunately, it is not something take these off to inspect the tube stack,
that comes with the engine and may Inspecting Heat although, as often as not, scale and other
get omitted by the boatbuilder doing Exchangers deposits mask any corrosion, making it
the engine installation. If the water The heat exchanger has raw water on difficult to ascertain how much, if any,
pump impeller fails, there is then no one side of it and freshwater, which cir- damage has been done. A more telling
protection against siphoning. On any culates through the engine, on the other. indication of corrosion may be found by
boat with a below the waterline engine, The freshwater contains antifreeze, removing the raw-water hoses from the
you should check for this siphon break. which is also a corrosion inhibitor, so heat exchanger. For some reason, when
Cleaning its valve is a regular mainte- this side rarely causes problems. The zincs are neglected, the pipe stubs are
nance item. raw-water side is another matter. Here often one of the first things to go. If these
Another way water can make it into we have warm saltwater and dissimilar are pitted, the entire heat exchanger may
an engine is from waves driving up the metals, an excellent brew for promoting be in trouble.
back of the boat when the engine is at galvanic corrosion.
rest, filling the exhaust system. This is Older heat exchangers, made of gal- Exhaust Elbow Troubles
prevented by looping the exhaust hose vanically incompatible materials, require Another component that is particularly
above the maximum waterline level sacrificial zinc anodes to protect them. susceptible to corrosion is the exhaust
(based on a fully loaded boat, heeled The effectiveness of a zinc is directly elbow where raw water is injected. Here,
over and running in rough seas). proportional to its surface area, which we have very high temperatures, saltwa-
On the freshwater side of the cool- means a zinc needs to be replaced when ter, and frequently dissimilar metals, an
ing system, there are several poten- it is half consumed and not when it is especially potent brew for spoiling your
tial sources for water in the oil. These completely gone. On any heat exchanger fun. Some of these elbows (generally one-
include a corroded heat exchanger, a that has a zinc, I pull it out to take a piece cast iron kind), last for years while
blown head gasket, a cracked cylin- look. If it is gone, as it often is, there others (fabricated from various pieces
der head and a corroded cylinder liner. has to be a question mark over the welded together) fail in just a few years.
Unfortunately, once failed, all but the integrity of the heat exchanger. You should regularly remove the hoses and

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DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628 17
 DIESEL

because a diesel engine has no ignition

system. It compresses a given volume of
air until the temperature of the air rises
beyond the ignition point of diesel. The
fuel is then sprayed in and spontane-
ously ignites.
As an engine ages, the normal wear
of cylinder walls and piston rings slowly
reduces the seal between these two
components, causing a loss of compres-
sion. Loss of compression causes a loss
of compression temperatures. Eventually
the temperature of the compressed air
is insufficient to ignite the injected die-
sel, particularly in cold weather when
the air charge itself contains less heat.
Over thousands of hours of run time, the
engine develops a starting problem.
This is one mechanism of aging.
Another is repeated operation for short
periods of time and at low loads and
temperatures. The many cold starts
accelerate cylinder and ring wear, while
the low loads and temperatures cause
excess carbon and condensates to form
in the combustion chamber. These, in
turn, foul the valves and gum the pis-
ton rings into their grooves, resulting
in “blow by” past the rings and valves.
Once again, the engine loses compres-
sion and develops a starting problem
Check the heat exchanger and any zincs. If not but, this time, sometimes after just a
maintained, there may be expensive corrosion few hundred hours of engine operation.
repairs. It follows that the number of hours of
use on an engine is not a good indica-
take a close look inside the elbow. Note tor of its internal health. What is of far
that if it’s crusted with carbon, you have greater significance is whether or not it
other problems. still retains effective compression levels
While inspecting the heat exchanger and this we can roughly gauge from its
and exhaust elbow, give the various willingness to fire when first cranked.
hoses a squeeze, feeling for soft, bulg-
ing or cracked spots. Also, back off one The Cold Start Test
or two hose clamps a turn or two to see Once the internal surfaces of a diesel
if corrosion of the band has developed engine are warm, the compression levels
inside the clamp housing. Unfortunately, necessary for ignition purposes decline
many “all stainless steel” hose clamps (heat retained by the engine substitutes
have screws made of an inferior grade for some of the heat of compression).
of stainless steel that corrodes in a salt To gauge compression levels without a
atmosphere. Replace these with all 316 compression tester, the engine must be
stainless-steel hose clamps and make cranked when cold. Unless there is some
sure the screw is the same alloy; “316” good reason for an engine to have been
is the key indicator of a good quality run before an inspection (such as the need
hose clamp. to bring a boat to the dock for boarding). I
am immediately suspicious if confronted
Compression Ignition with an already warm engine.
You will notice that so far I haven’t even Given a cold engine, even if an engine
turned the engine over. It’s time to crank has pre-heat devices, it is worth trying
it and see what kind of a story it has to start it without these devices. If it
to tell. The simple act of cranking can fires right up, the compression is excel-
(top) Proper installation of a vented loop. (bot- provide important information about lent. If it does not fire, the cold start
tom) Vented loop not installed on engine. the internal health of the engine. This is devices can be activated, after which

18 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628
 DIESEL

Run the engine until warm, check the smoke again and then load it up and check the crankcase
breather for blow by.

warm and seat fully but, if it continues, Once the engine is hot, the oil pressure
there is probably a compression problem. should again be noted both at higher rpm
Black smoke comes from unburned fuel. and at idle. At the higher speed it should
At high engine loadings, it may be the be similar to the original pressure. At idle
result of an obstruction in the air inlet it may fall off some but, if it drops precip-
Most hose clamps are all stainless steel but the
screws are often inferior grades. Hose clamps
(particularly the filter) or the exhaust but, itously (say down to 15 to 20 psi/1-1.5
with rusted screws can fail and should be at low loads, it is more likely caused by kg/cm2), there is probably a fair amount
replaced with all 316 stainless-steel ones. fuel injection problems requiring servicing of generalized engine wear.
of the injection pump or injectors, which
is another expensive proposition. Did it Pass?
the motor should crank right away. If I accelerate and decelerate the motor, That’s about as far as I like to go with
it does not, it probably has a compres- loaded and unloaded, watching for a quick inspection. More extensive test-
sion problem. If the motor emits little changes in the exhaust smoke, listening ing gets both intrusive and expensive.
puffs of white smoke smelling of diesel for unusual noises and feeling for vibra- In most circumstances, in just an hour
(put your hand over the exhaust outlet tion. I like to open the crankcase breather or so, the above tests give a pretty
for a moment, and then sniff your hand) (typically a vent cap on the valve cover fair impression of the engine’s overall
it almost certainly has a compression or a hose that runs to the air inlet mani- mechanical health.
problem. If it fires up, but runs errati- fold) and then tie off the boat, put the All that remains is to check the core
cally until warm, it probably has a com- transmission in forward, and fully load DC systems: batteries, starting and alter-
pression problem on just one or two the engine. (Make sure the cleats on nator circuits and voltage regulator but
cylinders. the dock are strong enough to take the that’s a subject for another article. Q
If the compression is in doubt, it may load.) Normal engine operation produces
be worthwhile to have a mechanic do a a slight gas discharge from the breather About the author: Nigel Calder is best known
proper compression test but this will be but, if there is a significant air flow, prob- for his best-selling Boatowner's Mechanical and
moderately expensive. ably accompanied by smoky fumes, one Electrical Manual and Marine Diesel Engines,
available from International Marine Publishing.
or more pistons is blowing by.
Running Tests
Let’s assume the engine fired up on the
first attempt so the compression looks
good. I immediately check the overboard
raw-water discharge and the exhaust
smoke and then note the oil pressure.
Since the oil is initially cold and thick,
this pressure should reflect the pressure
setting on the oil pressure relief valve,
which, in turn, should correspond with
the normal oil pressure given in the oper-
ator’s manual.
Whitish smoke during warm-up is
probably nothing more than water vapor,
but also may be unburned diesel, signal-
ing a compression problem and, with
a water-cooled exhaust, it’s hard to tell
the difference. Blue smoke comes from
engine oil that has found its way into the
combustion chamber. This is a little nor-
Sacha

mal on startup until the pistons and rings

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628 19
 ELECTRONICS

BETTER,
BRIGHTER
BULBS
Replacing incandescent bulbs with LED ones in
navigation light fixtures delivers a sizeable power
savings but not all bulbs are created equal in Figure 1
terms of longevity or brightness.
Bulb base for AquaSignal 40 series showing
Story and photos by Harry Hungate double contacts and offset pins.

The tricolor masthead navigation light is be used with a colored lens; white LEDS
found on most sailboats and is only legal should not be used with colored lenses.)
for use when under sail power alone. That If you have the tricolor and anchor
is also the time when electrical power is light combination, consider replacing the
most precious. A standard 25-watt, incan- anchor lamp also for even greater savings
descent lamp draws up to two amperes, in power consumption. Or, if you have a
not an inconsiderable load, especially separate anchor light, consider replacing
when in use from dusk to dawn. its bulb with the LED equivalent.
Light emitting diodes (LED) are con- Whatever brand you purchase, be
tinuously being improved and prices con- aware that some of them emit radio fre-
stantly decreasing. Most navigation light quency interference (RFI), which can
manufacturers offer LED models and these interfere with your VHF radio. Be sure Figure 2
command a considerable premium com- that you can return the offending LED Installing the LED replacement lamps.
pared to conventional incandescent light device for a refund if this proves to be a
technology. There are a growing number of problem. I bought an Orca Green Marine
suppliers of LED replacements for incan- tricolor last summer and discovered the
descent lamps. As prices of these LED RFI problem after it arrived. I attempted to
fixtures decrease, it is becoming increas- eliminate the RFI with toroidal ferrites on
ingly attractive to upgrade to them. Also, the power lead but without success. The
their service lives are measured in tens of manufacturer was kind enough to refund
thousands of hours, making replacement my money, however, and stated that it was
a very long-term prospect. working on a solution to the problem.
Assuming that your existing tricolor fix-
ture is still serviceable and not embrittled Restoring Tricolors
from ultra-violet exposure, it’s worth look- Installing the LED replacement is as
ing for the latest deals on LED replace- simple as changing the old incandescent Figure 3
ment lamps. Shop around for the best light bulb. Take the time to carefully clean
Fractured AquaSignal 40 Series tricolor lens,
specifications and prices, as these are the lamp sockets and also to place a dab
circa 1985.
constantly changing for the better. Look for of silicone grease on the contacts at the
LED replacements that meet U.S. Coast bulb base to ward off corrosion. Should
Guard visibility requirements. Be careful the LED replacement be a bit taller than polarity sensitive, most LED replacement
to order the exact replacement for your tri- the old incandescent bulb, just remove the fixtures have internal circuitry to correct
color, as not all are the same. Many, like two screws holding the upper bulb socket reverse polarity (Figure 2). Carefully con-
the AquaSignal 40 series, use the double in place. Lift the socket just enough to pro- firm this in the instructions accompanying
contact offset pin bulb base, known as vide clearance for the LED unit. Stow the the LED fixture.
BAY 15d (Figure 1). (Note, red and green old incandescent lamp for use as a spare, If the years of exposure to the sun’s rays
LED nav lights are colored, but must also if needed. While all individual LEDs are have clouded the lens of your tricolor light,

20 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628
 ELECTRONICS

electricity) so the added cost of the LED

fixtures cannot be justified on the basis of
reduced electricity demand. Also, being at
deck level, they are very easily changed,
so the long service lives of the LED fix-
tures add very little to the economic jus-
tification.

Quality Counts
This article originally ended here, but a
Figure 4 Figure 5
short time later, both LED fixtures shown
Actual measured current consumption at 12.6 Dr. LED fixtures installed in tricolor assembly. in Figure 4 failed, one completely and
volts DC supply is 240 milliamps for the LED lamp The anchor light has a similar warm incandes- one with five of the several LEDs failed.
on the left, 270 milliamps for the LED lamp on the cent glow, not the harsh bluish white of most I replaced them with bulbs from Dr. LED
right, and 1,955 milliamps (1.95 amps) for the LEDs and the tricolor is quite bright. (Figure 5). The actual measured current
25-watt incandescent bulb in the center.
consumption at 12.53 volts DC supply is
139 milliamps for the tricolor LED lamp
or worse yet, embrittled it to the point of (Figure 4). A 10-watt incandescent lamp (on the top), and 93 milliamps for the
fracture, a replacement lens can add sev- for anchor light use actually measured anchor LED lamp (on the bottom) that is
eral more years of life to the old fixture 1,200 milliamps or 15.1 watts of power. almost exactly as advertised. These are
(Figure 3). Try a Google search for “lens I considered replacing the incandes- the best that I have seen so far. Q
for AquaSignal tricolor” or whatever brand cent lamps in the bow and stern naviga-
About the author: Harry Hungate and his
that you have. There’s always hope! tion lights with LED fixtures and I may do wife Jane live aboard Cormorant their Corbin
On average, the values for the tricolor so when I run out of spare incandescent 39. After cruising the west coasts of Malaysia
LED lamps approximate 13% of the cur- lamps. These navigation lights are only and Thailand they crossed the Indian Ocean
rent consumption of the incandescent 25- used when under power (the engine run- and transited the Red Sea passage to the
watt bulb installed originally in these lights ning and the alternatorDIYsupplying ample Summer
Boat Owner Mediterranean this past winter.
09:Cruising World 4/10/09 4:22 PM

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DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628 21
 ENGINES

where you can arrange proper repairs.

(Works great for beach ball repairs, too.)
For repairing hoses, electrical cables
or anything that needs to be wrapped,
nothing beats a roll of self-amalgamating

Emergency
Rescue Tape.

Lubricants
Check your service or owner’s manual for
all oil and lube specifications and keep a

PREPAREDNESS
supply of each product onboard. Always
check your engine oil level prior to the
first start up each day and add fluids as
required. Oil costs way less than engine
parts. If any oil level continues to drop,
inspect the engine and surrounding area
for leaks or splatter marks. Oil can also be
While having an engine spares kit onboard won’t prevent a lost through failed oil coolers and worn or
breakdown while underway, it does give you the tools to deal

Steve Auger
damaged engine parts. Many Mercruiser
with minor failures on the spot. power trim systems can be topped up with
motor oil in a pinch. Check the manual
first to make sure you don’t make a bad
By Steve Auger
situation worse.
What if your engine should have a part occur with regular use. Obviously, you Check the transmission fluid every day
failure that renders it non-operational just need to customize your own spares kit to and top up as needed. If your engine
before a long-planned summer cruise or, meet the regional conditions and personal specifies using Dexron III, this can also
even worse, while you are on vacation? boating requirements. be used in emergencies to top up some
Maybe a vee belt snaps, leaving you Regardless of the boat size, the first power steering, power trim tab and power
stranded miles from shore. Are you pre- component in every spares kit is a qual- trim systems.
pared for such an event? ity service manual for your boat’s engine. There are many types of sterndrive gear
You would never embark on a trip in Keep this onboard. It does you no good at lube so again, you’ll need to consult your
your car without a spare tire so why would home in the basement or shop if you have owner’s manual. Most modern sterndrives
your boat be any different? When some- an emergency on the water. This manual have an oil reservoir to supply oil to the
thing goes awry with your car, you can guides you through troubleshooting and a sterndrive. Check this every day. Outboard
usually just pull over and call for a tow basic repair without inflicting damage on owners should carry gearcase lubricant in
truck. There are no shoulders in the road you, your guests or the engine. their spares kit as well.
at sea. Cell phones and VHF radios will If your boat is equipped with hydraulic
cut down your wait time to be rescued Sample Kits steering, add the specified hydraulic steer-
but, with a spares kit, you may be able to Smaller boats on an inland lake might ing oil to your kit.
effect repairs that are good enough to get only need a small kit with spare spark Carry a supply of gasoline engine fuel
you home or to the next convenient port of plugs, a wrench or two and a manual pull stabilizer and use it with every tank fill
call for professional assistance. start rope in a toolbox. Bigger vessels that up. Modern fuel is designed for cars (not
With a few basic tools, a service manual operate in semi-protected or open water, boats) and the fuel needs treating with
and the spare part, you could be up and with more exotic engines will likely want stabilizer to try to maintain the best fuel
running again in minutes. You’ll be the hero to expand their kits to include more dif- quality and protect fuel system parts.
who saved the day. No spare, no tools or ficult-to-find parts or those that are easily Double up on the stabilizer amount if the
manual and you’ll wait to be towed and changed, such as fuel or oil filters, water- boat sits more than it runs.
that can be very expensive in addition to pump impeller kits and serpentine belts. Water separating fuel filters are the big
spoiling your cruising plans. Owners of offshore performance boats stoppage, especially on big gas engines.
A spares kit is a collection of parts and/ have been known to stow complete spare Carrying a spare filter can make the differ-
or “supplies” that can remedy inciden- sterndrive units onboard in order to keep ence between getting back to port on your
tal breakdowns and get you underway their down time to a minimum. own engine and needing a tow. Exotic or
again as soon as possible. Although this Some of the “cool” gadgets include non-domestic engines with hard-to-find
article is aimed more towards mid-size to plastic cable wraps (wire ties) and that filters dictate that you carry both oil and
large powerboats with gasoline engines, good old reliable duct (not “duck”) tape. fuel filters in your kit. Keep some 1 gallon
it applies to owners of all craft, large or My new favorite is shrinkwrap tape. This Ziploc bags for filter disposal.
small, who want to keep their boat’s down is strong stuff that sticks to anything and
time to a minimum. The parts and sup- temporarily patches above waterline holes Cooling Parts
plies listed in this article are just sugges- in the hull, deck, upholstery and canvas It’s very possible that sooner or later
tions based on typical engine issues that top tears long enough to get you home you’ll pull an obstruction, which damag-

22 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628
 ENGINES

es the seawater pump impeller, into the You may also want to purchase a spare grade wire and a set of terminal pliers
engine’s seawater intake. A spare water thrust washer, cotter pins and retaining often come in handy. Other useful items
pump impeller or water pump repair kit nut kits from your dealer. These don’t include bulbs, fuses, heatshrink tubing or
allows you to make repairs to the cooling float and are usually fairly slippery, which electrical tape and an inexpensive multi-
system seawater pump without having to is why it’s good to have spares. meter to check voltage, amperage and
wait for parts. Many modern sterndrives and out- continuity.
If your engine has a belt-driven seawa- boards have replacement hubs that are
ter pump, carry a spare drive belt, as this serviceable by the owner. If your engine Odds and Ends
can be damaged if the pump locks up is equipped with this feature, you should There are lots of other parts to be
because the impeller is damaged. carry a spare prop hub and for older and included in your spares kit. Consider
A thermostat and gasket kit is a wise non domestic small horsepower outboards adding: hose clamps; two-part epoxy,
choice for larger or exotic engines, as well a supply of shear pins as well. both the liquid for gluing most materi-
as a thermostat housing, for this is where als back together and the solid stuff to
the broken pieces of the water pump Engine Electrical temporarily repair small hull punctures;
impeller often migrate. You may also need Distributor caps and rotors, breaker points, industrial needle and thread for canvas
to carry coolant if you replace a thermo- spark plug wires, ignition coils and spark repairs; small tool kit available from the
stat on a freshwater-cooled boat. plugs all qualify for places in the spares kit. big discount and club stores for very low
A set of battery booster cables or a self- prices; windshield wiper blades; spare
Driveline Spares contained 400-amp mobile power pack nuts and bolts; stainless-steel fasteners;
A spare propeller is the most obvious comes in handy when you run down the rivet and rivet gun. Consider this as your
choice in this category. Verify the pitch battery with the stereo or fridge. Go for the “start” kit and add to this list based on
and diameter before purchasing a spare long cables and a heavy gauge cable rat- your own experiences. Q
prop. You’ll also need a floating prop ing, and make sure you periodically charge About the author: Mercury Mercruiser master
wrench. For some sterndrive and outboard the power pack at home or you may find it technician and DIY’s engine technical advisor,
applications, purchase an inexpensive dead just when you need it. Steve Auger, has more than 35 years experi-
“emergency” plastic prop designed to get An electrical kit with a few of the ence in marine retail, manufacturing and train-
you back to port. common electrical connectors, marine ing, mostly with Mercury Marine.

Seeking Boat Repairs or Maintenance?

Make sure it gets done right...

Visit www.abycinc.org to locate

an Certified Technician!

Boating Safety...It’s All About Having Fun.

613 Third Street, Suite 10, Annapolis, MD 21403

P- 410.990.4460 • F- 410.990.4466 • www.abycinc.org • www.westlawn.org

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628 23
 POWERBOAT RIGGING
(across) The author removing the rot-
ted plywood; a time consuming job.

TRANSOM
TAKEDOWN
Bad news: Runabouts and some larger powerboats with tran-
soms cored with layers of plywood are at risk of damage from
Cut piece off transom. After replacing the ply-
wood core, this will be rejoined to the transom
using fiberglass tape.

Step 2
Cutting New Plywood
water intrusion that eventually rots the wood. Good news: The Because we opted for a fiberglass flange
repair job isn’t difficult, it just takes a little knowledge and effort. around the edges of the transom, we
could not insert the new plywood in one
Story and photos by Roger Marshall piece.
First, we made a cardboard template
The first job in repairing a water-dam- be restricted to just the transom alone, of the new plywood. This entailed taping
aged transom is to decide how to open so there is no need to repaint the rest a large piece of cardboard to the tran-
the transom to extract the rotten ply- of the topsides; you simply paint the som and marking the required shape
wood. There are several ways to do this transom. very carefully. By setting the cardboard
and the method you choose determines This is the easiest method. We cut inside the flange, we ensured that it fit
how the transom will be finished after around the transom 3" (76mm) from properly. We then laid out the template
completing the repair. the corners. Once the outer fiberglass on 3/4" (19mm) marine-grade plywood.
If the boat has an open transom and skin was removed, we used a chisel This job required two pieces of plywood
there is good access from the inside, to remove the rotted plywood inside to fit the 1-1/2" (38mm) thick transom.
your best option is to extract the rot- the flange. This method of opening the In retrospect, high-density foam, specially
ted plywood by cutting away the inside repair area relieved us from having to engineered for use as a laminate core,
facing layer of the fiberglass laminate paint the entire boat (the hull was previ- is probably a better material to use for
sandwich. This prevents having to ously painted). the core because marine grade plywood
paint the hull exterior. [Ed: For details will eventually rot out again. However,
on replacing a transom from the hull Step 1 Making the Cut with extra care taken to seal the plywood
interior refer to DIY 1998-#4 issue.] Using a circular saw with the blade set edges at openings in the transom where
If not, you’ll have to cut away the out- 3/8" (9mm) deep, we cut through the water can migrate into the core again,
side layer of laminate to uncover the old laminate. This depth cut through the the plywood can be protected and remain
plywood. Cutting the outside laminate laminate and the plywood as well but, durable for a long time.
at the hull sides requires repainting since all the plywood had to come out After cutting the inner and outer ply-
both sides and the transom, in other anyway (what was left of it) this was not wood transom core pieces, we sliced
words, the entire boat. Cutting the a problem. Initially, we assumed that the them into three sections. We cut the
laminate at the transom corners means top portion of the transom was still sound inner piece horizontally across the bottom
you’ll have to wrap new fiberglass so we only cut the lower section. When of the engine well. On the outer piece
around the corners, making repaint- we started to remove the rotted plywood, we cut downwards from the sides of the
ing the entire topsides essential. If, however, our assumption bit us as we dis- engine well. This created six pieces of
however, you can limit the cut of the covered that the entire transom was rot- new transom wood and by alternating the
transom to the area slightly inside the ten, requiring us to open the upper section cut locations, every cut mated to a solid
corners, your new fiberglass work will of the transom, too. section. Each plywood piece, including

24 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 POWERBOAT RIGGING

Fitting the cardboard template. Fiberglass tape is laid over the sections where the
fiberglass laminates butt together, saturated with
epoxy, and then rolled to remove air bubbles.

the newly installed plywood. Where

we had removed a screw, we injected
unthickened epoxy into the holes until it
ran out of the neighboring holes and then
we taped over those holes and injected
more epoxy until we felt we had filled all
the voids.
On the outside fiberglass, we masked
Marine-grade plywood is cut into sections to
over all seams in the laminate using
facilitate installation.
increasing widths of tape until we had
built up a solid laminate and then sand-
the edges, was then coated with two lay- ed to a fair surface. We thickened epoxy
ers of clear, unthickened epoxy using a with microballons to fill hollows. We then
roller, to make them watertight. pulled a long straightedge over the tran-
som, checking for low and high areas,
Step 3 Grinding Fiberglass and left everything to set up, after which
The next task was to grind back the we sanded again. In this way, we were
edges of the old fiberglass and prepare Pieces were dry fitted and then glued on and able to get the transom flat and fair.
the flange for adding new laminate. This screw fastened. Note the beveled edges on the
is a miserable job. If you don’t want to fiberglass laminate on the transom as well as Step 6 Finishing
itch for a week, wear a Tyvek suit with the cut off piece. The final job was to coat the new tran-
hood, a full-face mask or respirator, som with Interlux Epoxy PrimeKote,
rubber bootees and heavy-duty rubber Next, we followed the same proce- sand it smooth and repaint the transom
gloves. Apply a barrier cream under the dure with the outer pieces of transom to match the topsides. We painted over
rubber gloves for additional protection. plywood. The first two were coated with the transom topcoat with Clear Coat to
thickened epoxy and pushed into place preserve the shine and match the look
Step 4 Installing Plywood on either side of the transom. Finally, of the rest of the boat. Now, all that was
To install the plywood, we first made the last piece was pushed down into the required was to add the boat’s name and
a mixture of thickened Epiglass epoxy remaining space. We screwed through hailing port and remount the Suzuki 115-
using a slow hardener and thickened both layers of plywood with 1-1/4" hp engine, only this time the mounting
with glue powder to a peanut butter (31mm) stainless-steel screws to hold holes were drilled oversized, sealed with
consistency. We had this epoxy left over them tightly together. epoxy resin and the bolts well sealed
from another job but you can use any The last step was to epoxy coat the with a a generous bead of polyurethane
brand just be sure to use a slow harden- inner face of the fiberglass laminate sealant. Hopefully, this prevents the new
er to maximize the working time before pieces and screw them back into place plywood from future rot.
it cures. against the newly installed plywood. The total out-of-pocket cost of this job
We troweled the mixture into the The entire installation to this point took was $300 for the plywood, epoxy and
flange all the way round the transom to about two hours using a three-man crew. paint. Everything else was labor. It took
serve as a bed to hold the edges of the Epoxy gets on everything and everyone, two weekends to complete: one week-
plywood in place and then we coated the so make sure to wear old clothes and end working alone stripping the rotted
first of the inner pieces of plywood with protective suits and rubber gloves. plywood and another weekend doing the
thickened epoxy and laid it in the tran- installation with a crew of three. Q
som. The two inner sidepieces followed. Step 5 Filling and Fairing
The three pieces were back-screwed After removing the screws from the About the author: Roger Marshall is the author
through the interior laminate to hold inside laminate, we discovered some of 13 books and this article excerpted from his
them tightly while the glue cured. voids between the inside laminate and latest book, Fiberglass Repair Illustrated.

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628 25
 REFIT

refit
reflections Sage advice from 10 years
of boat refits for anyone
who is considering a major
boat overhaul or for those
who are contemplating the
pros and cons of buying an
older vessel.
By Jim Discher

S ince this is an article about refit-

ting, I thought it was appropriate to
understand what the word means.
After a fairly deep dive on the word “refit,”
I learned the word is both as specific and
elusive as the process itself. Its most basic
meaning assumes something is unfit and
it’s made fit again or as yourdictionary.com
states, “to make (a vessel) ready for use
again by repairing or re-equipping.” Other
verbs to describe refit include: annual,
complete, extensive, external, internal,
major, restoration, transformation. Why is
this important? Because like any plan for a
major project, you need to begin with the
final goal in mind.
I further split the word into “re” and “fit.”
Under the word “fit,” dictionary.com defines
the idiom, “fit to be tied” as “extremely
annoyed or angry.” When you couple
that with the prefix of “re,” meaning to
do over, it would define the process one
is likely to experience doing a refit on just
about any size vessel; namely, “extremely
annoyed or angry over and over again.”
If you’ve done any amount of work on
your boat, you can relate. If you haven’t,
trust me.

26 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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(Opposite page) Some of the DIY team working on project boats (clockwise, top left): the author’s
‘89 Trojan 12 Meter Express and the author; Jan Mundy; Nick Bailey; Pat Kearns; David Aiken; REFIT
Steve Auger.

I am rounding the last corner to refitting you also need to have funds set aside on the water not long ago. He got into an
my second boat in almost 10 years. My for ongoing maintenance like oil changes argument with his wife who just would
best estimate is I’ve invested more than and bottom jobs. not agree it was their old boat. Nice.
3,000 hours of my time and in excess To keep a handle on my financial
of $50,000 in the two boats. This is a exposure, I keep a running list of proj- The Two Ps
journey that is as rewarding as it is frus- ects planned and completed in an Excel Planning and prioritizing are essential to
trating. I can’t minimize the surprises you spreadsheet (see “Documentation” on the the refit process. Organize your priorities
are likely to encounter but I would like to next page). All projects have high and low into three categories, in order of impor-
prepare you mentally and financially for estimates. The totals on those columns tance: safety, maintenance and repairs,
your journey. serve as a forecast of future expenses. and aesthetics. Finally, scheduling based
My personal mission with both boats Total of the completed projects indicates on the time and financial resources you
was the same: to restore each to close to the extent of my investment to date. have available.
original condition, where everything is in Never supplement products intended If it’s a new old boat for you, assum-
good working order, and to make aesthetic for automotive or household use for ing your vessel is safe and seaworthy,
and mechanical improvements where I marine-grade components to save money. get out on the water a few times before
felt I could achieve worth-the-effort gains. Marinized parts are manufactured to a you start mapping out your plan. If it’s
Neither of these boats were train wrecks. higher standard to operate safely and a cruiser, spend a few weekends on it.
By most standards both were in good reliably in the punishing environment More often than not, repairs that weren’t
condition, received decent marks by the in which they live. Stainless-steel com- even planned become your most urgent
surveyors and were both coincidentally ponents or tinned wires are designed to priority.
15 years old when I purchased them. The fight the ravages of saltwater, exposure Efficient management of downtime
first one, a 1985 Sea Ray 340 Express, to the sun and the pounding they must maximizes your uptime. Don’t run
was always a freshwater boat. The present endure in rough seas. Spend money on aground on “Someday Isle,” that place
BearBoat is an ‘89 Trojan International 12 quality components and you increase where you get snared into always think-
Meter Express. longevity, durability, reliability and, ulti- ing, “Someday I’ll take a whole week on
mately, safety. the boat.” Or “Someday, when every-
Resource Management Talent: Ambition and enthusiasm pro- thing is perfect, I’ll have my family and
In the words of Dirty Harry, “A man’s got ceed undaunted. As a novice at this stuff friends out for a day cruise.” The boat is
to know his limitations,” I’d like to offer 10 years ago, I made a deal with myself. breaking whether you use it or not, so
three limitations that most of us need I figured if I successfully fixed two out of you might as well get some fun out of it.
to contend with: time, money, talent or three jobs and had to hire the mechanic Gaskets dry out, engines rust, electrical
“TMT.” (Not to be confused with TNT, the to rectify the third botched attempt I systems are always corroding. Machines
stuff you might be looking for by the time would be money ahead. That philosophy and mechanicals are built to run. They
you’re done with this process.) continues to provide me the courage to are happiest at running temperature,
Time: Boat projects can consume mas- jump into unfamiliar projects to this day. turning and burning and pumping. Use
sive amounts of time and most often way Turns out, I’m happy to report, I have it or lose it.
more than we anticipate. You probably rarely had to make that call. Aesthetics are least important and
have a day job and in addition, you need Before you jump in with both feet, do a should be left for last. Avoid the temp-
time for family, a home that needs atten- quick self-assessment. Consider: mechan- tation to make it look pretty. There are
tion, friends, just the business of man- ical skills, knowledge of how things work, other debilitating items that demand
aging your life and not to mention other ability to research and dig for informa- your time and money. A beautiful, bro-
hobbies. Keeping all those plates spin- tion, desire to learn, physical condition ken down boat that’s dead in the water
ning can be a big challenge. So consider and patience. What I lack in skill I make doesn’t do favors for anyone and can
how much of the boating season you’ll up for in patience and tenacity by doing spell disaster in minutes, maybe seconds.
miss with a fixer upper and the impact things over and over until I achieve a Make safe and mechanically sound your
your absence will have on the other parts professional grade result. If you aren’t a first priority.
of your life. natural at this stuff, you need to enjoy the Consider having your local Coast Guard
Money: I always resent when non- rigorous detective work of assessing prob- Auxiliary do a safety check. It’s free and
boaters feel compelled to give you the lems and the deep research sometimes a great way to verify the boat’s safe and
“it’s just a hole-in-the-water” or the “sec- necessary to find the obscure information seaworthy. If you need some inspiration,
ond happiest day” speeches. They all needed to solve problems. do yourself a favor when you sign up
paste on the same smirk and it always Know your limits but challenge yourself. for your annual BoatU.S. membership
starts with, “you know what they say A refit can be a very rewarding endeav- and pay the extra $10 for its quarterly
….” If you’ve owned any kind of boat or. The pride of ownership and sense of Seaworthy publication (www.BoatUS.
you know that there are cheaper hob- accomplishment are worth the effort in com/Seaworthy). It provides details on
bies. Truth be told, the refit process is my view. That random compliment at the sometimes pretty simple failures that
crazy, sneaky expensive. You don’t want public dock can really fuel your enthu- have turned new and old boats into
to run out of money before you run out siasm and ego. Most people guess my sunken treasures.
of projects. So including cost estimates Trojan to be half its 20 years. In fact, the Even with the best planning, beware of
in your refit plan is critical. Keep in mind guy I bought it from five years ago saw us scope creep. Every planned project mys-

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628 27
 REFIT

teriously spawns additional unplanned ing steps and avoiding multiple runs Research and Reference
projects. “As long as I have this baby to your local chandlery for parts and Before you lift a wrench, be sure you
opened up, I might as well ….” It’s the supplies. have updated your DIY Boat Owner sub-
smart thing to do, no question. You have scription and you have the most current
taken the time to carefully dismantle 3. This is where I record valuable infor- version of the DIY Hands-On Boater CD
some part of your boat. You discover mation about the boat that I want to ROM of all past issues. I am completely
something that’s not right, maybe even preserve but that doesn’t fit anywhere serious. This is my first “go to” reference
unsafe. The only thing to do is plow else. Information such as: specifications; in diagnosing and planning a project.
ahead and complete the repair. information on places I acquired parts If you have diesel engines, fork out the
We wander deeper into the abyss. and what was purchased; good website $25 and take an online subscription to
Sometimes we have quick, inexpensive sources, etc. www.boatdiesel.com. This is a great forum
fixes. Many times, we increased the on diagnosing and fixing problems with
financial scope and time commitment 4. I keep all maintenance, specs, every- most brands of engines and transmissions.
substantially. If I had a dime for every thing about the dinghy and outboard com- It has a decent search function that allows
time I’ve told my wife I was going to fin- ponents under this tab. posting questions and, at a bare minimum,
ish a project before lunch, only to find provides great directional information to get
myself in some contorted, upside down 5. I’m rigorous about recording part num- you started on a good repair.
position with a flashlight and backache, bers and serial numbers. At last count, I As a pretty tenacious DIYer, some-
I’d be paying somebody else to do the have 55 parts listed, including such details times I cry “uncle.” It’s an expensive
dirty work. I persist and she forgives (or as: item description, make, model, part cry. Nonetheless, sometimes the best
probably didn’t believe me in the first number, serial number and purchasing tool in your tool box is your checkbook.
place). comments. Assemble your personal “A” team of pro-
fessionals. You need a trusted team of
Documentation 6. I have dedicated tabs for major proj- pros to include a mechanic, boatyard
Keeping detailed records can pay huge ects. Items such as major electrical, for haulouts and bottom work, marine
dividends. I created repair and mainte- canvas and vinyl “glass” replacement, electrician and a marine plumber. Also
nance spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel haulout procedures, TracVision install, handy to know are people who do quality
that allow me to sort the data to find audio/visual refit, etc. I use these pages to canvas and upholstery work, and gelcoat
the last time I changed pencil anodes, build detailed specs that I use to bid these work. Finding the good guys can be a
replace impellers or had an oil change. projects out to multiple suppliers, if nec- project in and of itself so I’ll share some
I plug in formulas to total cost columns essary. These specs are usually built over ways I have found success.
and enter as much detail as I wish time and usage of the boat. The result is Establish rapport with an engineer,
about how and what I did. Because a very comprehensive and inclusive list of customer service rep or, even better,
it’s electronic, I email a copy to my everything I want to accomplish when that the technical service representative at
Blackberry. My plan and target projects project floats to the top of the list. the company that manufactured your
are always shifting around. Being able boat. These folks are an incredible
to reorder, add detail and revise cost Having a complete set of documenta- resource. With my ’85 Sea Ray 340,
estimates is invaluable. tion on major components can save your I was fortunate to get to know one of
My Excel workbook includes 14 bacon. Repair and maintenance manuals the Sea Ray technical service reps. He
tabs. Primary tabs are listed below. for engines, transmissions, electronics pulled up a microfiche of the original
and sanitary system should all be kept plans, gave me repair advice and saved
1. Comprehensive listing of all repairs onboard. Many of these are available as my bacon on many occasions. For this
performed. Who did the work, date, printable PDF files on manufacturer’s reason, there is a significant benefit to
cost and detailed work description. websites. I keep all these in an accordion owning a boat made by a company that
The first section of this tab has all file onboard at all times. The specification, has been in business for a long time
future projects grouped by A, B, C pri- model numbers or instructions for every (and still is).
ority, with high and low cost estimates. new item I install is filed. Likewise, I have talked to countless
Completed projects have a “D” in the Organizing this information as you go manufacturers of boat equipment. I’ve
priority column so I can sort those into provides a wonderful resource and refer- even called chemists to talk about the
one section and each section is color- ence over time. Going through the effort best use and application of chemicals
coded. and expense of a refit implies you are most and paints. The most obscure finds were
likely planning to keep the boat for a while. the deck pulls molded into the gelcoat
2. Another tab that more succinctly Your documentation and record keeping that had to be an exact match. After two
has my short-term target list. It breaks pays dividends throughout your owner- years, I tracked them down to a compa-
down projects into more detailed ship and provide an enormous value add ny in Sweden via the Internet. The only
chronological steps so I can go about when it comes time to sell. Few boats that acceptable payment form was a bank
the repair in the most efficient way. I have looked at have detailed repair and wire transfer. Boatbuilders seem always
Also included is my “need to buy” list. maintenance records. It’s one way you can happy to help answer questions and help
Detailed planning and preparation can make your boat stand out from the crowd solve your problems. I have never been
really boost productivity by sequenc- when it’s time to sell. disappointed.

28 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628
 REFIT

Other great help sources are found in

local marine directories, marine publica- Fourteen of Jim’s original Excel spreadsheets (three are
tions like “The Log” in Southern California, sampled below) that include details of boat and engine
referrals from your local chandlery and fel- service, installations and projects lists, replacement part
low boaters, yacht clubs, Internet search- numbers, calculations of fuel burn and power requirements, and
es, online user’s groups, other profession- worksheets of sundry systems are available for download at:
als you have hired, boat dealers and boat
yards. http://www.diy-boat.net/diyweb/edit/OFFICIALLOGS1989TROJAN.xls
Spend some time at the boat show
around the services and components
booths. When shopping for electronics, I
drove 100 miles to the San Diego boat
show. In three hours, talking to different
dealers, installers and manufacturer’s
reps, I was armed with everything I need-
ed to start shopping and put together my
system.
Keeping an organized spares inventory
can be a real productivity booster through-
out your refit. I have a fairly extensive col-
lection of nuts, bolts, washers, O-rings,
old parts that would do in a pinch, etc.
Whenever I remove a broken part, I dis-
assemble and take off all of the stainless
steel and other usable parts for spares.
I get a real kick every time I can recycle
an old spare that didn’t cost me a nickel.
How often can you say that? The best
part is I can complete my repair without
spending time or money. If you don’t have
an inventory of parts I suggest you buy a
$50 starter kit from West Marine. Then
buy some plastic storage cases with divid-
ers to start building your arsenal.

What Really Counts

In the final analysis, unless you have bar-
rels and buckets of money to hire every-
thing out, the life of a DIYer is a ton of
work. You need to carefully weigh the
effort against the payoff to determine if it
is your cup of tea.
I just finished a cross-country flight
from the East Coast and am excited to get
back to Southern California. After spend-
ing the last four weekends working on
BearBoat, I’ll drop the lines early tomor-
row morning and head 26 miles (42km)
across the channel to Catalina Island for
a much needed respite from the madness.
A weekend of relaxation and some time to
rock back with a cold beer and admire my
handiwork. Q
About the author: Jim Discher is a graduate of
the College of Hard Knocks and many of his trials,
tribulations and refits on both BearBoats have
been documented in past DIY issues. His invigo-
rating, do-it-yourself enthusiasm is best described
by Jim: “I wake on Saturday morning, throw on
my work clothes and go to my other job.”

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 UPGRADE

Whether you call it a “floor”

or a “sole,” this cork composite
treading surface improves the

renew
comfort and security underfoot
with an added benefit of a new
and pleasing appearance.

your cockpit floor

Story and photos by Harry Hungate and “The cork floor is extremely comfortable on bare feet and, when wet, the traction is even better.”
Jane Lothrop

Our Corbin 39 cutter, Cormorant, has opposite edge to facilitate spacing and to cal part of the project. Our cockpit floor is
sailed around the world one and a half provide a channel for the caulking com- divided into two sections: forward, there
times since it was launched in 1986 and pound. Double thickness (3/4"/19mm) is a removable section for access to the
the cockpit floor was showing some wear. planks are available in 3" (76mm) and 5" engine; and the steering pedestal is aft.
The molded-in non-skid was deteriorating (127mm) widths but we did not require Four cockpit drains and curved sides of the
and we had tired of sliding on and sticking these for our installation. cockpit molding complicated the installa-
to the plastic floor mat so we finally decid- This project kept us busy for the bet- tion of the perimeter planks.
ed to splurge on a new cockpit floor. ter parts of six days and the total cost To visualize the pattern, Jane taped an
A few years ago, we replaced the for the materials was around $1,033. overall paper pattern and also made full-
ceramic tiles on the floor of the head As with most first-time jobs, it took lon- scale 2" (50mm) and 3" (76mm) patterns
compartment with a solid sheet of inte- ger than expected because we spent of planks out of cardstock. She even used
rior cork. It was a great success. Also, extra time rethinking and redesigning. a black marker to simulate the caulked
we had previously admired a few boats We followed the instructions on the seams.
decked with a nice looking cork composi- website closely and, with our DIY Hints, We decided that, for the small space of
tion material laid in planks and caulked indicated by the bulleted paragraphs in the cockpit sole, the 3" (76mm) planks
like a traditional teak deck. Both mate- italics, you should be able to do it more would look best to frame the perimeter,
rials are manufactured by STAZO in The quickly than we did. with the internal boards cut from the 2"
Netherlands and distributed in the U.S. (50mm) planks.
by STAZO Marine Equipment NA in Prep and Patterns
Thomaston, Maine. The deck material is The first step was to clean the cockpit floor Materials
marketed as Marinedeck2000 Exterior. and then sand it lightly with a power sander Patterns completed, Jane calculated the
The company’s website (www.stazo.nl) in preparation for the bedding compound. required number of the various plank
has excellent instructions and both the It is not necessary to sand the molded non- widths required. We also purchased one
site and the local dealer insisted that even skid, so all we had to do was to sand flat 16" (406mm) wide sheet to cut into
moderately handy people could install it the raised edges of the molded panels. We boarding pads for the port and starboard
themselves. wanted the cork to go to the outer edge of cockpit coamings. This extra project was
The planks are available in 3/8" (9mm) the floor panels so we would have a nice small enough to be a good practice lesson
thickness and in 2" (50mm), 3" (76mm), even surface for our feet. for the main project.
5" (127mm) and 16" (406mm) widths by While I sanded the floor, Jane designed A trim ring for the steering pedestal was
74" (1.8m) in length. All but the two larg- the layout of the perimeter planking and also cut from this wide sheet. The result is
est widths are smooth on one edge and began cutting paper patterns. This actually a much neater layout than using several
milled with a 5/32" (4mm) rabbet on the was the most difficult and the most criti- very small planks.

30 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 UPGRADE

Sanding the fiberglass cockpit floor. Starboard side cockpit coaming pad became Making curved patterns using small pieces of
the authors’ practice piece. paper and tape.

Designing layout with paper patterns on cock-

pit floor. Trial fitting of perimeter planks and around the Blue tape indicates areas of needed adjust-
steering pedestal trim ring. ment.

Cutting the Planks

Once the paper patterns were cut to our
mutual satisfaction, Jane laid the patterns
over the planks and marked them with a
felt-tip pen. I cut the planks with a fine-
toothed hacksaw.
• Make accurate patterns for the curved
pieces around the pedestal and the
drains, using small squares of paper
Finalizing paper patterns. taped in place to make a smooth curve.
• Although the manufacturer’s directions Cutting planks with a small hacksaw.
say the planks can be curved, a sharp
The supplier calculated how many tubes curve or one in a short length is very dif-
of bedding compound, caulking compound ficult to hold in place while the bedding and any adjustments made before fitting
and primer we needed for the job. We also compound cures. We ended up cutting the adjoining piece.
purchased cheap paintbrushes for apply- the port and starboard side planks of the • Be sure to mount the saw blade with
ing the caulking primer and a spreader to forward section out of the 5" (127mm) the teeth facing you so the cut is on the
apply the bedding compound. board. That way we had a straight edge pull rather than the push; this aids great-
• Purchase a length of 5/32" (4mm) for the first inner plank and the cutout ly in not bending or breaking the blade.
interior caulking strip for use as spacers. for the drain was easy to do. The result- After planks were cut to match the pat-
These are hard plastic strips used with ing perimeter piece is actually larger terns, we rounded the outer edges with a
the interior version. You will see them in than 3" (76mm) just aft of the drain but sanding block. A router with a bullnose
some of the photos above that illustrate it looks good in place. The piece we cut bit would have been ideal for this job but
the installation of the perimeter and inte- and tried to curve to fit had to be thrown with patience and a critical eye the sand-
rior planks. away. We also cut the small curved frame ing block did a neat job.
We purchased extra planks and tubes pieces from the larger width material to
of bedding and caulk in the event that we fit around the complex curves of the aft Assembly
had underestimated the job (or worse, section drains. We agreed to tackle the cockpit’s aft sec-
ruined some) on the understanding that • Before beginning a cut, both of us tion first. If we did a less-than-perfect job,
the supplier would take back the leftovers would review the plank to be absolutely at least our goofs would not be in full view.
and give us a refund later. This was a great certain about which part was to be used We placed the completed perimeter planks
help to us since a visit to the supplier was and which part was scrap. After cutting on the cockpit floor, properly spaced by
a daylong affair. each piece it was dry fitted immediately the 5/32" (4mm) plastic caulking strips.

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 UPGRADE

a cloth. Then the bedding compound was

spread and the planks were laid down.
• Start with one end pushed up against
the perimeter plank to get a bit of bed-
ding compound on the end of the plank,
and then smoothly “roll” the plank down
into the bedding.
We worked to amazing precision, as the
king plank fitted exactly. The process was
repeated on the other section of the cock-
pit floor, again with excellent results. We
Applying white bedding compound. Final fitting of interior planks. Note the channels
for the caulking compound and the white spacers.
measured, cut and installed all the interior
planks in both sections in only one day.

Seaming
The next day we switched from the white
bedding compound to the black seam
caulking compound. The caulking chan-
nels were primed with Simson Primer P,
and after a wait of a one-hour minimum,
the caulking process began.
• Apply masking tape to the outer corners
of the perimeter planks to contain the
caulking compound until it sets up.
Removing masking tape after spreading bed- Rolling planks into position over the bedding • Use plenty of caulking compound. Move
ding compound within borders. compound. the caulking gun toward you and carefully
watch the caulk fill the channel ahead of
really want a watertight seal. Any excess the nozzle, and also build up a surplus
bedding compound cleans up easily after behind the nozzle, perhaps 1/8" (3mm)
it cures. high. This insures that there are no con-
The perimeter planks were weighted cave areas in the caulked seam after the
down with almost everything that we compound cures.
could find onboard to insure a good bond • Don’t reuse the nozzle when changing to
to the fiberglass cockpit floor. We suggest a new caulking cartridge, as you are most
that you borrow enough bricks to cover likely to get an air bubble, which forms a
the perimeter planks. Our collection of void in the caulked seam. This is repair-
tool bags, juice jugs, etc., failed to apply able but it’s avoidable extra work.
Bedded perimeter planks weighted down for an a uniform weight on the perimeter planks • Carefully inspect your work, especially
overnight cure. and we had to do a bit of remedial bed- on the outer corners and where the plank
ding work the next day. It was easy and ends meet the perimeter. Make any need-
successful, but it was extra work that ed repairs by adding more caulking com-
• Outline the planks on the cockpit floor could have been avoided if we had had pound before it sets up.
in pencil to define the areas to be primed lots of bricks or some other uniform flat • Resist the temptation to disturb the
prior to spreading the bedding compound. weights. caulking compound until it has cured
The fiberglass cockpit floor was primed The following day we began cutting overnight.
with Simson Primer M, applied spar- and fitting the 2" (50mm) planks to fill in From start to finish we had both sections
ingly with a cloth in accordance with the between the perimeter planks. of the cockpit floor caulked in one hour and
instructions. The area was masked with • Measure and cut the planks to exact fifteen minutes.
tape to aid in cleanup. Bedding compound length as the width of the caulked seam After it cured, the excess caulking com-
was spread over the primed areas and the will reveal any error. pound is easily trimmed level with the
masking tape removed to reveal the pen- Following the instructions, we cut and planks by using a sharp, flat blade (utility
cil outlines for positioning the perimeter numbered the planks starting with the knife, box cutter, razor blade, putty knife,
planks. outermost ones and working towards the etc.). If it smudges or doesn’t cut clean-
• We first tried leaving the tape down center of the floor. A king plank was cut ly, let it cure for a few more hours. The
but it was impossible to see where to from a 3" (76mm) plank to fit the centers, instructions do not give any time guide, so
place the plank. Removing the tape after as the one for the aft section was almost the cure time depends on ambient tem-
spreading the bedding but before placing 3" (76mm) wide and the forward one was perature. We were working in the heat of
the plank made it easy, and the cleanup just a bit wider than 2" (50mm). the Malaysian summer at the 90F (32C)
was easy, too. Satisfied with the layout and trial fitting, level and 16 hours provided a complete
• Don’t skimp on the bedding compound, we primed the fiberglass floor with Simson cure. Cooler temperatures probably require
especially along the outside edges, as you Primer M, again applying it sparingly with a longer cure time.

32 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 UPGRADE

water revealed our beautiful new cockpit

floor.

Foot Test
The underfoot feel is excellent and the
appearance could not be better. This is
not an inexpensive project but it should
last the lifetime of the boat. If we had
teak decks, we would seriously consider
replacing them with this product. It is cool
Hand sanding excess cured caulking com-
to the feet, naturally non-skid, needs no
Applying black seam caulking compound.
pound. Note before and after sanding! mechanical fasteners, will not erode into
raised grain like teak and is extremely UV
stable.
Final Sanding planks and not across them. The caulked The instructions claim that a scrub-
The instructions called for sanding the seams stand a tiny bit proud of the cork bing with a soft abrasive cleaner, such
surface smooth with a belt sander and planks, so don’t try to get them absolute- as Softscrub, and freshwater cleans and
80-grit paper. We had only an orbital ly level. All you will do is wear away the restores the appearance if it gets extremely
sander, which was a dismal failure. The cork planks. dirty. Otherwise, just soap and water will
sandpaper became clogged with caulk • We strongly recommend the use of a do the job.
and cork dust very rapidly. We finally belt sander. Rent, buy or borrow one! Since installing the cork floor two years
resorted to a hand-sanding block with • Put on a dust mask and wear old ago we have sailed some 3,800 miles and
60-grit paper. The sanding job was long clothes when sanding as the dust per- it still looks like new. It’s one of the best
and hot, but the results were stunning. manently stains them. upgrades that we have done on Cormorant
Just keep sanding until the clean outlines A dust brush and a vacuum cleaner in 12 years of living aboard. Q
of the caulked seams are revealed. The kept the work surface clear. A final sand- About the authors: Frequent contributors to
results are very satisfying. ing with 120-grit paper completed the DIY, Jane Lothrop and her husband, Harry
• Be sure to sand in the direction of the
7.00”
project. A good scrubbing with soap and Hungate, live aboard Cormorant, a Corbin 39.

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DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628 33
 SAILBOAT RIGGING

TAME YOUR MAIN

Quantum Sails
A full-batten mainsail system is an inexpensive upgrade that brings new life to a
tired sail and lets you hoist, lower and reef with ease.
By Jan Mundy
How do you increase mainsail perfor- more forward drive and reducing heeling in existing luff tape over the base pocket that
mance without replacing your existing sail? strong winds,” Bratkiw says. “The biggest then is covered by a second layer, the pock-
Upgrading a sail that is in good condition payback for upgrading is that the battens et itself, double stitched and extending from
by adding one or more full-length battens improve performance on all points of sail luff to leech, ending about 3" (76mm) from
is a popular and worthwhile conversion for and preserve the mainsail’s shape for the the luff to allow for mounting the batten
both cruising and racing sailors. remaining life of the sail.” end “cap” with machine screws and bolts.
A full-batten mainsail offers several Compression loading concentrated at the
advantages. Battens, extending from the Cutting Not Necessary luff creates strain on existing grommets that
luff to the leech, act as a semi-rigid frame- An existing mainsail in good condition is a attach the slides. This force causes chafe
work to improve sail shape and better sup- suitable candidate for a conversion. Full- at the inboard end where battens press
port the roach (the extra sail area beyond batten sail conversions are priced per bat- against the mast, eventually wearing holes
the straight line drawn from the head to ten with a factor added for boat length. in the pocket ends. Quantum resolves this
clew). The added stiffness dampens sail For cruising boats that take four full bat- problem by securing the batten ends in a
luffing and makes the sail less prone to tens, prices range from $400 for a 27' protective plastic receptacle that replaces
flogging during hoisting, reefing and drop- (8.2m) boat to $600 for a 38' (11.5m). the grommets and protects the luff from
ping the sail. Considering that a replacement mainsail chafe. “Batten caps are very important,”
Battens also act as “shock absorbers” averages $2,000 to $3,500 for the same says Bratkiw. “Without them, the compres-
to prolong sail life. “When tacking or reef- size boats, this is an affordable upgrade sion loads against the luff make it difficult
ing, a full-batten mainsail doesn’t flog like alternative. to raise, lower or reef the mainsail.”
a standard mainsail but gently inverts and A full-batten conversion is done with- A Velcro closure secures the leech end
flips to the other side,” says Greg Bratkiw, out modifying the basic shape of the sail. of the batten pocket. The actual fastening
president of Quantum Sails Design Group Your sailmaker inspects the sail, checking design differs depending on whether the
Canada, (800/505-5359; www.quan- the integrity of the fabric and stitching. sail is intended for cruising or racing. On
tumsails.com). “The reality is that full- Obviously, if the sail is blown out or dam- a cruising sail, Quantum uses a “flip-flop”
batten sails are lasting 20% to 40% lon- aged from UV, then it’s not worth the cost pocket. This consists of a compression
ger because they don’t get the flogging of the conversion and you should consider flap secured with Velcro that wraps over
abuse.” replacing it. the pocket to pull the batten towards the
Full battens provide a noticeably more Assuming the sail receives a passing luff, which is then covered by a finishing
efficient sail shape. They pull out some of grade, the work commences. The original pocket sewn over the top and extending 1"
the smaller wrinkles that occur in the fab- batten pockets are removed and the luff (25mm) in from the leech. It folds back to
ric as it stretches with age. Their structure tape is opened at the new pocket location. the leech and is secured with Velcro. This
maintains a more aerodynamic cross-sec- Quantum now glues a base patch, which double closure design prevents the pocket
tional shape and, as the wind increases, slips under the luff tape and extends back from peeling open should it hit a backstay
keeps the sail from becoming fuller and to the leech, to help reinforce the compres- or topping lift. A racing mainsail receives
helps prevent the draft from shifting aft so sion loading that the batten induces on the a “stuff” pocket with drawstring. The
the boat heels less and weather helm is sail and reduce chafe. This is a single layer sailmaker supplies a short batten, about
reduced. of fabric, 2" to 4" (50mm to 101mm) wide, 12" (304mm) long, which inserts into an
“When the mainsail is fully set, full- depending on the boat size; the larger the internal Velcro closure that goes inside a
length battens stabilize the sail shape, boat, the wider the patch. A short piece finished sewn pocket. Once inserted, the
holding the draft at 45% to 48%, creating of Teflon reinforcing tape is sewn over the short batten breaks the Velcro contact and

34 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 SAILBOAT RIGGING

Initial inspection by a sailmaker qualifies the

sail for a full-batten conversion.
Greg Bratkiw

(top) Double fabric construction at the luff con-

sists of the batten pocket sewn over a glued-on
All-slip slides, shown on the top row, are nearly triangular protective patch. (bottom) Finished
twice the length of conventional slides (bottom luff with batten end cap that solves chafe and
row), which they replace to reduce friction and compression loading troubles at the luff.
ease sail handling on full-batten mainsails.

allows you to easily pull the drawstring to the luff, the slides that attach the sail to the
remove the batten. “Both are good systems mast track are loaded. To overcome loading
but, for racers, the stuff pocket keeps the problems, Quantum replaces the original
leech cleaner, presenting a more visually slides with All-slip slides at no extra charge.
aerodynamic appearance, especially on a These nylon/plastic alloy slides reduce fric-
“Flip-flop” pocket for cruising sails compresses
Kevlar sail, but it’s more troublesome to tion and prevent binding in the mast track
the batten and “seals” the batten end so it cannot
remove the extra batten,” says Bratkiw. when raising or lowering the sail.
open should it strike a backstay or topping lift.
All-slip slides fit on 90% of the main-
Batten Types sail tracks in service. For the rest and for
Full-length battens are made of fiberglass larger boats, racers or those having trouble chafe marks receive a sewn-on clear vinyl
and are tapered to place the draft between with slides binding, upgrading to a low-fric- protector.”
45% and 48% back from the luff for opti- tion track and slide system offers the best A standard batten mainsail with a large
mum sail shape. These compression style solution. Luff track systems from Antal, roach that catches on the topping lift or
battens are more expensive than the unta- Dutchman/MVB, Facnor, Harken, Schaefer backstay when hoisting or lowering may be
pered battens used on standard mainsails and Tides vary in complexity and price. At more difficult to tack once converted to full
and are available with various stiffness $27.50 per foot of luff length, the Tides battens. Though rarely an issue for cruising
ratings. Your sailmaker selects the batten Marine Track and Slide System is the mains, which usually have a smaller roach
taper according to the aspect ratio and the most affordable for boats smaller than 35' than racing sails, it might require reducing
square footage of your sail. (10.6m). Sold as a do-it-yourself kit, it’s the roach so discuss this with your sail-
“Typically, with a high-aspect mainsail also the easiest to install, as it rides in the maker.
[one with a tall mast and short boom], existing mast track with few or no holes Lastly, some track and slide setups make
the draft is a little flatter, otherwise the sail to drill. Larger boats require a tougher, it more difficult to lower while the sail is
goes tubular quickly, so we tend to use a more expensive system with an externally drawing.
stiffer leech end batten,” explains Bratkiw. mounted aluminum track to handle the Despite the drawbacks, upgrading to a
“If the sail is low aspect, like a Nonsuch, higher loads. full-batten mainsail is a relatively inexpen-
where the sail is wide relative to its height, sive way to achieve easier sail handling,
the battens require a different stiffness.” Few Drawbacks especially when combined with lazyjacks.
Because of mainsail design specifics, On some mainsails, the batten pockets For not yet retired mainsails, full battens
Quantum stocks battens in as many as 50 chafe where they contact the shrouds provide a longer lasting, efficient sail shape
different stiffness ratings. and spreaders. “Chafe is more an issue and increased performance. Q
on boats with swept-back spreaders, like
Lessening Loading the newer Hunters,” says Bratkiw. “When About the author: Jan Mundy is DIY’s co-
When full battens transfer compression to the mainsail comes in for inspection, any founder and editor.

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 Figure 1
Galvanic Series

Current Thinking Fittings are damaged more quickly

in saltwater than in freshwater but
it is also possible for galvanic corro-

on Galvanic Corrosion
sion to take place when dissimilar
metals are out of the water, e.g.,
metals on a sailboat mast or at a
windlass or a davit installation on
any boat. In general, the farther
When it comes to boats, dissimilar metals and water do mix and apart the two metals are on the
therein lies the rub. Know your anodes and methods of isolation scale, the more damage is likely to
to protect metal fittings. the anodic metal. The further those
same metals are from each other as
By Bob Adriance
installed will also affect their ability
Pitting on the sterndrive’s lower unit was similar metals must be used together, one to survive galvanic activity.
first noticed by the boat’s owner in the can usually be insulated from the other. A
spring of 2002. The following year, “some stainless-steel halyard winch, for example, Cathodic Graphite
degree of corrosion was evident” on the can be insulated from an aluminum mast Monel
same sterndrive, so the owner applied a with zinc chromate or polysulfide com- Stainless steel
fresh coat of paint and hoped for the best. pound, a wood pad, Tef-gel or an inert Bronze
He was making a big mistake. insulating material like nylon or Tufnol. Brass
By the next spring, the price of ignoring Below the waterline, when you have a Copper
an obvious warning sign became painfully stainless-steel shaft and a bronze prop, Tin
evident. The sterndrive was so badly cor- which can't be isolated from each other, Mild steel
roded it would no longer go into gear. The you’ll need an anode, made of either Aluminum
reason was simple: the lack of an anode, zinc, magnesium or aluminum, that is Zinc
which would have been sacrificed to pro- sacrificed to save the more noble metal Anodic Magnesium
tect the aluminum sterndrive from galvan- (and more expensive) fitting. Zinc is used
ic corrosion. The last anode, it seems, had in saltwater; magnesium in freshwater Note: Frequently published charts
been placed on the sterndrive in 2001, (never in salt or brackish water) but the of the galvanic series may disagree
which is an eternity when two dissimilar most widely effective anodes these days slightly. For example, some brasses
metals are immersed in water. are made of aluminum, which lasts up to may be listed ahead of bronze or
Connecting dissimilar metals in an elec- 50% longer, and remains active anywhere vice versa. This has to do with vari-
trolyte creates a direct current (DC) “bat- in freshwater, saltwater and brackish. ations of the alloys as well as the
tery” and the scientific explanation as to How, you may ask, does an aluminum electrolyte.
why galvanic corrosion occurs has to do anode protect an aluminum sterndrive?
with things like migrating electrons and The answer is that the anode is made with
electrical potential. As a practical matter, an aluminum alloy that is significantly dif-
a boat owner need only be aware that dis- ferent (more anodic) than the alloy used to be worn at the end of the season is sus-
similar metals, especially dissimilar metals on a sterndrive. pect and may contain impurities that kept
left unprotected below the waterline, can A word of warning: Don’t mix anodes! If it from doing its job. On the other hand,
cause horrendous corrosion problems to you decide to use aluminum anodes, then intact anodes may be the simple result of
the least “anodic” or noble metal. As a use only aluminum anodes throughout the the boat’s metals all being of the same or
general rule, the more dissimilar the met- boat. When two different anodes are used, so close in position on the galvanic scale
als (Figure 1), the more current created one (the least noble) will protect the other, as to be quite compatible with each other.
and the more likely galvanic corrosion which then won’t do its job. Before changing suppliers, make sure the
occurs. Likely candidates for an anode (anodic anode is snug against the metal it was
Saltwater is a more effective electrolyte protection) include engines, sterndrives, supposed to protect; an anode that is even
than freshwater, which means that gal- rudders, shafts and trim tabs. Replacing slightly loose won’t be doing its job. Never
vanic corrosion takes place more quickly anodes is typically done annually, some- paint an anode.
in saltwater. Galvanic corrosion can even times semi-annually, especially on stern-
occur when dissimilar metals are joined drives. Anodes that are more than half Corrosion and Isolators
above the waterline, since spray and moist dissolved should be replaced. Let’s say you dutifully put anodes on your
salt air act as an electrolyte. You may be able to get longer last- sterndrive in early spring, which, in years
When mounting fittings above the ing protection by using two anodes, for past, has always been sufficient to pro-
waterline, avoid conjoining dissimilar example, on a shaft, but they should be tect the sterndrive from galvanic corrosion
metals, especially two metals that are far inspected midway though the season. for an entire season. This year, midway
apart on the galvanic scale. When dis- Conversely, an anode that doesn’t appear through the season, the anodes are mys-

36 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628
 Figure 2

Never cut the green grounding wire on

your boat since the AC electrical system
is now no longer grounded at all and any-
one in the water near your boat runs the
considerable risk of being electrocuted by
stray alternating current resulting from a
fault in that electrical system or equipment
connected to it. Even a few milliamps of
AC electricity in the water can sufficiently
paralyze a swimmer’s muscles, includ-
When two or more boats are connected to shorepower, one side of the neces- ing the heart itself, causing cardiac arrest
sary circuit required to form a galvanic couple is provided by the AC green before eventually drowning. The current
grounding wire, which also connects to the boat’s ground system, engine and passes through the human body on its
underwater hardware. The seawater electrolyte provides the other side of the relentless way to seeking an earth ground
circuit. Galvanic current flowing around the circuit corrodes the least noble metal and the heart stops by the electrocution in
between the two (or more) boats, in this case an aluminum sterndrive. progress.
The most common way to reliably and
safely interrupt the circuit is to install
teriously gone; dangling screws are the galvanic corrosion starts dissolving the a galvanic isolator. It attaches to the
only indication they were ever there. The least noble metal. green grounding wire to limit galvanic
sterndrive is no longer being protected. For example, several large cruisers are DC current flow (up to about 1.2 volts)
What happened? plugged into shorepower on the same pier between neighboring boats, while also
The likely answer has to do with shore- as a center console boat with an inboard allowing dangerous AC current to safely
power. Keep in mind that I am not refer- engine and an aluminum sterndrive. The pass through to the ground on shore. The
ring to alternating current as the stray cruisers all have bronze and stainless- most efficient galvanic isolators have a
current source passing through the elec- steel fittings under the water (rudder, capacitor that allows the isolator to con-
trolyte. As discussed above, galvanic cor- shafts, props) and no anodes. If there is tinue to block galvanic DC current flow
rosion occurs whenever two dissimilar an anode on the center console’s stern- even if there is small AC leakage on the
metals are immersed in an electrolyte and drive, the anode begins to quickly waste ground wire.
the metals are connected by direct contact away in its valiant attempt to protect Protection can also be provided, typi-
or by an external wire. other metals in the aggregate of boats cally on larger boats and aluminum boats,
In the case above, the external wire was connected via the common grounds. As with an isolation transformer. The latter
the shorepower cord: stray direct current the anode is dissolved, the least noble is much more expensive but it also pro-
passed from one boat’s underwater fittings metal on any of the connected boats, in tects the boat’s AC system from shoreside
through the bonding wire inside the boat, this case, the center console’s sterndrive, power fluctuations.
onto the common ground point and then begins corroding. Isolators are rated in two amperage
onto the AC green wire that passes out to Another possible situation: Several sizes: 30-amp and 50-amp. A boat with
the shorepower cord, to the dock pedestal, boats with aluminum sterndrives are a 30-amp cable needs a 30-amp isola-
onto another boat’s dock pedestal power plugged into AC power on the same pier. tor; a boat with a 50-amp cable needs a
cord, then to the other boat, to that boat’s Some are protected with anodes and some 50-amp isolator. If a boat has two shore-
common ground, bonding wire, fitting and aren’t. Initially, the other boats’ anodes will power inputs, it needs separate isolators
then back through the water to complete protect sterndrives that aren’t protected. for each input.
the circuit (Figure 2). It isn’t unusual Conversely, the protected boats find their Just when all of this galvanic corrosion
for all of the boats on a dock to be tied anodes are dissolving quicker. All it takes business starts to make sense, there may
together via their shorepower cords and, is one boat that isn’t protected to affect be instances involving corrosion that defy
therefore, be affected by stray current from other boats that have less noble under- logic, such as when a more noble metal
a single boat with an electrical fault. water fittings. As the anodes sacrificially becomes severely corroded, leaving a less
The rules governing galvanic corrosion wear away, all of the boats’ sterndrives are noble metal unharmed. This is likely the
are exactly the same regardless of whether vulnerable to galvanic corrosion. effect of stray current corrosion, which can
they’re in direct contact or connected by The source of the corrosion isn’t always drive normally cathodic metals to become
the shorepower ground wire. There won’t apparent and there is no instant fix, short anodic. Q
be corrosion if all of the underwater fit- of constantly replacing your boat’s anodes.
About the author: Bob Adriance is the editor of
tings on all of the boats are made with the If you unplug the shorepower cord, you Seaworthy, the loss-prevention news journal of
same metal, such as bronze, for example. (and the boat) won’t have the benefit of BoatU.S. Marine Insurance. Visit BoatUS.com/
If, however, there is an imbalance of met- AC appliances like battery chargers and Seaworthy or call 800-262-8082, Ext. 3276
als among the boats, which is likely, then refrigeration. to subscribe.

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 BOAT HANDLING

(left) A floating dock is the ideal tie-up and this

boat owner does everything right: fenders hang
from stanchion bases, toerail or track and they’re
covered to stay clean and prevent annoying
squeaks.

DEFENDING
THE BOAT
When a boat gets between a dock and a hard spot, you need
to know how to protect it from damage. Fenders, strategically
placed and properly secured, can do that job.
(above) A fender board hangs outside the fenders
to ride against a dock piling. Rubber bumpers
protect the hull against an accidental touch and
strips of metal on the outside of the board keep
the wood from shredding on a barnacle-encrust-
ed piling. Properly led and secured spring lines
prevent the boat from shifting too far forward or
aft of the piling. Note the fender hanger. Securing
fenderlines to lifelines is a chancy practice.

Story and photos by David and Zora Aiken

Some readers may remember the days roll. Most fenders can be hung horizon- For homeport use, better protection is
when old car tires or hay-stuffed burlap tally or vertically and some fenders permit achieved with permanently attached pier
bags were used as boat fenders. Both a line to be fed through their axis tube, and piling guards that are usually formed
provided good cushioning for the hull and which allows securing the fender with a vinyl or rubber and available in multiple
they were especially useful in such places single line. The options allow for almost configurations, which can be fastened to
as commercial locks, where the lock walls any docking situation. dock and posts. An old reliable standby,
were so scarred and marred that they In cases where maximum fender diam- fire hose, is still sold in many chandler-
laughed at the standard small-boat fend- eter is desired (in selecting fenders, size ies but it captures dirt, abrasives and oily
ers of inflated vinyl. Today’s boat fender matters and bigger is better) round fend- residues, which limit its attractiveness. As
design and manufacturing technology pro- ers can be used. Tough to stow, these permanent attachments to a dock or pil-
duce a variety of fenders to meet the most are deflated for storage and then inflated ing, these are not included in extensive
demanding cushioning needs so there’s for use when needed. At the opposite discussion here, with one exception. A
no need to look further than your favorite extreme are flat fenders; thick modular, “portable” post bumper that is a vertical
chandlery for substitute hull protection. puncture resistant foam or vinyl covered section of fabric-covered, closed-cell foam
The choice of fender type depends partly foam forms, shaped as squares or rect- that is carried on the boat when travel-
on the intended application. Whether your angles, some of which snap together to ing and can be strapped to a piling of any
boat is tied sideways to a pier or seawall, cover more hull area. Another generally material at any dock (straps and buckles
rafted alongside other boats, transiting a square-shaped type has radiused corners supplied).
lock, tied in a slip or is subject to piling to produce a roll-resistant fender that is Most fenders inflate easily through a
contact or things that go bump, there is highly recommended for raftups. needle valve using a hand pump. At least
a fender and a lashing method system to In addition to these basic shapes, there one type includes a built-in pump so the
protect the hull from the expected effects are a number of specialty fenders made fender can be inflated without searching
of close encounters with fixed objects. for unique applications. One such exam- for the pump.
The classic, cylinder-shaped fenders are ple is the clever design that fits around the
made in a range of sizes to suit boat size edge of the swim platform. Another serves Fending Off
and to soothe the boat owner’s paranoia dual purpose as both fender and step and Choosing appropriate fenders is only one
about prevailing threats to hull from con- then there are other multi-purpose designs aspect of defending a boat from damag-
tact with damaging structures.The surface that do double duty as seating cushions. ing structures or other boats. How they
of the fender may be smooth or molded Specialty fenders are available for pontoon attach may be the most critical feature.
with ridges to minimize the tendency to boats, PWCs and bass boats. This seemingly simple task is more than

38 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 BOAT HANDLING

Why a Fenderboard?
A fender board has long demonstrated
its value for docking when the boat is
expected to put a constant load on a pil-
Specialty fender fits This Nordhaven has ing or pier structure. Depending on the
around the edge of the a T-track attached to size of the boat, the board is a piece of
swim platform. the underside of its a 2-by-4 or a 2-by-6, roughly 4' to 6'
rubrail with slides on (1.2m to 1.8m) long, with holes drilled
the track to which
through each end to attach lines for
fenders are tied.
hanging the board. On a long dock, the
These fenders eliminate concern about rolling boat is tied so the widest point of the
and they are a good choice for rafted boats but beam is positioned at a dock piling. Two
attaching to lifelines puts them at risk of sliding or three fenders are hung vertically and
fore or aft. the fender board is placed outboard of
the fenders to rest against the piling. If
springlines are properly tied and posi-
tioned, the boat will ride on the piling,
with the board taking the bumps and
scrapes and the fenders absorbing the
loads. A fender board is sometimes used
in a slip too, perhaps positioned closer
to the bow so the boat is convenient to
a finger pier. One large horizontal fender
might do the job, but only while people
Fenders may not stay where they are initially are on board to adjust lines if it slips
Even stainless-steel rails bend when under placed, especially through all the changes in wind away from the piling.
fender loading. or tide that occur from one weekend to the next. Specially shaped rubber bumpers slide
over the ends of a 2-by-4 board to provide
a cushion if the board is pushed askew
and touches the hull. On a 2-by-6, attach
a source of frustration; it can be the cause them. Fender lines attached to either a small sections of rubber dock bumper to
of damage as well. No simple rules cover lifeline or handrail can slide forward or aft, the inside surface of the board for the
all the variables. shifting the fender away from the place it same hull protection.
Generally, if the boat rests against verti- is meant to protect.
cal pilings, rig a fender board. At a floating Changing wind direction affects the Fender Accessories
dock, most boats use fenders hanging ver- boat’s attitude in the slip, altering the Fending problems are minimal for boats at
tically. On a seawall, horizontal or vertical position of the hull section that needs pro- floating docks. With neat rows of fenders
placement may work, partly depending on tection or subjecting unprotected areas of placed low between hull and dock, every-
the height of the wall and the availability hull to point loads. An especially low tide thing stays in the same relative place,
of fastening points. In an area with sub- might create another bad scene, as the moving up and down together with every
stantial tidal range, stagger fender place- boat rises with an incoming tide, a fender tidal shift.
ment with some high, some low. Ideally, may get caught under the dock, putting a As with most key boat gear, there are
when docking in a new place, it’s a good lot of strain on whatever the fender line’s accessories to enhance the basic function.
idea to stay onboard through a couple of point of attachment, straining lifelines and Fender covers made of complementary
tide changes to adjust lines and fenders stanchions and the attaching line itself. colored acrylic, terrycloth or fleece fabric
as necessary. While lifelines and rails are the most com- keep fenders clean and mitigate the occa-
Many tie-on assists are found in the mon places to tie fender lines, they are not sional vinyl fender squealing. (Some folks
form of pre-spliced lines, a variety of clips, universally the best solution. apply dish soap to naked fenders to dis-
straps, hook-and-loop fasteners and brack- What are the alternatives? Stanchion courage noise.) A cleaner is available for
ets. While these items may help with the bases are strong and generally well posi- fenders that are not covered and become
problem of fenders lost to slipped knots, tioned. Use the space between two bases soiled and, if even that fails, an appropri-
there is still the question of where is the to hang a fender horizontally or to position ate paint will cover the damage. Storage
best fastening place? a fender board. Sailboats have the added racks are sold to keep fenders confined
Most boat owners choose lifelines or option of turnbuckle bases or the cars on but accessible, much preferred to a lost-
rails, for the obvious reason that fenders genoa tracks, however, neither of these in-the-seat-locker or lazarette tangle. Q
are easily positioned anywhere around the installations is intended for extended shear
About the authors: Frequent contributors
boat. For a short time, in calm weather, loading and turnbuckles have threaded to DIY, David and Zora Aiken have been
that’s reasonable but when you leave the studs that will chafe line. Standard cleats liveaboards for more than 20 years and are
boat for a week or two, the fenders prob- are an obvious possibility for any boat and authors of Good Boatkeeping and Cruising: The
ably won’t remain exactly where you hang these can be added as needed. Basics.

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 GEAR AND GADGETS
Story and photos by Garrett Lambert

BREATHE EASY
Regularly cleaning your engine’s air filter offers the optimum in
engine protection and this inexpensive kit does the job well.
Story and photos by Garrett Lambert
Figure 1

A diesel engine requires three things to run between a pie plate cap and the air
Figure 2
well: clean air, clean lubrication and clean intake housing, so it’s easy to remove and
fuel. Racor, a division of Parker Hannifin, replace. The springs are under extreme
has long been a market leader in the busi- tension so be careful you don’t let them
ness of ensuring clean fuel but they also fly! The third spring is noticeably absent in
have a couple of neat products to deal with Figure 1, as it fell into the bilge.
the latter two essentials. Since my engine room is quite clean, I
The Cleanable Air Filter Service Kit (AF was concerned there wouldn’t be enough
M82006) is simple, easy to use and inex- grime on the filter to make this test cred-
pensive ($21.75). A small box contains ible. It certainly looked and felt dry.
two sealed plastic bags, one of which pro- Per the instructions, I spritzed liberally
tects a bottle of cleaning fluid and the other with the cleaning solution, ensuring the
a bottle of air filter oil. Also in each bag is filter was wet all over (Figure 2). After let-
a spray attachment. ting it sit for about 15 minutes, I rinsed it Figure 3
The four-step instruction is printed on the thoroughly with a hose set to spray rather
back of the box as well as on the bottles. than stream (Figure 3). I needn’t have
Spray on the cleaner generously, rinse, dry worried about the test. I was truly sur-
(see below), re-oil. Just in case that was prised to see just how much grime it had
too terse, there is also an expanded version accumulated. After the rinse, the water
on the sheet in the kit. color was black (Figure 4). I spritzed
1 Spray the cleaner on the entire filter ele- again, this time with the lubricant, and
ment liberally and let it soak for 10 min- re-installed it on the engine (Figure 5).
utes. I was happy with the result but one
2 Rinse off the element with low-pres- cleaning is hardly statistically valid, so I
sure water. Tap water is okay. Always flush visited a couple of garages that service Figure 4
from the clean side to the dirty side. This trucks and asked if they had any dirty fil-
removes the dirt and does not drive it into ters about to be thrown away. The answer
the filter. was negative in all cases, although one
3 Shake off excess water after rinsing and owner offered to let me clean the one on
let the element dry naturally. Do not use his pickup truck. Because these filters are
heat or compressed air! so expensive (I learned that mine costs
4 After the filter has dried thoroughly, spray about $100), garages use the same clean-
the air filter oil down into each pleat with ing and reinstall procedure I had followed
one pass per pleat. Wait 10 minutes and on my Cummins filter. Since both garages
re-oil any white spots still showing. confirmed that the solutions do a good
It sounds straightforward, but does it and useful job, I turned down the gener-
Figure 5
work? ous offer of the pickup’s filter cleaning.
The Cleanable Air Filter Service Kit is a About the author: After three decades cruising
Hands-on Testing convenient and easy way to keep an air the world as a diplomat, Garrett Lambert now
I removed the air filter from my boat’s tur- filter clean and having clean air flow to cruises the Pacific Northwest where navigation
bocharged Cummins 220-hp, 6 Diamond your engine will save you money in the and weather challenges play nicely into his
Series engine. Three springs clamp it long run. Q interest in technological innovations.

40 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 DIY PROJECTS BLISTER FACTOR
INDICATES THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY WITH 10
BEING THE HARDEST AND 1 BEING THE EASIEST.
A Tach for Outboards 3
To find the perfect propeller you need to know your engine’s maximum
rpm at wide-open throttle but small horsepower, outboard engines are not
equipped with inline tachometers. This simple device gives you the data
and more.

Gray coax houses a red and white wire: the red

pulse lead is twisted three to four turns around
one of the plug leads, the white wire has a ring
terminal grounded under the upper mounting
screw of the ignition coil and that's basically the
whole install.

When the engine is not running, the display reads the engine hours, as shown by the “5” in this
photo, and can be reset to zero. Clear plastic flap (not shown) keeps off heavy rain. Since it has as I would have ordered the optional, lon-
served its original purpose, it now rarely gets noticed. ger lead ($10) to mount the readout dis-
play in a slightly more convenient place.
By Dick Rogers Power is an internal battery that is appar-
ently good for about 5 years but it’s not
Wanting a tachometer on a small outboard seen years ago in an industrial publica- replaceable.
began as a non-requirement and soon tion, I decided that it’s Google time and The Tiny-Tach Standard version
became a project. After purchasing a 20- there it was. Tiny-tach is a digital, induc- ($36.95) works with most any engine
hp Yamaha outboard for my 14' (4.2m) tive pickup tachometer, about a third the up to 9,990 rpm. With the engine off,
skiff, the dealer agreed to an in-water size of a deck of cards and designed for the readout shows engine hours, which
test to check the propeller match. After a permanent installation. is handy for four-stroke owners tracking
couple of reminders and a suggestion that Installation takes but a few minutes. oil change intervals. Other versions offer
the engine felt “over-propped,” the dealer Just wrap the center core of the integral multiple hour readings for total or ser-
finally arrived with a factory fitted suitcase coax cable around a spark plug lead and vice, interval or reset or non-reset hours.
full of test instruments and adapter har- attach the ring terminal (outer shield) to a There’s even a diesel version.
nesses. Impressive but no combination good ground. I used one of the coil mount- Product information and support is
of test tachometer and service harness ing screws. With the screws supplied (or excellent from the manufacturer, Design
worked. He then tried running the boat double-sided tape or Velcro), mount the Technology Inc., (www.tinytach.com/
while leaning out over the engine with a readout somewhere visible. I mounted it tinytach/index.php), not that much could
portable tach and, although wearing a on a piece of wood with a small angled possibly be needed. It works great on
Mustang auto-inflatable PFD, he declared block to put the unit at my eye line of the Yamaha outboard but I haven’t yet
that that was probably not a clever idea. vision. The block is held in place by the decided where to mount the readout for
The dealer left, did not return and I still motor’s transom screw clamps (the motor the second unit on the Honda generator. (I
believed that I had the wrong propeller. is bolted through the transom). saved some freight buying two units.) Q
If the perfect propeller is one that allows The coax is small diameter and the rub-
the engine to rev to its maximum rated ber seal on the engine cover of a typical About the author: For nearly 50 years, 26 with
rpm as specified in the engine service outboard is sufficiently compliant to bring his own company, Dick Rogers ( alias “the elec-
manual, how do you determine the rpm out the lead through the seal. Standard trical guru”) has worked with electrically related
with a small, portable outboard engine? lead length is 6' (1.8m). I wished I’d automotive, industrial and marine products. He
Remembering a new product item that I’d taken the time to noodle the install first now resides in Indian Point, Nova Scotia.

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 DIY PROJECTS

Interior Facelift 8
(.7mm) to cover the teak, with matching
Modern materials used to conceal years of water damage to teak plywood stained wood trim moldings at the upper
from leaking portlights adds panache to this early ‘80s cruiser. and lower edges.

Materials and Tools

We ordered two, 8' (2.43m) long, 30'
(9.1m) wide pieces of laminate and
they arrived rolled in a spiral, in a heavy
cardboard carton that protected the frag-
ile edges from damage. I quickly learned
that the edges of this thin laminate are
sharp and capable of piercing the skin,
a snag avoided once we learned to
respect the sharp edges of the material.
As usual, with all of my boat projects,
some blood would be donated to the
effort.
The original teak-faced plywood bulk-
head facings were made in sections,
Before: Teak plywood damaged by 28 years of the inevitable water leaks around the portlights.
with vertical joints at the midpoints of
the two fixed portlights. We would fol-
low suit with the new coverings, using
three pieces to cover the 11' (3.3m) fore
and aft span. A sheet of dimensionally
stable Mylar drafting film was used to
create a template for the laminate that
would cover the forward end of the new
side panel coverings.
Three critical decisions had to be
made regarding the use of the Formica
laminate: how to cut the sheets to the
required overall dimensions; how to
After: A lighter and brighter saloon interior.
accurately cut the openings for the port-
By Chuck Husick
lights and how to attach the laminate to
the existing plywood surface. The first
We prefer sailing our boat to polishing it air-conditioned interior would be a way decision was easy to make, as the most
and, while we unstintingly devote time to spend time onboard in relative com- suitable tool was a laminate trimmer
to mechanical and electrical mainte- fort. We decided to do everything within (Figure 1), a specialized router like tool.
nance chores, we are much less likely our skill limits ourselves. The laminate trimming cutter used with
to spend time cleaning and waxing The first step in the program was to this versatile tool has a small ball bear-
fiberglass or worrying about a few drops eliminate leaks, especially around the ing at its outboard end that guides the
of water that gain entry through the large, fixed portlight, aft on the port side cutter as it is moved along the aluminum
gaps around portlights (created by the of the saloon. We made a new portlight trim that surrounds the portlights. The
different thermal coefficients of expan- and after two attempts, succeeded in ease and accuracy with which the cuts
sion of the plastic and the surrounding eliminating (at least temporarily) the were made was a pleasant surprise.
fiberglass). Damage to the interior teak leaks. A standard router bit was used free-
plywood from the water leaks eventually We next had to decide how to deal hand to cut the overall shape of the
got to us. It was past time to repair the with the very seriously deteriorated teak sections of laminate. It takes a bit of
accumulated damage. veneered plywood that surrounded the learning to do the freehand cuts and
The decision to repair the obvious portlights, covering the upper side of we found it best to do the work on a
damage presented the usual initial the saloon bulkhead. New teak was sacrificial surface (the hardboard cover-
choices: hire a professional to do the an obvious choice, however like many ing of our workbench) allowing a depth
work or do it myself; the latter won. production boats built in the early ‘80s of cut deep enough to ensure that the
In part, the decision was based on the almost all of the interior is finished with laminate was cut completely through.
fact that, although sailing on the Gulf dark teak veneers. The traditional off- Since it can be difficult to directly view
of Mexico off St. Petersburg is almost white finish used when boat ceilings the path of the cutter, it’s best to make
always very pleasant, from early July were finished with paint appealed to us the cutting layout on the reverse surface
through mid-September, the trip to and and led to the idea of using Grade 20 of the laminate, allowing for both the
from the dock can be too hot and humid Vertical Postforming Grade Formica lam- distance from the edge of the plastic
to be at all enjoyable. Working in the inate with a nominal thickness of .028" router base to the center of the cutter,

42 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 DIY PROJECTS

Figure 1
Figure 3

plus half the diameter of the cutter. The

cutting process creates impressive quan-
tities of fine laminate dust. Keep a shop
vacuum handy and wear a high quality
dust mask.
Our initial intent was to bond the
laminate to the wood with a high-
strength adhesive such as Liquid Nails.
On further reflection, we decided to
use the same method used to fasten Figure 2
the side panels of some over-the-road Figure 4
cargo trailers to the frames; namely Assembly
3M VHB (very high bond) double-sided As shown in Figure 2, the tape was applying pressure over the entire surface,
polyester foam tape. We have used this applied in short lengths, spaced to provide pounding on it using an old towel to cush-
fastening method with great success adequate adhesion for the laminate while ion the blows.
both on the boat and in commercial allowing the new material to be accurately With the laminate firmly attached (the
products we have designed. In fact, positioned before being fixed in place. strength of the bond improves during the
the two lamp fixtures mounted on the The tape, with its top covering in place, first 72 hours), we addressed the task of
bulkheads between the fixed portlights was firmly forced into contact with the cutting the openings for the portlights. We
were mounted using an early version of wood surface by rubbing it with a cloth. fixed the base of the router at a position
this tape more than 20 years ago and The protective covering was removed, that would ensure that the cutter would
were still very firmly in place when we the laminate positioned (Figure 3) and trim the laminate as the ball bearing rode
worked to remove them. then adhered to the tape by progressively on the aluminum trim around the portlight.

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

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 DIY PROJECTS

Not a Cushy Job 7

The actual cutting process turned out to be
a non-event (Figure 4), except for the copi- Replacing old cushions with new foam and vinyl won’t cost a million
ous amount of laminate dust that resulted. dollars, but your boat will look like it.
The restoration job was completed
with the addition of wood trim, stained
to closely match the teak trim color.
We used clear pine, applying a pre-
stain treatment to promote even color
when applying the stain. The laminate
was cut to match the lower edge of the
bulkhead using the laminate trimmer
(by now a favorite tool). The 90-degree
wood molding for the lower edge was
prepared by cutting a series of thin
saw kerfs into the bottom, horizontal
surface, allowing it to flex to conform
to the curved contour of the bulkhead.
A continuous length of VHB tape was
applied to the vertical surface of the
trim and it was pressed in place. The
wood trim at the top of the bulkhead
was similarly fastened in place using
VHB tape, with a couple of small stain-
less-steel flat head wood screws for
good measure.
New Venetian blinds were ordered,
custom made to the required length and
width. (We had modified blinds in the
past and decided it was worth the addi-
By David Ladewig
tional cost of having new ones made to
fit from the outset). The slats are made After 10 years, the upholstery in our ‘96
of a plastic, faux-wood that we believe Bayliner 2855 Sunbridge Cruiser was
will stand up to the marine environment beginning to crack. The stains were dif-
better than real wood. ficult to remove and mildew had become
From our standpoint the result of the a problem. I decided to have the cockpit
restoration effort has been entirely sat- upholstered with new vinyl. Quotes from
isfactory. The interior of the saloon is several companies ranged from $3,000 to
lighter than when all the vertical sur- $4,800 for the job but didn’t include new
faces were teak wood covered. The new foam, just the covers. It seemed exces-
blinds are better than the old ones. The sive so I looked into turning this into a
home-made, high-efficiency fluorescent DIY project.
lamps, installed on the bulkheads, had The job required that I find someone DIY tools needed for an upholstery refit.
been in use for more than 20 years. We to make the covers and then I would put
disassembled them, power buffed their them on. It didn’t seem that difficult. I Unicatch fine wire model USC71/16 and
brass bases to restore the original bril- contacted Canvas Plus (tel: 360/435- 22-gauge stainless-steel wire staplers
liance and then reassembled and put 0932), an authorized Bayliner canvas with a 3/8" (9mm) crown. Its compact
them back in place. supplier based in Arlington, Washington. size makes it easy to hold and operate.
This job required about 30 hours. This company could make complete cov- Air output is set at 40 psi and adjusted as
The cost of the material, including the ers in the exact color and pattern as the needed. My air compressor is a small unit
purchase of the laminate trimming rout- original seats and ones that didn’t need purchased at Home Depot and works well
er and cutting bits, was less than $350 fitting. We agreed on a price and I gave with a stapler and small nail gun. Only
plus $280 for the new Venetian blinds. them the boat’s hull number to make sure stainless-steel staples are acceptable for
We now have a refreshed interior in the we received the correct seat covers. this type of work and they were shipped
saloon and the satisfying feeling that The next part of this project was to with the stapler.
comes from working on your boat. Q obtain an air-driven upholstery staple
gun. You can find a stapler anywhere but Dismantling
About the author: An electrical engineer, pilot most are not the proper unit for this type Now for the fun part; removing seats from
and former president of Chris-Craft Boats, of work. Home improvement stores don’t the boat. If you have never looked, the
Chuck Husick has sailed the U.S. coastal carry them, as a rule, but you’ll likely screws and bolts that hold down the seats
waters and Great Lakes since the early ‘70s. find one on an Internet search. I used a are not put in obvious places. I’m sure that

44 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628
 DIY PROJECTS

demands lots of elbow grease with a paint

scraper. The probe and pliers got the rest
of the staples out of the wood.
Next, all plywood was checked for any
rot. As it was still all good, it was repaint-
ed with marine deck paint and put aside
to dry. Once dry, wood filler was applied
to fill any staple holes the paint didn’t
fill. At that time, we decided to eliminate
the transom-facing, pull-out jump seat. It
wasn’t used much and we have chairs for
the aft cockpit anyway. By tossing out this
small seat, there was now space under
the settee for docklines and the flare kit.

The Main Challenge

So far, I’ve only described cleaning up the
large lounge seat, side panel and jump
seat. The captain's chair is a hard plastic
shell with a side/back cover, four center
Mildewed foam is treated with a bleach solution followed by denatured alcohol.
cushions and a decorative piece. This was
the next task. It was much easier than the
most seats must be put in boats before Most of it ripped right off. What remained larger settee but each of the four cushions
the hull and deck are joined because they was easy to remove. After all staples were was screwed into the plastic.
surely are not easily removed. In addition removed, the task of cleaning or checking The most difficult part of this job was
to the screws I could see, ceiling panels the foam began. A lot of the foam was finding the screws. There are small holes
in the back bunk cabin were removed covered with plastic to keep water out. in the vinyl where the screws go through
to gain access to the screws and bolts. Some of this was okay, but most had to the wood and then into the plastic seat
After unbolting the lounge, the back of the leaked through to the foam, which had shell. Holes in the vinyl let the air out and
lounge and unscrewing the jump seat, it become mildewed. Even with the boat in when one uses it. This seems to work
all came out, sort of. stored under shrinkwrap in the early years
There was a lot of silicone sealer around and a cockpit cover the last three years,

PROJECTS
the screw and bolt attachment points. there was a lot of mildew. I sprayed it with
Just keep tugging gently and they will bleach and then denatured alcohol. Some
break loose. It took half a day to remove of it went away and some didn’t. After

WANTED
all the pieces and then I spent the rest of three tries, it was time to rip the foam off
the day cleaning up 10 years of grime and and get some new pieces.
junk behind the seats. Yuk! That was the After removing the plastic and noting
worst part of this job. which pieces were covered, I very care-
I decided to load up as many pieces fully removed all the foam. Each seat If you would like to share one of your own
as I could in my car and take them home had two pieces of foam. These covers all boat-tested projects, send your articles to
and do the job in my garage. Everything have a hold-down strip of material stapled DIY PROJECTS via mail or e-mail. Include
would fit except the lounge back. It would between the foam pieces to make the a brief explanation and photos and/or
have to be done at the boat. seats stronger. They hold their shape for sketches (don’t worry, we’ll redraw the
Tools that really helped me get the old years when they are built this way. I then art). Also, please include your mailing
stuff off the plywood frames included a set took the foam pieces to a nearby foam address and a daytime phone number or
of Craftsman probes and needle nose pli- company to have replacements made. email address. If we publish your project,
ers to remove the 2,000 or so staples and When buying new foam, always purchase we’ll send you between $50 and $300,
a heavy duty paint scraper to remove the foam that is the same as the original in depending on the published length.
excess glue and foam from the plywood. texture or firmness; otherwise, the seats
All staples must be removed as does all may not fit back together. Your supplier
the old foam and glue. When using these will know what to supply for a perfect
probes, be extra careful that you don’t match.
stab yourself.
Back Repairs PROJECTS
Seat Conditioning While waiting for the new foam and the
After 10 years, the vinyl was very brittle. arrival of the new covers, I worked on P.O. Box 22473,
It had cracked in several places and, after removing the remaining glue and staples. Alexandria, VA 22304
using the probe to remove several staples, This was a tough job. Some of the glue or E-mail: tech@diy-boat.com
I used my gloved hand to grab and pull. was still flexible and sticky and removal

DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628 45
 DIY PROJECTS

Attaching new precut foam to plywood.

Completed settee back.

Captain’s chair assembly: (top) Numerous staples hold the cover to the shell and it’s ready for the
four-piece cushion back; (middle) Cushions installed. (bottom) Finished seat.

Vinyl on settee bottom is held with temporary

spray to mess up your work space. I used each one to keep even pressure on the
staples. Note finished covered side panel behind. this product to tack and hold or to spray vinyl.
both the foam and plywood and assemble When the original side panel was made,
for an almost dry bond. I also stapled the the manufacturer used blind fasteners to
well and cutting the four new foam pieces foam along the edges too. attach it to the boat. I decided to eliminate
seemed like an easy job compared to the After the foam comes the plastic film. It this access problem and attach the panel
larger pieces. comes on rolls and the minimum order was using #12 screws with finishing wash-
a 100 yards by 4' wide (91.4m by 1.2m). ers and a flat washer. Next, the mounting
Reassembly It’s made in heavier grades but I used the holes for the engine controller were cut
With the painting, removal and clean- same grade that was originally used. and stapled to make the reinstallation on
up completed, I was ready to start reas- Next, I attached the cover. All the new the boat easy and smooth.
sembly. I started with the flat panel that seat covers arrived from Canvas Plus The side panel assembly went smoothly
mounts against the cockpit side, next to with foam sewn into the cover. By using so I tackled the captain’s seat next. New
the captain’s seat. Being flat, the panel the sheet foam first, the padding was foam was glued to the back and sides of
would give me an opportunity to mas- thicker and much more elegant looking. the plastic shell and then trimmed and
ter my skills before tackling the rounded On the panel there is a dark blue line of stapled. Additionally, the sealing plastic
seats. In addition to the cut foam, I pur- piping. That part attaches first and then film was attached and glued to the plastic
chased two sheets of 1/8" (3mm) and 1/4" the vinyl is pulled tight. I first pulled shell. There are holes at the base of this
(6mm) foam, which I used to pad the side it tight and then attached just enough seat for water to drain. The cover fit like a
panel and captain’s seat back before put- staples to hold it for about an hour and glove but was difficult to pull tight the first
ting on the covers. then I removed those staples and pulled time so I let it sit until the next day and
The foam attaches to the plywood using the vinyl all the way down tight and sta- then pulled it tight again. Keep your sta-
Masco 200 Bond Heavy Duty Adhesive pled around the perimeter. Once every pler near by when pulling the cover over
Spray. This is a heavy solids spray with a wrinkle was gone, I ran a second line this seat. Just one quick staple and then
spray pattern that gives virtually no over- of staples behind the first row offsetting the tightening becomes easier.

46 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628
 DIY ON
DIY PROJECTS

CD-ROM
DIY BILL OF MATERIALS

Computer cut vinyl seat covers, sewn with backing and shipping from
Canvas Plus, Arlington, Washington..........................................................................................$500

Foam, plastic sheeting, 3 yards each of 1/8" (3mm) and 1/4" (6mm) thick
Trimfoam sheets, 1 roll stuffer film, 2 cans #200 Bond Heavy Duty Adhesive Spray 1995 – 2008
from Masco, Birmingham, Alabama .........................................................................................$491
56 Issues of DIY:
Staple Gun and stainless-steel staples from Fasco, Bakersfield, California ...............................$98 A technical
reference
Miscellaneous: 2 quarts (1.8L) marine deck paint, acetone, library for
disposable paint brushes, stainless-steel fasteners...................................................................$50 powerboat-
ers and
sailboaters.
The editorial
The plastic shell is covered completely and then I restapled it as needed. The archives of
on its back, side and arms by this cover same thing was done for the front side of DIY from
and stapled to the shell. Next, the foam the cushion. 1995 to
attaches to the four pieces of plywood With these pieces completed, it was 2008, from
and then is covered with the new vinyl. time to load all the tools and return to the cover to cover, organized by year
The blue decorative piece fills in the boat to do the settee back. After complet- and issue.
gap between cushions on the seat back. ing the back using the same method as $99.95
Instead of punching a hole in this part, described above, I reinstalled the new
I first attached it using two #10 screws
with a finishing and flat washer. The easi-
seats. The side panel went on first and it
required reinstalling the engine controller. MRT BOX SET
est way to punch the screw holes is to use The settee back was next, followed by the 12 of the MRT
the probe and work from the backside of settee bottom and then the captain’s chair. Series in a
the cushion through the hole in the ply- The cockpit looked like it did the day the custom vinyl
wood. Make the hole as small as possible boat was made 10 years ago. case. Power
for the screw. I also glued the bottom seat Total cost was $500 for the covers and version has
and used a silicon sealer to keep water off $491 for the foam, plastic sheeting and Powerboat
the plywood. adhesive. The stapler was less than $100 Rigging and Sail
In addition to the new paint, this should with a box of 10,000 staples. My guess is version has Sailboat Rigging.
resist water for many years. The next that it takes about 2,000 staples to do this $119.95
attachment was the four cushions and job. I already had the rest of the tools and
then attaching the bottom plate that goes the small air compressor. The entire job (Specify power or sail)
on the pedestal. While the bottom plate took two weekends and a few evenings to
was off, it was cleaned and greased for a complete, about 32 hours. The cost sav- Electronics Connection
smoother operation when you adjust the ings by making this a DIY project was sev- Provides the
seat fore or aft. eral thousand dollars. Q information
you need to
The last piece I could do at home was consider when
the settee bottom. This is a large seat and About the author: David Ladewig has been purchasing,
is actually easier to cover than the smaller an avid boater since his youth and has owned installing,
parts. The only degree of difficulty was sail and powerboats from 12' to 32' (3.6m to operating, and
stretching the vinyl tight and that was 9.7m) in length. Home port for Four Pyrates II, troubleshoot-
only due to size. Once again, I glued the which replaced his boat lost in Hurricane Ivan, ing marine electronics for most any
back piece of foam on first. Next, it was is Dauphin Island, Alabama. layout or equipment and budget in
covered with plastic film and then stapled a step-by-step approach.
and glued. I stapled the blind panel to the $19.95
wood, making sure to get it even around
the outside of the foam. Pulling the cover
toward the back, a temporary staple
held it in place. After wrapping the front
foam in plastic, it was tucked under the
cover on the front section and the cover
pulled over it and attached with a tempo- TO ORDER CALL
rary staple. Temporary staples were now To subscribe call 1-888-658-BOAT
removed and the cover pulled tight and
held with staples. Once tight, I let it sit
1-888-658-BOAT (2628) OR SHOP ONLINE AT
before retightening and removing staples diy-boat.com WWW.DIY-BOAT.COM
DIY Boat Owner 2009-2
(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628 47
View from the Stern
Add Some Water, My own 22-footer is getting an inte-
rior upgrade, replacing a rotted bulk-

Have Some Fun

head, new cushions and laying on new
varnish. My boys and I painted both
boats with Interlux Perfection topside
paint but saved the final topcoat for
Tough times for the recreational marine industry don’t have to application by the professionals at
dictate your joy of boating. Fuel prices are half that of last season Jamestown Boatyard, Jamestown, RI.
By doing the hull prep work ourselves,
and there are other opportunities to stretch your boating dollars. we saved thousands of dollars and
turned a sad sight into a very attrac-
tive boat, as well as taking a big step
toward improving the boat’s value.
Our RIB acquired new electronics.
We’ve installed a Lowrance speed-
ometer and depthsounder and a VHF
radio. We put Aqualuma underwater
lights in the transom [Ed: For steps
on installing these lights, refer to DIY
2009-#1 issue] and new Hella area
lights on the metal towing framework
to raise fish at night, which are also
great when backing up to a dock or
boarding from astern. We’ve put new,
very comfortable Todd bucket seats on
it, too. These seats contain the driver
better when cornering at high speeds
and offer greater back support when
sitting.
We also found a couple of really high
quality marine speakers at a bargain
Sacha

price. So our next projects are to install

an MP3 player/radio on both the RIB
By Roger Marshall and J/24, so that we can play suitably
loud and obnoxious tunes going to the
They say it’s going to be a tough year issuing a siren’s call at a winter boat start line of the sailboat races.
for boating. With the economic down- show. Almost all these upgrades were done
turn, rising fuel prices (even though oil What are you doing with your boat? by my teenage sons and I. The boats
companies have made record profits) If it’s too expensive to buy a new one are more useable and more comfortable
and everybody working longer hours with the latest gizmos and gadgets, or and we customized them to suit what
or for less money (or not at all) in an too costly to launch and use, why not we wanted and how we use the boats.
effort to keep themselves afloat (figura- use this downtime to do a few upgrades. If you are planning on delaying
tively and literally), marine leisure time Summer is the prime time for refits and, launching this year, or maybe not
is taking a big hit. While the National when the economy comes back, your launching at all, there are some great
Marine Manufacturers Association is boat will be in tip-top shape, ready for bargains around that may allow you to
reporting that boat registrations are up, fun on the water. Competition for work upgrade and make your boat more suit-
new boat sales are spiraling downward, is keen among the good yacht yards so able for your on-water fun, be it fishing,
boat builders are furloughing employ- there’s the potential for negotiating an sailing or just plain being afloat. But,
ees and cutting production. Even actual excellent project value. I should add, don’t delay your launch
boat usage appears to be decreasing If you, like me, have many projects, to make an upgrade. Use your boat as
with more boats sitting idle dockside. it’s sometimes hard to decide where much as possible, have fun with it and,
The spring launch is being deferred by to start. My own back yard is a typi- if you find a great bargain on equipment
some to postpone pre-launch expenses cal example. There’s a J/24 owned by or a new or new-to-you boat, treat your-
and others are looking at boats being my son that has had the hull faired and self and enjoy your next outing. Q
offered for sale at very tempting prices. painted and is being upgraded with a
Some owners are opting to refit and new deck and new Ronstan deck gear. About the author: The author of 12 books,
refurbish an older, already owned boat The goal is to have it ready to launch Roger Marshall’s latest book, Fiberglass Repair
in lieu of buying the floating temptress this summer. Illustrated, is soon to be released.

48 DIY Boat Owner 2009-2

(www.diy-boat.com) 1-888-658-2628
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