Hi everyone, Ducatihottie here, (Brian)

[Xsbank]

Hmmm, methinks gummy bears...and beer!

 

[Northern Spy]

My ftrakum stop c9co filtresho0rtryt I'd broke..east fix

Yes. Absolutely.

 

[Comodave]

I am pretty lucky that my wife likes boating and tolerates my boating madness. We are on our 23rd boat and 49th year of marriage. She has a good deal and I do remind her of that frequently... Actually she asked me out when we were in high school so she saw a good thing and went for it... Again I am extremely lucky to have her and I do appreciate her a lot.

 

[Alaskaflyer]

And a personal note that took me a few years to learn, and one wise man to thump me in the head to remember..

You can only have one high maintenance item in your life. The others will get jealous and leave you stranded. So pick accordingly.

(this is coming from a guy that use to have a few Ducati's)

This includes spouses. If you’ve got one, then you aren’t likely to be successful with any other of the mechanical variety.

 

[Airstream345]

Ducati, welcome back. Don't be embarrassed, if any of us listened to our own advice none of us would ever own a boat!

If you have the time, Peggy's book "Getting Rid of Boat Odors" is an excellent resource. The TLDR version is: use fresh water toilets, empty the tank often, ensure the tank has good ventilation and don't put anything down there that kills off the "good" bacteria.

We use NoFlex Digestor to help oxygenate the contents of our tank and to help keep it sludge free.. Works well. You can buy it on Amazon but it's cheaper at Fisheries in Freemont.

 

[Hippocampus]

+1 on Peggy. She knows her sh-t. As a live aboard for quite awhile we had two heads. One a electric, one manual. The electric elegance gave the least troubles so rarely used the other. Both pumped for salt or fresh. Only used salt when on passage and we couldn’t make fresh for some reason. We had small paper luncheon bags placed in lidded small garbage cans next to the thrones. When I said “Nothing goes in that didn’t come out of you “. I meant it. Paper takes longer to break down and gives more sediment. We never use pump outs. US coastal it’s easy enough to get 3 miles out. It’s easy enough to include the paper bags in your house hold garbage or toss over board if offshore.
Offshore through hull kept open as it is in Caribbean except when in a slip. That way nothing is allowed to collect and settle in the bottom of the tank. Once in awhile close the through hull and using reverse osmosis water fill holding tanks to half way. Then go on a bumpy ride. Before coming in empty tanks (following the 3 m rule if applicable).
RO water has no minerals so leaches deposits off tubing walls, joker valves and interior of holding tank. If you don’t have RO water household vinegar works some. As soon as we could would flush system with RO or fresh/vinegar if salt water was used. After a year of troubles had 6 years of no troubles once we instituted this program.
No chemicals except rare vinegar. Rare olive oil for a lubricant. Otherwise nothing else and zero,ZERO smell or troubles.

 

[Hippocampus]

Final comment. Think at commissioning all boats get a gremlin. Gremlin stays in hiding if you use the boat. Doesn’t matter what it is-head, engine, genset, AC, water maker -doesn’t matter it will break if you don’t use it allowing the gremlin to do his dirty work.
Head definitely fall in that group. If fluids are going in and out they work just fine. If don’t you get clogs, smells, bad joker valves etc.

 

[slowgoesit]

Might want to be careful using that "bowel" thruster. Most, if not all of Puget Sound is a no discharge zone! I can see where a bowel thruster might be handy when trying to moor at a crowed dock. Use the bowel thruster a few times and the dock might clear out, with boats leaving right and left! Now if you are talking a BOW thruster, that's another matter

 

[roddy]

Was scared as hell 1st few time taking boat out and into of slip!!!!!!!
Went from 19 feet to 45 feet! It took me 30 minutes to get my boat back into slip first time! Probably 25 min 2nd time, 20 min 3rd time...
Sure your slip neighbors will lend you a hand once they know your new to boating.
Wait for calm days and slack water, put at least 4 fenders on each side.
Put 20 out feet of slack, on dock side, forward spring line. Don't try this with aft lines its too close to props and rudders.
With spring attached if things go wrong you can power gently ahead and spring will bring you parallel to dock.
Center rudder by cranking full port, then count back to full starboard, count half the turns to port, rudder is centered.
Do not use wheel. In close quarters always maneuver only with transmissions, do not touch throttles. Use short bursts 1 or 2 seconds in gear is plenty.
Practice moving in and out of slip. Easy does it. You'll soon start to get the feel of how she handles.
Find out where odor is coming from. It may not be head...
Put hot wet towel on sanitation lines and rub, then check towel for odor.
If towel test okay check for leaks into bilge.
Clean bilges! There will be at least 3 bilges. Concern yourself with the smelly one.
Use shop-vac to vacuum bilge dry. Don,t fill too full as you will have to dump it ashore if its dirty or oily. It will be nasty!!!!!!!!
Get water hose nozzle into bilge trying to get under tanks and through stinger drains (limber holes).
Shop-vac again and again util water clear and chunks stop appearing.
Have beer, you deserve it.
Use insecticide sprayer using strong mixture of Pine-Sol and hot water.
Spray every area you can get at trying to knock crust'ies off. Shop-vac again. Rinse with water hose nozzle. Rinse with hose and shop-vac.
Spray again make sure your spray everything, side of bilge ,stringers, hoses, tops, side of holding tank. Don't spray electrical items.
Mix another batch of Pine-sol filling bilge just below bilge float switch.
Leave bilge hatches off and leave for a couple days. Then vacuum out and dispose ashore.
Don't know if its legal to pump Pine-sol overboard, probably not. In any case you cant pump oily and dirty bilge overboard unless emergency.
Welcome to its only another boat buck!

 

[OldDan1943]

Alas, if you only knew how much I hate the smell of Pine-sol.

 

[BruceK]

Hi bruce! Freaking missed you!

I'm figuring a bowel thruster would cost a bit more than it does in Downtown Seattle on a corner.

DH, I need to remind myself how you jumped in the deep end and of course you have lots of questions with such a steep learning curve. Keep `em coming, and try cultivating a marina friend who can be hands on help.
Oh, and I found this in the "Diversions" section of a Report I get:

 

[Ducatihottie]

Roddy did you say you leave a line on and practice going in and out? As you can see from the photos I'm also on the difficult side of the slip as I can't just pull in. I've got to go past it, rotate my boat and then drive in. I've never backed in yet and I've been lucky as the boat sharing my slip is a tiny speed boat, lots of room.

I've had 4 lessons from 3 different people and went through the locks and set anchor as well. I'm now in a position where I feel comfortable but still need another to go out with me. I don't see a time when I can do it alone, (she's quite big). Plus as I mentioned, I'd never trust my wife to jump off and handle the line's. Nor Drive the boat. Huge problem, Ive got a big boat and I can't take it out alone, YET.


By the way everyone, I don't have any unpleasant smells and I do use it regularly to urinate in as Fisherman's Terminal toilets close at 9pm. I have one of those airplane toilets and I believe that helps in keeping the smells down or it's the hand soap? My bilge doesn't smell either.

People here mention "the vents" often and to keep them clear? Where would I find these vents and what maintenance should I do to them?

Main problem with my wife is of course, the money I'm spending, (fixing tear 1 problems with my survey) . And the stress she feels my dog has while he's on the boat. I think he has fun.We have to pass him on and off every time he needs to pee / poo. And he CAN'T get up or down the bedroom and kitchen steps.

You guys know the type of tiny "ladder" like steps that I have. If u have a dog, how do they get up or down these steps? Popcorn is a Bichon and getting up there in years, 16. We also can't leave him at home alone if we spend the night on the boat.



Thanks all.

 

[Zoar]

Bowel thrusters are precisely in between the Starbird side of the boat and the Pork side of the boat, that's all that matters.

 

[AlanT]

This includes spouses. If you’ve got one, then you aren’t likely to be successful with any other of the mechanical variety.

I respect your opinion but so far have been able to balance things (26th wedding anniversary last month) 456M in the garage and a decent boat. ~A

 

[SteveK]

Roddy did you say you leave a line on and practice going in and out? As you can see from the photos I'm also on the difficult side of the slip as I can't just pull in. I've got to go past it, rotate my boat and then drive in. I've never backed in yet and I've been lucky as the boat sharing my slip is a tiny speed boat, lots of room.
...................................

OK ducati,
with all the alcohol talking, please confirm the above is about your boat.

 

[guy with a boat]

...We had small paper luncheon bags placed in lidded small garbage cans next to the thrones. When I said “Nothing goes in that didn’t come out of you “. I meant it. Paper takes longer to break down and gives more sediment. We never use pump outs. US coastal it’s easy enough to get 3 miles out. It’s easy enough to include the paper bags in your house hold garbage or toss over board if offshore.

Hippo,

I know old habits die hard, but a current model marine head of reasonable quality has zero issues with processing TP. Make sure you stay with one of the many water-soluble papers and you can toss those stinky paper bags forever.

Welcome to the civilized world of trawlers.

 

[Hippocampus]

Have great macerators. They have no issue with tissue. . We had Elegance which practical sailor rated #1. But sediment is usually the problem with the run from holding tank to through hull. If you need to leave the through hull closed for awhile as no pump outs are nearby find it prevents trouble to go the paper bag route. Think you’re right if never using that through hull. Our cruising has involved being in a slip when working on the boat so through hull closed. But spending the vast amount of time cruising with through hull open. Just glad we haven’t been in places where they don’t even permit gray water to be discharged like in parts of the Med/Aegean. There’s no through hull police in the Caribbean but some places are gross like Road Town. Don’t want to add to that.

 

[Olebird]

No soap in the pee trap ... bowel thrusters can really complicate maneuvering ... otherwise even most MD types can master it.

 

[CaptainSEA]

I am also old fashion regarding the heads, no TP in and a strong briefing to guests regarding this issue, I am concerned that if I let people put in TP they may push it further with other kind of material such as plastic wraps,....

Hippo,

I know old habits die hard, but a current model marine head of reasonable quality has zero issues with processing TP. Make sure you stay with one of the many water-soluble papers and you can toss those stinky paper bags forever.

Welcome to the civilized world of trawlers.

 

[ranger58sb]

Plus as I mentioned, I'd never trust my wife to jump off and handle the line's. Nor Drive the boat. Huge problem, Ive got a big boat and I can't take it out alone, YET.

People here mention "the vents" often and to keep them clear? Where would I find these vents and what maintenance should I do to them?

You guys know the type of tiny "ladder" like steps that I have. If u have a dog, how do they get up or down these steps? Popcorn is a Bichon and getting up there in years, 16. We also can't leave him at home alone if we spend the night on the boat.

Chill.

Then do everything Peggie says, relative to your head and holding tank. Memorize what she says about good bacteria, how to feed it, and good venting. (NoFlex works well enough.)

The vents will be outside the hull, perhaps a foot or so (?) below your rub rail, and probably not tooooo distant from your holding tank. If you can expose the top of your holding tank, your can likely identify the vent hose and the direction it runs. Trace that. To confirm, you can have wifey flush once while you're nose is right in front of a candidate vent outlet.

If there's no vent filter in that line somewhere, backflushing with water can work. If there's a vent filter, replacing the filter can work. Although Peggie suggests jettisoning the filter altogether (you could replace with a new section of hose).

The doggie access issue is best solved during the boat shopping phase. (Ask our Great Pyrenees and the Golden Receivers how I know that.). Given you've bypassed that opportunity, maybe a small ramp on one side of the stairs? If so, maybe carpet covered for traction? If not... at least you can easily lift him...

Suggested boat practice exercise: Leave the slip. Almost. Leave a/some lines attached for recovery if necessary (but not long enough to get in the water and foul your props). Return to the slip. Fiddle with your "bowel" thruster, and gear(s) while you do it, to learn how they react. Do that about a thousand times.

"Jumping off the docks" = bad. Don't do that.

Why not trust your wifey to drive? She might be better at it than you anyway.

-Chris

 

[Wayfarer]

Wow.

Yes. Absolutely.

I agree!

Bowel thrusters are precisely in between the Starbird side of the boat and the Pork side of the boat, that's all that matters.

I thought it was the starburst side. Man, I've been wrong all these years. I feel like a dummy.

I'm totes jelly of your bowel thruster, though. I could really use one.

 

[Hippocampus]

Think it’s very important both members of a mom and pop team periodically do the other persons job. Think only by switching out will the other person understand the difficulties and needs of that job.
Wife would get upset at me when I was at the helm for docking, approaching a mooring or dropping an anchor until we switched out and I did her job and she did mine. Although she prefers to have me drive she now understands what that means and I understand the problems she could face. Also it’s a great safety thing knowing if you can’t she can. Believe the switching out should be done with all possible things even down to mechanical things. That way she has a deeper understanding of what she writing down in the logbook. Understanding what the numbers reflect means she knows when to get nervous and wake me to assess.
Finally that sharing and switching of functions means she understands what’s going on. That translates into her feeling more secure and much less nervous and scared. People get anxious when they don’t know what’s going on. People get resentful when they’re constantly dependent on another person. Happy wife....happy life.

 

[Portage_Bay]

There's another benefit to sharing all tasks. I know of a couple where she was losing interest in cruising until he encouraged her to take a more active part in boat handling, navigation and engine room. Her interest and the quality of their cruising days are much improved.

 

[Hippocampus]

Spot on PB. Have seen all too many cruising couples give up the dream after a year or two. Usually he wanted the boat and she went along to please him. Just like it has to be our house it must be our boat. Have boat broker friends who say they can tell at time of purchase which couples will be successful long term cruisers. Even with expensive documented boats most change hands before 5 years. Boating is learning regardless of how long you’ve been doing it. It’s fun to learn new stuff. It’s rewarding to do a job or complete a transit even when things are difficult and be able to look back and say I did that. If from the get go she has that attitude you will succeed. If not it will always be a slog. You’d be better off and so will your bank account if you accept she’s not into it and get a center console to go fishing. This is a trawler site. FD trawlers are made to go places and be lived on. She has to want to do that.

 

[Airstream345]

Think it’s very important both members of a mom and pop team periodically do the other persons job. Think only by switching out will the other person understand the difficulties and needs of that job.
Wife would get upset at me when I was at the helm for docking, approaching a mooring or dropping an anchor until we switched out and I did her job and she did mine. Although she prefers to have me drive she now understands what that means and I understand the problems she could face. Also it’s a great safety thing knowing if you can’t she can. Believe the switching out should be done with all possible things even down to mechanical things. That way she has a deeper understanding of what she writing down in the logbook. Understanding what the numbers reflect means she knows when to get nervous and wake me to assess.
Finally that sharing and switching of functions means she understands what’s going on. That translates into her feeling more secure and much less nervous and scared. People get anxious when they don’t know what’s going on. People get resentful when they’re constantly dependent on another person. Happy wife....happy life.

Agree 100%. Switching up jobs improves the knowledge, confidence, understanding and appreciation of each other's functions. We work on this all the time.

Ducati, always happy to help handle lines and offer up free advice underway along with what I've learned running a 40' twin engine trawler and now a 54' single engine trawler around Lake Union, the locks and Puget Sound. I find my time as a flight instructor helps me simplify the complex when under stress.

You'd have to accept free help however.

 

[ranger58sb]

Brian, a thought, based on the theory that "the best boat is the one your friend owns..."

Consider trolling for a local friend who knows how to drive a boat. Perhaps somebody named "Ron" or some such. Put Ron on your insurance.

Then whenever you want to go somewhere on the boat, invite Ron to come drive it for you. Pay attention to how Ron manages driving the boat, and gradually begin to do some of that stuff yourself... with Ron's guidance and coaching.

Use the boat a lot, otherwise you'll lose everything you learned. Mental atrophy, so to speak.

Earlier I typed ""Jumping off the docks" = bad. Don't do that." I meant jumping off the boat onto the dock = bad. Don't do that, either.

-Chris

 

[Ducatihottie]

Airstream I forgot how to email one personally on this site.

If you get this, my email address is 1ducatihottie@gmail.com or you can text at 617-309-9991.

Anyone else in the Seattle area wants to go for a ride email or text me as well.

 

[Ducatihottie]

Chris, I did have someone just as you mentioned, an engineer on the Seattle Ferries. He though now has zero time as he's "home schooling" his kids, (Covid schooling). Plus I work every Saturday and Sunday when he's free, (off Monday through Friday).

I know this is starting to feel like a pity post, but I was under the impression I could do this myself. But my boats entry and exit to the dock is much higher than any boat I've seen. Plus I can't exit from the transom.

And when I try to recommend to my wife maybe we should go to the gym, she states, "does it look like this body needs to go to the gym"? So she's not that athletic, (neither am I). There will be a time or two that I'll fall in the water. Woohoo.

 

[Peter B]

Airstream I forgot how to email one personally on this site.

If you get this, my email address is 1ducatihottie@gmail.com or you can text at 617-309-9991.

Anyone else in the Seattle area wants to go for a ride email or text me as well.

Duc, the way to send what we call a personal message or PM is to click on the name of the person you want to send to in their ID part above their avatar, then select 'send private message to member', and then basically it becomes like a private post - pretty straightforward, and saves putting your details on the open forum.

I'll send this via PM to you now. If you go into your User CP (top left of screen), select the section Options & Settings, then select 'Edit Options', then scroll through the various options which are then fairly intuitive as to what each does. You can set it to receive PMs, and even email notifications of responses to a thread you have posted on if desired, but I have that facility off as otherwise your email inbox tends to get a bit 'full'.
Cheers,

 

[ranger58sb]

Chris, I did have someone just as you mentioned, an engineer on the Seattle Ferries. He though now has zero time as he's "home schooling" his kids, (Covid schooling). Plus I work every Saturday and Sunday when he's free, (off Monday through Friday).

I know this is starting to feel like a pity post, but I was under the impression I could do this myself. But my boats entry and exit to the dock is much higher than any boat I've seen. Plus I can't exit from the transom.

And when I try to recommend to my wife maybe we should go to the gym, she states, "does it look like this body needs to go to the gym"? So she's not that athletic, (neither am I). There will be a time or two that I'll fall in the water. Woohoo.

Not to worry, just shop around for more friends.

The transom exit is another feature often solved in the shopping phase. After that, it's still often possible to install a transom door, though.

Doesn't take much athletics to drive the boat. Ideally, it doesn't take much athletics to park it, either; mostly it can be a matter of finesse (although yes, with some exceptions).

You might be able to guess that 99% of the people here weren't born knowing how to drive and park a boat. It takes study, some (lots of!) practice, some coaching, some mentoring... and luck doesn't hurt. Nor does insurance. Nor does a willingness to pay for repairs you might cause by bonking up against something too hard.

Just get on with it. Bite a bullet. Your destiny is in your own hands.

(Meant for you to hear that in a very fatherly tone...)

-Chris