Helmsman Hacks

[KMAL]

Most high quality coatings should deliver two years in Northern climes. Three years with luck or are covered with little sun and cold water. Four years if you win the Lotto. Your diver should be able to assess the need/condition as you are presumably changing zincs out and having the bottom cleaned at the same time.

 

[Norseman 38E]

How often are you folks doing bottom paint?

Mine delivered 7/23. Winter haul out. So it’s been on the boat 2 years but in the water just over 1.

If you have Seahawk Sharkskin, you should be putting on a fresh coat after every winter haul out. Please see the below excerpt from the Sharkskin technical data sheet.

"Note: If the vessel is launched, and then rehauled, air exposure should be limited to 72 hours. If out of the water longer than 72 hours, Sharkskin will oxidize and lose its antifouling effectiveness. Therefore, an additional coat of Sharkskin is recommended after 72 hours of air exposure from haul out time."

If you have Seahawk Cukote, you do not need to reapply after each winter haul out, and three years is about the average (not including time on the hard). Though this fluctuates and is most impacted by the location of the boat. The East coast has higher water temperatures and higher salinity, and therefore you may need to reapply more frequently than boats in the Northwest.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

View attachment 158721

Nice set up, GR. I have the same Garmin radar and Shakespear TV antenna. Does the radar interfere with your TV reception when the radar is on? Mine does. Perfect reception with radar off, and unwatchable interference with radar on.

 

[FWT]

Norseman:

Thanks. Your post sent me to their data sheets. Seems Cukote is about the only Seahawk version that is effective after a haul out. Slightly more expensive than Sharkskin but not excessively so, and a deal if it means multi-season use instead of annual application.

I did not reapply this past spring. My haul out is in 10 days and I'll be interested to see what I see.

 

[FWT]

Price: $2.10 at local non chain hardware store

Value: invaluable in winterization of water tank

 

[Nick14]

Price: $2.10 at local non chain hardware store

Value: invaluable in winterization of water tank





View attachment 159444View attachment 159445

That's brilliant! I've been wrestling with what to do about this.

Is that a single extension you bought? Or did you string several together? If the latter, what keeps them from falling apart, and losing one into the water tank?

Thanks for sharing!

 

[FWT]

Nick

The tip of the funnel has molded threads. So does one end of the extension. It’s a set. The extension is maybe 18 inches without putting a tape to it. Perfect length for my pilothouse model. The extension bends into the water line just far enough to be secure, and channel fluid down.

If you are still hanging around Kent Island, go to Western Auto in Stevensville. (Western Auto as a franchiser died a long time ago but that location kept using the name. Well known and identified in this area)

For what it’s worth I’m using Everclear grain alchohol 195 proof. Pure grain. Mix in 2 more jugs of water and it approximates the alcohol content of vodka. Mix in a few drops of food color into each jug and you can see progress as you run it through lines.

Liquor stores in the area will understand exactly why you need it. You won’t be the first guy looking for it.

10 gallons total fluid is the minimum I need. I used a bit more to be safe. 7 half gallon jugs of grain minimum.

Come the spring if the flushing is imperfect I’m drinking booze instead of antifreeze. And in the meantime any germs in the tank get zapped.

If you need a second pair of hands to help drop me a line.

 

[Nick14]

Nick

The tip of the funnel has molded threads. So does one end of the extension. It’s a set. The extension is maybe 18 inches without putting a tape to it. Perfect length for my pilothouse model. The extension bends into the water line just far enough to be secure, and channel fluid down.

If you are still hanging around Kent Island, go to Western Auto in Stevensville. (Western Auto as a franchiser died a long time ago but that location kept using the name. Well known and identified in this area)

For what it’s worth I’m using Everclear grain alchohol 195 proof. Pure grain. Mix in 2 more jugs of water and it approximates the alcohol content of vodka. Mix in a few drops of food color into each jug and you can see progress as you run it through lines.

Liquor stores in the area will understand exactly why you need it. You won’t be the first guy looking for it.

10 gallons total fluid is the minimum I need. I used a bit more to be safe. 7 half gallon jugs of grain minimum.

Come the spring if the flushing is imperfect I’m drinking booze instead of antifreeze. And in the meantime any germs in the tank get zapped.

If you need a second pair of hands to help drop me a line.

Thank you very much! I'd been looking at hardware stores for something like that, a funnel with an extension, and wasn't able to find any. I was going to cobble together something myself using a funnel with some hosing attached. Your idea of going to auto parts store is even better! A local AutoZone has that flexi-funnel for less than $3!

 

[PattiS]

My brother is helping me keep Alba Bella in good shape, including winterizing it. He wants to cover the engine room vents for the winter but is looking for a good way to do that. What methods have any of you come up with?

 

[KMAL]

Hi Patti - not sure this is really necessary here in the NW - air circulation is always good. If you are concerned of the cold - you might look into one of the coast guard approved heaters from boat heaters.com - the heating elements do not go above 70 degrees and they are thermostatically controlled - great to place one on the engine room in case temps drop low. I know others will have views around heaters - these are self regulating heaters designed for bilge applications. Anyway - one long time boater’s thoughts.

 

[NSM]

I have one heater for the rear lazerette under the transom shower piping and one in the anchor locker for the rinse hose bib. Those are my biggest freeze failure points. I’ll add one more next to the engine and I should be good. I don’t cover any vents. And I leave the salon lazarette open for air circulation.

 

[Tom-Jill-Lilly]

Hi Patti,
Here is what I bought to cover the engine room vents. It's primarily to save heat exchange as i dont antipate to get below 0 in Wa. I have not used it yet, she is on the hard in the barn for now. Nate might have an opinion, as he is doing the same. Since we have ceramic coated boats I anticipate it will still stick, and should easily come off.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002AS9NC6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[Nancy and Rick]

...He wants to cover the engine room vents for the winter but is looking for a good way to do that....

Hi Patti, we have contact material similar to what Tom has:

Amazon.com

 

[Two Truths]

Hi Patti,
The previous owners of my boat lived on it in Semiahmoo (near Blaine), which can get pretty blustery, and they had custom canvas covers made that attach via snaps affixed around the vents. (I am guessing Ontario Canvas did the job.) But I haven't felt the need to use them. If you keep your boat in the water, bear in mind that the water temperature in the Puget Sound area rarely goes below 45 degrees in the winter, providing ambient warmth through the hull. Also, Scott advised me not to worry about the anchor washdown, as long as I was only using it in salt water. I keep an electric heater on quite low in the salon with a fan running, and if it does go below freezing, I turn on the water heater, which keeps the cockpit lazarette warm.

 

[Helmsman]

Patty,

Tom’s solution should do the trick. I would just check to make sure they are still sealed if really cold weather is forecast. I had my canvas guy make covers similar to what Two Truth has for his boat. I would suggest completely emptying the fresh water tanks, and draining the water heater. After that, I would open the stern shower valves, then pull the whale fitting loose where the stern shower PEX is connected in the lazarette. That will eliminate the concern about freezing those lines.

I completed temperature measurements last winter. They are posted in the attached file. As you can see, the lazarette is most sensitive to the external temperatures.

 

[amxr39]

If you have Seahawk Sharkskin, you should be putting on a fresh coat after every winter haul out. Please see the below excerpt from the Sharkskin technical data sheet.

"Note: If the vessel is launched, and then rehauled, air exposure should be limited to 72 hours. If out of the water longer than 72 hours, Sharkskin will oxidize and lose its antifouling effectiveness. Therefore, an additional coat of Sharkskin is recommended after 72 hours of air exposure from haul out time."

If you have Seahawk Cukote, you do not need to reapply after each winter haul out, and three years is about the average (not including time on the hard). Though this fluctuates and is most impacted by the location of the boat. The East coast has higher water temperatures and higher salinity, and therefore you may need to reapply more frequently than boats in the Northwest.

Aren’t these bottom paints ablative? If so, the more hours that the hull travels through the water, the more the bottom paint “washes off”. Also, the more hours a hull spends traveling through the water, the less chance for buildup and a greater chance it will also “wash off”. That’s my understanding.

 

[capran]

My brother is helping me keep Alba Bella in good shape, including winterizing it. He wants to cover the engine room vents for the winter but is looking for a good way to do that. What methods have any of you come up with?

I had made a similar inquiry when bought our 2008 in 2022. It was suggested in this forum to use this, which I have been doing for three years now. clear cover, purchased on Amazon. I do find I have to lean off residue after removal.

 

[PattiS]

Thank you so much for your responses. My brother came up with a solution using foam ventilation strips in the vent openings. He used 2 different sizes, the thicker one in the vent strips and the thinner one around the feame.

 

[Helmsman]

As a follow on to the cold weather discussion, I have a couple of these on board, and they are pretty effective with keeping the freezing at bay without running the HVAC’s in the “east coast” boats. I am not sure what the cost of electrical versus diesel would be for the “west coast” boats.

https://defender.com/en_us/caframo-true-north-deluxe-space-heater-9206cabbx

They are low to the ground, so won’t tip, they have a setting to run at 38 degrees, and if you elect to go warmer, at the 2 (medium heat-low fan) or 3 (medium heat-high fan) settings, the heater pulls right at 7 amps. I have had one for 8 years and it has performed well. I just added another to my “collection”. They seem to be much more effective than other heaters. I used a Vornado last year, and it doesn’t heat as well as these. They are good for ER use, with “ear muffs” on the vents and the hatches closed. Also good for the lazarette if you don’t winterize the fresh water, and any raw water wash downs.

 

[amxr39]

Thank you very much! I'd been looking at hardware stores for something like that, a funnel with an extension, and wasn't able to find any. I was going to cobble together something myself using a funnel with some hosing attached. Your idea of going to auto parts store is even better! A local AutoZone has that flexi-funnel for less than $3!

I use a 5 gallon bucket, like a Home Depot bucket and I put a fitting near the bottom with a ball valve and a hose bib. I fill the bucket with antifreeze and stick a length of garden hose, or a length of washing machine hose with the end cut off into the water fill hole. I set the bucket up on a crate or something similar and open the ball valve. No fuss and no mess. I use this same setup for priming or winterizing the air conditioners. I made a Groco cover with a similar hose bib on it for priming and set the bucket on the deck and let gravity do the priming. I can use this setup for adding antifreeze to the water tank. Just set it up on a crate, fill it with antifreeze and open the ball valve.

 

[FWT]

I use a 5 gallon bucket, like a Home Depot bucket and I put a fitting near the bottom with a ball valve and a hose bib. I fill the bucket with antifreeze and stick a length of garden hose, or a length of washing machine hose with the end cut off into the water fill hole. I set the bucket up on a crate or something similar and open the ball valve. No fuss and no mess. I use this same setup for priming or winterizing the air conditioners. I made a grocco cover with a similar hose bib on it for priming and set the bucket on the deck and let gravity do the priming.

For the water tank a proper funnel is just easy for me.

But I'd love to see a pic of what you did with the HVAC strainer cap.

 

[Helmsman]

For the water tank a proper funnel is just easy for me.

But I'd love to see a pic of what you did with the HVAC strainer cap.

https://defender.com/en_us/trac-ecological-strainer-flushcap-adapter

The 750/755 cap fits the HVAC, Gennie, and the anchor wash down. Can also be used to run fresh water from AMXR’s 5 gallon bucket to clear salt water, if the boat isn’t moving for a bit.

 

[amxr39]

After I made mine, I went to Defender’s to get o-rings and saw that. Mine is brass, theirs is plastic.

You can get the larger size at SBMarine to flush the raw water circuit of your Cummins. SB Marine has two articles we all should read about how to flush the engine without risking filling a cyclinder with water, and another article about true engine “age”. It saws maintenance is more important engine hours. It talks about how flushing the raw water circuit regularly keeps the aftercooler and heat exchangers like new.

 

[PattiS]

My brother found these small wireless temp/humidity sensors for the low price of 4 for 39.95. I order 2 sets and we set them up in 8 places on the boat. I am able to monitor the temperature and humidity from anywhere and have a wifi enabled heater to cover the living area from anywhere. If the temps drop too low, I can turn the heater on from anywhere. Doug would have loved these sensors. I also have a heater set to low heat in the engine room for the cold months. This is the display I get when I check the app.

 

[Helmsman]

After I made mine, I went to Defender’s to get o-rings and saw that. Mine is brass, theirs is plastic.

You can get the larger size at SBMarine to flush the raw water circuit of your Cummins. SB Marine has two articles we all should read about how to flush the engine without risking filling a cyclinder with water, and another article about true engine “age”. It saws maintenance is more important engine hours. It talks about how flushing the raw water circuit regularly keeps the aftercooler and heat exchangers like new.

I agree. Keeping fresh water in the engine is key. I have used a SeaFlush for years. It comes with a large diameter hose that seals to the funnel, and can pull the AF or freshwater right out of a 5 gallon bucket. I used 11 gallons last year and saw pink after 9 gallons. Make sure on the engine to use the winterization AF that is for engines. Here is a link to the company that makes it. Takes me about 10 minutes start to finish.

Sea Flush | Accessory | Drew Marine Trac Ecological

With Sea Flush™, you are able to introduce Barnacle Buster into critical cooling systems without removing parts or even hoses.

www.trac-online.com

 

[Jklotz]

After I made mine, I went to Defender’s to get o-rings and saw that. Mine is brass, theirs is plastic.

You can get the larger size at SBMarine to flush the raw water circuit of your Cummins. SB Marine has two articles we all should read about how to flush the engine without risking filling a cyclinder with water, and another article about true engine “age”. It saws maintenance is more important engine hours. It talks about how flushing the raw water circuit regularly keeps the aftercooler and heat exchangers like new.

Interesting. I looked at the article, makes a lot of sense. How often do you do a fresh water flush? Every time you run it?

 

[Helmsman]

My brother found these small wireless temp/humidity sensors for the low price of 4 for 39.95. I order 2 sets and we set them up in 8 places on the boat. I am able to monitor the temperature and humidity from anywhere and have a wifi enabled heater to cover the living area from anywhere. If the temps drop too low, I can turn the heater on from anywhere. Doug would have loved these sensors. I also have a heater set to low heat in the engine room for the cold months. This is the display I get when I check the app.

Patty, That’s awesome. Thank you! I am going to order a set.

 

[amxr39]

Interesting. I looked at the article, makes a lot of sense. How often do you do a fresh water flush? Every time you run it?

Frequency is up to you. I’m going to shoot for once a week. If you’re not going to use your boat for a few weeks, definitely at that time.

Is a video on how to properly flush on submar.com.

 

[FWT]

Aren’t these bottom paints ablative? If so, the more hours that the hull travels through the water, the more the bottom paint “washes off”. Also, the more hours a hull spends traveling through the water, the less chance for buildup and a greater chance it will also “wash off”. That’s my understanding.

No. As you know there are two kinds of paint. Ablative and hard. Sharkskin is hard and is ineffective after an extended haul out