New boaters have an opportunity to join the boating community; while seasoned boaters can trade up to a larger, a newer, or a new boat. But, buyer beware!

Buying one, two, three or even six boats doesn’t qualify you as a “Boat Buying Expert”. There is just too much to know. The majority of boat buyers make mistakes that cost them time and money, and often buy the WRONG boat.

How do you know which boat is RIGHT for you? The answer is simple—buy the one that FITS you and your family. Buying one that doesn’t FIT could ruin boating. Here is just one example of buying a boat that doesn’t fit from many horror stories in “Buy a Boat With Confidence”.

MISTAKE
Not identifying the activities or type of boating before buying.

HORROR STORY
Jason bought a 28’ cruiser with 10’ beam to weekend cruise on his lake. He didn’t spend any time thinking about it. He just jumped into the purchase and got “a real deal”, because he was in the right place at the right time.
After two weekends of boating on his lake, he had covered it and was now bored. He quickly realized that what he really wanted to do was to trailer his boat to a series of lakes for a new adventure every weekend.

To satisfy his desire, Jason had to trade his wide beam cruiser for a minicruiser with 8 1/2′ trailerable beam. It cost him $10,000 overall to trade down.

If he had done his homework first and bought a boat that FIT his trip, he could have saved $10,000 and a lot of frustration and wasted time; and enjoyed what he really wanted to do with his boat right off the mark.

LESSONS LEARNED
Do your homework. Identify what boating activities you want to participate in (THE TRIP) and then purchase the right type of boat.

Don’t be in a hurry and end up with the wrong boat.
One new boater wrote to us - “Thank you for taking the time to help out new boaters at your seminar. My wife and I are working our way through “Buying a Boat with Confidence”. We are very impressed with your attention to detail, and have learned many helpful tips already in the first chapter.–
This was the first boat show we attended, so we were a little overwhelmed with it all. Thanks again for sharing all your knowledge through your books. We are very thankful for your offer to help us in our journey to learn to enjoy boating, and will be sure to take you up on your offer when the time comes. Don and Deb Longmire, Ontario.”

Don, like thousands of other “Buy a Boat With Confidence” buyers will be prepared and knowledgeable. He won’t make the hundreds of common boat buying mistakes and will save money throughout the whole boat buying process.

Equip yourself with “Buy a Boat With Confidence” before you buy your first or next boat.

Buy a Boat With Confidence will help you identify the boat that FITS–saving you time and money also ensuring a pleasant buying and boating experience. There are over 400 pages of boat buying information every boater should know before setting out to buy. It walks you through the 7-step boat buying process.

See the website at www.boatingwithdawsons.com/buytherightboat

You need the appropriate strength for your lines to prevent stretching and breaking. Using the wrong strength could be disasterous and damage can result. A line too light will break, while too heavy a line doesn’t allow enough elasticity causing the boat to jerk in a surge creating discomfort in the boat, as if it were tied with a chain.

One More Precaution

But, even when you use the appropriate strength and length of line and tie correctly; there is one other important precaution you need to take.

Obviously the ends of your dock or anchor lines are going to be tied at both ends to cleats, bollards, trees or bolders. But, if any part of the line in between the ends rubs on the chocks, deck edge, dock edge, rocks or anything else, your boat could be in peril!

Most older boats have chocks at the deck edge to guide the line from the centre bow cleat. They hold the line, so it doesn’t rub back and forth on the deck edge. This rubbing can both damage the deck edge finish and wear the rope through. Sometimes, the chock itself wears through the rope in a wind storm, where the boat is surging back and forth—especially if the line is running at the wrong angle or too tight.

Some newer boats don’t have chocks. They either have just centre cleats and an unprotected deck edge or a pair of deck edge cleats. In either case, your line could rub on the deck edge causing wear to the line and the deck finish.

On the other end of the line, you have potential wear spots where the dock line runs up over a concrete or timber edge to a cleat or bollard, that was originally installed for ships and larger yachts. This is common on an old wharf and as a result when your boat is below the dock, your dock line rubs and wears on the dock edge.

If you are tying to an island and your long mooring line is routed up and over a rocky surface, wear and tear on the line is inevitable. The rock surface will act like sandpaper on the line and grind its way through. A broken mooring line means trouble.

Line Protection

So, it is most important to protect your lines! There are lots of solutions—some you can buy and others you can create in advance and others you can create on the spot. Check with your local marina or marine supply store for line protection products. Or, create your own.

A simple solution to chock chafing is commercially made leather sleeves or home-made leather sleeves made from old leather glove cuffs, old leather boots, even old rubber boots. We’ve even seen boats using a length of garden hose placed over the dock line and positioned at the chock or wear spot.

For that dock edge or rock surface, I’ve created line protectors using 1 1/2” PVC piping and 2”x4”s. I start by cutting the PVC into approximately one foot lengths, then cutting away the top third along the length. I file the cut edge smooth to create a trough, so I can drop the lines into the PVC without having to feed a long mooring line through the pipe. To hold the PVC in place, I screw it to a one foot piece of 2”x4” at right angles. This creates a protector that looks like an “X” as shown in the picture. The wood has enough friction that it never moves on the rocks and the PVC is smooth enough that the rope can slip back and forth in it without any damage.

Here’s a few temporary solutions you can create on the spot, if you don’t go prepared. Squash a pop can or two around the line at the wear spot. You’ll be surprised how fast the aluminum can wears through, so be prepared to replace it. Another solution is to route your line on the rock or dock over a soft piece of lumber, firewood, carpet or anything else soft and slippery that is laying around the area. You want something smooth and slippery for the rope, yet strong and wear resistant on the bottom.

Leave Your Boat Protected

There is always movement of the water and, therefore, the boat. Where there’s movement, there is stretching and contracting of lines and wherever there is a friction point, lines wear through—unless they are protected.

When you secure your boat, make sure your lines are not only tied correctly using the right length and strength of rope; but also protected at all wear spots—anywhere the rope comes in contact with a hard and/or rough surface.

As always when boating, they decided a little food was in order, so Carly offered to go below for “some snacks”. Somehow, we all enjoy eating while underway.

Inconsiderate Boater’s HUGE Wake

Just as Carly put her foot on the top companionway step, an inconsiderate boater overtook them, roaring past dragging a huge wake. George was caught off guard and didn’t handle the wake properly. He instantly started yelling at the overtaking boat and shaking his fist—neither of which did anything to help. In fact, he lost his focus and made things even worse.

Carly screamed as she lost her balance and tumbled the rest of the way to the cabin floor. Small items fell and smashed as the boat floundered in the wake tossing like a cork.

Upset and Injury

Carly suffered bruises and a broken arm, and their guests were shaken up. Obviously, the incident spoiled their holiday and was the topic of negative boating conversation for months to come, putting a dark shadow over their boating experience.

These types of incidents –some less serious and others much more serious, are happening more often than they should or need to.

What is The Solution?

We’ve seen and talked to many boaters who have wake horror stories. They are always quick to blame the wake thrower, but never themselves. It’s always “the other guy” who is at fault.

Unfortunately, there will always be inconsiderate wake throwers and there doesn’t seem to be enough law enforcement on the water. You can’t do much to change the offending boater’s wake but you should report the more serious cases. However, be prepared. We are told that both boats are to blame and in a court of law, it’s all about how much blame lies with each boat. Is it 70/30, 60/40, 50/50 etc.

So, what is the solution? We need more enforcement of the law and more education–for both the wake thrower and the one being waked.

Since each captain is responsible for his boat and the safety of his passengers, knowing how to counter-attack the on-coming or overtaking wake, rather than being hit like a lame duck victim—tossing like a cork, will minimize or neutralize the effect the wake has on your boat and passengers, thus avoiding the subsequent chain of events as happened to this family.

Don’t Let Boat Wakes Ruin Your Holidays!

Not knowing how to handle a big wake will almost certainly result in upset and/or injury. On the other hand, some defensive wake conquering techniques will minimize or neutralize the wake effect on your boat and passengers.

Learn Wake Victim Self Defense!

Boat Wake Lessons

Taking lessons from an expert boat handler to learn these techniques would be a worthwhile investment. Where do you find a trainer? That is the difficulty and the reason we have written the 34 page e-Lesson “Whoppin Wakes”. It includes everything you need to know about wakes and how to neutralize their effect on your boat and passengers, so that you can avoid the upset and injury as well as the negative discussion that always follows. After all, boating is supposed to be enjoyable.

A wake is the wave
behind a moving boat.
It is nothing to be afraid of
but you have to take note.

Whether you are driving a yacht
or paddling a canoe
There are many tips and tricks
in this e-Lesson for you.

Take appropriate defensive action
to conquer the monstrous wake;
Otherwise, you’ll be defeated and tossed
Like a helpless cork in the lake.

Don’t be a wake victim!

Be a wake Conquerer.

For more information see

www.boatingwithdawsons.com/news/070726.html

But, like all holidays, it had to end so we headed to Florida, cleared customs in Lake Worth and headed north on the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway).

The unexpected

On the morning of May 24th, the unexpected happened–right out of the blue with no warning whatsoever. We were all on the bridge about to enjoy breakfast, while taking in the sights, as Doug followed the course we’d set out on the chart plotter.

Just as I was ready for my first mouthful of cereal, I felt faint, then hot, then had some tightness in my chest. A quick VHF call to Coast Guard with a medical emergency and minutes later, paramedics were on the bridge and confirmed I was having a heart attack. Within the hour, I was on the operating table undergoing angioplasty giving me two stents. I am on the mend and the cardiac surgeons in Florida said I should expect a full recovery–just have to go through cardiac rehab.

Other than being an extremely frightening experience for all of us, everything went like clockwork and very quickly–Coast Guard, Sea Tow, Ambulance, Paramedics, Hospital, Doctors, everyone. I was lucky.

But, when we explained what happened to boating friends, most said they wouldn’t have known what to do or hadn’t thought about it. They hadn’t discussed any emergency procedures.

We all hope it won’t happen, but we should all be prepared for the minor incidents like broken bones or sun burns, or cuts as well as the major incidents that could happen to us or a fellow boater.

What if something happens to your partner at the wheel? Could you take over the helm, get help and dock the boat? What if something happened to your First Mate? Could you look after him/her while calling for help, finding a dock and docking? Would you know how to use the VHF and who to call?

Your lifeline

There are so many “What ifs”, it would be frightening if I listed them all. But if you only have to deal with one life threatening incident, knowing what to do is so important. I encourage all First Mates to learn how to use the VHF radio–it is your lifeline. As neat as cell phones are, you can dial 911 but you need a physical address that you probably won’t be able to provide. You can call *16 and reach a marine operator who will transfer you to Coast Guard.

You can reach Coast Guard on VHF 16–24/7

On the other hand, you can reach Coast Guard on channel 16 on your VHF 24/7. They will co-ordinate with land emergency services for you, as they did for us in Florida. Just answer their questions and follow their instructions. As well, other boaters monitor 16 and may be closer so may be able to assist ahead of Coast Guard or other water emergency service. In our case, Coast Guard was 20 miles away but worked with Sea Tow who heard our call, was close by and offered to help. It was amazing how fast it all came together. When we pulled into the dock, the Sea Tow boat and the ambulance were waiting and the paramedics were on the boat in seconds.

Driving Lessons

I also encourage First Mates to take driving lessons; so that you can take over the helm, drive and dock the boat in emergencies. It will not only give you confidence, but also peace of mind knowing that you know — and it could also save a life.

Establish Emergency Procedures

It is a good idea for all Captains and First Mates to establish emergency procedures and review them will everyone on board. You never know, if you will have to deal with a medical emergency, man overboard situation, mechanical failure, or a minor or major accident, whether it is your boat or another boat you happen to be near.

Be Prepared

The important thing is to have emergency procedures and review them with all on board–just in case. Like the Boy Scout motto, it pays to “Be Prepared”.

The difference

The first difference you are going to say is that marine products cost more money but there is good reason and it sure isn’t that the marina or marine store are making a bigger markup. Marine products are designed specifically for boats for safety, functionality, durability, fit and utilitarian reasons.

Non-marine parts, on the other hand are not built or designed for boats. They will probably work but no where near as well or as long as products made specifically for marine use. They may not have the required safety features necessary for boats or securing brackets or electrical breakers or non-corrosive abilities or be made of suitable materials and, they could actually cause you more problems than you would like to encounter.

Something Brenda learned from her father’s television business when she was a young girl, was from Zenith’s motto “Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten”. This holds true in boating as well. Paying a little more up front for quality marine parts could end up costing less in the long run and serve you far better. It is like most other things in life, you really get what you pay for.

Marine Refrigerator

A good example is a marine frig. It is designed with a door locking catch so that the door won’t open and spill the contents all over the galley in rough seas. It has brackets to hold it in place, is a standard size for the standard size opening on most boats, so you don’t have to pay for a custom installation. Parts are suitable for moisture, stainless steel avoids corrosion. Some have integrated evaporators, edges on the front of the shelves to stop things falling out and others have drawers. They are designed to give you more in less space.

They run on 12V or the combination of 12V and 110V giving you greater flexibility while cruising. More than adequate insulation, the correct size of compressor, and non-flammable refrigerant are all taken into consideration on marine frigs as well as whether to use water or air cooling and how to get rid of the heat generated by the refrigeration unit. Marine refrigerators are engineered and built to operate under tough conditions. They must withstand violent movement, operate noiselessly, be thoroughly reliable - and most important of all - consume an absolute minimum of battery power.

If you are considering using a ll0-volt refrigeration unit instead of a 12-volt unit and run it off an inverter, do you research. Some technical data we found on the internet from some of the marine refrigeration sites follows:

110-volt refrigeration units used on boats are an adaptation from the standard home or commercial refrigeration units. They normally consist of hermetically sealed compressor units identified as low back pressure units so that low freezer temperatures can be maintained. They can either be air or water-cooled. The big problem with 110-volt units is the amperage required to start the unit. This may get a little technical, but something you should consider. For example: The average 1/2 horsepower frig unit will take around 1800 watts of power to start it, and it will run at about 900 watts and produce somewhere around 3000 BTU of cooling per hour at 900 watts on a 90 degree day. If you power this unit through an inverter that was 95% efficient you would have a one hour drain on your 12-Volt batteries of 83 AMP hours. At high amperage, the inverter is much less than 95%. Any time the refrigerator is running the alternator must be running.

Another marine frig company representative had the following to say when we posed the question about marine versus non marine frigs. There are no complete cabinet refrigerators made for boats. There are 12 volt RV refrigerators that are used in boats with some degree of problems such as disposing of heat produced and keeping product from falling out of box in rough seas. Most boat refrigerator systems are ice box conversion kits. Conversion kits and RV cabinet refrigerators cost from three to six times what a home refrigerator costs.

Boats cruising in the tropics need more insulation than offered in a home refrigerator but still can be OK in hot climates but they will consume more power than a box with 4 to 6 inches of insulation, and they have a shorter life due to condensation and salt air.

RV and home refrigerators require an energy source 24 hrs per day. Pleasure boats generally have 12 volt DC power, but most do not have AC power all the time. There are boats that use 110 volt home refrigerators supplying power to run them through a DC to AC inverter. The disadvantage to this inverter method is it takes about 25% more daily battery power than the same size 12 volt RV unit would.

You may want to consider Marine Frigs that run 12V and 110V. It could save you a lot of grief and generator time.

Marine Sink Hardware

Another example of when you should buy marine is taps, faucets and drains for the head and or galley. It is easy and inexpensive to pick up a set of taps from your local discount store or building supply store, to replace your aged or out of fashion faucets and taps. All too often they are not made of a non-corrosive material making them unsuitable for a boat installation. The mechanism for lifting the drain is different on a boat and the under sink space is much more confined than the typical residential bathroom again making your purchase unsuitable.
Check out the sink hardware carefully before purchasing. You may find it better and less expensive in the long run to buy from your local marina or marine store.

Canvas

When installing or replacing canvas, there are many things you can request your canvas installer to include, to prevent annoying leaks. Get referrals and inspect the work done on other boats before jumping into a $2,000 to $6,000 or more canvas job. This is covered in detail in a previous newsletter “What to have included in your canvas job and have a professional do it”.

Marine Heads

Marine toilets and holding tanks are engineered to work on boats. Charging the holding tank with holding tank chemical not only reduces the odor, but also “works” in the tank to breakdown the sewage and paper. It is important to use RV/Marine grade biodegradable toilet paper though. It isn’t wise to use the double or triple ply paper that you’d use at home even though it is more comfortable. It doesn’t break down the same way in a marine holding tank.
When repairing your toilet, buy genuine parts for your make and model or you could face some smelly consequences. Some boaters who have repaired toilets with the wrong parts have been punished unbearably with the condition worsening and the corrective surgery very costly.

You’ve heard the expression “shit happens”. Well, don’t let it happen in your bilge. Buy the right marine parts and have them installed properly.

Marine Deck Chairs

Deck chairs are a necessary purchase for most larger cruisers and yachts to accommodate guests. However, some chairs are suitable and others are not. Deck chairs should fold and stow easily, and have a lower centre of gravity for stability and rubber type non-skid feet to prevent sliding. Marine deck chairs offer this; whereas, some of the residential plastic deck chairs are too high with the feet too close together to offer stability. There are no rubber feet on home chairs which could cause an unsafe situation for people to slide across the deck in rough water. The typical aluminum back yard lawn chairs are too high, made of aluminum that will corrode and have no rubber feet.

For the safety of your crew and guests, proper marine deck chairs are the best seat.

Marine Hardware

Boat hardware should be stainless steel or marine grade plastic, so it won’t corrode or deteriorate. Installing aluminum or cheap fittings will look dreadful after a year or so and stop being functional requiring repair or replacement. If you have to replace hardware every year or two, it sure makes sense to spend a little more to get the right marine grade the first time. Buy it right and buy it once.

Marine BBQ

A marine barbeque on your boat is safer and way less frustrating than a typical domestic barbeque. There is a lot you should consider before purchasing a barbeque for your boat. We will publish an article on barbeques in future.

Marine Cleaning Products

Washing the boat with the wrong product can shorten the life of the paint and/or gelcoat. Be sure to use marine cleaning products to extend the life of your finish.
If areas have soot from the engines or stains around through hull fittings (A/C outlets, cooling water outlets, etc.) find a product at your local marine supplier that is made for that purpose or you may harm the finish.

If you ever get oil and sludge in your bilge, use the marine absorbent pads to soak it up and dispose of it according to your local environmental regulations.

All marine cleaning products should be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Some work better than others so do your research before buying. This summer we are comparing some of the Marine cleaners on the market and will do an article later in the season.

Buy Marine

These are only some examples, there are many more. Any marine operator could rhyme off a handful of horror stories without even thinking about it.

Lori Mason of “The Store Masons” in Port Credit Ontario Canada says she has heard all the horror stories of people buying non-marine, having troubles, then coming to her store to get the right marine product to do the job. Lori has one of many Marine Stores, with qualified staff to advise of the best product for your situation. See the story on Masons Marine Store.

Buy Right and Buy Once

When you consider all the above, it makes sense to go marine. Even though it may cost a bit more in the beginning, it usually costs less in the long run. Buy right and buy once for hassle-free boating.

The ocean was rough but it was the best it was going to be for a week or two, so we prepared for the trip, set our course on the chart plotter and headed out. Our top speed was 7-8 knots so the trip would take seven to eight hours. Doug had to work each wave for the whole crossing because once we got out there, we had waves coming at us from both quarters. They were 6′ - 9′ coming out of the northeast from a three week blow and the southeast from a 2 day blow creating a wicked cross chop that we had to handle as we headed west.

Computer Glitch

We compensated for the Gulf Stream and were headed straight to the markers at the Lake Worth Inlet according to the plotter. Then, we realized that the cursor on the chart plotter wasn’t moving. We were about three miles off the Florida shoreline and had no location on the plotter!

The seas were building as we approached the shallower shoreline and there was no room for error. From that distance, there was no way to tell where the opening in the shoreline was. Luckily for us, Doug never depends 100% on navigation software and he had been watching the shoreline closely, so had a pretty good idea of the approximate location of the inlet. He went totally to VPR (Visual Piloting Rules) as we didn’t have time and it was too rough to fire up the laptop backup system.

VPR to the Rescue

Doug stayed on the helm and while we were using the binoculars to locate the markers, we realilzed that an approaching ship was probably heading for the same inlet. Then it was confirmed when we heard the ship call the port authority notifying them of their desire to enter the port authority area dock. Quickly, we called the ship on the VHF and let him know we would follow him in.

From then on, it was relatively easy. We were still surfing down the waves coming in, and Doug brought her in beautifully. Of course, once inside, it was calm and that we were ready for.

Be Prepared for the Unexpected

This experience certainly backed up the recommendation that boaters should always have paper charts as well as electronic and use VPR all the time.

You need to be prepared for the unexpected.

During my 20 years of reviewing new boats for Canadian yachting and Power Boating Canada Magazine, I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to canvas. Our list of tips is a compilation of good ideas from many manufacturers. No one builder seems to have all the features on one boat, but you can.

Upside-down Smilies
Zippered openings should be an upside-down smiley so you have a pair of zippers that start opening at the centre top. This way, you can roll down 6” or 12” or whatever. You don’t have to have the whole window open to give you standing visibility.

The zippers should be installed so they don’t leak. If water does leak or run onto the clear plastic/vinyl rollup panels from the hardtop for example, then closing the zippers so they both end on the side may help. You could also try installing a rain deflector so the drain drips off the deflector away from the zippers and glass instead of draining onto the glass.

Extra Flap
Most boat manufacturers are having their canvas departments add an extra flap beyond the zipper that is secured with a continuous strip of Velcro that double seals the more prone seams and joints; for example, around windshields, arches and camper tops.

Boots and Storage Bags
Boots and Storage Bags are great for storing canvas. Neat, easy to handle and protects canvas.

Socks
Velcroed canvas socks around the antenna mounts or arches keeps the water from getting in. For added sealing, tie the top of the boot around the antenna with a tight clove hitch and a couple of half hitches.

Straps
Straps that hang down should have a second snap installed across the top of the canvas so they don’t swing in the wind and scratch the isinglass. On either a bimini or a camper, if you have long vertical straps that vibrate violently in the wind, unhook them, give them one or two turns then reconnect them. This will stop the vibration.

Corners
For corners where the zippers don’t or can’t go all the way to the top or bottom, have the canvas installer sew an extra flap of canvas over the hole with Velcro on one side to hold it closed. The sewing should be done on the forward edge and top edge to prevent leaks. A bonus to this is that it closes the hole to bugs and mosquitos as well.

Cleat Opening
To cover the opening around a cleat, have them install a separate flap of material that velcroes in place to seal it for rain and bugs. Velcro is more forgiving than snaps when you may have a rope on the cleat. The top of the flap is sewn and the sides are velcroed so that the flap can’t get lost.

Pole wraps
Some other features to consider depending on your boat are pole wraps made of canvas with a full length Velcro fastener to prevent the stainless bows from discoloring and burning the isinglass. Some yachts with a ton of teak have had canvas teak wraps made that snap over the teak taffrails and hand rails to protect them from the UV rays of the sun when not aboard.

Forward Cabin Windows
Many yachts and trawlers have large forward salon windows that either leak and/or allow in too much afternoon sun making it unbearably hot inside. Instead of battling with interior drapes with top and bottom tracks or mini blinds with top and bottom fasteners, consider installing a snap-on canvas panel on the outside. It can be installed and removed easily depending on the weather and rolled and stored out of the way. Snaps only need to be installed on the ends and across he bottom. Usually not across the top, because the eyebrow or overhang of the bridge will hold it in place. Your installer will know how many snaps.

Screens
For boats with an aft deck sitting area, screens should be considered outside the isinglass panels so your panels can be rolled down to enjoy the breeze but keep out the bugs.

Dinghy and O/B Boots
Others have had canvas boots made for their inflatable dinghy and outboard motor to protect them from the burning rays of the sun and keep the rain water out. Some of the sailors in the Bahamas that carry unsightly plastic jerry cans on their foredeck have had canvas covers fabricated to camouflage them with the boat colors.

Other Boots and Covers
Whether you are in the Bahamas or Muskokas when you are away from your pride and joy, you may want to consider having your canvas guy create a snap-on cover for your varnished transom or other bright work. In lieu of a full bridge cover, many boaters have opted to have individual boots or covers made to snap over individual pieces of electronics or the whole dash and the individual seats.

Use Big Zippers
Big zippers with coarse teeth are stronger than the fine ones that either let go or jam with stray pieces of fabric.

Maximize Glass Area
Maximize the glass area and minimize the canvas area for improved visibility when sitting, standing or docking with the canvas on. When you sit or rest in your cockpit, look out over your taffrail and you’ll see how low you should have the clear panels go so you will be able to see out when seated when all the canvas is on.

Once when we had our windows repaired (because the clear vinyl went foggy), the canvas installer sewed the new vinyll on the inside of the canvas creating a trough on the outside that collected rainwater like an evestrough with no drain. It all turned green. Have your replacement panels sewn on the outside of your old canvas if you are just replacing the clear areas to avoid this.

Attaching to Hard Flat Surfaces
For attaching canvas to arches and hardtops, have them screw or rivet, then seal a track to the hard surface and sew the matching bead to the canvas edge so that there is a leak proof seal when the bead is slid into the track. With just snaps, any horizontal surface will leak causing you to have to move everything in the way every time it rains.

To further eliminate leaks on horizontal surfaces, ask for an extra flap of canvas with velcro fasteners to be added.

Pooling
Wide horizontal tops tend to pool. The only solution is to bend the railing slightly upwards so the water will run off and even add a few more straps for added support.

Waterproofing
Use the waterproofing recommended by the manufacturer and follow the instructions carefully. All water proofing isn’t the same!

Cleaning
Isinglass should be cleaned with fresh water and dried with a chamois only. Most canvas people say you shouldn’t use cleaners like Windex. Care should be taken when rolling Isinglass so you don’t scratch the surface. Leaving it rolled up for extended periods could cause discoloration. If material does become scratched, use the product recommended by the manufacturer and follow the instructions carefully.

Storing
When storing canvas for the day or longer, always roll the clear panels–never fold them.. The canvas round the glass can be folded. An easy way to do this is to fold the canvas around the glass over the back of a double wide helm seat or rectangular table to keep it from creasing. Once rolled, tie with a light nylon cord—green for starboard pieces, red for port pieces and white for the aft or forward centre pieces to simplify sorting pieces.

When reinstalling, just place the port pieces on the port side and the starboard pieces on the starboard side and the white pieces in the centre. This greatly decreases the time required to sort out the puzzle. You will especially appreciate this during a surprise weather change when time is critical.

Colored cord is available at some marine stores and upholstery and drapery shops. Cut them about 2’ long, eyesplice one end and backsplice or whip the other end. Then, all you need once wrapped around the rolled canvas, is to put the end through the eye and secure with a simple slip knot so it undoes quickly like a bow on a shoe.

Plan your Install and Reap the Benefits
Spending time planning your canvas install will save you many hours of grief repeatedly over and over again. Even if the initial cost is a little more, it will be a good investment. And remember, quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.

All these tricks will make life so much easier for you and your canvas crew.

If you have some more canvas ideas, please send them in so we can share them.

Water doesn’t always land in the sink

The frustrating part can sometimes be the faucet. Because of the limited counter space in the galley of most power boats and sailboats, manufacturers often mount the faucet in the most convenient place for the installer–not the user. However, depending on the water pressure and also the length and angle of the spout, the water doesn’t always land in the sink–especially when rinsing the soap from your dishes.

The result is water all over the counter. All of a sudden “doing dishes” becomes frustrating and a real chore with lots of additional clean up.

Simple Solution

A simple solution is to purchase a double swivel faucet aerator. You can buy them from any hardware store for only a few dollars. The last flyer we saw, had them on sale for $3.00. Such a small investment will reap great rewards. It extends the spout closer to the middle of the sink and away from the edge. This aerator gives you a shower spray for rinsing or direct flow, and you can angle it to suit what you are doing. It rotates 360 degrees allowing easy rinsing of your dishes. You can even get them in black or white.

To alleviate some galley frustrations, put a double swivel faucet aerator on your shopping list this spring and take it to the boat with you for a more enjoyable boating season.

Trim Tabs are the flaps installed on the transom of all the larger power boats to improve acceleration and planing. With trim tabs, boats get onto plane faster, use less fuel and don‘t hide the horizon behind the bow during acceleration. Boats with trim tabs can plane at a lower rpm and lower speed, because the tabs hold the bow down, and at the same time, the back end up; otherwise, the boat would fall off of plane at that rpm and speed.

To maintain a level smooth ride, you can adjust the tabs while underway to accommodate the changes in conditions like the wind, waves, change of weight distribution on board, etc.

How Do They Work?

You are able to make adjustments from the helm using rocker switches attached to expensive electrics and hydraulics connecting the switches to the tabs. On the outside of the transom, there are two metal plates called trim tabs (like flaps on an airplane wing) that are pushed down or raised up with hydraulic rams. On the inside of the transom are hydraulic pumps and on the dash are rocker switches that electrically control the hydraulic pumps. This system costs over $1,000 for a 20’ boat and more for larger boats.

Why Don’t Small Boats Have Trim Tabs?

Primarily because of the expense, manufacturers of small power boats under 22’ haven’t been installing trim tabs. The boats still need them, but they don’t have them.

The performance of most smaller power boats with both sterndrives (I/O’s) and outboards (O/B’s ) would be greatly improved, if they had trim tabs.

Do YOU Need Them?

• If your inflatable has to be run wide open to stay on plane, it would benefit from trim tabs.
• If your bowrider sticks its nose in the air when you accelerate from idle, it would benefit from trim tabs.
• If your cuddy cabin burns a lot of extra fuel, because you have to run faster than you’d like to stay on plane, it would benefit from trim tabs.
• If you’ve experienced a scary bow-high take off when crossing a wake and a scarier stern-first landing, you need trim tabs.

Improve Your Performance!!

You can’t go back to the assembly line and have trim tabs installed, but now you can get “Smart Tabs” for around $150 US (~$177 Canadian) and install them yourself.

Smart Tabs are a one of a kind trim and stabilizer system that automatically adjusts to the sea conditions, without the need for expensive electric or hydraulic hardware and switches. The system constantly reacts to the water conditions, boat speed, and balance providing remarkable improvements on any boat.

Some boat manufacturers are now installing Smart Tabs on their smaller boats on the production line because it makes sense to do so. The cost of Smart Tabs is so much less that installing the hydraulics and switches of the systems used in the past.

Improve your performance this boating season by installing Smart Tabs on your boat. You’ll enjoy the benefits of a smoother ride, faster acceleration, less bow rise, lower bow on plane speed, more top speed, better handling and improved fuel economy.

For more information go to: www.BoatingWithDawsons.com/MarineProducts/SmartTabs.html

Sailboats, small power boats and flybridges

This concept works especially well on sailboats and small power boats with limited access and on flybridges. The remote mic is fully functional as were the old style of radio with all the functions on the main unit. The main advantage to the remote mic is that the unit and the controls are where you are, rather than mounted down in the cabin or under the dash out of the weather. These new remote mics are weatherproof so they can be left out from week to week.

Handheld VHF radios with their limited coverage are no substitute for a remote mic with the full power of the main radio attached a good antenna–approximately 5 miles versus approximately 30 miles.

VHF With Remote

I would highly recommend the new remote type of VHF so that you can drive and talk at the same time especially in bad weather conditions or in the event of a rescue effort. You don’t have to take your eyes off the waterway ahead to change channels or leave the helm to go down below to answer a question from the Coast Guard.

Some of the recent VHF’s are capable of being hardwired to the new remote mic. Ask you marine dealer if your current radio is new enough to just add a mic to it as opposed to buying a whole new radio with a remote mic.