Monthly Archives: September 2014

Hoisting the mainsail on our friends Ketch rigged Oyster is still a pleasure, even in my advanced years, as the fully battened main/mast has been fitted with Harken track and ball bearing cars. When we flew out two weeks ago I decided that in my luggage I would pack a tube of McLube One Drop ball bearing lubricant and conditioner as the skipper ALWAYS gets me to hoist the main! Because I have a suspicious mind I thought I would do a ‘before and after’ comparison. Peter's mainsail is full battened so there is a lot of compression from the battens onto the mast track. Before applying McLube One Drop I could hoist the sail ½ way by hand  (jumping the halyard) at the mast. After an application of One Drop I was able to hoist it  three quarters of a way up before resorting to the winch which is located on the mast, avid readers please note I am not 17 stone, at the start of the two weeks I was just under 12 stone (not saying what I weighed in after the two weeks were up!) What was also encouraging was that when hoisting the remainder of the sail I did not have to change down to the lower speed on the winch.

The mizzen sail is, of course, a lot smaller and as the second image shows is fitted with conventional flat slides which as you know do create quite a lot of friction. If I had thought ahead I could have made the task of hoisting this sail easier by remembering to pack some McLube Sailcoat dry lubricant, great for this and other uses around the boat like squeaking hatch hinges.

There are an awful lot of us out there who take it for granted that the amount we are being charged for electricity consumption in the winter months is correct. We go to a lot of trouble to ensure our boat stays free from damp with a dehumidifier and that the temperature remains just above freezing point with a tube heater, however, we never consider that the meter on the shore power pillar may not be reading correctly or if someone is "borrowing" your supply. How can we tell? If you fit a Metermaid Portable Electricity Meter you will know exactly how much power you are consuming.

The Metermaid is designed to accurately measure individual electricity consumption - wherever it is needed.  It is a true KiloWatt hour meter and is the result of years of extensive research and development. METERMAID™ incorporates the latest in state-of-the-art technology and only the highest quality components are used in its manufacture. As a simple and cost-effective metering system METERMAID™ offers many benefits:

• It is designed to be ACCURATE.  As a Class 1 meter METERMAID™ is precision equipment so when it comes to charging (or paying) for the electricity recorded by METERMAID™ you may rest assured it only displays exactly what has been used.  With a non-resettable 6 digit counter and fully-encapsulated electronics METERMAID™ cannot be tampered with, slowed down or reversed.
• It is built to be WATERPROOF so that it will cope with the vagaries of the British weather and will be a match for any situation where it is likely to come into contact with water.  The enclosure is rated IP673 within Europe and 4X in North America.
• TOUGH so that it can withstand the harshest of environments around the world, everything about METERMAID™ is robust and the build-quality is plain to see the minute you hold it in your hand.
• It is built to be USER-FRIENDLY.  It needs no maintenance, servicing or re-calibration - ever. When you receive METERMAID™ you just plug in and go, it could not be any simpler!
• Total flexibility to meter boats or caravans wherever they are because it is PORTABLE
• Control over your expenditure on electricity and peace of mind with a 2 YEAR CONDITIONAL WARRANTY

Boeshield T-9 was developed by the Boeing Aviation Company as a superior rust and corrosion preventative and waterproof lubricant. Its unique combination of solvents and waxes was designed to penetrate metal pores, displace moisture, dissolve minor corrosion and leave a resilient waxy coating that lubricates and protects for many months.

Boeshield T-9 was originally introduced to the tough saltwater marine market for lubricating and protecting all metals, as well as electrical circuits and electronics. If you carry a rod on board for a spot of fishing don’t forget to give the reel a spray to keep it well lubricated as well as resistant to corrosion, as for me I always carry a can in my riggers bag, its perfect for protecting electrical contacts on the back of switch panels.

Boeshield T-9 contains no silicones or Teflon and will not damage gel finishes, paints, plastics, vinyl or rubber.

For more information on using T-9 in a marine environment follow this link to their marine web page

Ps It’s also brilliant on bikes especially bicycle chains!

Yes it’s that time of the year again when the starlings gather in their hundreds on the rigging of our yachts and deposit their lovely purple poo on our pristine teak or fibre glass decks as well as splattering our spray hoods and canopies! As you are no doubt aware, bird droppings are corrosive (digestive acid rich) so  you need to be washing affected surfaces every day!

You’ve tried the plastic owl and it’s no deterrent, well consider investing in the Yacht Guard system which emits an ultrasonic high frequency 120db sound blast (inaudible to humans) this will do the trick. Yacht Guard is also effective against Seagulls and rodents including rats.

When Melvyn Wallhead (regular customer and principal of our local RYA training establishment www.northumbriasailing.co.uk) asked us if we could get hold of some DIESELWICK to protect the rather nice teak decks of his Halberg Rassey sail training yacht whilst it was being refuelled I had to confess that even with 40 years or so in the marine trade under my belt I had never heard of this product! However having now used it in anger myself, I can say with confidence that embarrassing fuel 'rainbows' are a thing of the past as are dangerous slip hazards and stains on the deck when refuelling.

DIESELWICK sheets are manufactured from specially treated melt blown polypropylene and will quickly absorb accidental diesel or oil based liquids but not rain or seawater and can therefore be used with confidence in wet conditions, place one on the deck under the fuel filler neck or wrap round the nozzle and start the pump happy in the knowledge that accidental spillage will be contained!