Sailing inyourfootsteps.com
Boat care
Removing stripes and stickers from boats
Boat stripes and stickers tend to degrade and look bad in time. Although they can be removed and replaced it is not easy to get the originals off. The usual approach is to heat the stickers with a hairdryer and then scrape them off with a wide chisel.
Keeping a wintered boat well ventilated under the cover with companionway ventilation
Covering a boat for the winter period is an excellent way to keep it in good condition and reduce maintenance. However the canopy will dramatically reduce airflow and the lack of ventilation can make the boat go very stale below decks.
Avoiding fender rolling chafe
Laying alongside in a chop, or near a very busy waterway where the wash of passing boats rolls in, will cause a vessel to continuously jostle back and forth upon the fenders.
How to keep a yacht’s varnished wood trim in good condition
Most yachts have varnished wooden details above decks. This degrades quickly under strong sun (ultraviolet) light and/or continual damp conditions and you can loose it very quickly to water damage.
Rejuvenating a spray hood’s water resistance
Spray hoods become slightly porous after four or five years of constant sunshine. Once this happens they loose their waterproofing capability.
Keeping a wintered boat well ventilated under the cover by opening up the portholes
Covering a boat for the winter period is an excellent way to keep it in good condition and reduce the spring clean up work. However the canopy will dramatically reduce airflow and the lack of ventilation can make the boat go very stale below decks.
Removing rust marks and stains
Accidentally leave a piece of ferrous metal on deck and it will quickly cause a rust mark to bond with your paint work. Small metal filings just collect over time and leave a rusty residual. Or in my case topside bolt heads, even thought they were stainless steel, just slowly bleed light rust marks down the gel coat. Once they appear the impossible to remove.
Protecting the topsides when coming alongside a rough harbour wall
Some harbour walls are too uneven or rough for fenders to adequately protect the vessels top sides.
How to preserve teak work without continual maintenance
Most yachts have wooden details above decks providing warmth and traditional charm. This degrades quickly under strong sun (ultraviolet) light and/or continual damp conditions.
Some woods and particularly so teak decking and gratings for example can be selected to grey naturally but this is not the case with trim or detailing. Keeping this detailing woodwork in good condition requires a time-consuming routine of regular oiling or varnishing.
Reducing the chance of developing a diesel cabin odour
Changing the primary fuel filter and draining the bowl during the engine service runs a high risk of splashing diesel about the engine. Equally a badly sealed fuel filter can drip fuel. This fuel then sticks to the surface with the excess seeping down into the bilge. This causes the cabin to develop a diesel-mildew odour.