In Today's Issue:
Seven Steps to Protect Your Sailboat This Winter!Video-of-the-Week ~ Make Your Nautical Chart Crystal Clear!
Deal of the Week ~ Save over $99 on Submersible Hand-Held VHF Radio!
Did You Miss the Latest Member's Sailing Articles?
Sailing Skipper's Quotable Quotes.
Recommended Reading for Sailing Season 2012.
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Seven Steps to Protect Your Sailboat This Winter!
will survive the winter without damage from trapped water in her lines...
lack of adequate ventilation or the ravages wrought by dust and mites?
Add extra years of quality sailing life with these seven sailing tips from...
John Vigor's excellent book "The Practical Mariner's Book of Knowledge.
1. Think "Water Trap"
Open up hatches and access lockers. Look behind the head. Any water line with a low bend can trap water, allow it to freeze, and crack the line. John Vigor recommends you add "a 50/50 solution of vodka" to your water lines that come from the water tank.
2. Cover and Ventilate
Rain water, sleet, snow, and condensation combine like termites to find any opening, crack, or crevice. Use covers to divert the water overboard. Allow ventilation through the cover to keep the boat dry and problem-free.
3. Attack the Hull
Scrape the bottom before it dries. Those bottom residential crispy critters will dry like epoxy unless you remove them the moment your hull exits the water. Next, plug up all thru-hulls, such as the engine raw-water intake, transducers, and seacock openings. Remove vents and cowls from the deck and replace them with tight fitting covers. This keeps dirt, dust, and insects out of your lines and interior.
4. Replace Metal Protectors
Remove and replace all zincs from the bottom of the hull. Even if they look alright, do it anyway. It's cheap insurance and you won't need to fool with it in the spring. Next, replace the pencil zincs in your small boat diesel raw water system. Call your engine manufacturer if you are unsure where they're located.
5. Work Through this 5-Point Engine Check
Follow your small boat diesel manuals winterization process. If you are unsure, or you find the manual unclear, follow these seven-points...
-- Drain the raw-water system.
-- Add fresh coolant to your fresh water system.
-- Change your engine oil and engine oil filter.
-- Spray lubricant over your engine body (**see note below).
-- Squirt oil into the air intake manifold to protect pistons and cylinders.
*Note...
Take care not to get any spray on your hoses or belts;
lubricants like WD-40 cause rubber products to soften.
6. Make a Warning Sign
Prevent damage to your small sailboat diesel in the spring. You don't want to start her up until you remove the plugs on the intake. Use a magic marker and poster-board and make two signs: "DO NOT START ENGINE UNTIL ALL PLUGS ARE REMOVED". Post one on the engine hatch cover and another next to your starter button. This will insure you against costly engine damage later on.
7. Remove and Charge All Batteries
Take the house and engine-start batteries off the boat and store them in a dry room. Hook up a battery charger and check them once a week to make sure they maintain a full charge throughout the winter.
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Follow the advice of author John Vigor to keep your small cruising boat safe and protected all winter long. These sailing life tips will insure that you have all points covered for worry-free storage until the new boating season returns this spring!
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Captain John's Sailing Skills Video-of-the-Week
How can you master the art of sailing navigation?
It all starts with crystal clear labeling.
Make your nautical chart read like a chapter in a great book...
so that anyone aboard can tell where your vessel has been...
where it is now, and where you intend to be in the near future.
Watch this unique sailing navigation skills video now!
Note - This video is formatted to play on any computer or mobile device.
Please allow a few seconds for the video to load onto your personal device.
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Deal of the Week ~ Save Over $99 on Submersible VHF Radio!
Electronics in an open sailboat need to be built tough to stand the ravages of salt air, sea spray, and driving rain. Save over $99 through October 31 on Standard Horizon's submersible hand held HX280S VHF radio.
Designed from the ground up to fit well in your hand and with large keys and volume knob it is easy to operate even with sailing or cold weather gloves. Supplied with a 1650mAh Li-Ion battery that will last for more than 13 hours on a single charge.
If you are anything like me, I want a great return policy. Horizon states that if your HX280 ever fails for any reason including water damage during normal use in the first three years, they'll repair or replace it free--without hassle or charges!
Standard Horizon HX280S Deal and Discount
Deal Specs: Defender discount $79.99 off list price + $20 Mail-In Rebate.
Deal Dates: Through October 31, 2012.
Order Online: Defender Discount and Standard Horizon Rebate
Order by Phone: 800-628-8225
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Did You Miss the Latest Member's Sailing Articles?
Sailing Knots Secrets - Tie This Super Sailing Knot in Just Ten Seconds!
October 11, 2012 ~ We needed to move the big 44 foot cutter fast to make room for another boat. And we needed a super long docking line to pull the boat 60 feet across the slip to the opposite side. We dug into the sail locker--but came up with lines too short to do the job. What was the solution? Here's one sailing knot you will want to add to your "knots to know" list today aboard your own small sailboat!.
//www.skippertips.com/members/1488.cfm
How to Rig a "Flying-Jibe" Preventer for Cockpit Control
October 9, 2012 ~ Sail downwind for any distance and you should rig a preventer to keep the boom in place. This "prevents" unintended jibes (flying jibes) and tames the boom gear from wear and tear as the boat rolls or yaws. If you are like me, anything that can be controlled from the cockpit makes single- or short-handed sailing easier, safer and more fun. Make sure you rig the lower preventer blocks the right way to make this hassle-free. Follow these simple sailing tips aboard your small sailboat...
//www.skippertips.com/members/1481.cfm
Five Easy Sailing Tips to "Un-Jam" a Genoa Sheet
October 4, 2012 ~ Sail long enough and you are sure to encounter the challenge of jammed turns on a Genoa winch. You get ready to cast off the turns on the working winch when tacking or jibing, only to find that the sheet has frozen onto the winch drum like a tenacious clam that won't let go! Follow these five easy sailing steps that will show you how to do this smooth and easy!
//www.skippertips.com/members/1474.cfm
How to Dock Your Boat Under Sail in an Emergency
October 2, 2012 ~ Are you ready to dock your boat under sail if you were unable to start your sailboat engine. This single sailing skill could well be one of the most important ones that you develop. Become the true master and commander of your small cruising sailboat. Practice these fun and challenging sailing techniques to handle this emergency like a pro!
//www.skippertips.com/members/1470.cfm
Three Ways to Protect Your Sailboat from Being Eaten Alive
September 27, 2012 ~ Do you know what the #1 problem professional boat surveyors run across time after time after time on used sailboats and power boats? It's not hull blistering. Nor is it deck-core water damage. Or even cracks in the hull or gel-coat. Learn the fast, easy way to deal with this costly problem aboard your sailboat. Follow the advice of this veteran surveyor and you will save money and repair costs for years to come!...
//www.skippertips.com/members/1463.cfm