Chapter 2

BOAT MAINTENANCE

HAULING OUTHAULING OUT

• PROPER BLOCKING

BOAT LAYUP TASKSBOAT LAYUP TASKS

• CLEAN BOTTOM

• DRAIN ALL TANKS & BILGE

• FILL FUEL TANKS - TREAT

• CHANGE ENGINE OIL

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• REMOVE BATTERY & PERISHABLES

• CLEAN HEAD & HOLDING TANK

• REMOVE CLOTHES, BEDDING, PFD’S, ETC

• WASH WITH FRESH WATER

• VENTILATE BOAT

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• BOTTOM PAINT– CHEMICALLY SLOW DOWN -

PREVENT VEGETABLE GROWTH AND MARINE ANIMAL LIFE

• MATCH PAINT TO BOAT MATERIALS

• ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

Ted Potter DCAPT/SHRTed Potter DCAPT/SHR

BOTTOM

The PROBLEM: BOTTOMS BECOME FOULED BY MARINE GROWTH.

TWO FORMS OF MARINE LIFE

1. VEGETABLE: GRASSES, WEEDS, ALGAE & FUNGI; Congregate around waterline but may cover entire bottom.

2. ANIMAL : WORMS, BORERS, SHELL FISH,

BARNACLES.

EFFECTS OF BOTTOM FOULING

1. SLOWS HULL SPEEDS

2. INCREASES FUEL CONSUMPTION

3. INTERFERS WITH MANEUVERABILITY

4. REDUCES OVERALL EFFICIENCY OF THE VESSEL

EFFECTS OF BOTTOM FOULING

1. ACCUMULATIONS OF BARNACLES OR OYSTERS MAY MANDATE GRINDING DOWN OF THE HULL.

2. VERY EXPENSIVE, EVEN IF POSSIBLE.

3. ACCUMULATIONS OF ONLY A FEW WORMS IN A WOOD HULL CAN BE DEVASTATING.

4. ALL OTHER HULL MATERIALS ARE IMPERVIOUS TO BORERS / WORMS.

MODERN DAY BOTTOM PAINTS

TWO IMPORTANT ELEMENTS

COPPER

MERCURY

Very effective in preventing fouling by maintaining antiseptic film over the boat

bottom

Disadvantages Of Bottom Paint

1. GALVANIC ACTION (ELECTRONIC CORROSION) : CAUSED BY METALLIC PAINT SALTS; MERCURY / COPPER.

2. AFFECTS ALL ELECTRONICS AND THEIR PERFORMANCE.

3. DESTROYS METALLIC OBJECTS SUCH AS PROPELLERS, SHAFTS, RUDDER BLADES, STRUTS, ETC.

Disadvantages Of Bottom Paints

4. ZINCS (NEVER PAINTED)must be properly attached to each component part to combat GALVANIC ACTION.

5. GREAT CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO PROPERLY MATCH THE PAINT TO YOUR BOAT’S NEEDS.

6. PAINT MANUFACTURERS HAVE DEVELOPED REASONABLE SOLUTIONS.

DRY ROT

1. WOOD: Anywhere…and WOODEN BOATS in particular.

2. Comes and goes, almost at random.

3. GREAT MISNOMER: Dry Rot ONLY occurs in the presence of FRESH WATER MOISTURE

4. CAUSE: A FUNGUS

5. Salt water seems to discourage the fungus but will NOT cure it.

DRY ROT - DETECTION

1. Distinctively BAD ODOR. Once detected, never forgotten.

2. Look in dark places; in the bilge; along the garboard strake; floor boards; all frames; any-where two pieces of wood touch each other.

3. VISIBLE EVIDENCE: Spongy spots in the wood; whitish powder, weaknesses in wood surface.

DRY ROT - REMOVAL

1. PROBE with knife or pick to discover it.

2. REMOVE ALL OF IT, IMMEDIATELY! The fungus spreads like wildfire.

3. CUT IT OUT with a knife including some of the good wood, just to make certain you get it all.

4. Treating it is NOT enough.

DRY ROT - PROTECTION

1. There are some reliable treatments on the market and more are appearing.

2. BEST PROTECTION: Keep fresh water, including condensation, OUT OF YOUR BOAT!

3. Keep the boat WELL VENTILATED and DRY!

GALVANIC ACTION

1. AN ELECTRO-CHEMICAL PROCESS whereby an ELECTRICAL CURRENT is generated when TWO DISSIMILAR METALS are connected IN ANY WAY.

GALVANIC ACTION

1. PRIME CAUSE OF METALLIC DESTRUCTION IN BOATS.

2. SALT WATER BIGGEST OFFENDER

3. ONE METAL ALWAYS SACRIFICED

GALVANIC ACTION

TWO METAL CLASSIFICATIONS

1. CURRENT FLOWS FROM THE LEAST NOBLE TO THE MOST NOBLE METAL.

2. MOST NOBLE: CURRENT FLOWS into.

3. LEAST NOBLE: CURRENT FLOWS out of.

4. Current OUT OF destroys the (LEAST NOBLE) metal.

GALVANIC ACTION

MOST NOBLE ( Least susceptible and least sacrificed): Mercury, Monel, Nickel, Silicon Bronze

LEAST NOBLE ( MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO DESTRUCTION): BRASS, ALUMINUM, ANYTHING GALVANIZED, ZINC and MAGNESIUM.

GALVANIC ACTION

1. Remember: It takes two to tango! There are ALWAYS more than two dissimilar metals on any boat!

2. The PROBLEM is ALWAYS there, unless taken care of!

GALVANIC ACTION

Any time you have two different metals that are physically or electrically connected and immersed in seawater, they become a battery.

Current flows between the two metals. The electrons that make up that current are supplied by one of the metals giving up bits of itself-in the form of metal ions-to the seawater. This is called galvanic corrosion and, left unchecked, it quickly destroys underwater metals.

The most common casualty of galvanic corrosion is a bronze or aluminum propeller on a stainless steel shaft, but metal struts, rudders, rudder fittings, outboards, and stern drives are also at risk.

COUNTERACTING GALVANICS

1. Add a SACRIFICIAL metal.

2. THE COMMON ZINC: Comes in all sizes, shapes. READILY AVAILABLE. INEXPENSIVE.

3. FREQUENT INSPECTION for signs of destruction: greyish color, pitted, pieces broken off.

4. REPLACE IMMEDIATELY with new zincs.

5. BRIGHT zincs are those NOT RESPONDING; NOT PROTECTING THE NOBLE METAL!

GALVANIC ACTION

**NOTE**

NEVER---NEVER---NEVER LET ANYONE PAINT YOUR ZINCS.

Paint provides an insulating surface that prevents the zinc from doing it’s job. In the meantime, your shafts, rudder plates and posts, etc. continue to be eaten away.

244/2010 Ted Potter DCAPT/SHRTed Potter DCAPT/SHR

THE SHAFT TRAIN

THE SHAFT TRAIN

1. The SHAFT TRAIN inside the boat translates the POWER of the engine to the propeller outside of the boat.

2. The shaft (power) train, except V- and Hydraulic drives consists of:

a). Shaft Log b). Shaft c) Strut

d.) Strut bearing e.) Propeller.

THE SHAFT TRAIN

1. PROPELLER: Varying sizes of PITCH, DIAMETER, CIRCUMFERENCE, LEFT or RIGHT ROTATION, SHAFT-HOLE SIZE, NUMBER OF BLADES and TYPE of METALS.

2. PITCH: Distance propeller will move ahead in ONE revolution.

3. LOCK NUT: Holds the propeller on the shaft. Probably the MOST important piece of the entire TRAIN.

TYPICAL STUFFING BOX

REVIEW QUESTIONS NO. 1

1. The condition of dry rot is usually_______

a. very slow to spread.

b. eliminated by soaking affected areas with

turpentine and then coating with “spar”

varnish.

c. first indicated by a distinctive odor.

d. produced by an excessively dry

environment.

REVIEW QUESTIONS NO. 2

2. Galvanic action_____________________

a. is caused by two dissimilar metals being electrically connected and immersed, either totally or partially, in sea water

b. effects ferrous materials only

c. is of most concern when there are stray electrical currents in the area.

d. is always located where the shaft is

attached to the inboard engine.

REVIEW QUESTIONS NO. 3

3. The strut bearing____________________

a. relies on water for lubrication.

b. is stuffed with oakum and grease.

c. is located inside the hull.

d, is located where the shaft is attached to the

engine .

REVIEW QUESTIONS NO. 4

4. The most effective way to combat “dry rot” when it is found is to ______

a. soak the affected area with turpentine

then coat with spar varnish.

b. dig out the soft spots with a knife and paint

the entire area

c. cut out the affected wood plus some good wood.

d. keep affected areas dampened with fresh water.

REVIEW QUESTIONS NO. 5

5. A good method to combat galvanic action is to ________

a. use the same metal throughout the boat.

b. electrically connect dissimilar metals immersed in sea water.

c. eliminate all stray electrical currents

d. add a sacrificial metal.

REVIEW QUESTIONS NO. 6

6. What is used to keep the propeller on the shaft?

a. locking ring

b. a lock nut

c. a slot

d. a collar

REVIEW QUESTIONS

7. The two types of marine growth are__

a. barnacles and moss

b. oysters and grass

c. worms and oysters

d. vegetable and animal

REVIEW QUESTIONS NO.8

8. The primary effect of marine growth on the hull is ________________

a. to slow it’s speed

b. little or none

c, not well known

d. negligible

REVIEW QUESTIONS NO. 9

9. The proper way to store a boat is to__

a. always let the weight rest on the

shoring.

b. never let the weight rest on the shoring

c. never shore the boat

d. never cover the boat

REVIEW QUESTIONS NO. 10

10. In galvanic action, the current flows from the _____ to the ____metal.

a. less noble/more noble

b. more noble/less noble

c. negative/positive

d. positive/negative