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Cruising Sailboats - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the correct way to fly the flags on my sailboat?

After buying a boat many people find the custom of flying a national flag on even a very small boat exciting (maybe it makes them feel like Admiral Nelson leading the British fleet to Trafalgar), without ever questioning the reason boaters make a big deal about flying flags (and naming their boats), while never giving any thought to doing the same thing with their cars and trucks. This quotation from the popular novel “The Riddle of the Sands”, which was written in 1906, demonstrates that even 100 years ago some people were questioning the rationale for flying flags on everything that can float: “... a hatred of any sort of affectation... he and his yacht observed none of the superficial etiquette of yachts and yachtsmen, that she never, for instance, flew a national ensign...”

It's unfortunate that although most boat owners deem flying a national flag a necessity, they don't seem to feel that learning to fly it properly as important.

Fly the national flag, or marine ensign if there is an official one, of the boat’s country of registry from 8 am to sunset when the boat is occupied, or 24 hours a day ONLY when the boat is underway during the night. Take the flag down before you leave if you are in port and won’t return to the boat before sunset. Take all flags down when the boat is not in use, especially if it is hauled out in a boatyard.

Torn and dirty national flags should be treated with respect, and never simply tossed in open garbage. Instead they should be placed in a container and discarded, or simply burned.

Provincial/state, or ornamental flags showing the nationality of the crew are not correct. If you feel a burning need to advertise that you aren’t the same nationality as the country of registration of the boat, we suggest you get a hat or T shirt with your country’s flag on it. [If the sailboat is Canadian registered or licensed, the only correct flag is the Canadian maple leaf flag. Flags with British union jack inserts such as the old ensign used before Canada adopted the maple leaf flag in 1965 (which began as the flag of the Hudson's Bay Company and was later adapted to serve as a Canadian flag by Canadian soldiers fighting in World War 1 to differentiate themselves from British soldiers), World War II Canadian navy, air force, or army flags, flags of Canadian provinces/territories/cities, or Canadian First Nations flags are not correct – unless the boat is owned by a member of a yacht club which has been granted a charter to fly a modified naval Union Jack by the Queen/Kingsometime in the past.]

On a sailboat the national flag should be flown either on a flag staff at the stern, or on the backstay no higher than 1/3 of the way up. The national flag should be sized 1” of fly (width) for each foot of boat length, ie. the correct size of Canadian flag for a 38 ft sailboat is 38” x 19”.

Make sure all Canadian flags are the correct 2:1 width/height dimensions. Many cheap Canadian flags (ie made in China, Vietnam, Malaysia, etc) are not correctly sized because they use the US flag ratio of 5:3 width/height for all the flags they make.

When entering a foreign country, fly the yellow “Q” signal flag at the starboard header while waiting in the port of entry for customs to inspect the boat and boats papers (the “Q” flag is rarely flown in Mexico). After receiving permission to enter the country, replace the “Q” flag with the host country’s flag (a “courtesy” flag) at the starboard spreader. The courtesy and signal flags should be sized ½” of fly (width) for each foot of mast above the waterline. The correct size of US courtesy flag for a 38 ft sailboat with a 40’ mast and 4’ freeboard (total mast height above waterline = 44’) is 22” x 13”. All US flags should have the standard US flag ratio of 5:3 width/height. Do not fly any courtesy flags when the boat is in home waters of the country of registry.

Yacht club and signal flags should be flown on separate halyards from the port spreader, and in some cases on the starboard spreader. Yacht club and signal flags should be the same size as the courtesy flags, ½” of fly (width) for each foot of mast above the waterline.

Should I keep my diesel and/or gasoline fuel tanks full or empty in the winter?

This recommendation has changed... fuel doesn't last as long as it used to. Try to end up the season with an empty tank so you can leave it as empty as possible during the winter or long periods of storage. In the spring use a long piece of copper pipe inserted into the tank through a sender or pipe fitting to suck any water from the bottom of the tank at its lowest point before filling the tank with fresh fuel.

What products are not recommended?

As far as possible do not buy products made in China or Vietnam or North Korea, because they are often manufactured in prisons or using child slave labour (products labeled made in Vietnam are often really made in China and then transported across the border to Vietnam for final finishing so they can then be stamped “Made in Vietnam”).

The worst products ever made are stamped “Seadog”. In some cases Seadog mast fittings are cast in reverse and have sharp edges which cut ropes because when they were copied from quality components made in Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, or Europe the casting mould was somehow inverted by the poorly trained workers.

Other poorly made products are SeaTel satellite phones, Aquamarine Water Makers (poor service), stainless steel fasteners made in China, India, and other 3^rd world countries (they are made of such poor quality steel they often break off when being tightened – especially in fibreglass, and many of the self-tapping screws don't have sharp pointed ends and are difficult to get started in hard wood), Canadian Tire tools, Whale marine plumbing plastic components, and Chinese made marine risers and manifolds.

Why are big steel oil and fuel drums found in remote places along the coast called 45 gallon drums in Canada and 55 or 50 gallon drums in the US?

The standard steel drums used around the world for shipping oil and fuel are actually 45 Imperial gallons (formerly the gallon used in Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and other British Commonwealth countries), 55 US gallons, or exactly 208.2 litres, however they are sometimes also referred to in the US as 50 gallon drums (presumably there is a bit of space left for expansion when they are only filled with 50 US gallons).

What is the correct gear to use when sailing with a boat equipped with a ZF “MS” mechanical transmission (commonly used on Universal, Vetus, Volvo, Kubota diesel engines, along with many others)?

The ZF (formerly Hurth) “MS” (mechanical/sailing) marine transmission fitted to many sailboat diesel engines is designed to allow the propeller to freewheel while sailing to reduce propeller drag (usually propeller drag slows the boat by around .2 - .5 kn. Therefore when the boat has a fixed blade propeller the transmission should be in neutral while sailing. When the boat has a folding or feathering propeller the transmission should be in reverse to lock the propeller shaft so the folding or feathering propeller can function properly. NEVER SAIL WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN FORWARD GEAR... IT WILL BURN OUT THE TRANSMISSION CLUTCH PLATES. No matter what type of propeller is fitted to the boat always leave the propeller in neutral when leaving the boat so that there is no chance of the propeller turning in the wrong direction due to a tidal or river current and burning out the transmission clutch plates even when the boat is not being used.

From the ZF Marine Operating Manual:
“When the engine is off, and the boat sails, moves in tow, or is anchored, the propeller may turn with the water current”.
“Idling position of the propeller: gear shift lever must be in the “0” position [neutral]. Use the shift position opposite to the direction of travel for locking the propeller shaft, otherwise the transmission will be damaged”.

Another advantage of using neutral when sailing with a fixed blade propeller is that a second small alternator can be installed behind the engine/transmission and driven off the propeller shaft with a belt and pulley from the propeller shaft. Of course this alternator will also work when the engine is running too, providing a back-up alternator and extra battery charging capacity during both sailing and motoring.

Should I apply any sealant or liquid to stainless steel screws when installing them in aluminum components?

Stainless steel and aluminum corrode and eventually seize when in contact in a marine environment, so stainless steel screws in aluminum masts and other components are usually coated with a liquid designed to keep the metals from touching, and to keep moisture out of the threads. Many riggers use lanolin liquid such as “Ultra Tef-Gel“ or other similar products containing lanolin, however we recommend the use of Loctite “Purple - #22210” low strength threadlocker. Loctite not only separates the two metals and seals the threads, but it prevents the threads from loosening due to drive engine or generator engine vibration. Loctite is anerobic, which means it cures quickly without the presence of oxygen, unlike most other paints and sealants sometimes used to seal threads. All metal threads in a marine environment can benefit from the use of Loctite, since by sealing the threads from moisture it also prevents carbon steel fasteners such as nuts and bolts from rusting together, as well as preventing them from coming loose. Stronger grades of Loctite can be used on larger fasteners, but since the low strength type is all that is required to seal threads and prevent loosening from minor vibration that's all we use on boat fasteners no matter what size they are (stronger grades such as “Blue” and “Red - high heat” are often used on engine mounts, propeller shaft flanges, and rotating engine components).

When working on a boat with 120 volt or 240 volt AC wiring, what is a good way to get killed?

Even if you disconnect all the shorepower plugs to the boat you can still be killed the instant you start working on the AC wiring... all you need is to have the batteries connnected to the inverter, and leave the inverter on! Inverters produce the same power that is supplied by dock shorepower plugs, and it can kill you just as quickly. Many inverters are wired directly from the batteries, and so turning off the battery main switch will not disconnect them. Often inverters are mounted in hard-to-find places and connected only to one adjacent wall plug (often at the nav station so it can be used to charge a laptop computer). Many boat owners may not be aware they even have an inverter because many inverters have a built-in battery charger... and the owner may not be aware of the inverter function because they've only used it for a battery charger. Before working on boat wiring make sure you've identified all DC and AC wiring harnesses, all shorepower plugs (many boats have 2), located all inverters and/or battery chargers, located all batteries (most boats have 2 separate battery banks, often in different locations)... then turn off all battery chargers/inverters, disconnect all shore power plugs, disable all generators so they cannot start automatically, and disconnect all 12 volt battery negative cables. Then verify the AC wiring is safe by checking the AC panel main breaker with a voltmeter between the hot (black) and neutral (white) wire terminals before touching any part of the wiring harness.

DANGER!: owner installed inverter behind AC & DC electrical panels – bypasses panel main breakers... independently wired to a dedicated AC outlet in the saloon

Note: Because 120 and 240 volt AC wiring uses black wire for the hot wire, and old 12 volt DC wiring uses black wire for the negative circuit (new 12 volt DC wiring uses yellow wire for the negative circuit) you can be killed even when you think you're working only on the 12 volt DC harness by inadvertantly cutting or touching a black AC 120 volt wire or terminal connected to shorepower or an inverter.

What kind of cordless equipment do you use?

When we decided to move from power tools with plug-in cords to cordless battery-powered power tools it seemed that selecting a well-known brand with the newest battery technology and then buying tools that would all fit the same battery so we would only need one charger and would only have to carry one or two spare charged batteries to ensure we had spare batteries for all the tools would make sense. After a bit of research we decided on the new Makita 18 volt LXT 3.0 Ah lithium ion (“Li-Ion”) batteries, and then bought only Makita tools that use that battery. Makita is the only power tool manufacturer that assembles product in Canada, and has hundreds of dealers all across the country, which was another reason we decided to standardize with their tools.

We use the following Makita 18 volt lithium ion battery-powered tools:
Makita #BDF452 1/2” drill (chuck hand-tightened type)
Makita #DTD141 impact driver/drill (very effective for driving screws and bolts up to 5/8” wrench size, and great for loosening/tightening hose clamps when fitted with appropriate 1/4”, 9/32”, 5/16”, or 3/8” socket to fit the clamp screw head. It can also be used with an optional Makita 1' flexible extension)
Makita #BML184 neon work light
Makita #BJU180 jig saw (metal/wood blade)
Makita #BJR 181 reciprocating saw [sawzall] (metal/wood blade)
Makita #BGA 452 disc grinder (zip saw when fitted with cutting blade)
Makita #BSS610 circular saw (meta/wood blade)

My local marine store wants to sell me a PSS Dripless Seal to replace the original packing gland-type seal on my sailboat. They say it will never have to be replaced. Is that true?

No, the rubber bellows has to be replaced at least every 6 years, more frequently in boats with regular non-sealed lead-acid batteries.

Refer to the PYI website for information on installing and maintaining the PSS seal at http://www.pyiinc.com/images/pdf/pss/PYI_PSS_Instructions.pdf

It states in part:

• As with any hose under the waterline, the PSS bellows must be inspected on a regular basis (i.e., no less than at least every 6 months under most circumstances) and checked for any signs of deterioration (cracks, splits, tears, brittleness, or other signs). Upon any sign of deterioration the bellows must be replaced. As preventive maintenance the bellows should be replaced no less than every six (6) years, regardless of its apparent condition.

• The bellows will need more frequent inspection and replacement in an environment where non-sealed batteries emit sulfuric acid vapors. Sulfuric acid vapors will accelerate deterioration of any rubber materials including the PSS bellows.

I have a newer Universal M35B engine in my boat, with the stock 55 amp alternator. I note in your refit of your own boat you installed a Leece Neville 100 amp alternator and Xantrex Regulator [the Xantrex regulator has since been replaced with an integral Leece Neville adjustable regulator]. I was wondering if you have the alternator part number you used and whether the Xantrex unit stood the test of time. I would like to upgrade the charging system but am unsure of the best components.

If you change your alternator you'll need to fabricate a new upper adjustment arm of of a piece of steel plate, and be prepared to change the wiring a bit. After-market alternator conversions often result in problems with home-made mounts breaking due to vibration and/or poor design, as well as from under-size original wiring melting and restricting maximum output. Alternators over about 80 amps put out so much more power that a single belt often slips and burns until it breaks, ideally any alternator over 80 amps should use 2 belts, which is hard to do on engines like the Universal M-35B because it means installing a double pulley on the water pump, and a double pulley is hard to find. If you do fabricate double pulleys you run the risk of burning out the water pump bearing due to the extra leverage on it from the extra belt running farther out from the bearing. If you're not ready to do that, I suggest the existing alternator will work just fine if you installed a 100 amp solar panel on a hinged mount (so you can turn it to follow the sun) on top of your dodger, or someplace out-of-the-way like that. A 100 amp solar panel will give you a maximum of about 6 amps under a hot, bright sun, and will average about 3 amps on a regular spring/summer day with a few clouds in the sky, and because it's on all the time when the sun is out whether the motor is running, you're at the dock, or sailing, it is a more convenient way to up your charging capacity than installing a big alternator.

Another option is install a double pulleys on the Power Take-Off (PTO) adapter on the front of the crankshaft (available from Universal as an option), and then install a big alternator with a double pulley, while leaving the original alternator (and its factory mount and wiring) in place. This will not only provide the higher output alternator you want, but also make sure it has the proper double pulley and belts to drive it reliably... of course it will also give you an automatic backup if one alternator fails.

The bottom mount bracket on the M35-B is not very strong, especially because it's made of aluminum. I had one break, and had to wait a month for a new one (which meant I couldn't run the engine, because the alternator belt drives the water pump). The bracket is a Universal part... when Kubota sells the engine they mount the alternator in a different way, and I wrote a letter to Westerbeke complaining about the poor design and the use of aluminum instead of pressed steel. Now I carry 2 spares. Don't overtighten the bolts and nuts because doing that can break the bracket.

I went through 3 Xantrex 3 stage regulators before I decided they were junk, and then came to the conclusion that because a sailboat usually just needs the batteries charged as fast as possible when the engine is running there is no need for a 3 stage regulator anyway. All a 3 stage regulator really does is go to a float charge when the batteries are fully charged so the batteries won't start bubbling and gassing hydrogen, which is useful on a motorboat that is motoring for hours and hours in hot weather, but is not needed on a sailboat, because running the engine long enough to get the batteries past fully charged to the float stage is a waste of fuel, and so worrying about getting to a float charge is not necessary. Even Balmar sells a single stage regulator for smaller alternators used on sailboats.

I decided to install a bigger alternator just in case I needed it, but to be honest, since the stock alternator works fine all it really meant was theoretically I reduced the amount of time needed to fully charge the batteries while running the engine by about an hour - maybe less.

A lot of people install a bigger alternator because they think it takes too long to charge the batteries by running the engine at the dock... but often that's because they often run the engine at idle when charging. Most alternators need to turn at least 2,500 rpm in order to put out full charge when hot... that doesn't mean the engine has to turn that fast since most engines have the alternator belt pullies sized to increase alternator speed so it turns faster than the engine. Use a hand tachometer to determine the engine speed necessary to turn the alternator at 2,500 rpm, and after that when charging at the dock use that engine rpm... often the optimum minimum engine speed is around 1,800 rpm.

Instead of the Xantrex 3 stage regulator (which is exactly the same as the regulator sold by Balmar for their alternators... many Balmar alternators are actually based on Leece-Neville models too) I installed an integral adjustable voltage regulator on the back of the alternator. The reason the voltage regulator should be adjustable is so it can be adjusted from the stock automotive battery setting of 13.8 – 14.2 volts, lower for the new types of gel batteries (ie 13.5 volts), and bumped up a bit for lead-acid batteries in a sailboat so the alternator will charge even faster (ie 14.5 volts). You can also adjust the voltage to the lowest lead-acid setting during very hot weather (ie 13.8 volts) to reduce gassing when the batteries reach full charge. If you don't plan on using anything but lead-acid batteries you can use a non-adjustable regulator.

If you decide to install a higher-output alternator I recommend you remove your existing alternator complete with the mounting bracket it's on (it's good to know how it comes off in case you have to change it at sea anyway, so you can make sure you have the correct wrenches in your tool kit. On a Universal M35B the lower bolt and nut take a 9/16" socket on one end and a 9/16" wrench on the other end, however the bracket is held onto the engine with a metric bolt and nut which takes a 14 mm socket and wrench. Take it to an auto electric shop and ask them for an 80 to 100 amp Leece Neville marine alternator, 2" foot - or 1" foot with 1" adapter, with an integral self-exciting adjustable voltage regulator and AC tach drive terminal. Also ask them to fit a fairly small diameter pulley and space it so it matches your original alternator, that way the belt will aligned properly when you fit the new one.

When you fit the larger alternator run a #4 AWG red battery cable from the + BAT terminal on the alternator directly to the starter + battery cable connection (where the big, fat red + wire from the engine start battery is connected to the starter solenoid + terminal). You'll need to fabricate a new upper adjustment arm, and leave the bottom mount bracket nuts a bit loose so you can move the alternator a bit to get it in a position where it fits the best before you tighten them. A self-exciting regulator means you won't have to hook up any wires except the existing + battery wire and the new #4 AWG wire (the new #4 AWG cable fits on the same stud on the alternator), and AC tach drive wire. On the M35-B there are two other wires... one is a no-charge alarm wire which doesn't need to be hooked up if you have the Admiral panel (the one with gauges and a tach which is the one usually used on sailboats) because on the M35-B it isn't connected at the alarm buzzer anyway (it took me a while to figure this out... if you don't believe me trace the wire), and the other is the purple ignition switch wire - which doesn't need to be hooked up because the new regulator is self-exciting and will start charging in a few seconds after you start the engine and rev it up a bit. You may also need to take the original belt to an auto parts store and get a belt that is a bit longer or a bit shorter. They will use the original belt to figure out the correct width and length of the new belt.

When I had my new alternator installed and working properly I bought another one exactly the same, as well as another voltage regulator and a complete set of mounts, as well as several spare belts, so I had spare that could be installed and hooked up exactly like the one it was replacing, instead of having to modify the wiring harness while trying to install the backup alternator during an emergency repair.

How do you decide whether a boat should have a vertical anchor windlass or a horizontal anchor windlass?

Nearly everyone I talk to with an all-chain anchor rode mentions that they've had a problem with their all-chain anchor rode backing up and jamming in the windlass gypsy because the anchor locker isn't deep enough (or put another way, the pile of chain in the anchor locker is too high and close to the bottom of the windlass so the chain backs up into the windlass and jams it). Usually the only solution is for somebody to sit by the anchor locker and keep kicking the pile of chain over so it doesn't pile up near the top of the anchor locker. This problem can be solved if the anchor locker is built narrow and deep, not wide and shallow, and the total length of chain rode is not longer than can be accommodated in the anchor locker while still leaving a foot or more drop below the hawse-pipe or gypsy.

After some thought I realized that there is a primary reason anchor windlasses are available in both vertical and horizontal types (despite reading numerous articles on selecting and installing anchor windlasses I've never found one article that actually explained a definitive reason to select either one). Sailboats with large hinged anchor lockers in the deck at the bow (ie most production sailboats under 40 ft) need to have the windlass mounted on the deck directly aft of the locker, not on the hinged anchor locker cover itself. The anchor chain runs across the top of the locker to the windlass gypsy.

The basic design of a horizontal windlass means the chain drops through a hole directly beneath the windlass gypsy, which means on a boat with the windlass mounted on the deck aft of a hinged anchor locker the chain does not drop directly into the anchor locker, but must be routed through a hawse-pipe angled to bring the chain forward from the hole beneath the horizontal windlass so it can drop into the anchor locker (unless the anchor locker extends to the rear of the hinged cover under the deck, so the windlass can be mounted directly over it on the deck). Due to the angled hawse-pipe the chain enters the anchor locker about a foot below the top of the locker and there's usually not enough drop left on most boats to allow about 300 ft of chain to pile up without jamming the windlass.

If you must install a horizontal windlass, then the best option is to also modify the anchor locker at the same time to get a straight, deep drop from the gypsy and do away with any hawse pipe, especially if they're angled or have any turns.

A vertical windlass pulls the chain around the gypsy and then drops it on the forward side... instead of dropping it directly below the gypsy like a horizontal windlass. So, a vertical windlass works much better on a boat with a hinged anchor locker in the deck because the chain goes around the vertical gypsy and then is automatically brought forward right to the edge of the anchor locker where it drops directly into the anchor locker at the top without having to be routed through an angled hawse-pipe. Compared to the horizontal windlass there's an extra foot for the chain to pile up before it starts jamming the gypsy, and no angled hawse-pipe which also causes the chain to jam.

So, the vertical anchor windlass is the best choice for a boat with a hinged anchor locker cover and an anchor locker which does not extend back under the deck where the windlass will be mounted. Vertical windlasses can also can handle several anchors mounted side-by-side without getting out of line with any of them, whereas horizontal windlasses usually are lined up on one specific anchor and trying to use them on an anchor slightly to the left or right will put them out of alignment.

What is “prop walk”, and what causes it?

http://www.kiwiprops.co.nz/prop_walk.html

When my marine mechanic installed my batteries this spring, he threw out the wing nuts which I had on the battery terminals and replaced them all with regular plated hexagon nuts which must be tightened with a wrench. The wing nuts were convenient because I could remove the battery cables without a wrench. Why did he do that?

New Transport Canada and ABYC standards no longer allow battery cables to be fitted using wing nuts because there have been many problems with dead batteries caused by loose cables on batteries with hand-tightened wing nuts. Nuts tightened with a wrench are much more reliable. Dielectric silicone grease should be smeared on the terminals to keep moisture and air out of the electrical connections and reduce corrosion before arranging the terminals on the battery studs and tightening the nuts.

What are the things you would have done differently when buying and then refitting your own cruising sailboat if you were to do it all again?

1. I would have bought a newer production boat... one newer than 1990 and still in production, ie Delphia 37, Catalina 38, Hanse 37, Bavaria 38, Hunter 38, Beneteau First 38, Tartan 38, etc in order to be able to sell it for a reasonable price if that became necessary, and to eliminate most of the expensive (and time-consuming) refit issues regarding wet deck core, wet hull fibreglass and blistering, worn-out rudder bearings, water-soaked rudder, deck leaks, faded and damaged topsides and decks, obsolete and poorly installed through-hull valves, dangerous and inefficient alcohol stoves, corroded and leaking tanks, dirty and rotten teak heads – instead of the white glass used on newer boats, worn-out steering pedestal bearings and steering cables, worn-out mast sheaves, corroded and out-of-date wiring harness, antiquated and under-powered gasoline engine (Atomic 4), etc which seem to need to be addressed on all old fibreglass boats. Dodgers, electronics, radios, radar, sails, and running rigging are not a problem, but the amount of money and time it really takes to refit an older boat properly – without any real increase in asset value, is a serious financial mistake.

2. I would have fitted a new heavy Rocna anchor and chain rode with a good vertical anchor windlass, and then sailed the boat for several years until I knew it backwards before making any modifications or repair beyond those that were absolutely necessary... lots of rough weather, anchoring out instead of staying at the marina dock, and lots of sailing even when motoring was tempting. At some point I might have decided that I would get a newer boat instead of refitting the old one.

3. I would not have contemplated living aboard with my wife in a boat without at least 2 separate cabins with doors and a white fibreglass head... which would mean a newer boat would have been increased in size to about 40 ft. Living aboard a boat with no closed cabins means that nobody can have any privacy or sleep while other people and guests are aboard, and it also makes it much more uncomfortable to have grown children or guests sleep on board. Actually living aboard while working and staying in one place is a bad idea... how do you go sailing every weekend if the boat is connected to the dock and loaded up with nearly everything you own, and what happens if you want to go out for day to test something while your partner is expecting their home to be at the dock when they arrive there after a long day at work?! Better to have a cheap rented home near the boat so you can use the boat and work on it without trying to live on it at the same time.

4. If possible I would have a purchased a used boat which had been outfitted and sailed by an experienced cruising sailor so as to take advantage of the properly configured and top quality equipment which he no doubt would have had installed.

5. I would have left the engine completely stock (ie no aftermarket big alternator in place of the original alternator) and installed a second large alternator running off a PTO on the front of the engine crankshaft to a strong, separate mount using a flat “gilmour” belt (as per Volvo), a solar panel capable of powering the refrigerator and charging the batteries, and a wind generator. That would also have given me a backup alternator already installed. If a reliable 24 volt solar panel and wind generator voltage regulator was available I'd use 24 volts for the house and navigation lighting to lighten the wire gauge necessary.

6. I would fit a “dry-stack” exhaust (and perhaps a keel-cooler) instead of a water-lock exhaust to both the propulsion engine and the generator... less engine back-pressure, no flooding danger from a inadvertant siphon due to a stuck anti-siphon valve, no flooding hazard in heavy weather, lighter (removes about 20 kg of water which is in a wet exhaust system at any given time).

7. I would “upsize” the propulsion engine marine gear about two sizes in order to ensure it was reliable, unless the boat came with a Volvo saildrive.

8. I did fit an Aqua-drive flexible coupling, and I would fit another one, only with an external propeller shaft coupling instead of the standard Aquadrive internal clamping system.

9. I would not fit a watermaker, but I would configure the sails to act as rain-water catchers and drain into one of the two or more water tanks.

10. If possible I would have a Hallberg-Rassy type hard windshield installed around the front of the cockpit.

11. I would fit a below-decks hydraulic autopilot... along with a Cape Horn windvane.

12. I would fit a pedestal with Jofa “drag-link” steering instead of cable steering.

13. I'd get a “deck-salon” style boat with a rear cockpit.

14. I'd fit a hard dinghy that mounts securely on a stern fantail or mount.

15. I'd get a boat with a “sugar-scoop” stern.

16. If I had to choose I'd get a new Volvo Penta (aka Perkins) 55 hp engine if the boat was around 40 ft.

17. I'd never buy a boat with a Volvo 2000 series engine.

18. I would fit a Kiwi 3-blade feathering propeller.

19. I would fit the same NovaKool TL2500 top-loading freezer/refrigerator I have on my present boat... they're great.

20. I would fit an insulated aluminum hatchway door.

21. I would mount all heavy battery banks and tanks so their weight counted as ballast.

22. I would use industrial grade house construction components, instead of marine, for installing the toilets and sinks.

23. If there was a good way to do it and retain off-shore sailing performance I would get a boat with a retractable keel so I could bring the boat into shallow water easily.

24. I'd fit a composting toilet instead of a stinking and heavy holding tank.

25. I'd make the boat systems independent and modular, as well as quickly removeable and accessible.

26. I'd fit a furling spinnaker and do away with the spinnaker sock and the pole.

27. I'd have ordered a storm trisail which would reach just below the spreaders, around the same size as the main jib with 2 reefs, and since I have an oval mast which won't allow a second storm jib mast track beside the main track, I'd have fitted it with hoops or fittings to allow it to be used anytime the main was down. Along with that, I'd set up the boom so the storm trisail could be fastened on it instead of being sheeted to either main winch with the boom lashed to one side.

28. I would have bought most of my supplies and equipment from a marine equipment dealer supplying to commercial vessels and professional mariners.

29. I'd only buy Furuno electronics. Period.

30. I'd request equipment quotations from at least 2 suppliers, and specify no products made in China, nothing made by “Sea Dog”, fasteners made in Canada or the United States, and only Ancor wire and tinned electrical fittings with screw on terminals or water-tight plugs (as per Volvo) – no push-on connectors.

What are the correct fitting tolerances for a propeller shaft coupler?

The propeller shaft coupler should fit on the propeller shaft with a fairly tight SLIP fit... so the coupler internal diameter should be .0005” to .001” larger than the shaft diameter with all parts at room temperature (ie. 20 C). It should be possible to push on and remove the coupler by hand (heating the coupler by pouring a big pot of boiling water over it may help it slip off the shaft easier when removing it, but it should go on by hand when all the parts are clean and new). The coupler is actually held tight to the shaft when the 2 large set screws (usually 3/8” NC threaded square-headed bolts on opposite sides to the square keystock in the shaft/coupler) are tightened... and they should be tightened into “dimples” cut into the shaft about 1/16” with a drill to ensure the shaft cannot back out of the coupler when the transmission is in reverse and the propeller is trying to pull the shaft right out of the boat. Installing the coupler and set screws on the shaft with “Never-seize” or grease may help to remove it at a later date, especially if any seawater gets on the coupler and corrodes the coupler and shaft. The square heads of the set screws should have holes drilled through them so they can be lock-wired together with stainless steel wire to ensure they do not come loose. Sometimes the shaft is removed without loosening the bolts and nuts holding the coupler to the transmission output flange, by simple loosening the coupler set screws and pulling on the shaft at the propeller, however pulling the shaft in that way must be done without using a large slide hammer which may damage the transmission thrust bearing.

If the coupler is not installed with a slip fit it will be very difficult to remove the shaft in order to install a new cutlass bearing or shaft seal without hauling the boat out of the water and removing the engine/transmission so as to withdraw the shaft and coupler in one piece inside the boat, or simply cutting the shaft and installing a new one with the correct coupler slip fit.

My ZF5 (Hurth HBW 50) gearbox is slow going into gear, and seems to slip a bit before getting the boat moving. What is wrong?

Usually when ZF gearboxes do that it means they have worn or damaged forward clutch plates and need to be rebuilt. If it does start slipping badly when you're motoring you can usually get into the slip after sailing home by using reverse, which usually still works OK. The usual cause of forward clutch plate damage is sailing with the transmission gear lever in forward, instead of reverse (to lock the shaft when using a feathering or folding prop) or neutral (to allow the shaft to spin to reduce propeller drag when using a fixed blade prop). The other usual cause is overload caused by motoring close to hull speed, since that puts such a load on the gear that the thrust washers on the end of the forward gear start to slip. Always motor for long distances at least 1 – 2 kn slower than maximum boat speed. While testing for short periods of less than a few minutes (ie. The intermittent rating of the engine) at maximum speed/full throttle in normal sea conditions the engine tachometer should read rated maximum rpm... if it won't the prop is too big and needs to be de-pitched (or the boat has a dirty hull and/or prop). If you normally tow a dinghy the engine should pull rated full throttle/top speed rpm when towing it.

Check that the transmission oil is at the correct level and is pink, not black or milky. If it isn't pink, change it. If it's milky it has water in it, and the cooler may have a leak into the oil. Excessive oil can cause the transmission to run hot and burn out, as can not enough oil.

Slow engagement and slipping is a very common failure on these gearboxes, and although many shops will offer to rebuild your gear, the best fix is to simply buy a brand new one from the local ZF distributor since a new one has a 1 1/2 year warranty and will be properly assembled. Many rebuilt gears have recurring problems because it is time consuming and difficult to get all the shims the correct size when installing new parts in the original gearbox. If you do buy a new gear to replace a ZF5, you may want to consider buying a new ZF6, which is slightly larger than the ZF5 and for that reason should be more reliable in the future but will probably still fit without modifying anything.

Sailboats are usually fitted with gears rated “pleasure”, which means it is assumed the gear will be used for “highly intermittent operation with very large variations in engine speed and power, usually in a boat with a planing hull”. Of course this is ridiculous, because most sailboats use the motor, and therefore the gear, for hours, often days, of motoring close to the hull speed. To ensure gear reliability the gear should be selected based on “continuous” duty, which is usually about 1 or 2 sizes larger than “pleasure” duty. For example, a Universal M35B with 35 hp @ 3,000 rpm for sailboat use comes with a standard ZF10 which is OK if the duty is judged “pleasure”, but is too small if the duty cycle is judged to be “continuous”. The correct gear for that engine in a sailboat is a ZF12, or even a ZF15. Most smaller sailboat engines fitted with ZF5 gears should actually be fitted with a ZF10.

What oil do you recommend for ZF (Hurth) mechanical gearboxes used on small sailboat diesels?

ZF4 to ZF115 gearboxes are mechanical gearboxes that use automatic transmission oil, which ZF designates as lubricant class 04D. Other models of ZF gears us motor oils or gear oil. ZF voids the warranty if any after-market oil additives are used.

The ZF web site http://www01apps.zf.com/kst464/ZF_InteroeleV2_manager/Work/2010-01-01/TE-ML%2004_en0700.pdf has a list of the latest recommended ZF transmission oils, but in any case for ZF mechanical gears you can use any brand of ATF Dexron 2 with Mercon, which is used in a lot of automobiles and is available at automotive parts stores. We recommend Mobil 1 ATF Synthetic, Texaco Synthetic ATF Heavy Duty, and Petro-Canada Heavy Duty Synthetic Blend ATF, which is also available at auto parts stores.

What is the best hose to use for connecting the propeller shaft stern tube to the shaft packing?

Some suppliers sell special hose for this purpose. We use hard-wall (wire wound) A2 fuel fill hose, because we want to make sure the hose doesn't rot in an oily bilge. We also use 316 stainless steel "T" clamps instead of regular hose clamps.

Stern tube hose and propeller shaft flange installation. Note "T" clamps and stainless steel lockwire on flange set screws. 3M 5200 marine sealant/adhesive is used to seal both ends of hose.

What are the correct types of VHF radio coaxial cable and fittings for marine radios?

We use RG8/M coaxial cable (Radio Shack #278-1328 Canada / #278-1313 US), and PL259 fittings (Radio Shack #278-205).

in progress
[for RG58/U, #278-206]
[for RG59/U, #278-204]

Is it a good idea to connect (bond) bronze through-hulls and other bronze hull hardware together and to the engine ground?

It used to be a common practise on wood and fibreglass boats to bond all metal objects in the hull which touched salt water together, and then connect them all with a wire to the main engine ground (the engine ground actually grounds to the sea water through the transmission, coupler, and propeller shaft). This galvanic bonding was thought to protect the through-hulls from galvanic corrosion, but now seems to have been a mistake, as older wooden and fibreglass boats are showing signs the bonding actually accentuated the corrosion to both the metal and in the case of wood boats, the wood.

bonding damage to a bronze stern tube in a 1956 Chris-Craft “Sea Skiff” motor yacht... the brown fibre is wood destroyed by the galvanic corrosion

What is the correct type of antifreeze to use in cast iron marine engines with copper heat exchangers?

Unless the marine engine is made of aluminum low-silicate antifreeze should be used. In newer automotive engines with aluminum components and radiators silicates are added to the antifreeze to protect them from corrosion by dropping out at a controlled rate. Marine engines made from cast iron and fitted with copper heat exchangers do not need silicates in the antifreeze, and if silicate anti-freeze is used the silicates may “drop” unexpectedly to create a soupy mixture which will eventually harden and block water passages. Removing the silicate is difficult because it is not water soluble and usually must be removed by chipping it out or sending the components out for cleaning in an industrial caustic solution.

What is your opinion of fitting a watermaker and a high-charge acceptance batteries?

In order to lighten the boat and provide sufficient storage space it would be good to reduce space and weight taken by water tanks and batteries. For example, if 2 days usage of water can be produced by a watermaker every 2 days, only enough water for 2 days needs to be carried, which on many boats would allow one water tank to be turned into storage space. The reason many boats carry a large number of heavy batteries is to reduce the charge interval that requires running the engine for hours every couple of days, the large number of batteries is required because standard deep cycle lead-acid batteries do not charge quickly, and so the engine must be run for long periods to charge them fully. New battery technology has made batteries available which can accept a much higher rate of charge, and thus reduce the charging time. It