April 3

How to prevent problems on your sailboat or motor boat?

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HOW TO PREVENT PROBLEMS ON YOUR SAILBOAT OR  MOTOR BOAT?

Here are some tips and tricks to avoid a lot of trouble, sometimes expensive, on your boat. These tips will be very useful to keep her in good condition for a long time.

ON BOARD

  • The rudder :

Suspended rudders of sailboats are subject to delamination when constructed with fiberglass. Water often seeps through the wick and then gets inside. When this happens, leaving the water inside will burst the fiber through expansion. If, at the end of the season, your rudder is full of water, you can make a hole above and below so that the excess water can flow. This method will not dry the interior which will continue to disintegrate anyway.

The best prevention (although it can not guarantee that your rudder will last 20 years) is to cover a healthy rudder with an epoxy paint, taking care to sand the wick about an inch and the gelcoat on all the surface of the saffron so that the paint has an optimal adhesion.

If you have to redo it, then it will be important to choose high-density closed-cell foam or choose to remake it in stainless steel.

We can help you with this, contact-us

  • Deck cushions

When you leave the deck cushions in place during the season, it is formed, either under the effect of dew, or under the effect of condensation, a moisture that remains between the fiber and the cushion.  Allow air circulation between the cushion and the deck by adding a mattress pad. If you remove your cushions, it will preserve the condition of your deck and prevent the moisture of the sandwich increases.

  • The bilges

bilge cleaning french riviera boat maintenance care yacht managerWhether for a sailboat or for a motorboat, it is very important to have a dry bilge.

For motor boats, the spars are often pieces of wood covered with fiberglass. To allow the water to drain to the bilge pumps, holes are drilled through the spars and they often leave the wood bare. If water remains in this place, it will contaminate the wood which will eventually be damaged.

For sailboats that do not have counter-molds, the floorboards are often made of wood.

Opening floors and chests while you are away will be a good solution for prolonging durability and avoiding mold.

  • The Canvases

They are often the cause of bridge problems, because the waterproofness is not at there.

Snap fasteners on the deck are often loose, installed without joints, or simply torn off. The slap of the paintings solicits them a lot. Re-tighten the srew as soon as they begin to move. This requires little time but avoids water infiltration.

IN NAVIGATION

  • The propeller shaft

If you have a propeller shaft with a stand, put your anode close to the stand. This will prevent that if the shaft is cut from the transmission, it can come out of the cable gland. That will make him a stumble.

In the case where a waterway comes from the tree, the use of a donut wax plumbing can very easily plug the leak (if the pressure is too high, you can add a cloth that will solidify the cap).

  • The engine cooling pump

The engine heats up? The cooling pump does not work anymore? The bilge pump can help you cool the engine. Just put it in the water and connect it to the cooling system. (Do not operate it if the engine is stopped.)

  • Navigation lights

The lights do not work anymore and it’s night time? Buy fluorescent sticks that you will find in department stores. All you need is green and red.

  • To help the bilge pump

You have a large waterway and the bilge pump is not enough? The engine can prevent you from sinking, because by using the cooling pump by connecting a hose that connects the engine to the shim, you will have an extra pump.

  • The loss of a rudder on a sailboat

Navigation without rudder with well set sails can help you navigate. For greater stability, a bucket at the back of the boat connected in a triangle will serve you as a floating anchor and help you stay on course.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you think we can help you with the maintenance of your boat (sailing yacht or motor yacht) on the French Riviera (if your boat is based in Cannes, Mandelieu, Golfe-Juan, Juan les Pins, Antibes) please fill the form below or visit the contact page

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Translasted from the original article : http://www.quebecyachting.ca/2018/conseils-et-chroniques/questions-des-internautes/comment-prevenir-problemes-voilier-bateau/


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