Boat Maintenance & Preparation For New Season

The Frostbite season will soon be ending in late March, so April is an ideal month to prepare your boat for the next sailing season. I will break down the different jobs into 6 areas so that you allocate sufficient time to each job spec:-

Road Trailer & Launching Trolley

Many of us forget where we leave our road trailers from season to season not to mention proper examination of tyres, bearings and moving parts. Many of the trailers I have seen over the years would not pass an N.C.T. if there were such a test for trailers. It is illegal to tow a defective trailer and since a trailer is considered as part of the car when towing it could invalidate your car insurance in the event of an accident.

You should spend a complete day checking the following:-

Tow hitch:- make sure that the moving parts are free and the hitch closes correctly when it engages the car’s tow bar. Free any moving parts with Rocket WD40 and if it continues to stick spend some time taking the hitch apart and thoroughly cleaning the rusty gunge and grease with sandpaper and white spirits, regrease and reassemble. Ensure that the 2 bolts securing the hitch to the trailer are not loose and if badly corroded replace with a sharadised or galvanized set of nuts, bolts and washers. As a precaution you should consider attaching a chain and metal circular loop to the trailer so that in the event of hitch failure the trailer does not separate from the car. Most modern trailers have this device fitted.

Stress cracks:- The trailer should be examined for any hairline cracks at the weld and stress points and be immediately repaired by a competent welder and primed with galvanizing paint. Pay particular attention to Rapide trailers back extensions, which are prone to cracking due to their close proximity to the road. This should be checked after every long journey.

Bearings:- You should examine the bearings of each wheel by jacking up each side and rotating the wheel quickly with both hands. The wheel should rotate freely and should only stop when it gradually loses it’s own momentum. If you hear a slight rubbing or grinding noise it is time to replace your bearings. In any event the bearing assembly should be dismantled and thoroughly cleaned with white spirits or grease detergent and checked to see if there has been any wear on the bearings or marks on the axle. Before reassembling, check to see if the innermost gasket has worn and replace if necessary since this is where most of the lubricating grease escapes. Remember that fast rotating bearings with no grease will overheat and become so hot that they will seize which will result in the wheel shearing off. Regrease and reassemble the bearings. When tightening the castle nut, do not over tighten the assembly; you should only tighten just enough so that when you shake the wheel from side to side any play has stopped; you should then loosen the castle nut half a turn (this is the correct play achieved on the wheel after doing this) and insert the split pin into the castle nut. After 5/10 miles towing see if the wheel play has increased; tighten the castle nut quarter/half a turn so that the slackness is similar to when you first assembled the castle nut and released it by half a turn. This is required to allow the bearing assembly to bed in. You should have a hub dust cover for each wheel and when you have assembled the bearings squirt grease into this cover and attach to the hub, additional grease can be forced through the grease nipple with a suitable grease gun. It is important to keep dust covers on the hubs since it will eliminate the risk of grit, debris and water mixing with the lubricating grease, which will cause damage to the bearings. You should always carry a spare dust cover and set of bearings, can of grease and split pins in your kit bag.

Fitting bearings is a skilled job and the D.I.Y. saving is negligible when one compares getting them professionally fitted by a company such as Blackrock Trailers who provide an excellent service.

Suspension: Most trailers have indespension units fitted while a few of the older type have a torsion bar. It is not exactly a clear science when these should be replaced since they are a sealed unit. You should jump up and down each side of the units and ensure that there is sufficient up and down movement so that any uneven road services will not result in the suspension units bottoming out. They should last at least 10 to 15 years and a replacement pair costs approx. Ł60. There are about 6 different load ratings so make sure you purchase the correct type to suit your all-upright boat and trailer weight.

Tyres: The best size tyres are the 20" 4 ply variety; they rotate at slightly more speed than the average car tyre and have the same 4-ply rating and do not overheat. Most of us have the 16" variety that rotate at twice the speed of the car wheel and frequently overheat and blowout. If you have 2 ply tyres, throw them away and replace them with 6 ply. 2 ply have a speed rating of 30 mph while 6 ply have a much higher speed rating you should never park tyres on grass for a prolonged period since the acid in the grass will perish the rubber. Check the tyre for wear the same as you would a car and most trailer tyres require to be inflated to 35 lbs but check manufacturers recommendation. Always carry a spare tyre and foot pump on a long journey.

Cradle: It is important to ensure that the cradle is correctly attached to the launching trolley; any loose bolts should be tightened since they have been known to puncture a hull when they come adrift. A large surface area cradle properly aligned to the shape of the hull will offer great protection since the load will be evenly distributed across the surface area of the hull. Remember that the pressure exerted on the hull when trailing can be as much as 140 lb per square inch on a poorly shaped cradle, this is similar to the Riverdance cast dancing on your hull and will therefore cause permanent damage. You should avoid using carpet on your cradle since the pile attracts grit and pebbles and will damage and scrape you hull. You should resurface the cradle with neoprene type material, which can be stuck with an impact adhesive.

Tying the boat down: You should consider purchasing a pair of ratchet tie down straps which are available in McQuillans of Capel St. at a reasonable price. Make sure that the webbing for these straps are at least 2" wide since they will spread the load evenly when tightened. Avoid using ropes to tie down your boat since they are prone to loosing and will chafe and damage the boat. Ensure that the boat continue to be attached to the trailer by attaching a piece of rope to the forestay deck attachment and tie the other end to the trailer; there is a tendency in fireballs to slide backwards when trailed so this will prevent this happening. Make sure that you have a tailgate light board with at lease 6 metres of cable; they only cost Ł20 in a motor factors. The only way of attaching this type of light board to the boat is with shockcord and it would be wise to make up a ľ" wooden board with a pintle and gudgeon for easy attachment to the boats transom. Some sailors while trailing prefer to support their mast at 2 points i.e. on the trailer mast support and at the tailgate while others keep the bottom of the mast inside the boat at the aft cockpit and the other end of the mast support. I have a tendency to prefer the latter option since if any fittings come loose on the mast they will fall into the boat rather than onto the road. If you prefer the first option you should put a mainsail sausage bag tied around the mast to avoid loosing fittings or purchase a customized mast cover.

Spars

The storing of masts and booms are very important; some sailors cover their masts with plastic when outdoors and this only encourages corrosion of pop rivets and fittings. Masts and booms should be cleaned with hot soapy water before storing, air should be let freely circulate if stored outdoors and support the mast or boom at both ends with one end lower than the other trestle which will enable any water to drain.

Examine all rivets for corrosion and wear and replace where necessary. Pay particular attention to the following positions and check for any looseness where the fittings are attached – spreader brackets, gooseneck on mast and boom, spinnaker pole mast attachment, strut fittings or mighty screw, kicking strap anchor point, mast foot and spinnaker pole loops on boom.

Check the mast and boom for any hairline cracks or discoloration in the aluminum at the following stress points – jib sheave block compression indentations at the mast gate, the foot, strut and mighty screw attachments.

Bent spreader brackets cannot be repaired and should be replaced, as should the spreaders. In the case of Proctor/Solden masts spreader angle adjustors should be checked for damage and if seized should be replaced. Replace spreader bolts if bent or if thread is damaged; if the boltholes in the spreader are oval shaped replace them since this will make any calibrations unreliable.

Standing and Running Rigging:-

Standing Rigging – the two shrouds and jib halyard should be checked for sings of wear and even if only one strand is damaged replace it immediately. Pay particular attention for damage at the ferules, T/Terminals and spreader ends. In the case of Super Spar masts consider upgrading your jib halyard sheave block for a ball bearing stainless one (only Ł20) since most masts fail after one or two years when the standard fitting collapses and the jib halyard says through the mast.

Examine chain plates and the boat’s chain plate for wear and replace if pinholes are oval shaped. I cannot overemphasize the importance of replacing worn fittings since any calibrations and settings you measure could be unreliable.

Running Rigging – Examine main jib and spinnaker halyards for chafing and likewise the spinnaker up haul and downhaul, jib tension and strut wire assembly. Check trapeze wires and T. terminals and ferules. Replace any worn rope if the trapeze clam cleats slip and if they continue to slip with new rope either replace the cleats or sharpen the v jammers on the cleat. I you have a Spectra main halyard consider replacing with a wire halyard because despite popular belief a rope main halyard (even Spectra) stretches over its considerable 20ft. length according to Ian Pinnell and will distort the shape of your mail sail. There is an excellent booklet published by Proctor masts which goes into great detail on mast tuning and maintence and is well worth obtaining if still in print.

Foils

Centreboards and rudders often sustain damage when making a landfall on the slip and the leading edges get chipped or when the boom lands on the trailing edge of the centerboard while lowering the mainsail. There is no remedy for the first type of damage but to improve your boat handling approach on the slip while the latter case you should cover your rudder with carry bag case and the centerboard with pipe insulation material. Any damage should be repaired immediately to prevent the wood getting wet. For minor damage use marine epoxy filler which comes in two tubes. Any repair should be carried indoors and in dry warm conditions. A badly damaged trailing edge is more time consuming and a difficult repair to carry out since it would have to be done over 2/3 stages and would take too long to explain in this article. West epoxy systems have an excellent magazine on repairs and types of fillers used and it is available in Waller and Wickam in Baldoyle Industrial Estate.

Working Parts of Foils:- There is very little to go wrong but most sailors wonder why they continue to struggle with raising and lowering the centerboard and quite often this is due to the bolt pivot hole going out of its round shape and forming an oval shape or there is sand or debris in the centerboard slot or the slot gasket is damaged making it difficult to retract the centerboard. With the first problem you will have to fill the bushe with epoxy resin and high-density filler and let it harden overnight, then next drill a 8mm hole that will have to done accurately by first drilling a 1mm pilot hole from either side. For the second problem hot soapy water should clean stubborn salt deposits and sand from the centerboard casing and if the problem persists examine the inside of the centerboard casing for damage or warp age of the centerboard by casting your eye down the full length of the trailing edge of the centerboard. Use 400 to 600 grade wet and dry abrasive paper with a 3M-rubber block to give the foils a fine finish. Use a silicon spray if the centerboard continues to be stiff.

Rudder:- Examine the stock for any cracks or damage and make sure there is no play on the pintle and gudgeon on both the stock and transom. If there is play you can remove the gudgeon from the transom and re assemble if the hole is oval shaped by turning the fitting around so that you are using the side that still has a round hole or replace the fittings Never use a metal shear pin in your rudder , use a golf tee or 4mm dowel instead or consider fitting a quick release clam cleat. If you still have a metal universal tiller joint, get rid of it; there is nothing worse than going down a blowey run with a big sea and a sloppy tiller extension. Swap it for a rubber universal tiller extension joint and carry a spare since they crack after two seasons use. However, there is a rope through the center core of the fitting, which will give you some warning of its impending breakage.

Hull

Any repairs have to be carried out indoors in a dry garage. Wash the underside with warm soapy water and rinse and dry with chamois. Most damage occurs on the bottom rails, chine deflectors and slot gasket. Examine the hull for any impact cracks. Do this by pressing around the cracked area to see if there is any slight movement. If movement occurs water has already penetrated behind the gel coat or paint; this will have to be cut back to a sound area and filled with marine filler. With any filling repairs, the surface should be sanded with 80-grade sandpaper and clean any dust away with a clean paintbrush, which will avoid any contamination. By sanding or keying the surface you increase the surface area by up to double thus giving the glue or filler a greater surface area to adheise to. Use a good quality block such as the 3M-rubber block and wet and dry abrasive paper with grades from 80 to 1200 for fairing repairs. There is no point in painting the entire hull unless it has had extensive and numerous repairs. For touch up jobs get an aerosol can in a car factors shop and mask around the area with masking tape and newspaper.

Slot Gaskets:- There are two types of slot gaskets – the sailcloth type is initially more difficult to fit but has the advantage of lasting longer and is more serviceable. The Mylar is stuck to the hull with aqua seal adhesive. Once this type of gasket gets kinked with a damaged trailing edge of a centerboard, it is difficult if not impossible to repair and consequently they have to be replaced over the seasons. You may be able to repair kinks with a warm iron and a metal backing plate behind the gasket.

Deck:- For wooden decks any damage should be repaired immediately since dampness will penetrate under the varnish and the wood will turn a grayish black colour. Always carry a tin of Universal Clear Primer and the appropriate thinners. This will seal the wood and stop any further damage and it can be cosmetically repaired at a later date. For repairing gel coated fibre glass decks, repairs can be carried out with gel coat or epoxy resins and fillers mixed with the matching pigment to achieve the correct colour and faired as described under hull repairs. The faired repair can be cosmetically finished to match the surrounding area by rubbing down with a rubbing compound (grade 2000).

Fittings

Check that all spring- loaded jam cleats open and close of their own accord. If they don’t close use the old-fashioned hot and soapy water to clear any salt deposits. If the problem persists, the screw may be restricting the movement of the cleat from closing, so loosen it by a quarter turn. If this does not work there is a very good silicon spray, which should eliminate any friction. If this still does not work, the spring may be too weak or broken and the more expensive cleats like Harken have repair kits to solve this problem. Check to see if there is any lateral movement by catching the cleat between your thumb and first finger and try moving the cleat in a see saw fashion. If there is any movement re anchor the fitting correctly since it will have continued to open under load. Use the correct fitting for the size of rope you wish to cleat. E.G. only the more expensive metal Harken cleats will work for the twinning line all other cleats are inclined to slip.

Water leaking into cockpit:- This can be caused by leaking bailers or what most sailors forget, a centerboard bolt that has not been sufficiently tightened or dozed rubber gaskets. Leakage through the centerboard bolt is more difficult to detect since it is a gradual seepage; while a faulty gasket on a bailer is easy to detect. Bailer repair kits are half the cost of a new bailer so it may be worthwhile to replace the entire bailer since any metal parts at the opening may have been slightly bent or damaged which is very difficult to repair accurately.

Sails

There are two trade names available to the sail making industry in Europe, Terylene which is an ICI product or Dacron produced by Dupont. The class rules still prohibit the use of Mylar or Kevlar although sail makers have experimented with prototype sails and are awaiting a rule change. Both of these woven materials are coated with fillers to stiffen the cloth and hold the sail shape longer. However, after prolonged use the fillers are cracked and damaged and the sail eventually looks like a well-used rag and looses its shape. At this stage most of us purchase a new suit of sails. There is a 4 page article which is available through the Class Secretary regarding the repair of sails; should you not wish to carry out the repairs yourself it is worthwhile reading this article since it will enable you to converse in a more intelligent way with the sail maker before he carries out your instructions for sail repairs.

Storage of Sails:- All sails should be folded or rolled in a manner which avoids sharp creases as far as possible. Sails made from Terylene polyester fibre should be stored under well-ventilated, clean conditions, and dampness which may encourage the growth of mildew should be avoided as far as possible. While mildew growths do not affect the strength of Terylene, they can cause stains which are unsightly and not readily removed.

Washing:- Small sails can be washed in the bath and large ones on a clean concrete washdown, using a scrubbing brush and hose where necessary. Terylene sails should be washed in water containing soap and washing soda, or liquid detergent, the water should be as hot as the hand can take. If general soiling is persistent and difficult to remove, the sails may be steeped overnight in cold water containing 1 lb of sodium metasilicate/gallon (100g/litre). Stainless steel, porcelain or enamel vessels should be used and not vessels made of aluminium or galvanized iron. Do not allow the solution to come in contact with galvanized luff wires. After this treatment the sail should be drained but not rinsed, and then given a warm hand wash as described above, with light scrubbing.

Removal of Stains:– The following suggestions refer to white undyed sailcloth material. Coloured sails, which have become abnormally stained, should be dealt with by an experienced finisher or drycleaner, especially when solvents or bleaching agents are involved in the stain removal technique. Stains should be removed as soon as possible after they appear.

Blood:– Soak the stained portion in cold water containing half a cupful of ammonia to half a gallon of water. If residual stains are still present after this treatment, damp the stain with a 1% solution of pepsin in water acidified with a few drops of dilute hydrochloric acid, allow to stand without drying out for 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

Mildew:– Scrub lightly with a dry stiff brush to remove as much of the mould growth as possible and then steep the stained portion for 2 hours in a cold solution of bleach (sodium hypochlorite) at a strength of approximately 1% available chlorine. A proprietary brand of bleach such as Domestos maybe used, 1 part of Domestos being added to 10 parts of water. Wash thoroughly in water and repeat the treatment if necessary. If after the final washing there is any residual smell of chlorine this may be removed by immersing for a few minutes in a 1% solution of sodium thiosulphate (photographers’ hypo). Rinse finally with water.

Oil Grease and Waxes:– Small stains of this nature can be removed by dabbing with trichloroethylene or by the use of proprietary stain removers. Heavy staining is best removed my brushing on mixture of detergent and solvent. This can be prepared by dissolving 1 part of lissapol NX in 2 parts of benzene or toluene. Alternatively a propriety brand such as Polyclens may be used. These solvents/detergent mixtures should be brushed well into the fabric, left for about 15 minutes and then washed off with warm water. A well-ventilated place should be selected for carrying out this treatment, and precautions should be exercised if the solvents are inflammable. These treatments will remove oils, grease, petroleum jelly and most lubricating mixtures but they will not remove stains caused by fine metallic particles often associated with lubricants. Such stains can be removed by methods described below after the oil or grease has been eliminated.

Metallic Stains:– Stains caused by metals, in the form of rust, verdigris or finally divided particles, can be removed by either of the following methods (do not allow the solution to come into contact with galvanized iron or copper):

Immerse the stained portion in a 5% solution of oxalic acid dissolved in hot water (1oz of oxalic acid dissolved in each pint of hot water) the hands and fabrics should be washed very thoroughly after using oxalic acid solutions as this chemical is poisonous.
Immerse the stained portion in a warm solution containing 2 parts of concentrated hydrochloric acid per 100 parts of water. Wash off thoroughly with water.

Pitch and Tar:– Organic solvents such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene, trichloroethane (Genklene) solvent naphtha or white spirit may be dabbed onto the stain to effect removal. Again care should be taken to work in a well-ventilated position and due precaution should be observed when using inflammable solvents.

Paint and Varnish:– Dab the stain first with trichloroethylene and then a mixture of equal parts of acetone and amyl acetate. Shellac varnish is easily removed with alcohol or methylated spirits. Paint strippers based on alkalis should not be used on Terylene.

Adhesive Numbers:– To remove adhesive numbers, soak in benzene until the glue is softened. After peeling off the numbers, remove the glue from the sail with a rag dipped in benzene. All information in this section is given in good faith but without any guarantee.

Overhauling Sails:– By the end of the season the newest and the best of sails may need an overhaul – seams and lashings may have become chaffed, batten pockets ripped, and so on. Most sailors store their sails away in a hurry, and wait till the Spring to inspect and make repairs. Inspect and repair your sails before storing for the Winter – then you are a lap ahead of the usual Spring rush. And, if the repairs are of such a nature as to require the services of a sailmaker, ship your sails immediately and let them work in the off season when they have plenty of time and little work; you may get a better job, and probably a lower price. At any rate, you will do the sailmaker a favour and be sure of having your sails in perfect order for next season.

Running Repairs:– Damaged or torn sails are best repaired by the sail loft, which built them. If a whole panel needs to be replaced it can be recut accurately from the original pattern and the cloth can be matched exactly. However, according to Sods law, you are most lightly to rip a sail halfway through a regatta when you have come ashore at 6 pm and the next race is at 10 am the following morning and the likelihood of getting a sailmaker to effect repair is unlikely. The answer is to carry your own sailrepair kit and learn how to deal with minor repairs yourself.

Ask the sailmaker for some offcuts of your mailsail jib and spinnaker cloth, suitable for patching. You may be able to buy a readymade repair kit and if possible it should include:-

Small holes or chafe patches can be held together temporarily with self adhesive insignia cloth; larger rips have to be cut out and replaced by a "window patch", for you will need a sewing machine.

Applying a "window patch"

Take the damaged area and pin it out flat on a smooth surface. Decide on the size of the patch, which should be kept clear of seams if possible. Ensure the direction of weave in the patch matches the (i.e. the warp and fill threads line up) and trim the patch to size.
Apply double-sided tape to the edges of the patch and stick it down flat. Unpin the sail and hold up the patched area to check there are no bumps.
Machine around the patch with two rows of zigzag stitches.
Cut back the damaged cloth to the inside of the patch, and seal the cut edge with a hot knife.

Repairing spinnakers:- The spinnaker is the sail which invariably received most wear and tear. It used to be possible to repair the majority of spinnaker rips with self-adhesive spinnaker repair tape, but with the increasing use of highly resinated cloths this is no longer possible and tears have to be repaired by window patching. When sewing a patch on a silicon-coated spinnaker, it may be necessary to hold the patch in place with dressmaking pins, if the double-sided tape is not sticking. If the rip cuts right across one of the luff tapes, you will need to ‘re-fair’ the full. First patch the tear as before then pin the luff out flat to remove any wrinkles. It should now be possible to see the curved shape of the luff. Use a long sail batten to help re-draw the luff curve across the patched area. You may need to allow extra luff hollow to obtain a smooth and fair curve down the length of the luff.