Mailport & PS Advisor

Sometimes spring seems to sneak up on us, catching us off guard. When launch day arrives, some low priority chores still remain. For many of us, one such chore is waxing and buffing the hull. Weve undertaken countless tests to find the best boat wax and polishes, the most effective waxing-and-polishing tools, and the products that can be used for a speedy touch-up. If waxing is on your to-do list, be sure to check out the following articles.

Beneteau wrote a detailed response to our recent query from a reader regarding seacocks in his Beneteau (Seacock, Through-hull Caution Mailport, PS July 2017). We are continuing to look at seacocks and seacock materials. Our last big report was in 1994, so this is long overdue. If you have a relevant seacock story to share, send it to the editor at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.

Any suggestions about what to do with a clogged holding tank? Ive isolated the clog to between the base of the tank and the elbow after the toilet macerator. Ive been treating the system with straight vinegar down the pumpout tube and thru the bowl to no avail.

I own a 42-foot Pearson 424 with lots of bright work. Ive absolutely had it with Cetol! There must be something that is easier to use than this. It forms a dark coating after a few years and begins to peel in splotches. Then you have to remove it, clean the teak, and start over. Oh, the stuff goes on clear so if you spill a drop on your gelcoat, you can't see it until it ambers. Once that happens, you can never get it off. Im trying Semco Natural. I tried a small area a couple of years ago and so far have had good luck. While it isn't as durable as Cetol, it doesn't build-up.

In response to your recent blog post discussing ballast keel material (Inside Practical Sailor, Lead vs. Iron Ballast,) Cabo Rico switched from steel to lead ballast castings with the first 38 Pilot model to make more space for the engine which moved forward on that model. This change also included the first Cabo Rico 34 and all Cabo Rico 38 models, as of 1989. However, the key factor with the older…

Regarding your DIY Inspection and Maintenance (May 2018) letter from the Beneteau Oceanis 38 owner. We, too, own an Oceanis 38, built in 2014 in Marion, South Carolina. We purchased our yacht from a Beneteau dealer in Texas in December, 2016. We were the first owners, our yacht having resided in the water two years unsold. Just before our first haul out, I noticed corrosion on the raw-water intake through-hull for our AC unit. It turns out that all six seacocks on our yacht were in imminent danger of failure.

Version 1.0.0 of Signal K, the Open Marine Data Standard has now been released, giving developers a stable platform to test and develop new open-source hardware and software for sailors.

We often get asked about joining two shots of chain together without compromising strength. You have a number of options-including some that are just plain bad. The important thing is to make sure the connector is of the highest quality and that it matches or exceeds the strength of your existing chain.

I read your recent Inside PS blog on alternator care, Ten Tips to Prolong the Life of Your Alternator. This article was extremely helpful and much appreciated. I was hoping someone would be kind enough to explain the best method to align the alternator pulley with the other engine pulleys. I have not been able to locate anything written about how this would be achieved. If it makes a difference, I have a Yanmar 4JH5E with a stock alternator. Let me explain further that my question is how to make an alignment adjustment. I understand the idea of using a straight-edge across the face of the pulleys to check alignment, but if I discover mis-alignment, how do I correct it. Perhaps this is dead simple, but in just looking at the owners manual and searching the internet, I havent come across an explanation of how to do this. My next move is to just grab some wrenches and see if I can figure it out, but thought I might ask first.

As you gear up for another summer of sailing, it is also a good time to double check that none of your essential safety equipment is subject to a recall. Two helpful websites track recalls that can impact sailors. the Consumer Protection Safety Commission (www.cpsc.gov) focuses primarily on mainstream consumer goods like the Kidde fire-extinguisher (see below). There is also a U.S. Coast Guard site (www.uscgboating.org/content/recalls.php). Here are a couple recalls you should be aware of.