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MartinRF

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Posts posted by MartinRF

    Lithium Battery Box

    in TechTalk

    Posted

    On 20/05/2025 at 2:02 AM, waikiore said:

    Oh simple me, I go sailing to relax, enjoy the environment and not worry, so that ruled out Lithium batts of any type (and the cost) have I suffered-not a whit.

    My battery, all 7.2 Ah:

    batteri.thumb.jpg.a23f8979a3b02614f5f8ed367ea22ed2.jpg

    /Martin

    • Haha 1

    Careful with that Silicone AntiFoul

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    According to a friend working as a marine engineer for commercial shipping there is only one difference in the anti fouling laws for pleasure boats and ships: The law acknowledges the fact that ships are not repainted every season. Hence, longer transition time for new bans. This is in Europe as far as I know so your mileage may differ.

    /Martin

    Careful with that Silicone AntiFoul

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    11 hours ago, mcp said:

    How do you clean it and how frequently?    Also, knowing what you know now, would you still have made this change?

    1. On average every four weeks but it varies between years and during season. I use either a scrubber brush or a home made appliance based on a Scotch-Brite like cleaning pad sized 30 by 15 cm. Hull depth is a mere 25 cm so no diving needed.
    2. Hard to say. If memory serves I had these alternatives:
      1. Finding a source of illegal anti-fouling -- still needs cleaning but less often and only during second half of sailing season.
      2. Hempaspeed TF
      3. Hempel's Silic One which is more complex to convert to and softer. I was told it would not work on an a boat that lives on a road trailer in winter. It is a couple of hours drive to my launching site. On the other hand I believe Silic One is better at staying clean.
      4. Some high-gloss, hard wearing epoxy. Harder work to keep clean but does not need touch up / refreshing each season.

    Keep in mind that I sail in the Baltic. Different ecosystem, short sailing season.

    /Martin

    • Like 2
    • Upvote 1

    Careful with that Silicone AntiFoul

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    Hempaspeed follow-up now that I have a few seasons worth of experience with this product.

    • How often I have to clean and how easy it is varies from season to season. I don't know why marine life sticks better to Hempaspeed some years. Still not hard to remove though but if I wait too long removing barnacles will result in cratering the surface.
    • Hempaspeed flakes as it ages. A little bit during the sailing season and then mostly at the water line. Then more and anywhere during the winter. The flakes separate mid-Hempaspeed, not at the interface to the primer. This year I had to do a bit of scraping to get rid of the flakes before sanding and painting. Yet the fresh paint released more flakes and they do not dissolve so -- not smooth surface in some places :-(
    • This year Hempel products are subjected to eye-watering price hikes in Sweden 😠

    /Martin

    • Like 1

    New fouling rules

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    7 hours ago, LBD said:

    He did say it was in response to a now banned ingredient ... which itself was advertised by the marina as no longer permitted.

    Now here is a left field idea... I have worked on a barge that could be at sea for months then would enter a brackish water environment for a time. All the fouling would die and much would fall off. Would there be a case for a landlocked marina to have a pair of lochs that would allow the water in the marina to be maintained at a salinity level that would not sustain marine life?... 

    Should work. Very few things thrive in both sea water and fresh water. The only thing I can come to think of right now is the eel and they don't foul boat bottoms.

    /Martin

    Scumbag at large in the Weiti River

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    43 minutes ago, K4309 said:

    I wouldn't assume that. I'd argue you are applying too much logic as to why people nick sh*t.

    One late autumn day many years ago I was approached by a guy in a dinghy while attending to my boat. He asked if I had been burgled. No, why? I asked. He told me someone had broken into the cabin of his boat and stolen all his matches and his fire extinguisher. Nothing else. Nothing valuable.

    Who? Why?

    An arsonist suffering from indecision?

    /Martin

    • Haha 1
    • Upvote 1

    Time for anti-fowling paint?

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    15 hours ago, LBD said:

    Try this....

    https://store.nzfarmsource.co.nz/catalog/hot-foot-bird-repellent-gel-300g/205268 

    No need I think. It's not like I leave may sails up when I go home... And this is the first time I have observed this behavior. This is the 38th season with this boat and the 30th season on a mooring in this marina. Pretty unusual in other words.

    I had huge problems with bird droppings (seagulls) on decks in the beginning. Then I got a set of Jumpo 'bird trainers' after which that problem has been reduced to a manageable level.

    /Martin

    37th AC

    in RaceTalk

    Posted

    Too big foils slows them down when speed is up so increasing lower wind limit will not help as the foil design will be changed and the risk of falling off foils will remain in marginal conditions.

    My 2 cents...

    /Martin

    • Upvote 1

    Neat Video Links

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    On 29/06/2024 at 9:07 PM, Zozza said:

    1971 One Ton Cup in Hauraki Gulf
    Syd Fischer, Alan Warwick...Stormy Petrel, Young Nick etc

     

    Foul weather gear is much nicer now :-)

    /Martin

    • Haha 1

    Refitting/rebuilding v just go sailing. Your stories....

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    13 hours ago, Zozza said:

    Thanks for your wee story there LBD.

    Do you think though, with the collapse of the NZ boatbuilding industry as far as GRP stock designs go in about the mid 70's, that for those of us with little interest in modern lightweight flyers, and no capital means to purchase or have built a new boat - that we have little option but to by 40 or 50 year old GRP classics that mostly do require to varying degrees of 'do up' ?

    On the opposite side of the planet there was a lot of GRP boat mass production in the 70's and 80's. The owners of those boats are getting old and there are very few buyers as those boats are deemed too small (mostly 6 to 9 m LOA) and primitive by today's standards. Hence, they are dirt cheap and many times very sound in hulls if not in engine and sails. Heavy, low-tech for sure but you can get a working sailing boat for less money than a new mainsail cost these days. Some elbow grease and some additional money may bring it from just working to being reasonably nice. If this is your cup of tea or not is up to you.

    To a friend of a friend, a retired airline pilot, the journey from purchase to perfection was what mattered. Once the boat was updated to his liking he lost interest in it and sold it to find a new project. This took a few years and he (and his dog) did go sailing during the project.

    /Martin

    • Like 1

    Rudder shaft failure

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    From Arcona's web on the 460 model:

    Quote

    The Arcona 460 is built to comply with the highest CE Category (A ocean) standards.

    It follows, it seems, that not even the highest CE Category ask for watertight bulkheads.

    /Martin

    A new Rapido 40

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    2 hours ago, DrWatson said:

    Sailing is the most expensive way to go somewhere slowly…

    But also one of the most pleasing ways to go somewhere.

    Btw, it is not uncommon for me to out-pace sailboats motoring -- even to windward.

    /Martin

    • Upvote 1
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