Those Simple Ideas Liveaboards Have to Improve Life

[svadagio]

Got tired of hauling water in Jerry jugs. Bought a flexible water tank at a flee market. Fixed a hose with a valve and garden hose connection on it. Now we put it in the dingy floor and fill it at the dock using the water pressure. Shut the valve and go back to the boat. Pump it on board using a Blaster pump. 50 gals per trip.
Bob

[GrahamHO]

Originally Posted by svadagio

Got tired of hauling water in Jerry jugs. Bought a flexible water tank at a flee market. Fixed a hose with a valve and garden hose connection on it. Now we put it in the dingy floor and fill it at the dock using the water pressure. Shut the valve and go back to the boat. Pump it on board using a Blaster pump. 50 gals per trip.
Bob

A good idea. But why not simply fill your dinghy with water and use a portable bilge pump? Make sure your feet are clean first.

[svadagio]

feet never clean enough
Bob

[texwards]

Not wanting to wait until the next haul out to install my fishfinder, I temporarily attached it to my stern ladder. It works well, stays out of the way and remains clean (as long as I remember to flip the ladder back up) ...

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[GrahamHO]

Originally Posted by texwards

Not wanting to wait until the next haul out to install my fishfinder, I temporarily attached it to my stern ladder. It works well, stays out of the way and remains clean (as long as I remember to flip the ladder back up) ...

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

A great idea. You could make it permanent perhaps.

By the way (something I read somewhere and successfully tried) If you have a small area of solid fibreglass where you want to install a sounder or I imagine a fish finder you don't need to make a hole. I wrapped cling film tightly around the underwater part of the transducer and bedded it in epoxy glue on the cleaned solid fibreglass. I made a little mould with a scrap of plastic pipe to set it until the glue went off. When the glue hardened I took the transducer out leaving an impression of its shape. The cling film left a couple of tiny creases which didn't matter. I then re bedded the transducer in that depression ( without the cling film) using clear silicone making sure it was well pressed in. The sounder works perfectly over its whole range.
The original suggestion I read was to simply set the transducer into a bed of glue not using cling film. In fact I haven't needed to remove it so I'm sure glueing would be just as good though more permanent. I used my way in case it didn't work. But it does work.

[GrahamHO]

I may not have made it clear that you mount the transducer that way inside the hull without hauling out.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by GrahamHO

Yes Oxalic acid is in lots of food such as rhubarb ( the leaves of which are poisonous) It is the concentration that makes a difference. I won't challenge you to take a mouthful of the stuff. I don't want to be held liable for 3rd degree manslaughter. The doctor concerned was head of a large hospital emergency department at the time. Are you a medical doctor? Or are you simply qualified to do Internet research?

No I am not a doctor however I got some of my information from a more reliable source than a doctor. My mother ( died in June of 2014) was a nurspractitioner for most of my life. I would rather trust her medical judgement. ( BTW have you ever tastes the stuff. Very bitter on the tongue )

[Sailor g]

Originally Posted by savoir

VIM is the same as Comet powder.

Originally Posted by GrahamHO

The Vim I know is a powdered cleaner like Ajax. If you ask me what Ajax is; it's like Vim. Those powdered household cleaners are all similar with different names

Sounds like a very good idea which I'll try.

Originally Posted by Goosebumps

Yes it is household cleaning powder which is used to clean difficult dirt on kitchen, bathroom surface. In Europe it is kbow as VIM I don't know US? Do try it I got results with it. I also initially many years ago used the special SS cleaning protecting commercial products at freat cost. I use toothbrush in hard to reach areas, around bolts, inside trunbuckles...

Originally Posted by newhaul

Bar keepers friend is better than those others and works on everything made into a paste cleans and shines fiberglass in and out ( also EPA says its enronmentally friendly.)

Thanks all of you who explained VIM. I have used it all my life & never knew! I agree that I like Barkeepers Friend on delicate things though Ajax with extra bleach takes the stain out of a coffee cup. Thanks again for the info!

[GrahamHO]

Originally Posted by newhaul

No I am not a doctor however I got some of my information from a more reliable source than a doctor. My mother ( died in June of 2014) was a nurspractitioner for most of my life. I would rather trust her medical judgement. ( BTW have you ever tastes the stuff. Very bitter on the tongue )

Sorry about your mother. I have great admiration for nurses and the work they do. One of my daughters is a nurse too. What was your mother's judgement on the toxicity of Emergel? No I've never tasted the stuff and I don't intend to. I think we are talking about a spoonful or so being dangerous. Doctors who work in emergency departments are regularly in contact with the poisons hot line and I would trust my life to their judgement. You don't need to.

I was originally agreeing that the car polish / Vim mix sounds better than expensive toxic chemicals. And Emergel is toxic. Are you selling the stuff?

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by GrahamHO

Sorry about your mother. I have great admiration for nurses and the work they do. One of my daughters is a nurse too. What was your mother's judgement on the toxicity of Emergel? No I've never tasted the stuff and I don't intend to. I think we are talking about a spoonful or so being dangerous. Doctors who work in emergency departments are regularly in contact with the poisons hot line and I would trust my life to their judgement. You don't need to.

I was originally agreeing that the car polish / Vim mix sounds better than expensive toxic chemicals. And Emergel is toxic. Are you selling the stuff?

I know this will sound bad but I never heard of emergel cleaner here in the US googled it and the only references I can find are for in new Zealand
Do you have a reference with chemical makeup for me to cross to a product here. And no I don't sell anything except my labor I'm a retired shipwright.

[GrahamHO]

Originally Posted by newhaul

I know this will sound bad but I never heard of emergel cleaner here in the US googled it and the only references I can find are for in new Zealand
Do you have a reference with chemical makeup for me to cross to a product here. And no I don't sell anything except my labor I'm a retired shipwright.

Maybe they aren't allowed to sell it in the US?? Going back some years, three of us were discussing boats somewhere as you do. I was listening at this stage. One friend said that he was hauled out and another boat alongside had bad rust staining on the gel coat. That owner said that he would have to get it repainted.
My friend produced some Emergel and wiped it over part of the other persons hull and the rust staining disappeared along with the need to repaint. It is very good at that and SS. Our Dr friend made the comment that Emergel containing Oxalic acid would kill you if you swallowed it.

Now that stuff is powerful and I have since used it very carefully washing the work and hands carefully afterwards.

The only way I can describe it is that it looks something like that greasy hair cream that men used to plaster their hair with. It's more jelly like and is an off white color. I imagine it is simply strong oxalic acid suspended in a gel.

The real danger is probably someone accidentally swallowing it mistaking it for mayonnaise perhaps, if it had been put in the wrong container. I remember a man dying because he put weed killer in a drink bottle of some sort and took a swig later on, having forgotten it was weed killer.

That doesn't make it any less toxic.

I did have occasion to visit an emergency clinic a couple of years ago. I was working on the underside my boom and dripped a little Duralac on the cabin top ( it was used on seaplane rivets etc) I couldn't wipe it off so I looked up the solvent which is white spirits. That is basically clear petrol or gasoline without any additives. I was sitting on the cabin top wiping at the stain and I didn't realise white spirits was soaking into my jeans until it started chemical burning (not flames) the tender portion of my backside. I went to emergency and they phoned the poisons hot line and treated it with saline solution. Slightly embarrassing but certainly painful. I had previously tried fresh water which made it more painful.

I'm only mentioning all this because some of the chemicals we use can be quite toxic and we should be aware.

[mitiempo]

Oxalic acid is found in most good teak cleaners.

[newhaul]

Here's what I could find on emergel cleaner it is acetylpuirescine hydrochloride
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...0aDcTmw8vYXl2Q
With a chemical formula of ( c6h14n2o. HCl) so its definitely not oxalic acid it is much harsher
Oxalic acid has a chemical makeup of C2H2O4

[GrahamHO]

Originally Posted by newhaul

Here's what I could find on emergel cleaner it is acetylpuirescine hydrochloride
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...0aDcTmw8vYXl2Q
With a chemical formula of ( c6h14n2o. HCl) so its definitely not oxalic acid it is much harsher
Oxalic acid has a chemical makeup of C2H2O4

That's interesting. It's got a new name now Emergel Grunt. I don't know if it's changed but it's still a dangerous acid and should be treated with care

I see you have a Spencer yacht. They are all fine designs. John Spencer was years ahead of his time and someone the likes of Bruce Farr learned from.
I had a Spencer Cherub 12' racing yacht around 1958. Did you build yours?

[Goosebumps]

SS MAINTENANCE: Much appreciated info all. I remain with my simple VIM and cheap car polish mixture, remember my cat was launched in 1987 and its SS still impeccable!