mike reminisces: > >>In the navy we coated PC boards with a kind of clear sealer; >>what was it called?? George adds his 2: Heard of an Australian company called Lanotec, that has developed a spray consisting of lanolin dissolved in some easily evaporating solvent for that purpose. Lanolin is sheep's wool fat, has extremely high dielectric strength and is nearly impervious to atmospheric or nautical reactants. Lanotec has a website.... George of Scaramouche, who protects all his boat's exposed metal parts above and below waterline with anhydrous lanolin (for years).

info@medyachtcharter.com writes: >Does anyone know of the best (damp-proof) way to make connections to >those sintered ground plates? After you've cleaned your connections, this year coat them liberally with anhydrous lanolin. When all connected smear some more over and all around the fasteners. Lanolin is the best corrosion blocker known to man and sheep and it's a very good dielectric to boot. You can get anhydrous lanolin from your drugstore for about $15/pound. And that's a lifetime supply. It can be used for all sorts of other things where corrosion could be a problem like battery terminals, turnbuckles, chains etc. George of Scaramouche, Lake Ontario, Canada

In a message dated 4/7/02 12:01:08 AM, you wrote: <> Doug, There is no compression release on the Perkins 4-107. The only way to crank it without compression is to remove, or at least loosen, the injectors. Be sure to get a new set of annealed copper injector washers since they must be replaced if you pull the injectors. The whole test process should take about an hour. Larry Z

trawler-world-list@lists.samurai.com writes: I ran across something like that at Canadian Tire Stores in Toronto. Bought one and after I played with it for a while, read the instruction that said it is not sealed. It is meant to sit on the dashboard or under the rear window of a car. So, beware yours might be the same make and you want to be careful using it on a boat. I intend to seal mine with silicone around the edges. George of Scaramouche.

Michael Oritt posted.. "Aqua Alarm" brand..yes that's the one I have... Can't remeber ..getting old, Rob BRueckner

Bob England posted: "... A VERY large 120 volt automatic basement pump hooked to a VERY loud alarm and VERY bright red light when it's running would be a good addition to any boat left unattended and could also be used underway in emergencies..." Comment: Good from several perspectives!! Powered via an inverter when underway, such a pump could be automatically available even when a generator is not running. And a boisterous alarm might even attract some attention from marina personnel when dockside. About the only disadvantage I can think of is that a permanently installed pump is less available to assist others. But setting up a portable pump in an emergency is something I hope to never face. Float alarm switches in various bilge compartments have multiple advantages. They can be used to signal when a bilge pump fails, can indicate a salt water cooling leak into the boat when underway, and can signal the presence other fluids in the bilge like fresh water or diesel fuel. Above all they offer a preventive signal before things get too bad. After a diesel fuel hose ruptured a few years ago and I awoke to about 55 gallons of diesel fuel under my starboard engine (discovered from the smell) overflowing the engine "pan", I now have auxiliary float alarms throughout the boat and one under each engine. Tip: I previously posted about my UNSUCCESSFUL attempt to use a $12 (appx) D cell battery operated leak detector from Home Depot. It's designed to drop a pair of contacts on a basement floor under a water heater to detect any leak. I hung one in my bilge about six inches off the bottom and after a few weeks it began to alarm. I bought another...same result. I concluded that the bilge of a boat is just too damp for these. Another "great idea" thwarted by mother nature!!! My Dad and I assisted USCG personnel many years ago when an 80 foot or so commuter style boat ran up on a breakwater in NY. (Dad and I arrived first on the scene and when the USCG arrived, and they assumed we we part of the "crew".) My job was to keep the pump strainer clear from debris in the engine room. What a mess!! Once water gets a few feet high you'd be amazed at the stuff floating around. And any oil from the bilge or drip pans floats on the water surface covering everything, making it like ice to step anywhere. Extremely dangerous in rough water. So keeping loose things in your bilge and engine compartment secured is an unheralded way to possibly avoid clogging a pump intake in an emergency. I keep oil absorbant pads under my engines, spare pads at the rear of the engine room, a roll of paper towels, a couple pieces of foam for kneeling, a few pieces of wood for various emergency applications, a funnel and a plastic oil change pan for my filters....good grief!!!, I guess I fail this test. Perhaps a few weights on deployed pads, securing spares with a cord or storing them high in the bilge would be better. Rob Brueckner 1972 Hatteras Yachtfisherman

Robert asked:".. What would be the best way to "plug" the exhaust pipe so water cannot enter while I do the change over? .." Comment: I recently posted emergency equipment suggestions from an article in Yachting magazine. The author suggested fenders and or balls of appropriate diameter...insert a either bit soft and add air pressure or shove them in if the fit permits. After purchasing new hose, I would plug the exhaust and replace the old hose in the same day to avoid leaving an open exhaust overnight..even if plugged....strange things CAN happen... You may also be able to raise the stern a bit by emptying your water tank and running your your fuel tanks lower than normal....If you have boats in adjacent slips, and accomodating neighbors, you might be able to run a line under your boat and tie each end to a neighbors boat...just in case!!! Rob Brueckner 1972 Hatteras Yachtfisherman

In a message dated 11/3/2005 17:46:29 Central Standard Time, keith@anastasia3.com writes: So what do you folks think of having a drivesaver on a single engine trawler with no get-home power? It may save my tranny, but I'd be totally without propulsion afterwards. Hmmmm.... Well, all I did was take the broken drive saver out and bolt the coupling halves back together... Rest of the way to Valdez without incident. Had another drivesaver shipped in, installed it and Bob's your uncle. Regards chuck

"Keith" writes: >If you guys want to really do it right, forget all the standard stuff and go >with Swagelock fittings. http://www.swagelock.com/products.htm. You can >build some really nice manifolds using their compression fittings and port >connectors. This is the stuff they use on NASA's rockets, space shuttle, >etc. There is another company that makes a similar quality fitting system, >but I can't remember their name right off. I do agree with getting rid of >copper and replacing it with USCG approved fuel hose, and have been doing >just that on my boat. I strongly second this. I've been working with Swagelok fittings for thirty years, and they are excellent. The thing I like best is that the joints can be very easily disassembled and reassembled with no compromise in their integrity. On "Island Eagle", every tubing connection (air lines, hydraulic steering, even some pressure water) is done with Swagelok. While the price is slightly higher than other options, these really are worth the money. Scott Welch "Island Eagle" www.islandeagle.net "The person who makes no mistakes usually doesn't make anything"

alweld@comcast.net writes: >In regards to potable water lines, I'm considering using the Pex tubing with >the crimp type fittings with the brass compression rings. I see this >material being allowed in the major building codes, so I'm going to make the >plunge. It' going to be difficult because I never thought plastic toilet >seats were the future. On Island Eagle I went with all new PEX for my potable water system and the results have been excellent. Scott Welch www.islandeagle.net "The person who makes no mistakes usually doesn't make anything"