Jim Barrentine writes: >I am looking for an online source for 12 v interior lights. I am >looking for both the "hockey puck" type lights to install under the >cabinets in the galley and some very thin fluorescent tubes to >install on either side of the mirror in the head. I highly recommend Sea Gull puck lights. I've used about 50 of them on Island Eagle. They are about $10 each, which is a bit steep, but they are well made. However, if you watch, they do come up on eBay. I bought 100 (!!!) from a lighting store going out of business for the whopping price of 40 cents each! Here's what they look like: http://www.littmanbros.com/store/default.aspx?DepartmentId=533 For what it's worth, I also used another Sea Gull product named Ambience. You run a special wire (looks and feels like 16 gauge lamp cord) and then clip the lights right to the cord, which pierces the insulation. Worked like a charm for accent lighting in the saloon and under the cabinets. Here's a link: http://www.seagulllighting.com/Linear-Lighting.htm Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com Those who make no mistakes rarely make anything.

So listees, We're off cruising Island Eagle this summer, and as opposed to the past few years this year we are doing things in a more leisurely fashion. Cruise a few hours... anchor a few days... repeat. So it's all very nice, but I realize that my charging system needs a bit of beefing up. In the past, the 150 amp Ample Power alternator on the main had no problem keeping the batteries (800 Ah of AGM @ 24 volts) topped up when we were spending 6 to 8 hours underway. However, using the genset to charge the batteries I am relying on the Xantrex SW4024 charger, which has a max output of 150 amps. This translates to about 4 hours per day of genset run time, which I'd like to lower. I have about 3000 additional watts of genset capacity at my disposal, so I'm thinking of adding a big (say 100 A) 24 volt charger. However, they seem to be pretty thin on the ground, in fact I can find any. So my other thought is a pair of 50 A 12 volt chargers, one for each half of the 24 volt bank. I was looking at a pair of Xantrex XC5012 (http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/180/p/1/pt/24/product.asp). I also have experience with Analytic Systems (http://www.analyticsystems.com/products/bca1000.htm) so that's a possibility. So, I'll throw the door open: any suggestions? Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com Those who make no mistakes rarely make anything.

Henry Dennig writes: >Our trawler has 3 vacuflush heads. All three keep running. Hey Henry, The good news is that Vacuflush technology is very simple, and you can have this tracked down in a few minutes. There are three possible causes: First, the seal: The best troubleshooting advice is to see whether the bowl is dry. If it's dry, the leak is in the ball valve at the bottom of the toilet. In almost every case where my pumps have cycled, this has been the culprit. If the bowl still has water, the leak is downstream of the ball valve. Notwithstanding the cleaning tool from Sealand, the best results I have had cleaning a leaky ball valve are when I hold the ball valve open with my foot, and then clean carefully all the way around the inside of the rubber gasket. I just use paper towel and Sunlight. YOU DO NOT WANT A NICK IN THE SEAL! Second, the switch: Sometimes the pump will not start when it was supposed to, and sometimes it would run on. After watching the tank carefully I realized that there was a shaft which connected to the vacuum switch bellows and operated a microswitch. The shaft has gotten a bit dirty and dusty, and was binding against the sleeve. This is very easy to test -- just gently nudge the shaft. Anyhow, a quick spray of WD-40 had it running perfectly. Third, a leak somewhere else: You may have a leak somewhere else. This is extremely unlikely, but possible. You will know if this is the case because the pump will be cycling but there will still be water in the bowl. You best tools are your ears. Let the vacuum build up and then listen carefully for where the hissing sound comes from. Finally, my own advice: I read once long ago that vinegar was good for cleaning heads. And I used to work in a lab and we had a oily sort of lubricant that we used for O-rings and other rubber seals. So, I got to thinking that a nice emulsion of vinegar and vegetable oil would be good to clean and lubricate the rubber parts in my heads. Fortunately Kraft makes a product that contains exactly these ingredients and best of all bottle costs about $1.29 in the salad dressing aisle at your local supermarket. So after cleaning the ball valve I go to the fridge, find the oldest bottle of salad dressing I have, and pour about a cupful into the head. Work the ball valve open and closed about 10 times. So far (5 years) the results have been perfect. Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com Those who make no mistakes rarely make anything.

Your best bet is to find a chandlery which supplies commercial fishing boats. I used to have 32 volts on the boat and had good luck at Fisheries Supply (Seattle) and the Nanaimo Marine Centre (250-753-1244, ask for Keven or Joyce). Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com Those who make no mistakes rarely make anything.

Robert STRAGHAN writes: >Any suggestions for the best deck anti-skid product. Is this for a steel deck? Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com Those who make no mistakes rarely make anything.

I do have an opinion on this, but it's just an opinion. I have friends who built an aluminum boat, and they used a nonskid decking from Vetus, like this: http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=12357&SHOPZILLA I've walked on this and the nonskid qualities of this are incredible. You stick it down with contact cement. Lasts about 20 years. A bit industrial-looking, but not out of place on a steel boat. Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com Those who make no mistakes rarely make anything.

Jake2124@aol.com writes: >The actual problem is that engine starts immediately, then immediately >dies. Then I crank it for maybe 5 to 10 seconds, and > it starts runs perfectly all day. While running there is no speed >variation or any such thing. Just runs perfectly as always. It seems like >it starts and then immediately runs out of fuel, then with some cranking, >gets fuel again and stays fine all day. I know this is a bit of a leap, but did you by any chance take on new fuel? My daily commuting car is a VW Golf TDI, and after taking on a full tank of diesel in Buffalo, I experienced absolutely identical symptoms. After the next tankful, things were back to normal. I don't believe that there was any water in the fuel, the filter would have caught that. I know that there is quite a number of formulation changes going on with low sulfur diesel, and I assume that may have had something to do with it. Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

oldtrawlerguy@yahoo.ca writes: >Well, look at the city of Toronto. Every summer they close some of the >beaches due to high E-Coli count. It is caused by raw sewer dumping from the >GTA and allegedly from bird droppings. I'm not sure what percentage of the >approximately 8 million people in the GTA get their sewer treated as there >are treatment plants, but it's not all. Actually, this is incorrect. All sewage in the GTA is routed through treatment plants. However, like many older cities, Toronto traditionally had a single system for both stormwater catchment (the grates in streets) and sanitary sewers (the outlets from toilets and sinks). Large rainstorms can cause the system to overflow and push less-than-fully-treated water into Lake Ontario. The solution to this is to separate the stormwater and sanitary systems, which has been ongoing for about 40 years (it's a big project). One component of this involved building a 10 million gallon (!!!) underwater reservoir to hold stormwater. Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

tbehan6468@aol.com writes: >Now will someone explain why boaters are being stopped and?checked to make >sure?they have holding tanks ? What possible impact can one or ten or a >hundred boaters have compared to 300 MILLION gallons per day ? The quick answer is that in many cases it's not the total environmental load that is a problem, it's the local concentration. Typically, municipal sewerage discharge lines are routed far out to sea, and located where currents will disperse the outflow. 3 million gallons a day sounds like a lot, but not when it's being diluted in the entire gulf stream. Boats, on the other hand, like to seek out protected harbours. I know it's hard to believe, but a few boats in a protected harbour really can cause a local pollution load greater then the massive city discharges. On the other hand, if you are in an area with strong tidal flows you are correct, boats will have little effect. By the way this is one of the reasons that most (all?) freshwater lakes are no-discharge zones. There are no currents to disperse the effluent. Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden