Maintain and improve your powerboat : more than 100 do-it-yourself ways to make your boat better

305 Pages·2009·10.058 MB·English

by  Paul Esterle

TThhiiss ppaaggee iinntteennttiioonnaallllyy lleefftt bbllaannkk
More than 100 Do-It-Yourself Ways
to Make Your Boat Better
Paul EstErlE
International Marine / McGraw-Hill
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Copyright © 2009 by Paul Esterle. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part
of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, with-
out the prior written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 978-0-07-154935-6
MHID: 0-07-154935-8
The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-154934-9, MHID: 0-07-154934-X.
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Photographs and illustrations by the author unless otherwise noted. Photo(s) on pages 5 and 6 (left) courtesy Ranger Boats; pages
6 (right) and 7 (left) courtesy Grady-White Boats; pages 11, 12, and 22 courtesy Tempress Products; page 21 courtesy SSI, Inc.;
pages 43 (bottom), 129, 200 (bottom), 214, and 263 (bottom) courtesy Moeller Products Company, Inc.; page 84 (top) courtesy
Maxwell; page 84 (bottom) courtesy Quick Nautical Equipment; pages 125 and 127 (left) courtesy Taylor Made Products, Inc.;
pages 127 (right) and 130 courtesy C. E. Smith, Inc.; pages 182, 184, 185, 186 (top left), 194, 195, and 198 courtesy Blue Sea
Systems; page 200 (top) courtesy Poly-Planer; page 202 (left) courtesy Shakespeare Electronics Products Group; page 218 courtesy
FloScan Instrument Company.
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Contents
Preface  ix A Simple Food-Prep Station 52
Finding Storage Space 53
Chapter 1:  How Boats Are Built   . . . . . . . 1
Building a Storage Compartment from
Materials 2
Plywood and Formica 54
The Molding Process 5
Molding a Storage Bin 54
Interior Structures 8
V-Berth Storage 56
Assembly 9
Small-Parts Storage 57
Regulatory Standards 10
Replacing Cushion Foam 58
Chapter 2:  The Cockpit   . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Replacing Ports and Hatches 60
Adding Access Hatches 11 Refinishing or Replacing Plastic Glazing 65
Using Epoxy 17 Replacing Plexiglas or Lexan Fixed
Storage Compartments and Tackle Box Windows 65
Drawers 21 Rejuvenating or Replacing Headliners 70
Handholds 22 Marine Sanitation Systems 72
Cockpit Tables 27 Installing an All-in-One MSD 73
Installing a Washdown Pump 32 Installing a Holding Tank System 74
Replacing Cockpit Soles and Decks 35 Boat Ventilation 77
Repairing Stringers 39 Installing Solar Vents 78
Replacing a Fuel Tank 42 Rigging a Home Air Conditioner 81
Chapter 3:  Cabin and Galley   . . . . . . . . . 47 Chapter 4:  Decks   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Building a Galley Box 47 Adding an Anchor Windlass 83
Propane Cylinder Holsters 50 Anchor Doohickey 86
Improving an Icebox 51 Adding Cleats 87
Keeping Water Potable 52 Anchor Rode Storage 90
v
vi    Contents
Line Organizer 92 An Above-the-Waterline Hull Repair 152
Anchor Mounts 92 Transom Repair 153
Adding Rod Holders 94 Sealing a Hull/Deck Joint 158
Boarding Ladders 95 Rubrails 161
Quick Release for a Boarding Ladder 99 Fenderboards 163
Pain-Free Ladder Rungs 99 Through-Hull Fittings and Seacocks 164
Fixing Deck Dings 102 Replacing Seacocks 167
Strategies for Sealing Deck Hardware 105 Bilge Pump Basics 169
Repairing Cored Decks 109 Bilge Pump Installation 171
Repairing Molded Nonskid 113 A Couple of “Pumpsticks” 174
Painting Nonskid 114
Chapter 7:  Boat Electrics and  
Sheet Nonskid 115
Electronics   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Repairing Railings, Pulpits, and
Maintaining Your Boat Information 177
Pushpits 116
Marine Wiring Basics 179
Chapter 5:  Boat Canvas   . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
30 Tips for Better Boat DC Electrical
Biminis 121 Systems 186
Awnings 124 Choosing and Using Marine Batteries 188
Sunshades 125 Proper Charging 190
Cleaning and Treating Canvas 125 Battery Maintenance 191
Restoring Isinglass 126 Battery Safety 192
Installing an Aftermarket T-Top 126 Installing a Second Battery in Parallel 192
T-Top Accessories 129 Installing a Second Battery Bank 193
Chapter 6:  Hulls   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Battery Switching Warning 195
Installing a Solar Charger 196
Applying Antifouling Paint 131
Installing Electronics 198
Bottom Paint Choices 132
Selecting and Installing a VHF Radio
Painting a New Boat Bottom 133
Antenna 201
The No-Bottom-Paint Option 134
Installing Transducers for Fishfinders and
Removing Bottom Paint 134
Depth Sounders 203
Restoring Faded Gelcoat 137
Chapter 8:  Engine and Drivetrain   . . 209
Repainting a Boat 138
Fixing Blisters 141 Changing Engine Oil 209
Applying a Barrier Coat 145 Fuel System Maintenance 212
Repairing Chips, Dings, and Gouges 146 Adding a Fuel/Water Separator 214
Structural Patches and Repairs 149 20 Ways to Beat the High Price of Gas 215
Contents    vii
Installing a Fuel-Flow Meter 217 Installing Bearing Protectors 251
Exhaust Manifold Care and Corrosion Protection and Remediation 252
Replacement 220 A Complete Trailer Overhaul 253
Installing an Engine Flush System 223 Considerations When Storing a Boat on a
Propeller Maintenance, Repairs, and Trailer for the Winter 259
Replacement 226
Chapter 10:  Winterizing   . . . . . . . . . . .261
Replacing Water Pump Impellers 227
Cleaning the Boat 261
Replacing Steering and Throttle Cables 230
Winterizing Engines and Outdrives 262
Adding a Kicker and Outboard Mount 231
Winterizing Water Systems 264
Installing Remote Engine Controls for
Preparing the Cabin 264
a Kicker 235
Preparing the Boat for Shrink-Wrapping 265
Trim Tabs 239
Winter Covers and Tarps 266
Replacing a Speedometer Pitot Pickup 242
Do As I Say . . . 273
Replacing Zincs 243
Appendix A: Sources of Information  275
Chapter 9:  Trailers   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Appendix B: Sources of Gear and 
Adding a Power Winch 245
Supplies  277
Building a Trailer Stand 247
Repacking and Replacing Trailer Index  285
Bearings 249
TThhiiss ppaaggee iinntteennttiioonnaallllyy lleefftt bbllaannkk
Preface
After years in the hospital IT field, I decided to the best approaches for and ramifications of a
“drop out” and do something fun for a while. My wide range of projects. There isn’t room in these
definition of “fun” includes writing about boats, pages to explore all possible projects or every pos-
maintaining a mini-fleet of three boats, and sible approach to a given project. Rather, I focus
working for West Marine. This book was sparked on solutions I have used and know will work for
by questions I’ve heard over and over again from you.
magazine readers and West Marine customers. I’m not suggesting that all the projects I’ve
A recurring theme of those questions is that tried on my own boats have turned out superbly
boatowners everywhere are interested in doing or even satisfactorily. Many have, but some
more of their own work on boats. The ever haven’t. In all cases, however, you can benefit
increasing costs of boats, slips, and fuel, coupled from my experience. We can learn more from
with the difficulty of finding affordable marine mistakes than successes, and working on a boat is
services, has resulted in an explosion of DIY certainly no different. And isn’t it better when the
boaters. mistakes you learn from are someone else’s?
Even those boatowners who don’t do their I hope this book makes your time on the water
own work will appreciate this book’s insights into more enjoyable. Hope to see you out there!
ix