Need some answers

[Dixon Hemphill]

I'm sure many of you sailors can answer these questions:

1. In the cabin of my CD28 above every port is a 20" long aluminum track. They must be for curtains but where can I find them? How do they attach to the track?

2. I plan to change the name of my boat. Who besides my marina and insurance carrier must I notify? I think I've forgotten someone.

3. When I have my boat hauled just for an hour next month to have the bottom pressure washed I want to see if my zinc needs replacing. If mine is "shot" what zinc do I need and can it be attached easily while the boat is in the hoist?

4. WD-40 and a wrench extension won't close the seacock below my sink drain. Is there a way to get the thing to operate without taking it apart? My boat is in the water and I hesitate to use a plug.

5. Where is the safest place to store two 5"dia propane tanks which I use with my Magna charcoal stove?

Brief answers will be greatly appreciated, Dixon

[Neil Gordon]

>>In the cabin of my CD28 above every port is a 20" long aluminum track. They must be for curtains but where can I find them? How do they attach to the track?<<

They are for curtains. The curtains have little whatsits that slide into the track and there are end stops to keep them from falling out. Maybe someone else can tell you where to find them... they're attached to binding tape that just sews onto the fabric, I think.

>>I plan to change the name of my boat. Who besides my marina and insurance carrier must I notify? I think I've forgotten someone.<<

If the boat is documented you need to notify the Feds. Otherwise, you just need to carefully go through an appropriate renaming ceremony.

>>When I have my boat hauled just for an hour next month to have the bottom pressure washed I want to see if my zinc needs replacing. If mine is "shot" what zinc do I need and can it be attached easily while the boat is in the hoist?<<

I use a 1" collar. It's easy enough to remove the old one and replace... the collar is two halfs of a donut that attach with a screw on each side. All you need is the right size allen wrench or screw driver.

>>WD-40 and a wrench extension won't close the seacock below my sink drain. Is there a way to get the thing to operate without taking it apart? My boat is in the water and I hesitate to use a plug.<<

Keep soaking it with penetrating oil and trying to work it. Patience helps. If you're having the boat hauled, it's a good time to service the seacocks. I'm not a fan of doing them with the boat in the water, either.

[rtbates]

Those little whatits can be had from SAILRITE

[bottomscraper]

5. Where is the safest place to store two 5"dia propane tanks which I use with my Magna charcoal stove?

Magma makes a rail mount storage bag for small propane tanks.
Link is for West Marine but shop around or make your own!

I don't know why you would need it for a "charcoal" stove

[img]http://images.westmarine.com/full/02359_f.jpg[/img]

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... _sku=19434

[Rebinva]

zzzz

[Joe Myerson]

Where is the safest place to store two 5"dia propane tanks which I use with my Magna charcoal stove?

You can make a very nice carrier for propane cylinders from a length of PVC pipe and two end caps, held to the pushpit with pipe clamps.

I believe Barfwinkle describes how to do so in a previous thread.

--Joe

[Parfait's Provider]

The principle with propane is to make certain that if it leaks, the propane goes overboard and not to the cabin or bilge. Propane is heavier than air, so it needs either to be well above decks and aft or in a container that vents overboard from the bottom.

I found that soaking with kerosene worked pretty well for the seacocks; loosening the nut so it is flush with the head of the barrel and then tapping gently with a hammer will also help. If there are barnacles on the outside, you will probably have to scrape them off before you are going to get anywhere. Parfait came with a seacock persuader in the form of a pipe that would slip over the handle. We don't use it any more.

[Wayne Brown]

A diver can change the zincs while the boat is in the water probably cheaper than hauling the boat.
About the sink seacock, if it is in the open position take out the screws on the side that drain the seacock body ( roundhead 10/24 ones) and try to get penetrating lube in there as well around the ends and give it time to work, don't get a bigger hammer on this job it will screw up the seacock.

Wayne Brown
CD-27 WHISPER

[Steve Laume]

I have had great luck with a small hammer and a light tap, just to get them moving. Backing off the adjustment nut might help a bit to get them to break lose. A good diet of Morey's Red and regular exercise will keep them working, Steve.

[jerryaxler]

If you need to tap harder than a relatively light tap to loosen the seacock, remove the handle and place a crescent wrench where the handle attaches. A LITTLE more force can now be used without damage. The handle,like the seacock is bronze, which will distort fairly easily.

[Steve Kuhar]

Dixon,

When replacing your zinc remember that you must leave adequate clearance between the hull and the zinc to provide for good water flow to the cutless bearing. Both the cutless bearing and stuffing box or PSS shaft seal are water lubricated. I don't know about the 28, but on both my 25D and 30 there is not enough room for even a limited clearance zinc without milling it down. While I don't like them, I have resorted to a Perry Nut which goes on the end of the shaft outboard of the propellor nut.

About frozen seacocks I concur with all of the suggestions that were given for freeing it and would add that seacocks need to be exercised frequently. When I leave my boat I close all of the seacocks except one cockpit scupper, and I alternate the open one each time. I hang the engine key over the closed engine seacock to remind me to open it before starting the engine. Except for cockpit scuppers a frozen seacock in the closed position is an annoyance, a frozen seacock in the open position is a threat to your vessel and possibly your life.

Steve Kuhar

[Stan W.]

3. When I have my boat hauled just for an hour next month to have the bottom pressure washed I want to see if my zinc needs replacing. If mine is "shot" what zinc do I need and can it be attached easily while the boat is in the hoist?

Be aware that the zincs aren't standardized anymore so you need to figure out in advance what kind of zinc you plan to use. The "Perry Nut" used to be standard but, as far as I know, they aren't available now. Today, people seem to be more or less equally split between the propnut zinc (Camp) or the propshaft collar zinc (multiple brands). I prefer the propnut zinc because it eliminates any concerns about restricting water flow to the cutless bearing.

[Carter Brey]

Curtain track hardware

http://www.sailrite.com/Categories/Curtain-Slides

Extremely effective penetrating oil:

http://blasterchemical.com/display.cfm?p=50003&pid=4

I also used patience and a very long automotive crescent wrench (gently) to increase leverage. Be careful-- the Spartan handles attach to the body with a "fork" which is vulnerable.

A source for zincs:

http://www.boatzincs.com/

Cheers,
Carter Brey
Sabre 28 MKII #532 "Delphine"
City Island, NY

[Parfait's Provider]

If you want THE penetrating oil, try KROIL. It is nasty stuff, but it works on rust, which you won't have. It won't do a thing for barnacles, but it might just get in between the housing a barrel of your seacock.

A bargain at the moment:

http://www.kanolabs.com/google/[/url]

[bottomscraper]

PB Blaster is ok but everyone knows that

Kroil Rules!

Unfortunately it's not easy to find except mail order.



http://www.kanolabs.com/

edit : Hmmm Ken beat me to it!