Winter Maintenance, Part 2
by Peter F. Ten Haagen
(Jacksonville, Fl)
Spring is sneaking up on you - get a jump on it over the winter months.
Please be aware that this type of filtration does NOT purify water or kill bacteria - if you take on water from questionable sources you may want to consider an onboard water making system ($3,000.00 - $6,000.00) - but a useful tip is to add small amounts of chlorine bleach to your tanks whenever you fill them which will kill most germs, and the t/o filter will remove the chlorine taste completely (add half cup of bleach to each 100 gallons of fresh water - the bleach first, and then put the water on top of it for complete mixing.) You should plan to change these filters every 90 – 180 days, depending on usage. I schedule this sort of thing with a Palm Pilot but you can mark a calendar or use some other system to remind yourself of recurring maintenance tasks.
Not all boat owners have the same priorities or energy levels so you don=t have to get too carried away or feel limited undertaking an off season task. One winter I took advantage of the cold temperatures to dress warmly and comfortably strip the paint from my sailboat=s bottom. Feeling a little nervous about the condition of your boat's head? Removing two hoses and 4 bolts will allow you to remove the beast and overhaul it in the relative comfort of your heated basement. The rebuild kits are not cheap, but here is one place where it is hard to say just what a stitch in time will save you. When you re-install the head examine the hoses and clamps critically and replace what you should to insure a worry free toilet.
If you need sail or canvas repairs why not drop these items off with your favorite tradespeople in the winter and make life easier for both of you instead of waiting for the Aspring rush.@ The same is true of electronics which may need to go out for service, calibration or repair - typically you can lose weeks or months waiting for parts on these items, so let them be winter months instead of having to do without these electronics for the first part of the new season. How about your dinghy? Certainly it could stand a little attention. Why not bring that tender inside for the winter where you can make upgrades and perform maintenance at your leisure thus having one less thing to crowd your time when the snows melt and your thoughts turn to using the boat - not working on it.
The main thing I have learned about boat projects is to be patient. Many installations involve different steps - concentrate on getting each step done correctly, making the cutout for that switch nice and square - run wiring carefully being certain the gauge is adequate, the connections tight, and the wires are secure. If you are tired or feel yourself rushing a job, walk away from it and do something else for a while. I used to build Heathkit stereo components as a kid, and cold solder joints sent every one of them to the radio and television repair shop (they used to have those) because I would get in such a hurry to finish up. As it turns out, the satisfaction comes from a neat, competent installation and not from simply checking something off a list.
