up front
Bizarre bazaar
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he world of marine leisure is better stocked with brilliantly odd and engaging people than any I know.
Take Hugh Hodgson, the owner of Pemrokeshire Sports Boats and the new builder of Salcombe Flyer. Turns out he’s a gentleman farmer and the landlord of a small campsite, as well as a boat builder. It comes as no surprise, as we settle down for a waterfront beer at December’s Special Retreat (p30), when he confides in me from behind a huge beard that he once had a fistfight with a cow. He gets faintly emotional at the recollection, his cigarette balancing precariously on his lips and some tell-tale condensation collecting on the rim of his Oakleys. It was a ‘problem cow’ apparently. He knew he would be in for some trouble . . . And what about Nick Fox, UK importer of Sealegs Amphibious Boats? While we were out on his excellent 7.1-metre RIB, he admitted to me that he was also the genius behind the Mr Bunbury cakes you see on the shelves at Sainsburys - cakes that are so unfeasibly scrumptious you actually well up at the joy of them. It seems that our Nick, as well as importing exceedingly good boats, also happens to be a real-life Willy Wonka. If he had told me he was Banksy or Lord Lucan, I could hardly have been more impressed . . .
Contact us . . . Editorial Alex Smith E: sportsboat@googlemail.com sales Katie Hawksworth E: katieh@sportsboat.co.uk T: 01223 460490
But this wholesale eccentricity is not just a boat builder affliction. It’s a contagion that extends to our own journalists. As I sit here, giving them each their winter jobs, I can’t help noticing what a peculiar horde of wanderers they are. They may be purposeful men with quick minds but, wrapped in threadbare oilskins, garnished with wayward seafaring hair and weighed down with gadgets dangling from their every toggle, they look like a detachment from the ‘Strange but True’ feature of a travelling circus. Yes, like boating itself, this industry of ours is a wholesale rejection of the mundane; a kaleidoscopic circus of human oddities, coming together as if in collective pursuit of sanctuary from the tepid beigeness of the everyday. In a world of homogenised regularity and purile PC panderings, we are proud to be the unfettered voice of the extrovert and the unwashed . . .
Publishing Sue Baggaley E: sue@sportsboat.co.uk Subscriptions Lucia Leader E: lucia@sportsboat.co.uk
The Sports Boat editorial team
Editor
Read boat tests and place free private ads at www.sportsboat.co.uk
Ad manager
Chief designer
World reporter
Alex Smith
Katie Hawksworth
sarah GARLAND
craig barnett
This brave champion of the camouflaged hat reckons Milton Keynes is the most depressing place on earth, closely followed by Scrabster.
The undisputed queen of the UK marine scene is back where she belongs in the SB hot seat. Long live Miss Hawksworth . . .
The magazine’s designer is also a talented artist. Rumour has it she paints with her toes while performing Abba classics on the trumpet.
When his bar collapsed into a cave, Craig relocated to Dubai to become our tanned man with a winning smile who also reports the world news . . .
Features writer
Electronics expert
Race consultant
tom isitt
colin jones
john cooke
simon everett
If we could print even half the stuff this ex-motorbike journalist writes, the world would be a better place and we would be in court.
Splitting his time between Lyme Regis and France, our nomadic electronics expert lives most of his life on boats. We’re all jealous . . .
Our Race Consultant is a man with a pedigree. Is that a powerboating trophy in his pocket or is he just hideously disfigured? You can’t tell . . .
When he’s not hauling in shark or paddling his kayak in a force 5 Simon likes to climb aboard his classic boat and caress the wood.
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Chief boat tester
SB&RIB I
Contents DECEMBER 2009
Inside . . . 09 Word from the water
20 Editor’s indulgence
35 Reader goes racing
Witness the lowdown on the first desirable electric boat in history
With 45 knots on the water and five knots under it, could this be your dream come true?
The SB prizewinner fronts up for the Salcombe OCR Grand Prix
23 Electronics for idiots
Crowhurst gets his teeth into another UK water sports venue
14 A racer’s life Glitz, glamour and an endless stream of finger foods
16 Boat gadgets The latest gear to land on the SB desk
19 Kit of the month The dive pack you can take anywhere
At last - sonar and comms in a way we can all understand
27 Word from the web This month’s hot topics from the reader’s online forum
30 Special retreats A Welsh estuary inn with everything the roaming skipper could want
33 RYA answers back What is a race licence really for?
39 Club of the month
62 Anglesey Part II The final leg of our tour takes us round the wild side of the island
69 Speed in safety Get better pace from your boat without compromising comfort
73 Top winter tips So what can you do to treat your rig this Christmas . . .
76 Word up The boating glossary you won’t want to miss . . .
79 WIN a Kenwood marine stereo worth £329
43 Witch’s Whirlpool Place private ads for free at www.sportsboat.co.uk
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news Caudwell diesel up and running Following the launch of the Caudwell Axis Drive petrol engine, Southampton-based UK distributor, Golden Arrow, has unveiled the marine diesel version. Mike Beachy Head, originator of the concept, said: “Our new engine is greener, cleaner and has higher fuel efficiency, better torque and better power to weight ratio than the equivalent stern drives or outboards. It is quite simply ground-breaking technology.” Like its petrol version, the cooling system is closed, with no salt water entering the engine. The entire drive is also constructed from surgical stainless steel, reducing friction and making it virtually corrosion-proof. The Axis Drive is designed to pass through the boat’s transom close to the waterline, freeing up internal space without protruding excessively or raising the boat’s centre of gravity. A patented mid-section gearbox enables the drive to move in ‘yaw’ (steering left or right) and in ‘pitch’ (trim and tilt) without requiring a universal joint, or having to move the engine as with outboards. The new diesel range comprises V6 and V8 turbo diesels from 270 to 450 horsepower and the weight is only slightly more than its petrol stablemate, (380 kg for the V6 300 against the petrol’s 360 kg), allowing the engine to be fitted to the same style of boat. Both engine and drive function are linked electronically to a drive control unit that monitors performance and makes automatic adjustments to ensure maximum efficiency. In fact, the company has such faith in the Axis Drive system that if the unit suffers a breakdown, not caused by the operator’s negligence and cannot be repaired within 24 hours, Caudwell Marine will replace the unit within 48 hours at no cost. Impressive. www.caudwellmarine.com
Moomba moves on The 13 models of craft available across the Moomba and Supra brands can now be sourced from an extended ‘Skiers Choice’ UK dealer network. Preston Marina is the latest addition to the Skier’s Choice family and boss, Steve Miller, is very pleased with the move: “During our years as ski and
School of the Sea John Griffiths is the sort of MP we like. The Welsh Assembly Deputy Minister in charge of ‘Skills Outdoor’ appeared at the launch of a new marine training initiative in North Wales with a very simple and very positive message: “The sea has so much to offer children in Wales. It would be a crime not to make it a part of their education”. You really can’t argue with that. The initiative, ‘Ysgol y Môr’ (School of the Sea), is the first of its kind in Britain and will make local sea and coastal resources an essential part of the education and training of North Wales youngsters aged between eight and 14. It will use the marine environment to teach subjects including history, geography, biology, art and maths, as well as watersports skills training. The Ysgol y Môr initiative is modelled on an educational programme in Brittany, which has been the driving force behind the growth of the region’s highly successful marine industry. It has created major economic development and sustainable jobs, which have helped safeguard the Breton language and culture. Ysgol y Môr is being piloted in the counties of Gwynedd and Ynys Môn. In the first phase, spanning three years, 1440 pupils from 16 schools are learning watersports skills and 1170 pupils are being taught a range of existing curriculum subjects in classes de mer (‘classrooms of the
The diesel unit is every bit as clever as its petrol-driven sibling
wakeboard boat specialists here at Preston Marina we have always admired the Moomba and Supra ranges of boats for their combination of quality, choice and value - so we are delighted to be working with Skiers Choice in the UK to help boost awareness of the brands here in the North.” www.skierschoice.co.uk
sea’), across both counties. John Griffiths said: “Our aim is to add to the distinctiveness of the curriculum in Wales, developing a ‘Curriculum Cymraeg’ which focuses on skills and employability, while embracing our culture, language and history. Our seas and coastline are some of our greatest assets and I believe this type of outdoor learning could make a significant contribution to education in Wales.” www.northwaleswatersports.com
© Lydia Brooks 10 I SB&RIB
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kit Snap shot The Medion Life S47000 splash-resistant HD sports camcorder is a rather nifty little gadget. Weighing only 85g, it has a two-inch colour display with a robust casing, allowing you to keep it tucked away in a pocket and record those moments on the beach or at sea that deserve to be seen again. With 720p HD resolution, the camcorder can also be used as a digital stills camera and an MP3 player. It is splash-resistant rather than waterproof and the internal memory is only 90MB but you can easily expand the capacity with an SDHC card. The S47000 has a maximum aperture of F2.8, a focal length of f3.99 mm and a shutter speed of 1/2000 so it should be decent with fairly fast moving objects. The price seems about fair too . . . Price: £99.99 www.medionshop.co.uk
Hydro Power Helly Hansen’s new Hydro Power range is due to be launched in January 2010 at the London Boat Show. The line-up, designed with inshore racing, day sailing and RIB driving in mind, consists of technical jackets, bibs and mid-layers, alongside a stylish lifestyle collection for looking good when you get to your destination. The point of the new range is exceptional freedom of movement, waterproof protection and sufficient breathability to work hard without trapping moisture. As well as the the Hydro Power Bib pictured (£150), there’s also a £70 fleece mid-layer, a £220 men and women’s jacket and a £280 gent’s ‘Race’ jacket. All garments come in a wide variety of sizes and colours. 01159 608797 www.hellyhansen.com
Regatta Watch
Glass chart Combining the latest technology in an ultra-stylish, edge-to-edge black glass screen, Raymarine’s new glass bridge systems aim to satisfy the interior design requirements of vessels over 40 feet. Available in two sizes - the GB150 (15-inch) and GB170 (17-inch) - these ultra-bright colour displays use LED technology to offer multiple display combinations to encompass the full variety of navigational situations. With no visible buttons, the new glass bridge monitors are remotely controlled using the G-Series keyboard. Designed around an aluminium chassis for superior strength and durability, the glass is bonded to the LCD to help improve contrast, minimise reflections and prevent condensation. They are even rated to IPX-6, which means they can be exterior mounted if required. If you have the boat and you have the money, they deserve a serious look.
Suunto and Tacktick have joined forces to bring a stronger collective offering of products and services to the marine sector and one result of that collaboration is the new Regatta Watch. Known traditionally for the manufacturing of sports instruments for training, diving, marine and outdoor applications Suunto’s new watch is for those who take their boating seriously. Featuring a sailing timer and compass together with stopwatch, track bearing and multiple watch, date and alarm functions, it is waterproof, practical and really rather sophisticated to look at. Who wouldn’t want a compass on his wrist . . .
Price: from £4,495 plus VAT www.raymarine.com
Price £145 www.tacktick.com
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SB&RIB I 17
Scubacraft From the realms of every schoolboy’s dreams comes an extraordinary new watercraft capable of both rapid surface performance and sub-surface operation. Tim Spicer is first in line to get excited . . .
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f this doesn’t get James Bond warm in his Y-fronts then I’m a monkey’s uncle. The Scubacraft is an entirely different kind of personal watercraft, featuring patented technology that allows it to transform from a boat into a submersible underwater vessel in minutes. ON THE SURFACE Looking something like a cross between a Thundercat and a small jet boat, the Scubacraft is a twin-hulled craft with air cushions fitted inside the tubes of the hull, to give it buoyancy while on the surface. 20 I SB&RIB
Measuring 4.5 metres in length and two metres at the beam, it is slightly longer than a personal watercraft, allowing it to accommodte a driver plus two passengers quite comfortably. In adition to the inherent stability that twin hulls bring, the Scubacraft is built from strong composite materials, using what the company calls ‘bespoke engineering’ techniques. Powered by a 160hp engine, power is translated into thrust using a jet pump, making it highly manoeuvrable on the plane as well as very capable in the shallows, and enabling it to reach speeds in excess of 50 mph. Place private ads for free at www.sportsboat.co.uk
The Scubacraft weighs 400kg, roughly the same as a tender of the same length or as a large three-seater personal watercraft, so it achieves the kind of power-to-weight ratio (400hp/tonne) that ought to deliver some genuinely entertaining surface acceleration. UNDER THE SURFACE And so onto the exciting bit . . . with the push of a button, the Scubacraft deflates the air ballasts inside the hulls, slowly enabling itself to sink and transform into an underwater flying machine. A very pertinent
Sonar and comms
the idiot’s guide In the second part of his idiot’s guide to marine electronics, Craig Barnett takes the guesswork out of fishfinders and communication equipment . . .
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alk to any fisherman about where’s best to drop your hook and, in hushed tones, he’ll inevitably talk of his ’secret spot’ – a mythical place, as crowded with fish as Grimsby market. As the location has been jealously guarded through generations however, he’ll never divulge the co-ordinates and you’ll end up walking away no wiser than you arrived. Fortunately for us, however, technology has reached a point where the ocean has been reduced to more digestible portions, allowing today’s powerful fish finders to provide fishermen with information not just on depth and structure, but on fish location, speed and temperature. This piscean panacea basically works on the basis of sonar. A transducer placed on the hull of a boat converts an electrical impulse from the fishfinder into a sound wave, which is beamed down through a column of water until it bounces back off the bottom. The return signal is then read by the receiving unit, which interprets the signal to display any objects it has encountered on the screen. The results will normally include the shape of the seabed, any vegetation or structure (wreck, pipeline) and of course any fish or baitfish hanging around. As with all modern boating toys, there is a broad spectrum of fishfinders on the market and the usual ’you get what you pay for’ rule of thumb tends to apply with some accurcay. More expensive units will pack more features and provide better quality information on what is lurking beneath your hull, so choose according to your budget. But before heading for the local store with credit card in hand, you should arm yourself with a basic knowledge of the terms . . .
Power (Wattage) Power is everything in the world of fishfinders and what you’re looking for is the highest ’peak to peak’ output for your budget. Used right, a higher wattage unit will paint a clearer picture, while a low wattage unit may produce relatively slow readouts, meaning you’ll receive slightly delayed information on water you’ve already passed. Deeper water requires a more powerful fishfinder, so saltwater fishermen should certainly buy the most powerful unit their bank balance (or partner) will allow. > Place private ads for free at www.sportsboat.co.uk
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Special Retreat Alex Smith takes time out to visit the Old Point House at Angle . . .
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orget traffic jams and roadworks. Forget bills and deadlines and the tedious regurgitation of economic downturn. Forget cynicism for the sake of it. Forget tacky, insubstantial theme pubs full of crap beer in flashy bottles and lurid polo-shirted youths who don’t know how to handle their drink. Forget crippling taxes, short-sighted politics and anything else that makes you wish you had been born in a different age or to a different country. When you get out on your boat, it’s just you and the water, much the same as it has always been. Free of encumbrance, you are at liberty to pick your crew, your pace, your course and your destination. It’s that one time in a life tainted by frustration and expense when all things are yours to
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govern. So rather than risk a visit to shore that plunders your wallet for nothing but homologous mediocrity, you need to find yourself a destination deserving of your time. You need to find a special place; one capable of illiciting that same exquisite sensation of escape that took you boating in the first place . . . The Old Point House in Angle is just such a spot. It sits right on top of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, where ramblers take long hikes along the Atlantic shoreline and drink in the wild loveliness of South West Wales. Huge rollers can build up on the brunt of a long oceanic fetch as it sweeps past the south of Ireland but Angle, and the pub on its shore, sit just inside the estuary, around a headland on the south side. Here, cradled
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on the sheltered edge of a C-shaped inlet, the water is every bit as soft and welcoming as the open sea is changeable. The pub itself, an old whitewashed structure with a Welsh Dragon standing guard over the door, has been used as a mariner’s watering hole for longer than anyone seems to know. And once you’ve tied your boat up on the long concrete jetty beneath the pub’s garden, you will quickly discover that the beer here is everything it ought to be, Three hand pumps dispense Felinfoel Double Dragon, Best Bitter and Celtic Pride. And if it makes you as happy to have arrived as it did me, then lengthen the lines on your boat to accommodate the enormous tidal range, book one of the lovely rooms upstairs and settle in for the weekend.
Reader goes racing The competition to find a navigator for a race boat at the Salcombe OCR Grand Prix saw an unprecedented level of interest. When the winner was drawn, it was John Morris from South Wales who packed his bags and headed for Devon . . . Photography courtesy of www.bsnapper.com
J
ohn Morris had had very little experience of powerboat racing or indeed of powerboating at all. But when he turned up in Salcombe on the Friday before the OCR race weekend was due to get underway, you could tell he was here to enjoy himself. The weather Gods had conspired in his favour too as the positive forecast bore fruit with sunshine, light winds and seas that, by local standards, could even be described as flat. As the person tasked with organising the competition I had given him my number and I received a phone call from an overjoyed John while I was enjoying a quiet meal with my wife and mother. He had apparently found the Fortesque, a local pub where the Red Bullets were playing. They are a fantastic band, deserving of much greater fame but such was John’s enjoyment of his night that the purpose of the phone call remains unclear to this day. Evidently, Devon hospitality was already working its magic on our prize winner. >
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SB&RIB I 35
club of the m o n t h
Quayside Wake & Ski
Quayside Wake & Ski Matt Crowhurst heads for Surrey and a venue known to the great and the good of UK wakeboarding as the daddy of them all . . .
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akeboarding has been around in the UK since 1995. That’s when the first National Boat Championships were held, up in Abersoch, in the furthest reaches of North Wales. Of course, there was the odd ‘Skurfer’ around before that but no real wakeboarding as such. I got into the sport in 1996 and was lucky enough to spend my year on the road following the European Pro Tour. After the excitement and adventures of this first year had dissipated I was left with a bit of problem. Where the Hell was I going to ride? Up until that point I’d literally
been hopping from contest to contest. I had got into the sport with the Heaney boys at their ski school just north of Newcastle but, being a Brummie lad, there really wasn’t anywhere that catered for wakeboarding at all - or in other words, no-one that would be up for throwing some barrels of water in the boat and strapping a Skylon to the ski pole for me to play on. By the time this realisation had come around however, I was back at school and winter was upon us. The issue of getting my riding done in the UK would, I was sure, be solved when the following season came around.
Well, lucky for me, and the rest of the UK’s wakeboarding populous, this issue did have a solution and it came in the form of the Quays, as it was then known. It was a waterski club that had been around for a long time, in Farnborough just off the M3. The year of 1997 had seen the introduction of the first purpose-built wakeboard boat in the form of the Mastercraft X-Star and the Quays was the first venue in the UK to have one. It staked their claim right there and then as the home of British Boat Wakeboarding. Throughout that summer I got down there for my riding by hook or by >
Photo by Alliancewake.co.uk
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SB&RIB I 39
CORRYVRECKAN the witch’s cauldron Mike Pullen packs his bags for some radical Scottish adventure . . .
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e boaters, having our own boats, often overlook the possibility of going on boat trips run by commercial outfits. However, there are some excellent days out to be had on various parts of our coast and, if you don’t tend to go beyond your immediate cruising grounds, chances are you will miss out on some of the very best ones. Some of these are on particularly tricky stretches of coastline, where either local knowledge or a specialist type of craft is required. This is especially true of parts of west Scotland. The tides here are fierce. Think of The Trap on an equinoxial Spring ebb and you’ll get the idea of what the daily runs can be like. The Falls of Lora at the entrance to Loch Etive, under the Connell Bridge, have to be seen to be believed, but there is one iconic tide race in Scotland which is renowned around the world. It has a fearsome reputation, handed down from generation to generation of seafarers since the times of the Vikings. The Gulf of Corryvreckan lies in a narrow straight between the islands of Jura and Scarba, in a remote area of Argyll where the position of the islands and the mainland coast creates an
extraordinarily complex tidal flow. The Corryvreckan is reputed to be the world’s third largest whirpool. As the main flood stream flows past the Mull of Kintyre it draws the water out of the Clyde area, creating a situation where, within just six miles, high tide on one side coincides with low water on the other. As you can see then, this is no place for visitors to go on a casual whim, but it most certainly is a place that I would urge everyone to see at least once in their lives. Just make sure you do it from the relative safety of a proper ‘built-for-purpose’ boat. One such boat is owned by Seafari Adventures, a company responsible for what a national newspaper described as: “one of the best tourist attractions in Scotland.” Tony Hill runs Seafari Adventures from Easdale, near Oban, using boats that are built specifically to conduct sightseeing trips around this part of the coast - and there is a lot to see, not just in terms of the impossibly wild seascape but also in terms of the animals. They include golden eagles, sea eagles, deer, wild goats, seals, dolphins and whales. >
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SB&RIB I 43
Capelli 626 The Italian Capelli 626 may look pretty as a picture but don’t be fooled. This is a boat with serious bite. Mike Pullen reports . . .
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tested
Capelli 626
The adjustable bench seats make it unusually good for communal entertaining
Where does it fit into the range? As well as 13 hard (mostly Walkaround) boats ranging between 4.0 and 9.7 metres in length, Capelli does 14 Topline RIBs, three Easyline RIBs, five Workline RIBs and five Tenderline inflatables. The Tempest 626 is bang in the middle of the Topline RIB range, with five smaller hulls and five larger. There are two models of 626, a ‘Trendy’ (with A-frame as standard, fresh water shower, Flexiteek trim and an uprated leaning post) and a standard model, which is the one on test today.
With infils and cushions in place the forward space makes a very decent sundeck
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apelli is a name with considerable resonance. As well as being known as the builder that provides the boats for the fearsome challenges of the Rubson RIB Raid, Capelli also carries with it the promise that comes with a long and distinguished Italian heritage. RIBs they may be but these are not the workmanlike estuary grinders you see doggedly ploughing their furrows on England’s drab winter waterways. Capelli products are a great deal more glamorous and aspirational than that . . . A Capelli boat is a vessel for an exotic, outward-bound Mediterranean cruise, with the promise of an elegant waterfront lunch and a leisurely drinks reception with a casual bevvy of beautiful people. And to that end, fine looks are complimented by plenty of inboard space, with a full-beam bench seat aft and a relatively narrow twoman bench seat at the helm. The helm’s seat-back reverses, allowing the two benches to face each other across the > SB&RIB I 51
Cruising Anglesey the tour concludes
In the final part of our Anglesey odyssey, we head clockwise round the north side of the island, to explore the hidden parts you may not have seen before. Simon Everett reports.
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skipper’s skills
Fast Forward
Fast forward Part of enjoying a performance boat is knowing how to handle it at pace. SB Race Correspondent, John Cooke, shows you how . . .
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s a powerboat racer and performance boat builder, my job is to make a boat go as fast as possible. Just one mph will be a 1.5-mile difference after a typical 90-minute race, and with some races decided by yards, any small advantage is a bonus. When driving a leisure boat the comfort of the passengers is more important but, by making adjustments to the trim and the trim tabs you can not only make the boat go faster, but you can also make the trip more comfortable for the passengers and even reduce fuel consumption at the same time.
Finding your top end Trim is something every boat has, and most engines of 40 hp or more have hydraulic trim that can be altered while on the move. In flat conditions with little wind the boat can be ‘trimmed out’ (engine angled up, so the prop becomes shallower and the drive points more downwards) to get as much of the boat out of the water as possible. This enables you to find the sweet spot, where the most efficient use is being made of the boat’s available power to achieve the fastest speed. If over-done, trimming out may result in the boat porpoising, where the nose is driven up to the point where the drive is insufficient to sustain its elevation and it comes back down to the water’s surface before being driven back up again. It’s uncomfortable and inefficient. Dragging the stern is another potential consequence of over-trimming and will also slow the boat down. To get it right you need a GPS unit that’s easily viewable from the helm position. Used together with trim (and trim tab indicators) you should be able to find the best setup for your boat. Watch the speed on GPS. Watch it increase as you trim out. When you reach the point where you see the speed drop or the revs rise (as though you have a slipping clutch) trim back in a touch until you regain your maximum GPS speed. With a little trial and error you should be able to achieve a personal best. > Place private ads for free at www.sportsboat.co.uk
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Winter tips Whether you keep her running or put her to bed, you owe it to yourself to keep your boat in good nick this winter. Jon Mendez shows you how . . .
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t this time of year, you can see that your boat needs a good clean so, whether you plan to put her to bed for winter or not, now is the time to sort her out. But don’t just wash her down. Wax her to within an inch of her life and give her a coating of top quality polish. The wax will protect the hull and allow the rain and winter dirt to run off rather than sullying your GRP and making it chalky. If you keep your boat afloat, now is also a good time to get it out and check the antifouling and anodes. If you use a boatyard to lift it, there are some good deals in the winter months. And better still, if you antifoul it now and then drop it back in the water, you will find that the colder temperatures radically slow the development of any growth or slime that builds up over the winter. If you really
want your boat to stay in good nick, however, it doesn’t end there . . . Upholstery Although many manufactures use good quality marine grade fabrics, they can still go mouldy or get the dreaded black spot, so make them as clean and dry as you can. For cockpit upholstery, a wipe over with a weak solution of Milton will stop the worst of any damp mould and, again, if leaving the boat consider removing them to be stored somewhere safer and drier. Go through all the lockers and remove all that ‘just in case’ junk that every boat accumulates. You will often find that most of it is just dead weight. Fridges and cool boxes should also be opened and aired. Wash them out with a bicarbonate of soda mix before you leave them and you will find the eventual reactivation of your boat far more pleasant. Place private ads for free at www.sportsboat.co.uk
Electrics Disconnect the main connections and spray them with a good contact cleaner. Then reassemble, using a good marinegrade waterproofing agent (WD40 or GT85 is ideal). Spray it over the engine and you will be surprised how much difference it makes to its condition. Do the same > A thorough upholstery clean is just the start of the job
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