Photo: Rogan Birnie
Story by Marian Lambrecht 
Cetol® is a good choice for someone who wants to maintain a boat without a lot of effort. It is less fussy than varnish, both in application and weather conditions. It also requires less initial base coats – three to four versus eight to 10 - although the annual maintenance coats are similar.
It also seems to be less sensitive than varnish as far as water leaching underneath and lifting the finish. This makes it a good choice for a boat that has complicated water issues. Since excessive water will affect any finish, patching Cetol® when it does lift is faster because it requires fewer coats as a base.
It also seems to be less sensitive than varnish as far as water leaching underneath and lifting the finish. This makes it a good choice for a boat that has complicated water issues. Since excessive water will affect any finish, patching Cetol® when it does lift is faster because it requires fewer coats as a base.
Between coats, sanding is not required if recoated within a certain time frame. This is helpful if you are building up a number of coats but not very significant in terms of annual maintenance.
Staining the fiberglass has been an issue with Cetol®. After a certain amount of time it does not come off. Because of this, it is important to tape around your work area and use mineral spirits to wipe up any Cetol® that gets on the glass.
Cetol® brushes on easily, but as with any exterior finish, the thickness of the coat/finish is vital to its survival. When applying Cetol®, it is best to allow the product to flow off the brush, brushing into the wet edge with as few strokes as possible. Do not use a back-and-forth brush stroke because this will apply a much thinner-than-required coat. Evidence of this will turn up as areas of burn-through that appear during the season.
Cetol® is available in three base colors, Cetol® Marine (original), Cetol® Light and Natural. Natural is the newest and is a brownish color similar in tone to an oiled teak.
Unlike varnish, Cetol® is pigmented much like a stain, so it mutes the grain and look of the wood. With the annual maintenance coats, the color keeps building until it starts to look almost like paint. Cetol® Clear, a gloss finish, can be used over the regular, light or natural finish, and solves this problem, bringing it back to the look of varnish. Unfortunately, now you are adding at least three coats to the required base - four in my experience. In addition, now the base coat requirement is close to what varnish requires. This is all without the benefit of varnish, which enhances the beauty of the wood.
Bottom line, Cetol® is probably your best option if you already have it on your boat and/or if you have complicated water issues.
There are many different brands and types of varnish available on the market today. The major brands are Epifanes ( high gloss varnish), Interlux (Schooner), and Awlgrips (Awl spar) all of which have very high UV protection. Among these you have the traditional tungoil/linseed oil based varnishes and polyurethanes. Additionally you have varnishes that require sanding between coats (mechanical bond) and some that do not if recoated within a certain time frame (chemical bond.)
cost a few dollars less because they are not designed for the marine environment. They do not provide as much UV protection or hold up as well as the varnish you purchase from a marine store. Considering that finishing your boat is so labor-intensive it seems foolish not to use the best quality products available.
The odds of your boat being struck by lightning are about 1.2 in 1,000 but when it comes to lightning protection, you’re on your own. No federal or state laws require manufacturers to install a grounding system. While no one has found a foolproof answer, there are some easy preventative measures to take so you don’t end up like this Chicago sailboat.
Another option is to mount a lightning conductor, like a push pole, to attract lightning strikes. Boaters should be certain the conductor is well-grounded to the water and they should take care to avoid contact with the conductor or the waterline."
the ohms setting. You need to test for good continuity between all of the major metal parts on the engine and drive unit, especially the sacrificial anodes. Your readings should be no higher than 150 milliohms, 1.5 kiloohms, or .15 ohms. If you find no continuity between any of the external metal parts that you’ve tested, you’ll need to search for the cause of the poor electrical connection. It could be a broken continuity circuit wire. Once you’ve located and fixed the problem, the continuity test should be repeated to ensure you’ve fixed the problem.
When a boat is connected to AC shore power, the grounding lead provides protection from electrical shock, but it also connects underwater metal parts from your boat to metal parts on neighboring boats that are also using shore power. As a result, destructive low voltage transient galvanic currents can flow between them. These currents can cause severe corrosion damage just in a matter of hours. The increased corrosion potential is more than sacrificial anodes and even a Mercathode can handle. The best remedy is a galvanic isolator. This is a solid state device that is series-connected into the boats green safety grounding circuit inside the boat. The isolator filters out destructive low-voltage transient galvanic currents while maintaining the integrity of the boat’s safety grounding circuit.
Aluminum is especially prone to corrosion. If a drive unit is not protected, galvanic corrosion will destroy components exposed to water. The first signs of galvanic corrosion are paint blistering below the waterline and white corrosion forming on exposed sharp metal edges. As corrosion gets more advanced, exposed metal parts start dissolving away resulting in pitting of the metal. Because gold is the least active metal, it would be the most resistant to corrosion. Unfortunately, most boaters can’t afford a solid gold drive unit. To build a drive unit that delivers the best performance and durability, it takes a variety of metals like lightweight aluminum alloys, hardened steel and stainless steel.
Know your limits when working on your boat’s engine says our lead mechanic, John Stanis. He tells a story about a customer who came in and needed his old Volvo diesel engine rebuilt. The customer didn’t want to pay for it so he tried to do it himself. Six months later, he came to the yard and gave his engine to John – in paper bags. 
Covering the boat at the end of a Great Lakes boating season is no one’s idea of a good time. The season’s over, the days are shorter and putting the boat away is no small task. Make this big task a little easier by having a plan and the right equipment. 
Plastic tarps cost a lot less than real canvas, but a custom canvas cover will last longer and is a better fit. Good quality plastic will last a full winter, but by spring there will be worn spots and the grommets will have begun to pull out of the hem. Canvas tarps are heavier, so they don't flap as much. A good canvas shop should turn out a fitted cover that virtually never flaps, even in high winds. Sure, it will move in the wind, but not flap around like an ordinary tarp. This means less likelihood of fiberglass damage from tie-down ropes, grommets or the canvas. 
The most hassle-free of all options is shrink wrap. Boat builders initiated the use of this plastic material to protect new boats while they were being shipped via truck. Now shrink wrapping is available to any boat owner. You cannot shrink wrap your boat yourself. A team of professionals equipped with expensive tools cover your boat with a special plastic that shrinks to the shape of your boat when heat is applied. The plastic needed is not sold through retail stores. Because of the labor and materials involved, shrink wrapping is somewhat expensive. And, it is nearly impossible to re-use a shrink wrap cover so you must buy a new one each season. 
Crowley’s Ship’s Store carries Puriclean, a biodegradable powder treatment that sanitizes the system and dissolving tabs keep it clean after every fill. Puriclean powder is $13.95 and the tabs are $11.25 at Crowley’s Ship’s Store. An alternate solution is one cup of household bleach per 10-gallon tank capacity.
When is the last time you stuck your head in the bilge? Not a tempting concept, but keeping a clean bilge makes the whole boat smell better and makes any new leaks obvious. Dirty water and oil can mask a problem that would be glaring without the muck. Preventing corrosion of equipment that lies in the bilge is also a motivator to keep it clean. Start with Starbrite Heavy Duty Bilge Cleaner available at Crowley's for $11.95 plus tax. Starbrite is biodegradable and makes the whole boat smell great.
You should keep these holes clear of residue to prevent blocking the water flow. A great trick is to run a continuous chain through every limber hole which allows you to pull it back and forth to dislodge any foreign matter.
Water is one thing in the bilge, but oil is another issue entirely. Later model boats have drip pans installed under the engines to prevent oil from dripping directly into the bilge. Whatever your case, it is a good idea to put absorbent pads under the engines. They not only absorb the oil that could drip but provide a quick way to find leaks. Each time you do an engine check, which should be each time prior to starting, check the pad to see if any new oil spots have appeared. If so, try to track down the source immediately.
You should inspect the bilge and its surroundings with a flashlight at least once a month. Look for:
Steel cradles with adjustable screw pads are the safest, simplest and most adjustable of all types of blocking. With this type of cradle, your major concern is one pad punching into the hull. This can usually be remedied by simply adjusting the pads. On occasion, the boat may have to be shifted fore or aft on the cradle to balance her out.
