Plastic Classic Forum

Thanks

I know guys that do have seacocks on their thru-hulls above the waterline. It is not unheard of to take water into your engine thru the exhaust so some people even put a seacock on their exhaust. I think I'd do that if I did a lot of blue water work, but I don't so I have no seacocks above the water...

Go to your local hardware store & pick up one or two of those wax donuts you put under a toilet. Cost is very little & works like a champ.

I have done a boatload of varnishing over the last 20 years and I'm not sold on Epoxy under varnish nor do I hate it. It gives the appearance of deeper varnish quicker, but I'm not convinced it lasts any longer. My mast was done with 7 coats of varnish over 4 coats of West epoxy. They make a special...

There are valves and there are seacocks. Where a seacock is indicated, nothing else will do. If you can't afford a proper seacock, you can't afford a boat. A bronze seacock, if dissassembled, cleaned, and greased yearly will outlive you if you are in diapers. I replaced the bolts, but the seacocks i...

Those of you who have owned or sailed both, how do they compare. From what I can see & read it appears that Alberg cut out the Titon's head & hanging locker to arrive at the Ariel. Compare & contrast please?

I haven't cruised as much as I'd like, who has, but I've been to Bermuda & numerous times up & down the East Coast and I think my favorite trip was one I did to Maine. I'm always envious of you guys from down east. I have to remind myself that the Chesapeake Bay ain't awful either. Also, I c...

I really like the Tripp 30, but I keep coming back to the Triton. So glad to hear that, in terms of volume, the Triton is comparable. Also, after almost 20 years of wooden masts, I can tell you that while a wooden stick's flexibility makes it somewhat more resistant to failure and it is unquestionab...

I guess surveyors are used to seeing these things, but I simply would not allow a hole in the bottom of my boat that I couldn't close. I'm sure that, statistically, you're OK with a double clamped hose - in the same way that you would probably survive not locking the doors to your home each evening,...

Keep it off your skin. Do not breathe the dust when sanding. I know of two people who are sensitized to epoxy. One ran a boat yard & had to find a new way to make a living. "They" are not kidding when they warn you to treat this stuff w/ respect. Finally, here's a really nifty trick: T...

Cellophane works too.

There should never be a thru-hull anywhere near the waterline that doesn't have a seacock. I've recently started researching plastic classics and I read, with amazement, that many have thru-hulls w/out seacocks! What were they thinking?! Without a seacock your boat's life hangs on a $2 hose clamp! I...

My Volvo MD7 was green.

I think I saw her up near Woods Hole a couple of years ago. Does she live near there?

Tim, If you say boats built in halves are OK, I believe it. Now for keelbolts? With a 40 year old wooden boat, you really should pull a keelbolt for inspection. What you can see will often look great, but when you pull one, you find that your 7/8" dia. keelbolt is now 1/8" where it exits t...

Rachel, Thanks for the info. Sounds like the later model Triton wins. I'm not knocked out with a half & half hull & if I leave wood behind, I damned sure want to leave keelbolts behind too. Favona is a beautiful, 32'6" Robert Clark design. She won the Fastnet race in 1953 and is the bes...

Right assumption Tim. I should have been clearer on that. Sounds like a toss up. I have heard that the Ranger has a balsa core in the hull, not just the deck. Do some plastic boats have balsa cored hulls? Thanks for the ballast and engine info Rachel. My current boat has a quarter mounted prop. Herr...

How do they compare?

Thanks.

What does a Tripp 30 draw?