Yachting

(Wang) #1
30 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com MAY 2016

ANY QUESTIONS


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WIN


QUESTION OF THE MONTH


A


Chris Beeson replies:
Ballast bags are more
effi cient now than they
were, so I would say that two
people should be fi ne inside a
six-man liferaft.
It’s worth bearing in mind that
ISO 9650, the liferaft standard,
specifi es 1.2m^2 (16sq ft) per
person, which sounds like a lot,
but try sitting in that space for
any length of time and you may
change your mind. The standard
also specifi es that a person
weighs 75kg (165 lb), which is a

Will my liferaft invert?


Why is my engine


corroding?


Q


Over the summer last
year, one of the cooling
pipes on our Volvo Penta
engine slipped, rubbed on the
fl ywheel and sprayed salt water
onto the engine.
We shut the engine down
before there was any damage
internally, then thoroughly
cleaned the engine off and
even repainted it, but salt crystals
still keep appearing on top of the paint and
around joints. The rear parts of the engine are
unaffected and the anode has been recently
changed. Is this just residual salt, or is our
engine corroding? If so, how do we stop it?
Paul Colley

A


Nigel Calder replies: Are these all
aluminium parts? The corrosion at
the alternator mount defi nitely looks
like galvanic corrosion as a result of interaction
with the steel bolt and the aluminium
alternator frame, probably with residual salt
holding moisture and creating the necessary
electrolyte. In this case, the deposits are most
likely aluminium oxides although from the
photos they look rather more crystalised and
less powdery than normal.

I suspect that there is a similar interaction
around other fasteners and at the intersection
of aluminum castings with iron castings.
However, this does not explain the more
generalised deposits, although this could well
still be the case as aluminium, especially old
aluminium on which the paint has already
peeled, is notoriously hard to repaint. Some
kind of acid etching to remove surface
oxidation followed by an immediate barrier
coat is normally needed.
There is some cause for concern, especially
where you have a reaction around fasteners as
the dissimilar metals will accelerate the rate of
any corrosion. Get a Volvo-Penta mechanic to
look at it. Repeated cleaning off of the crystals
and fl ushing with fresh water may slow
whatever is going on to acceptable levels.

This Plastimo ISO 9650 liferaft
may be rated for four people
but it’s still a squeeze

distant memory for me at least.
You’ll also have grab bags and
other useful kit, so stability is very
unlikely to be an issue.

Q


I have bought a
boat with no liferaft
and think I should
buy one. Usually I sail with
my wife but occasionally
with between four and six
people on board.
I am tempted to buy a
six-man raft to cover all
eventualities but have been
advised that with only two
in it, which is the most likely,
in big seas it will be unstable
and may invert. Is this correct?
Nigel Sylvester

PHOTOS: PAUL COLLEY

White salt-like deposits could be a sign of galvanic corrosion

Have yachts become


less seaworthy?


Q


I recently sailed as crew on a 13m
yacht in the Mediterranean and
on the ARC+ to St Lucia via Cape
Verde. We were lucky with the weather but
given the conditions, I was disappointed
by the considerable number of equipment
breakages that we and other yachts
experienced. These ranged from minor issues
through to forestay deck fi ttings breaking
and water entering via rudder fi ttings.
Is the quality of our fi ttings and of our
yachts themselves up to the standards
required for sailing, let alone heavy weather
ocean sailing? Are production yachts better
built now than 30 years ago?
Keith Pheasant
PHOTO: VYV COX

This yacht’s rigging
lacked the proper
toggles, causing
fatigue and failure
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