boat owner

Practical projects

COST

£35

T

his is how I achieve winter
ventilation on my Westerly
Centaur – with the use of two
computer CPU fans, a winter
weatherboard and the solar
panel that normally charges
the batteries.
The fans are wired directly to the
solar panel, so they are activated
when the sun shines, and are off when
it doesn’t. The cost was £2 for the fans
from eBay, plus a piece of scrap ply!
I am thinking of making this a
permanent fi xture for the summer
season: I would have to cut holes in
the main washboard and fi t louvre
vents to stop rain ingress, with a
quick-release plug for the power leads.
Ray Smith
Carmarthen

O

ne of my pet hates

always occurs when

a well-meaning crew

member leaves a locker lid

open, and it comes crashing down on

the next roll of the boat with a gelcoat-

shattering crunch. Sailing with children

has also heightened my awareness

of boat safety: one of these days

someone’s little fi ngers will be in the way

as they reach into the locker for a fender,

and as usual it will be all my fault.

To this end, when fi tting my new kitchen

over the winter, the gas struts that keep the

vertically-opening doors in place gave me

an idea. I have obviously noticed gas struts

used on everything from car hatchbacks to

engine bays on huge motorboats, but for

some reason I had always thought of them

as expensive. This is not the case: a bit

of online research yielded a 250mm gas

strut, available in a variety of strengths

from 50-150 Newtons (5-15kg). The strut

is supplied with a number of optional

brackets, with ball and socket joints to aid

alignment when fi tting. One strut with

fi xings, including delivery, costs £1.99.

The only additional parts I needed were

an aluminium plate to spread the stress on

the hatch lid and a small hardwood block,

glued to the inside of the locker, to support

the other end of the strut. The job can be

completed in a few hours with simple hand

tools and parts from the ‘that will come in

handy, one day’ box.

I realise that the strut isn’t manufactured

from marine-grade 316 stainless steel, and

that the salty environment will eventually

take its toll on the metal components: but

at £1.99 each I can afford to replace them

every season if needed.

Tim Marsden

Nantwich, Cheshire

Loose

locker lids?

Strut right

this way

Pole position confers

a distinct advantage

I

had been looking for an easier method of sanding off antifouling
before applying a new coat.
My usual method of wet-and-dry sandpaper on a sanding block is a guaranteed way
of getting wet and dirty, particularly as water always runs down your sleeve. So, I
sourced a decorator’s aluminium sanding pole from a local builders’ merchant: the
pole extends from 1.3 to 1.8m and has a fl at head with clamps on a joint. I then
went online and found sanding mesh: this is much more robust than wet-and-
dry paper and comes in a 5m roll, which will last for some years.
In use, I’ve found this method much more comfortable. I can reach
the underside of the hull without grovelling around too much,
and the pole also keeps one away from any residual dust. A
bucket of water provides an easy way to dunk the head of
the pole to rinse off the mesh. I hope others may fi nd
this useful! Total cost was about £35.
Gary Miller
Ivybridge, Devon

COST

AROUND

£4

The pole

was bought

from a builders’

merchant

The sanding mesh is more robust

than wet-and-dry sandpaper

COST

AROUND

£2

Dedicated fans, all winter long

The CPU fans