Sorry for the down-time recently. This kitchen remodel is really taking its toll, I tell ya! We’re doing most of the work ourselves, so everything else has taken a back seat, for the time being.

There’s a boat-gadget angle in all this, though: With the kitchen in pieces, I’ve been cooking my precious "bagel eggel" breakfasts in the carport, on the Magma Kettle 2 gas grill. True Navagear fans will recognize my clever-but-abandoned downrigger mount, repurposed here for temporary backyard grilling. Well, I’m not actually "grilling". I’m "frying", with my trusty All-Clad skillet.

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Even on sailboats, sometimes you need to move fuel from one container to another. Unfortunately, manipulating jerry cans or any kind of portable fuel container can result in spillage ranging from “kinda stinky” to “an annoying mess” to “new Superfund site”!

I’ve often found myself wishing I had some sort of compact, manually operated pump/siphon arrangement aboard. Enter the Hopkins Shaker Siphon. This could be useful aboard a cruising boat of any size. Heck, it could be useful at home, too. As with my favorite binoculars and my favorite flashlight, I may need to buy extras.

I don’t own one of these shaker siphons yet, but reports indicate that it works well: you insert the end with the copper fitting into the full container and shake it up and down, which primes the line and starts the fuel flowing. According to one cruiser, “You can do it without spilling a drop and not have to taste or smell the gas.” That sounds a LOT more pleasant than the sort of experience I’m familiar with!

Tim and I decided to put the Bridgenorth Bailer through it’s paces, and our research shows that this is really about the most fun you’ll ever have with a bilge pump. It’s the Swiss Army knife of water pumping boathooks. I picked one up at Fisheries Supply in Seattle a few weeks ago, and wish they’d had the 8 foot version in stock, as our only frustration with this one was that it was too easy to extend to full lock while pumping.

Ever gotten the willies looking at a medical textbook with graphic pictures of diseases? Well, here’s the equivalent for your boat. Actually, there’s some great information here, and a good reminder of the vital importance of maintaining the fittings which keep your vessel afloat.

A few things to remember:

1. A failed underwater fitting or hose will easily overwhelm bilge pumps and sink your boat
2. Use real seacocks—never gate valves below-the-waterline
3. Close seacocks when you are not aboard
   • Regularly used, they are far less likely to jam
   • You’ll be able remember where they are!
   • Fewer ways your boat can sink when you’re not there
4. Make sure required wood plugs are handy—they are a proven way to stop a flood when a fitting or hose fails
5. Use only high quality 316 stainless or titanium hose clamps
6. Double clamp below-the-waterline hoses

The article is well worth a read, and a good review of good bilge maintenance practices. Thanks to Ferroever for finding the site.

Over the years there have been a number of efforts to build a better mousetrap in the “float switch” department. Obviously switches that rely on an actual physical float are prone to some problems over time, and those relying on a drop of mercury in the switch are environmentally sketchy as well. See Water Inc. has come up with a new solid state switch that is particularly notable in differentiating between water and fuel or oil in the bilge. With possibly large fines for such spills these days, it makes sense to take some precautions like replacing old fuel lines and making sure your fueling routine is basically spill-proof. However, if an old line ruptures, or you have a messy oil change, your dutiful bilge pump may enthusiastically pump the offending fluids overboard. This switch detects the difference between water and hydrocarbons and stops pumping when it detects the troublemakers. It also incorporates some microprocessor smarts so that when emptying water from the bilge, it’ll pump for a few seconds after it no longer sees water, thereby clearing the line so that you don’t get so much of a residual puddle. It’s a new product, so I haven’t seen any reviews on it yet, but it looks promising.

Link: See Water Inc. Bilge Pump

Forespar’s Marelon thru-hulls and seacocks have been around for enough years now, that their plastic construction has proven to be reliable if properly maintained, i.e. lubricated regularly. There is no shortage of folks ready to tell you about the handle of a plastic seacock that has broken off in their hands and say “never again.” On the other hand, there’s always someone rushing to the chandlery to pick up some Marelon fittings after having a bronze thru-hull fail at the dock due to stray current corrosion. This is one of those areas where some honest self- and boat-assessment ought to be your guide. I.e., are you the type of person that will consistently lubricate and work the handle on your thru-hulls at least once a season, year after year? And are your thru-hulls in locations that could be broken by a heavy object, or even a foot, landing on them? If Marelon will work for you, check out these smart engine raw water valves. The neat thing is that there is a garden hose fitting for flushing saltwater out of the engine at the end of the season. Just attach the hose, flip the handle, and voilá!

link: www.forespar.com

Being familiar with the Bosch on-demand hot water heaters for residential use, I’ve kept an eye similar units for boats. However, they are typically propane-fired, and propane can be a rather limited resource on-board, best saved for cooking. There are also the diesel-fired hydronic heating systems from Webasto and Espar, and you can plumb them into a hot water tank heat exchanger, but that seems a bit complex to me. The first product I’ve seen that promises to be an on-demand diesel hot water heater is the WaterHeater from ITR (International Thermal Research). It’s kind of a hybrid actually, with a five gallon holding tank, and the ability to deliver a constant rise of 52 degrees at 1.5 gallons per minute. 316 stainless construction bodes well for it’s marine-grade intentions. A heating element can be added to the system for cabin-heat of 14,000 btu/hour, but with a draw of 5.6 amps, your battery bank might have to be pretty hefty to get you through a New England winter night.

Link: www.itrheat.com

It’s always disconcerting to find rusted-out stainless steel hose clamps on your thruhulls. Then you start buying the good ones—the 316 stainless ones from AWAB. A few of those seem to add up to real money, fast. Especially with your new-found-vigilance of putting two on every connection, as per ABYC specs. Well, how about some that really really won’t rust? In lovely titanium. Of course, they are a little more expensive…

Link: Titanium Hose Clamps from Titan Marine Products.

Speaking of bullet-proof plumbing, these are about the best seacocks currently available. Not some glorified ball-valve, they are bronze and marine grade (non-de-zincifying) brass. Using a conical valve lubricated with a grease nipple, it’s virtually jam-proof. Just loosen the nuts on the keep plate, inject some grease, and it’ll turn. Should last a lifetime. Available from Defender.

Link: Blakes Seacocks