Blog 2022

There is no such thing as an all-purpose hose on a boat. No single hose type can withstand engine exhaust, bring freshwater to the galley, safely transport gasoline to the carburetor, drain the cockpit, and flush the head. Using the wrong hose can cause problems that range from an inconvenient mess to a burning boat. This handy run-down will help you identify one type of hose from another and assist in choosing the right hose for the job at hand. We'll start with a visual guide to common marine hoses, then go into more detail about each type.

1. Exhaust hose. Able to withstand temperatures to around 250 F, an exhaust hose is often reinforced with wire, which may be stainless, or other special reinforcement. Other, more expensive silicone hoses are capable of sustaining much higher temperatures.

2. Hot and cold PEX potable water pipe. Many modern boats use PEX tubing for hot and cold plumbing. PEX is available in three distinct grades: A, B, and C. Although all are perfectly acceptable for potable water, Grade A is the most flexible and easiest to run in the tight confines of a boat. Fittings are easy to connect to the pipe, although you may need special tools. PEX is not the only option for potable water, however (see 6).

3. Sanitation hose. Often white, with a smooth bore to prevent trapping waste that could lead to odors, sanitation hose has an expected lifespan of approximately 10 years.

4. Corrugated bilge pump hose. This cheap hose is often supplied with bilge pumps. While easy to run, cut, and bend, its ridged internal structure restricts flow, making it a poor choice.

5. Smooth-bore bilge pump hose. Although four times the price of corrugated types, smooth-bore bilge pump hose offers up to 30 percent greater efficiency.

6. Potable water hose. Potable water hose comes in both reinforced and non-reinforced types. They're easy to tell apart as the reinforced hose will have strong synthetic cord strands visible. This one is clear but opaque is generally a better choice for potable water because there is less chance of algae growing inside.

7. Fuel hose. Fuel hose must be marked as such and will be stamped A1, A2, B1, or B2. Older hoses are incompatible with fuel containing ethanol, so if yours is older than about 10 years, it's most likely due for replacement anyway.

8. Thru-hull hose. For any connections to thru-hulls, reinforced hose is the only way to go. A cheap hose may fail and sink your boat.

WAVE BASICS

No matter what boat — power or sail — you frequent, you have to be prepared to take on waves.

The first and best tactic is to stay out of large waves, with "large" being relative to the boat's size, shape, power, ballast, and structure. Tactics to avoid large waves include staying in the lee of a windward shore for as long as possible, traveling with wind and current running together, timing the entrance and exit to inlets and rivers so that the current is running with the wind and waves, waiting until slack tide before navigating strong inlets or rivers, or simply staying in port until conditions improve.

Second, don't take waves on the beam. If possible take them on the bow, or it may sometimes be better to take them directly astern or at an angle to the stern rather than the beam. Usually, when heading into waves, it's better to meet them at an angle off the bow to minimize pounding, hobby horsing, and burying the bow. If taking waves astern, it's extremely important to avoid losing directional control as the wave overtakes you. This may require a high level of seamanship skills. If you must change course, watch the waves carefully; time the move when you see a group of smaller waves or a long trough that you can turn in before the next wave comes.

When heading into waves, try to take them at an angle off the bow to minimize pounding.

Third, don't get caught in breaking waves. Breaking waves can occur when the wind is opposing a strong current, when waves are passing over a shallow bar, when they are ricocheting off a shore or rocks, when they reach a height too tall to sustain themselves and when they are leaving deep water and meeting shallow ground. Do everything you can to avoid areas where breaking waves might form.

Get a rope or even some fishing line wrapped around the prop and it can be more than just a little aggravating; it can land you in big trouble and calling for a tow.

The majority of ropes and lines are made from synthetic fibers, and while these may be great at tying things up, like your boat to the dock, they can be a real headache if they get wrapped around the prop.

A moment's lack of concentration and fishing line can get wrapped around an outboard's propeller, where it will swiftly work between the gear housing, damaging critical oil seals and melting into a solid lump that will require considerable time and effort with a sharp knife to remove.

It's bad enough on an outboard, but wrapping a rope around the shaft of an inboard-powered boat may require an expensive haulout to get things sorted. Be aware of lines on your boat that may be trailing in the water, just waiting for a spinning prop.

And watch the water ahead for floating line as well as other problems.

Turns out an extended number of the bird family are more than happy to take a perch, or hover over your boat as though it had a flashing neon restroom sign on it.

When it comes to outwitting them, the birdbrain tends to belong to the humans.

The results, like the birds, were large and varied.

Unfortunately what seemed to work great for one boater had little effect for another, but clearly birds were a big problem.

West Marine sells 13 different items ranging from tape that starts at $5, to bird-repelling spikes ($20+), to a multi-speaker system that emits prerecorded distress calls of geese and runs on a loop every 10 minutes, for $150.

Here are some do-it-yourself ideas:

• Stop feeding the birds. It might seem obvious but when you throw seagulls or other birds bread near your boat, they'll keep coming back.
• Plastic owls work great for some, but problems include the owl blowing away or the birds getting used to it and coming back. One reader wrote that hanging an owl from the spreader, so it moved slightly, made it more effective.
• Cormorants tend to like being high up (sorry, sail boaters) so one reader found covering the top of the mast with tacks stuck through sail repair tape did the trick. Before you say that's cruel, our reader pointed out it was no different from a thorny branch.
• Stringing monofilament line on favorite boat perches has worked well for many. Just don't tangle yourself up in it, and don't let it fall overboard. Recycle if you can, and otherwise, dispose of it in covered receptacles.
• Pinwheels, multicolored flags, and shiny string or ribbon festooned around the boat is another good tip to try.
• Large wind-driven "rotors" work well, as do bird "spiders." They're easy to put on the hardtop, bow, or back deck, and easy to stow when it's time to use the boat.
• A large feather duster (preferably ostrich) stuck in a box on the deck allegedly worked for one reader.
• Got trouble with birds of the webbed feet variety? Hot sauce diluted in water on the final wash down where your unwanted guests like to walk is said to keep them off the boat. No word on whether it'll repel the visitors you want onboard, too.

A boat on the ocean is a small, hard-to-see target in good conditions, and even with all the technological advances in EPIRBs and communications technology that interface GPS information with the VHF radio, nothing can help rescuers get a visual fix on a boat in distress better than a flare or other visual signaling device. The U.S. Coast Guard requires you to carry the proper visual distress signals on board, and it's important to know how to use the different types in an emergency.

Aerial signals: Aerial signals are used to alert all the boats in the area that you're in trouble. They're fired from a variety of self-contained launchers or specifically designed pistols, and can reach an altitude of 450 to 1,000 feet. The combination of bright light and high altitude makes these flares highly visible from a long way off, but most have a relatively short burn time. The U.S. Coast Guard recommends firing two aerial signals-one immediately after the first has gone out-so that in an emergency, rescuers can confirm the sighting and/or the direction of the signal.

Handheld signals Once you've alerted boats in your area that you're in distress and have given rescuers a general idea of your location with aerial signals (and, often, radio or EPIRB contact as well), a handheld signal emits a bright light that will help your rescuers to zero in on your position. In an emergency, your rescuers have seen your aerial signals, confirmed your position on the radio, and use the light from a handheld to steer directly to you.

Smoke signals: Smoke signals are somewhat similar to handhelds in that they are designed to help pinpoint the location of a vessel in distress; they do so by emitting a thick, colored smoke rather than light. They're obviously of no use in the dark, but in daylight, a big plume of colored smoke is often more visible than the bright but relatively small light emitted by a handheld flare. And most smoke flares will float and work on the water.

All pyrotechnic signaling devices must be stored in a cool, dry place, and most are available with a tough, plastic, waterproof storage case. Make sure you keep the signaling kit in an easily accessible location on your boat. And remember: It's illegal to fire a distress signal in a non-distress situation.