Quick and Effective, Water Hose Repair

I've been cruising for a while now, and sometimes you can not get proper boat bits in the more remote parts of the world.
Recently I replaced a raw water hose which had a steel spiral wound "spring" in the core of the water hose, which gave the hose "anti kinking properties" when bent around corners.
This hose however corroded at the ends and the hose started to leak at the ends.
I replaced it with this hose shown to the left. Good quality radiator hose without the wire. When I installed the hose, it took the radius I imposed on it just fine. However after some months of running the engine, I discovered the hose kinked like that shown to the left.

I had no new hose other than the same type to install and lamented having not purchased the spiral wire bound hose to replace the original. I also didn't have a 25mm elbow to replace the kink with, BUT did have 38mm radiator hose pieces. I used one of these pieces to make the bend. The kinked hose was cut at the kink and the ends push fitted into the elbow.

Finally I used the tool shown to the left (which an explanation of how to use can be found here).
The hose has been installed for a month now, and is both water tight and kink free. This will do until I can purchase the original type of hose which I will carry spare lenghs for future replacement

Portable Fuel Transfer Pump and Filter

Pump and Filter in Plastic Box

Have you ever siphoned fuel and got a mouth full of diesel?
Have you  ever transferred fuel to your boat with jerry cans and other fuel containers with no pouring spouts?
Need a quick and easy method to transfer fuel?
I recently made a fuel transfer pump with filter for transferring diesel fuel from tank to tank or jerry can. I needed this through out South East Asia, where the fuel most often was not clean. I also had to obtain fuel in jerry cans as fuel docks were few and far between. This necessitated pumping out of the jerry cans so that what went into my tanks, went through a filter first. Since then, I have also used it to pump fuel between tanks so that I can clean the fuel tanks from time to time. In fact, if my tank is not heavily contaminated, I use the pump system shown here to "vacuum" the bottom of the tank. The fuel filter stops all the contaminants and separates the water out.

 CAV Filter

I used a CAV filter housing similar to the one shown to the right, along with an oil tranfer pump (12V). The filters for these are readily available in most countries around the world, and quite cheap.
The oil transfer pump, which I use for the diesel fuel, has a switch on the end of the pump, which makes for easy on/off operation.
It was just a case of connecting the hoses, hose tails, and wiring with a long piece of duplex wire with alligator clips to connect to a power source. This was all placed in a plastic box for ease of handling, and to keep it "water proof" as I store it in my aft lockers, where sometimes sea water will get in.

Packed and ready for it's Lid

The filter housing was mounted to the side of the box to keep it upright.
Hoses are easily stored with the pump and the whole setup is ready to go. I used fuel line hose.
Warning! The pump I used is OK for diesel fuel, but Not  for use with petrol.
To keep the whole lot from having fuel leak into the box, I used rubber bungs on the end of the hose. You can see one on the hose in the picture to the left.
You can also use the box for a diesel rag, if you use one from time to time

The type of pump used in my fuel transfer/filter box

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Hole Saw Enlarger

Here's a handy tool. A Hole Saw Enlarger.

Expands holes in tight retrofit situations. Applications are many and varied but are not limited to, door lock installations, through holes, and for conduit fittings.

 

FEATURES

• Changes hole saw sizes in seconds - Enlarging a hole is quick and easy with the HE1 Hole Enlarger Kit from Bosch. You use two hole saws, the original saw that you cut the first hole with and the hole saw size you want the new hole to be. You combine both hole saws with the dual adapter and us the mandrel to attach it to your drill. Insert the first hole saw tip into the hole and start enlarging
• Provides easy plug removal with angled reinsertion of the pilot bit
• Makes the Bosch Quick Change system universal. Quick change adapters fit most major brand of holesaws
• Enlarges any existing hole that matches a hole saw diameter, starting with 9/16-in - 6-in

A Comfortable Boat Shoe

Neither a sock or a shoe, these look like they might make a comfortable boat shoe that boasts of being skid resistant. Also looks like I could use them around the house. 

Nufoot says....
"Nufoot is reinventing indoor footwear, where comfort and style coexist to make for happier feet! Made with the latest sports technology, Nufoot is water-resistant, germ-proof, anti-microbial and super comfortable as the skid-resistant soles gives you a good grip on any indoor surface. No matter where you are - in your home, in the office, in the gym, in the library, on an airplane of cruise ship."
Check them out.
 Nufoot, Diablo, Calif., (925) 743-9831. www.nufoot.com

Improved Bungee's

Like duct tape, bungee cords have been making life easier for ages, but the time seemed right to improve on the original design.The  company says this...
"With carabiner clips instead of open hooks at each end, it not only attaches to your anchor points, it locks there. Instead of elastic that loses its stretch over time, the KnotBone Bungee has a durable, high quality cord that threads through each end, adjusts from 48" to 10" in the #9 size and from 28" to 6" in the #5 size. Once you have it adjusted to the right length, secure it in place with a simple wrap-and-lock motion. They have even added small self-clipping plastic caps to the cord ends to keep them in place once you've got your load secured. No more pulling, stretching, and re-hooking to get the tension you want - job after individual job, the KnotBone Bungee stays right where you attach it, pulls securely to the exact length you need, and locks there."
 Retail price is $9.99. Nite Ize Inc., Boulder, Colo., (800) 678-6483. www.niteize.com
Any body with experience with with this product, please let us know within the comments. I would love to get some and report on them, but getting this stuff to me while cruising can present some problems.

Desalinator in a Bottle

News Item.
Here's something that may save lives. While not yet  released for purchase, Puri is developing this amazing product that may eventually end up in every ditch bag, or even life raft.
You can read about it here
Simply, put some salt water into the bottle, pump, and the water is pumped into a separate chamber for drinking, leaving the brine water behind to be discarded.
I can't wait to see it available, and the reviews that are sure to come.

WD40 as sticky residue remover.

Our companion way stairs are wooden with a polyurethane coating and some non skid tape on to prevent the "sliding foot".
Last time I replaced the non skid tape, I removed all the tape by sanding and re polyurethane-ing the steps.
This time, I replaced without having to sand the remaining sticky surface off.

I removed the worn out strips of non skid tape and was left a sticky residue on the polyurethane from the tape. I first reached for De-Solv-It which has been good in the past, removing sticky residue from various tapes etc. This time around, it would not budge the sticky residue. So I reached for the WD40 which I have used to remove sticky stuff off my Gelcoat deck. Once again, WD40 removed that sticky residue without any hard rubbing.
So far, I can say it is good for removing sticky residue on both Gelcoat and polyurethane surfaces. No detrimental effects. Give it a try sometime and if you try a new surface, please report back here in comments, to tell us as to it's success.

Tape for steps

The tape for us didn't come in the width we needed so we used an old pair of scissors to cut the tape to the correct width. The grit will damage a good pair of scissors!
We use a clear tape so the urethane shows through. I think it looks nicer than the black tapes sometimes available.

Small Clothes Drying.

Some years ago, we were in the Pacific islands and my wife bought at a market, a round plastic hanger with multiple clothes pegs hanging off it. She used this to hang her underwear and socks from, both outside and inside the boat. Well, eventually the plastic thing broke and she lamented the loss of her "never, never holder". She says, "underwear should never be seen hanging off life lines or even a clothes line".
So I set about one evening to duplicate what she had before. I used two garden irrigation "T's and some reinforced hose to make the basic shape. I drilled through the plastic hose and placed short sections of about 3mm line through; held from slipping through, with just an overhand knot on top. Next I drilled the pegs and did a similar knot to hold the pegs. Finally I made a bridle in the middle cross piece and placed a cheap small carabiner at the center of the bridle by which to hang the contraption.

About 1 hour to make and less than $10

Square cut to Radiator Hose

Sometimes we need to cut radiator type hose with a nice square end. Some of you know how hard that can be with the hose unsupported and cut with a hacksaw. Here’s how we do it. BUT, don't do this if the hose has a metal spiral inside. Your saw blade won't like it.
 Take the hose and find a suitable piece of dowel to insert into the hose. It helps to have a firm fit and if your piece of dowel is slightly over sized, use a belt sander to take the end of the dowel down to a slight taper until it fits snugly into the end.

From my pictures you can see two hoses; one fitting inside the other. It was important for me to not only get both hoses cut square at the ends, but to also have both hoses cut to the same length.

Once the dowel was placed in the end. A line was marked and we used a table saw to cut the hose. Be careful not to cut fingers! Leaving the dowel in place in the end of the hose, we turned it over and repeated the process at the other end.

If you don’t happen to have a table saw, here’s another technique you can use. Once your dowel is placed, take a square piece of paper, and roll it around the hose so that one edge comes around and lines up with the same edge as it is rolled over the hose. This is to ensure the proposed cut line is square to the hose. Slide to desired position and with the paper firm and edge lined up, scribe a pencil mark around the hose on the paper edge. Remove the paper, and now proceed with a hacksaw to cut the hose to the line; rotating the hose as the hacksaw cuts into the wooden dowel. This is a better technique if the hose has the metal spiral "spring" inside it. The hacksaw will cut through that OK.

Thanks to Paul Gooch for his tips

Home Handyman Aluminium Repair

Have you ever had an aluminum repair or 'thing" you wanted to make, but thought you had to use a TIG welder, which you don't have, and end up taking it to someone who has?
Then try this product; HTS2000


Other products (rods) that do a similar job are Durafix and Alladdin 3 in 1. Shop around with the products to get the best price. I've heard of prices from $5 to $60 per pound for very similar products

All of these rods are aluminum brazing rods and they are made basically from aluminum and zinc
You can use propane, oxy/propane, oxy/ acet. The smaller and thinner the pieces, the better it is to stay away from the O/A and use the mapp (preferred) or propane unless you have the correct size tips as the O/A can get to the melt temp really quickly. Use a very fine tip (00 or 0) when working with 1/8" or thinner material with O/A.

If you can braze then you can use this product.

Don't use this product on high temperature items. Even though it says you can do cylinder heads and exhaust manifolds, I wouldn't. Use a TIG instead.

And then of course there is stainless steel brazing rod, of which there are a few varieties. Most all contain silver as one of the alloys. You can do the search to find out what's out there.

These items lend themselves to emergency repairs on a boat, or a DIY project that doesn't need the expense of a TIG welder. You would have to make a decision as to whether a TIG is required or brazing will do. Keep in mind that if the brazing doesn't work, and you have to use TIG, all the brazing work will need to be ground out, before you can use the TIG. 

My intention for my next cruising season, is to carry a propane torch that will run off the BBQ gas tank, and some of these rods for emergency repair. Any comments?

Dry Case for your iThing

Keeping your iPad or even your iThing water proof as we use these items more and more, in the boating environment, has become a challange of sorts. When I move to an iPad for navigation, as back up to my Furuno, this might be the sort of device I use to keep it dry. You can check out most of their details on their web site here.
Also iMarine Apps has just published a post on other forms of iThing protectors. Hop on over to his blog site here to view other choices

Low Cost Jigs

Over at Dock Six Chronicles, Brian has an excellent article on a jig he made to do some scarfing.

He puts together an excellent explanation with photo's and then follows that up with an explanation of a jig to drill perfect holes to line up for a pin rail.
Hop on over to his blog site to read his "how to" on the jigs.

Teak Grate Cutting Jig

Mark Corke has a teak grate project in hand and shows us how to get perfectly spaced rebates on his teak project. Mark explains first of all, how he came to be making a teak grate. You can read his initial blog here, but essentially he says...." The alterations also meant that I had to install a couple of water tight hatches in the cockpit sole and although they seem robust enough I am a little nervous about walking on them. I don't think that they would break but somehow the cockpit just does not look finished. So I have spent a long time agonizing over what I should do and I have decided to go down the route of the classic teak grating. .....".

Mark, in part two goes on to explain.....

As you can see I made a jig from a couple of sections of scrap three quarters inch plywood into which is cut a slot exactly the same width as the notch that I required in the grating

Off set to one side is another section of wood glued and pinned in position which slots onto the groove already cut and thus giving the current spacing.

To prevent break out, it is essential to back up the cut on both sides. One side is supported by a back fence screwed and glued to the template and the front is supported by another scrap of wood which is simply held in place as the strip is cut. Finger pressure is sufficient but obviously keep your hands away from the cutter. In this shot, I am holding the bearing cutter to illustrate how the whole system works. Of course normally the cutter would be held in an inverted router on a table.
Use a sharp carbide tipped cutter; teak is very abrasive and will dull a HSS cutter in no time at all.

Tale of Two Tapes

The two masking tapes shown vary quite a lot in both price and quality.
The upper most tape was from a local chandler for $6 which I had to buy on a weekend when I had run out of the other.
The lower tape was more than $16.

Which would you buy?

The top one, even while applying the tape, I could tell was going to leave "furry" edges on my paint line.
The bottom one is a 3M product #2093EL called blue scotch, and has an "Edge Lock", which leaves beautiful fine lines after the removal. I also noticed that the tape could also tolerate some sanding up to, and on the tape, without affecting the edge.
I did one coat with the cheaper tape  and then removed and my suspicions about a furry line were confirmed. I applied the better tape about 1/16 inch further out and re-sanded before painting. A rescue of a paint job that I'm sure I would have been disappointed with had I left the cheap masking tape on. What annoys me even more, is the same tape in in the USA is $8.99 retail. Why should it be $16 here in Australia (with the stronger $)? But, I always knew Australia charged like wounded bulls for everything. Unfortunately, a necessary stop off on an around the world journey.

One Stop Shop

Here's a web site that seems to sell almost anything. They claim over 490,000 products. Great stuff for your boat project and that hard to find piece of hardware. Take a look here

A Lesson in Troubleshooting

I'm writing this up after almost a year after the incident. I never wrote it up originally because I was some what embarrassed about it all, but after reading an article by sail-delmarva, I have thought it my be of use to some of you "troubleshooters" out there.

Last year we installed a class "B" AIS transponder and after some issues with it not working, we left Picton, New Zealand and eventually made Fiji. The unit worked fine and we loved seeing the targets on our MFD. (Furuno AIS and Furuno MFD). The original reason it didn't work was because the unit was set to "USA" instead of "International". Something to do with the frequencies AIS works on.  I checked the installers manual and all the frequencies are the same, except for about two. I couldn't understand why that setting made a difference, but it did. Perhaps somebody out there can tell me why.

Anyway, in Fiji, I noticed we were no longer picking up ships which should be displaying as an AIS target on our MFD. So, I check the AIS unit and notice the power light is now flashing green and none of the other LED's were on. I said to my wife, "I'm sure that Green LED used to be a solid Green".
I checked the manual and couldn't find anything about a flashing Green power light, but figured that with the other LED's not lighting up there was something wrong with the unit. I also hooked up my computer to it, because it has a self test, and you can change the settings with the computer, but was unable to get a connection.

So, as per sail-delmarva suggestions in "Lessons in Electrical Troubleshooting", I took out my multimeter and checked the voltage supply. The batteries were a little down but I showed 13.2 volts. Almost the same as what was showing on my house bank monitor.

My wife was making a quick trip back to New Zealand (by plane), so I had her take the whole unit back to Auckland NZ for a test etc. To my surprise, I get a phone call from NZ to say the unit tests out OK. Fine, bring the unit back.

Now this is where it gets interesting. Sail-Delmarva says 

1. Never assume the previous owner didn't set you up. He did.
2. Always trace the wiring

I reinstall the unit, and that dammed light is just flashing back at me again. Damm! I check the voltage again. 13.4 volts. What could be wrong?

I  take the unit out and now hook it straight to the battery. Yes, it works!!!
Put it back in place  and the light is flashing again. Voltage fine. Hmmmmmm
Check circuit breaker voltage. Fine. BUT now I have a little alarm go off in my head.

I vaguely recall having switched out a circuit breaker some time back because one had been playing up. At the time I switched it with one that wasn't being used, and I remember thinking, I'll change that faulty circuit breaker sometime when I can get into my spares.

I change the circuit breaker, and all is solved. I don't know why the circuit breaker seemed to test out fine with the multimeter, but there was something the AIS unit "picked up" and wouldn't work due to the fault in the circuit breaker. Can anybody tell me why this might be?

The issue was, when I had installed the the AIS, I put it to one of the remaining circuit breakers that was not in use. This was of course, the faulty one, and unknowing to myself at the time, set myself up.

So, my lesson is, if at first everything checks out fine with the multimeter, try hooking the device straight to battery to see if it works. It seems the electronics of today are getting so much smarter and can detect issues on an electrical supply and turn themselves off to protect their circuits.

They do say " a stitch in time saves nine". I should have replaced that circuit breaker at the time of the fault, or put a note on it.

Clean cuts on Plywood

Mark Corke has shown us a wonderful tip for cutting ply. Go on over to his web site to get the full blurb.

Mark says.....  The picture shows some cuts that I made in half inch thick marine ply and as you can see they are perfect straight from the saw. The blades that I use for this type of cut is the Bosch 101AO, which have needle teeth not too dissimilar to those found on Japanese pull saws. With the pendulum action turned off they really are the nuts with almost no tear out even when cutting against the grain on the face laminate. A quick trawl of the internet shows these blades can be had for around $8 for a pack of five which considering the little cleaning up you have to do once you have cut out the component is money well spent.

Gasket Making

In many situations you may need or want to make your own gaskets for your boat's engine or other equipment. It may be difficult to find a gasket for an older engine, especially when you're cruising and the need arises suddenly. You may also enjoy doing it yourself and saving money.
This photo shows the inside of a cover plate for a 1980 Paragon transmission, which was installed with certain Yanmar and Westerbeke marine diesel engines. The Paragon company no longer exists, and parts can be difficult or possibly impossible to find. In this case, this sailboat owner needed to replace the original paper gasket between this cover and the transmission case, which had disintegrated when he opened the transmission cover to make a clutch adjustment.

Gasket material is readily available at almost all automobile parts stores and costs little. Buy the type of material that most closely matches the original gasket (whether paper, cork, rubber, or some other material). In most cases it won't matter if the gasket is a little thicker than the original, but be sure it meets the needed specifications (i.e., that it will stand up to engine heat or fluids, etc.).
In this photo, the boat owner chose a thick paper gasket with a light adhesive backing that will make it easier to mount the completed gasket.
The first step is to obtain an accurate outline of the gasket from the shape of the surface on which the gasket will lie. A simple way to do this is place the object (like this tranmission cover plate) on the gasket material and lightly tap it with a mallet.

If you look carefully at this photo, you can see the indentation made in the paper gasket by the edges of the plate when tapped with the rubber mallet. Often you can simply cut along these edge lines with sharp scissors, but this owner decided also to outline the outside edge with a market to make the cutting easier.
Sometimes, especially with thinner gasket paper and sharp metal edges of the piece to be gasketed, the tapping actually cuts through the gasket paper so that cutting with scissors is not needed at all.

Here is the gasket after it has been cut to fit the outlined edges of this transmission cover. (The gasket looks slightly smaller than the cover because of the camera's foreshortening due to the height of the metal cover.)
Note that in this case, using thick gasket material, the edges of the gasket are a bit rough from the scissoring, which is not usually an issue with thinner paper gaskets or those made of other materials. If this happens to you, be sure to neaten up the gasket's inside edges with a sharp knife before installation to ensure small bits do not break loose and fall into the engine or other part.
Overall, making your own gaskets is more satisfactory than using a silicon paste that hardens into a gasket after being applied to the edges. It is very easy to apply too much silicon, resulting in extra material inside the part that can break free and clog up the works, or to have gaps that allow fluid leakage. A well-made gasket of the right material prevents such problems and takes only a few minutes to create.

Starboard as an Alternative to Wood

Over at Capt'n Pauley's Boat Yard, he's written about the advantages of using starboard. here's what he had to say.....

Are you tired of refinishing the wood aboard your boat? Has a wooden part aboard your boat rotted and needs replacement. Do you want durable and easy to clean surfaces aboard your boat? Something you can just wash down with a hose and not worry about drying?
 
Well, if your answer to any of the above questions is YES, you may want to hear more about a material called StarBoard (R). Starboard is a sheet polymer material especially compounded for use aboard boats. It has several features to eliminate the problems mentioned above. It’s waterproof; the same color all the way through and doesn’t deteriorate in the presence of UV rays.

King Plastic Corporation, of Northport, Florida, manufactures StarBoard (R). The material comes in a wide range of type, sizes and colors. Most boating supply stores either carry it or can order it for you. Some plywood dealers and lumberyards that deal with the marine trade also carry it. I’ll discuss the kinds of StarBoard (R) available, the sizes and colors, and then talk about some of the techniques you can use to work with Starboard(R).

Kinds of StarBoard (R) Available
If you have looked at this material in a boating store, you probably have seen only one, or at most, two types of the sheet polymer. In fact, King manufactures four different types at last count.

StarBoard (R)
This is the original material first offered to boaters. It is available in sizes ranging from 12” x 27” up to 24” x 27” at most boating stores. You can special order additional sizes up to a maximum of 54” x 96”. Thicknesses range from 1/4”, 1/2”, 3/4”, 1” and 1-1/2” (this size only available in 48” x 96” sheets).

There are a limited number of colors available, namely sanshade (sand tone), light gray, seafoam, dolphin gray, white and black.

StarBoard (R) XL
StarBoard (R) XL is a cellular form of StarBoard (R). Being cellular in form it is about 33% lighter than regular StarBoard (R). StarBoard (R) XL is usually only available in full sheets which, for this material, is 60” x 90”. XL is available in 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2” and 3/4” thicknesses.

Starlite (R) XL
Starlite (R) XL is a material specifically designed to replace the plywood backing typically used in cushions. The material is lightweight and easy to staple to. The material holds staples very well and can be easily formed into curves for curved cushions. Full 60” x 90” sheets are available in 1/3”, 3/8”, 1/2” and 3/4” thicknesses.

StarBoard (R) AS
AS is designed for use on decks and ladder rungs. The surface has a special dimpled anti-skid surface. Standard sheet size is 54” x 96” and available thicknesses are 1/2”, 3/4” and 1”

Material Properties
As noted before, StarBoard(R) is a homogenous sheet of polymer material. As such, it doesn’t rot, delaminate or swell when subjected to rain, spray or saltwater. The polymer is treated with stabilizers to protect it from UV damage and it will retain its color indefinitely. Cleaning is simple with a scrub brush or ScotchBrite pad and scouring powder. For tougher stains use bleach and water.

StarBoard(R) is made from FDA and USDA approved materials. This means its fine for things like cutting boards, galley countertops or fish scaling tables.

One characteristic to be aware of is that StarBoard(R) is not a structural material. That is, you will need to reinforce or support large flat areas of the material. You could use wood cleats underneath, but why introduce the thing you are trying to replace – the wood? When I need to reinforce a piece of StarBoard(R), I use a piece of extruded aluminum, angle or tubing, or a narrow piece of StarBoard(R) set on edge.

Using StarBoard (R)
One of the greatest advantages of StarBoard(R) is the ease of fabrication. Common woodworking tools can be used. Table saws, routers, saber saws and drills are all acceptable tools. Use carbide toothed tools for finer finishes. Table saw blades should have 50 to 75 carbide teeth for the best edge.

Routers also work very well on StarBoard(R). Use two or four flute carbide bits to allow chips to clear the cutting surface. Specially shaped router bits can be used to produce a decorative edge cut a rabbet or route a piece to a specific pattern. A technique I often use is to clamp a straight edge along the cut line. A router bit with a ball bearing follower on the end then follows the straight edge giving a smooth, straight edge. I find it quicker and easier to rough-cut the piece to size and then use this technique to finish the cut instead of setting up the table saw.

Most normal adhesives do not stick to StarBoard(R). There is an adhesive available, but it is extremely expensive and requires a special applicator. Plan on joining your StarBoard(R) projects together with stainless steel fasteners. Self-tapping screws hold very well in StarBoard(R).

Make it or buy it
If you choose not to make your own StarBoard (R) project, all is not lost. A wide range of fittings and accessories are available in StarBoard (R). In fact, almost any accessory available in teak is also available in StarBoard (R). Check the hardware and accessory isle at your local boating store.

Now for some examples of projects I have done in StarBoard (R):

I needed a convenient place to store spare lines on one of my boats. I attached a StarBoard(R) grab rail to the underside of the cockpit locker. The lines are hooked to the grab rail with short Velcro straps. With the lid closed, they lines hang down in the locker. With the lid raised, the lines lay back against the lid, allowing access to the locker contents.

I used StarBoard(R) for a propane locker aboard my daughter’s boat. There was no convenient place to install a commercially available locker, plus the lockers were expensive. So I built one of 1/2” thick StarBoard(R). I used 1” aluminum angles in the corners and bolted it together with stainless steel flat head machine screws and lock nuts. 3M5200 was applied to the aluminum angles before bolting in place, providing a gas-tight locker. A lid with rounded corners and teak fiddles looked great and provided a flat space at a useful height.

I have open cockpit recesses for things like winch handles and such. These openings have teak frames that I will soon be replacing with StarBoard(R). The mount for my electric bilge pump is made from StarBoard(R). It doesn’t mind being in bilge water at times.

These are but a few of the possibilities for using StarBoard(R) on or in your boat. As always, use the Internet to find more information and other uses. Visit the King Plastics site at www.kingStarBoard.com for full specs, suppliers and articles covering other StarBoard(R) projects.

Hose Clamp Safety Clip

You know the pain!
If you work on boats, cars, trucks or anywhere else hose clamps are in use, professional or do-it-yourselfer, at one time or another you will end up being injured by the tail end of a hose clamp. You know, the end sticking out 2—3 inches past the screw that catches your cloths or scrapes down the back of your hand or arm. We all have the scars.
Now there is a real solution to the problems created by over-sized hose clamps. The Clamp Clip™ is patented, made of stainless steel, and is designed to hold down the free end of a hose clamp.
The Clamp Clip™ is easy to install. On hose clamps already in use, simply loosen the hose clamp, snap on a Clamp Clip™, slide it over the free end of the hose clamp and re-tighten.
Now slide over to their website here, to read the rest, or order some.