With all the rain we have been having lately, it is only fitting to give a little helpful advice to those on older boats with a persistent leak.  Boaters, especially those on an older boat,  know that you can spend hours (days) trying to track down a little leak that will make your life miserable.  Just when you think you found the leak, and  fixed it, you are faced with a “new” leak.  Well, it isn’t new, it has just traveled.  Captain Fixit says you may want to try Capt. Tolley’s Creaping Crack Cure (finds and fixes leaks).  Please let us know if it works for you as he has only limited experience.

It’s that sad time of year for boaters up north to get our boats ready for the long winter.  There are many great tips have been written about the process of winterizing but it seems there are a couple of simple but important tasks that often go unmentioned.
Just prior to haul out, Captain Fixit gives the bilge area a good cleaning with grease removal soap.  Once the boat is out of the water it is important to remove all the water from the sump and other parts of the bilge. This allows the bilge to dry over the winter and prevents freezing.
Our boat is stored in a boathouse, as pictured above, and as soon as it is inside, Captain Fixit opens all windows and hatches to help it dry out properly.  Bilge hatches are left open all winter to promote good air circulation.

These are all simple things and require little time, but your boat will appreciate your efforts.

Here is an inexpensive, helpful solution to take the stress out of docking the boat in your slip.  When the wind is blowing the wrong way to easily dock your boat and no one is at the dock to take a line, it can be stressful.  You might not be close enough to let someone off on the dock unless you are fortunate enough to have a bow thruster.  Captain Fixit came up with an ingenious idea.  He used an old discarded radio antenna to make this docking assistant.
Here is how it works.  As you can see when you enlarge the 2nd photo above, a spring line with a very large loop tied at the end is left on the hook (created from the old antenna, but you could use another material). The other end is tied to the dock.  Captain Fixit cut down a boat hook which we have mounted near the landing gate for easy access.  Using the boat hook, you can easily grab the spring line as you are getting close to the dock.  Because of the prevailing wind in our slip, the spring line is essential.  You might need a bow line or stern line instead.
No, we are not taking orders for this.    But let us know if you need help fashioning your own docking assistant.

Captain FixIt is ecstatic.  After much research, he decided to try a new product, PoliGlow .  This amazing product takes the place of wax on fiberglass. You apply 5-6 thin coats after cleaning the surface.  Since the coats are thin, they dry quickly.  The shine is amazing. The fiberglass looks like new even when dry!  Captain FixIt rates this product a perfect 10!

Captain FixIt will be showing you some fixes for common problems and ideas for maintenance. Learn from the experiences of a non-professional seasoned boater.