Seawind Words

Hello!

You can be proud of the fact that today your newsletter is the envy of many other boating and sailing associations. And the man who got it all started is Milt Baker, founder of the Seawind Owners Association and editor of this newsletter during its first and formative year.

As you'll read in the article that follows, however, Milt has relinguished his post as editor due to the increasing demands of his position with the U.S. Navy.

Because of this, Milt asked me to take over as editor and I already have. We'll continue to hear from Commander Baker, I'm sure, through his regular inputs to the newsletter. And in fact now he ought to have even more to tell us since (from his new home port of St. Petersburg, Florida) hep6 1ll now be able to sail year 'round!

This note is simply my way of introducing myself to you. And it's important for you to know that I intend to continue the fine lead set by Milt.

In the coming months, we'll be communicating often through the pages of this newsletter. But I hope to meet you all in person as well someday soon.

Hats off to Milt Baker for all his fine work and best of luck to him in his new post!

Sincerely,

Vern Iuppa

Editor,

Seawind Owners Association

We have, as the saying goes, some good news and some bad news.

The good news is that the Seawind Newsletter, in spite of losing an editor, will continue -- in the capable hands of a new editor: Vern luppa, who sails his Seawind II Cutter, PIDGEON (#81) , on Lake Ontario near Rochester, New York.

When I began to think about someone who might like to take on editorship of the Seawind Newsletter, Vern's name came immediately to mind. He's been a solid supporter of the organization and has just the right mix of talents to do a great job. A dedicated sailor, he stepped up to his SW II from a Cal 20 and he sails out of Pultneyville Yacht Club on Lake Ontario. He heads an advertising agency, Iuppa/McCartan, Inc. and is a writer by trade. No doubt in coming issues you'll see changes in design and format which reflect Vern's broad knowledge, talent and expertise. If you note some of those changes in this issue, it's because we changed editors in mid-edition and Vern's touches have already started tomake a difference.

The bad news is that dues, like everything else, are going up. Last year's $10 came from a seat of the pants estimate made at the beginning of the year when we really didn't have much idea what to expect. Thanks to careful management, we're finishing the year barely in the black. But to continue to provide members a quality newsletter, we have no choice but to raise dues to $15 for 1980.

When you reflect on it, we think you'll agree that even at $15 member-ship in the SOA is really a bargain. Where else in yachting can you get so much of direct interest to you for so little?

As I hang up my editor's green eyeshade, let me offer my thanks to everyone who has contributed so much to the Seawind Owners Association during its fledgling year. While there's not space enough to mention every person who's made a notable contribution, I would like to single out a few for their particular help: Tom Gillmer for his unflagging support and patience; George Curran for his interest and assistance in helping to get the association off on the right foot; Dewey Marron of Atlantic Sailing Yachts for offering (and providing) support of both the financial and moral variety; and Gerry Smith, Talbot Adamson, Bob Walther, Lamar Neville, and (again) George Curran for their helpful letters which ran in the newsletter.

As I write this, it appears that Judy and I will be moving to St. Petersburg, Florida, later in the spring. Staying in one area for as long as four years is unusual for a Navy commander, so the Navy didn't want to make an exception in my case. After about three and a half years at the Pentagon, I'm receiving orders to become public affairs officer for Defense Department's new Rapid Deployment Force which is being established as a quick reaction force. And for the first time since Hawaii, Judy and I'll be back to enjoying year 'round sailing.

Good sailing,

Milt Baker

�

How did we come to buy a Seawind II?

Hawaii. It had to be Hawaii.

Although I'm a Navy commander and have spent more days than I care to remember at sea aboard large ships, it wasn't until we moved to Hawaii ten years ago that we began to think seriously about offshore cruising in a small boat. It was then, less than a week after arriving to live in the islands, that we bought our first real boat -- a tiny 22-footer with a cabin and an outboard which always started on the second pull.

Judy and I'd be reluctant to take that little Tupperware boat down the Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk today. But in the early seventies our eagerness to sail offshore and see all the Hawaiian Islands was outdistanced only by our inexperience, so we read and sailed off Waikiki and talked to those who'd sailed inter-island before us and, before long, headed across the blustery Kaiwi channel for Molokai.

It seemed a long trip (it was 45 miles dead to weather), and by the time we dropped our anchor off Kaunakai, Molokai, nearly 14 hours later, we were so exhausted we had little interest in celebrating our first landfall. The day had been cloudy, the winds and seas difficult, and the boat less than cooperative. Perhaps we'd have been brighter to have sold the boat and flown home.

While we waited out the bad weather--small craft warnings building to gale warnings--we hung around the waterfront at Kaunakakai. We still chuckle when we remember the tough Hawaiian crew of the oceangoing tug 010 marvelling at how we'd come across the channel in such a small, fragile boat when they'd had an uncomfortable crossing in their 110-foot steel vessel.

But it was the trip back to Oahu that did us in. It hooked us --and showed us what tradewind sailing could really be like. The winds moderated to 15 to 20 knots, the seas were down to four to six feet, and the sun was bright. Best of all, however, the wind was aft of the beam, giving us a broad reach all the way home.

With the seas to push us along and a small current in our favor we averaged nearly 7.5 knots across the channel. And we were hooked. Hooked on cruising under sail. Never mind the seasickness on the trip over. Forget the week of high winds and heavy seas. This was what it was all about -- reaching along under sparkling sunshine and cotton candy clouds in the trades.

In all, we sailed our little 22-footer over 6,500 miles during our five years in Hawaii.

We sailed to every island except the big island, which lay across the forboding Alinuihaha channel, world-renowned for its ferocity.

And if those miles of sailing in Hawaiian waters taught us a lot, we learned even more by getting to know people who'd sailed to Hawaii. from points around the Pacific.

--At Manele Bay on Lanai we met a couple who'd built their own 42-footer and sailed there from Portland by way of California, Mexico, the Marquesas, and Tahiti.

--At the Hawaii Yacht Club bar we chatted with a young couple who'd lost two boats to coral reefs in the South Pacific.

--Judy talked about a summer job to John Guzzwell, who'd sailed his tiny TREKKA around the world and survived a pitch-poling aboard TZU HANG in the roaring forties.

Our sailing library began to grow, and we became known around the marina as the couple who used their boat more than anyone else --even if it was only 22 feet long. Our best friends were liveaboards.

Through all of this, an idea began to grow. Slowly at first, then not so slowly. Why not buy a boat and plan to "go cruising" for a few years after I retired from the Navy?

As we pondered the idea, it became more compelling. And we began to outline what we wanted in a boat:

--It had to be large enough to carry us and our gear in reasonable comfort but small enough for the two of us to be able to handle fairly easily. We settled on 32 feet as being just about ideal before we discovered that displacement is an even better measure to go by.

--It had to be robust enough to take in stride the kind of battering we'd come to expect from the wnds and seas in Hawaii.

--It would, preferably, have a split rig to allow us to handle sails more easily.

--It had to be reasonably fast. We weren't the kind to settle for last place, but we didn't have to arrive first either.

--It had to have the ability, with a suitable apparatus, to self-steer.

--It would accommodate a couple on a long haul, with the possibility of squeezing in another couple for short periods. (We were tempted to go the route specified by author Ernie Gann when he told naval architect Jay Benford that we wanted a boat which would "drink six, eat four, and sleep two," but dismissed that as more poetry than practicality.)

So our idea began to take shape. And, financially, things began to fall into place.

Suddenly, one rainy Sunday in Annapolis a few years later, we found ourselves signing a contract for a Seawind II ketch. And now that we've sailed her for a couple of seasons, we're convinced that we bought the right boat.

Having owned our dear little 22 and then a stock fiberglass 27-footer, we had learned that it doesn't pay to skimp when out-fitting a boat. And we were determined to outfit our new SOLUTION with nothing but first class equipment.

Knowing that electrical and mechanical gear has an alarming tendency to break down offshore, we were also determined to keep essential electrical and mechanical gear to a minimum and, wherever possible, to have a simple backup.

Take lights, for example. Our 12-volt lights are great, and they've never failed us aboard our Seawind. But in Hawaii we lost our 12-volt lights several times, mainly due to corrosion from saltwater or an inability to charge batteries. That taught us to have kerosene lights for backup, and we now find that we really enjoy the warm glow from our Perko kerosene lamps.

Being seen at night, we learned during nighttime channel crossings in Hawaii, is essential. So we installed a tri-color navigation lamp at the masthead. It's made by Marinaspec and, with its quartz-halogen bulb, draws only 1.66 ampere hours and, reportedly, has been seen at distances of more than 10 miles (though I take that with a grain of salt). As a backup, however, we carry a pressure kerosene Tilley storm light, which probably really does have ten miles visibility. It�s bright white when burning, and this, of course, is similar to a ship's sternlight. Hopefully, any ship who sees that light will have the impression he's overtaking another ship and will remain clear. Legal? Perhaps not. Safe? You bet.'

We also carry a masthead strobe light to use as a flare up light. Offshore it pierces the darkness like nothing else. And its power draw is miniscule, less than one-tenth of an amp.

While we're on the subject of lights, we've made up a "light list" for SOLUTION. It contains a drawing and the bulb number for each of the lamps aboard, together with the number of spares we have of each kind. It's been very helpful, and we'd encourage you to make up a similar list.

Speaking of lights reminds me that we carry a spare Danforth compass mounted inside the cabin on the starboard main bulkhead. It has a red lamp, and serves two purposes: first, it's a backup for the main compass, and secondly it's an excellent way to ceck the course (particularly at night) without going out in the cockpit. Offshore, I find that the main companionway makes a marvelous perch: it's under the dodger, out of the weather, offers good visibility, and offers an unobstructed view of the inside compass (which has been compensated). (I haven't yet devised a kerosene lamp for either of the compasses!)

Offshore, I think self-steering is essential. Judy and I gave the matter of which vane to select a great deal of thought. We talked with experienced sailors who have used almost every popular vane (and some which were not so popular) and finally settled on the Aries. Since the last newsletter went into some detail on the Aries, I won't repeat that here. Suffice it to say that the Aries has been everything we hoped for. Complimenting it, mainly for use

under power and, occasionally, in light airs, we have a Tiller-Master which we brought from an earlier boat. It makes a nice companion for the vane. It's been particularly welcome in August when the Chesapeake is sometimes almost breathless.

As for radio gear, we decided to do without single sideband marine gear. Judy is a Ham, and we do have a small Atlas 215X single sideband Ham radio, together with a mobile Hustler antenna and an excellent ground system. With the Ham radio, Judy's talked with other Hams in the Caribbean, in Europe, and all across North America. Last summer when we were enroute to Newport, we checked in with one of the Ham maritime mobile networks which offer free phone-patch service for cruising vessels and ships outside the three mile limit.

Our VHF radio is a synthesized 78-channel Horizon by Standard. Aside from an occasional demon which gets into its LED display (but which doesn't affect transmission or receiving and which we haven't spent a nickel on), it's been a fine set in two seasons of use. Our VHF antenna, of course, is mounted at the masthead, though we carry one of the spare emergency variety for use in the event we lose the mast or masthead antenna.

To round out the radio gear, we carry a Sony short wave receiver to pull in time ticks and other broadcasts, a NARCO Emergency Position Indicating Beacon (EPIRB) (which is mounted on the portside engine access door), and a Sanyo AM-FM cassette deck. The Sanyo, designed for automobile use, is mounted in the bulkhead beneath the companionway, which means it's right below the electrical panel. Speakers are mounted in the port and starboard main bulkheads.

Thus far, our electronics suite is very modest -- and I doubt that we'll get uch fancier. Our favorite instrument, particularly on the shallow Chesapeake Bay, is a Datamarine 200-fathom depth sounder, which has its transducer permanently mounted in the lower after section of the forward port under-seat locker of the main cabin. This instrument has been a joy -- it draws little power, can still find a hard bottom at about 400 feet, is devastatingly accurate, and buzzes at seven feet. I've found it a real help in making a landfall and in navigating in fog.

As a concession to our interest in speed (there's a little racing sailor in every skipper), we have a Signet 0-12 knot Knot, with the paddle wheel located in the locker beneath the forward sink. In retrospect, I think the paddle wheel location could be better. It has the advantage of not getting the contents of a locker wet when the paddle wheel is taken out, but the location has two problems: first, it lifts out of the water on a starboard tack when the boat's hard on the wind; second, removing the paddle wheel always results in a half pint of water making its way into the boat, and this water has nowhere to drain. I think June and John Mcvey have the right idea: they located their paddlewheel aboard MITARA on the forward edge of the shower pan, where any excess water simply drains into the pan from whence it can be pumped out. (Why wasn't I smart enough to think of that?) The only alteration in where the Mcveys placed it was the need to raise the teak grid over the shower pan another 3/4 of an inch.

Our belt and suspenders approach is again evident in our approach to knotmeters. Knotmeters are nice, but

they're not essential --or fully reliable. So we've added a Walker "Knotmaster" (model KDO) taffrail log. Offshore, it's a gem. But watch your fishing lines. We tangled our fishing line into the taffrail log line off the Jersey coast this summer and it took the two of us over two hours to untangle it. (We saved the taffrail log in the operation but had to sacrifice the fishing line and cut it out!) Accuracy and simplicity are the keynotes of the Walker logs.

Offshore, we try to use salt water in place of fresh water wherever possible. To facilitate that, we've installed a small salt water pump in the galley. It matches the pump for the ice box, which means that we have only one kind of spares to carry for the two pumps. It's plumbed into the salt water intake for the engine, and we can close it off with a small gate valve to make certain that the engine doesn't ruin the seals in the pump and then start gulping air.

In addition to separate Wilcox-Crittenden "Hi-Cap" electric pumps for the bilge and shower sump, we have the standard Guzzler manual bilge pump and a 30-gallon-per-minute Guzzler mounted on a teak board with a hand hole. The 1.5 inch diameter hose for the larger Guzzler is permanently mounted in the bilge with a galvanized wire strum box. Our Jabsco pressure water pump (which has a manual backup) rounds out the pumps on board, though I suspect we may add an electric pump for cockpit shower and anchor rode/deck washdown.

Our electrical bilge pump now has a three-way Attwood switch (off-on-automatic), with a float switch located in the bilge. About six inches above this float switch is another, the higher one wired into the enaine alarm. So if the electric bilge pump fails to clear the bilge, the engine alarm will sound (as long as the engine' 5 running, anyway) . Also connected to the engine alarm system are a fire alarm in the engine room and a water flow-detector on the salt water intake. The flow detector sounds anytime the engine is taking in less than one gallon of water per minute. I hope this will save me from shearing the blades from my salt water pump and then having to change impellers under less than the best of circumstances. (If you've never changed impellers on your Westerbeke 30 aboard a SW II, you're in for a tough job -- unless you're a triple-jointed contortionist with a master mechanic's full set of tools!)

In case of fire, SOLUTION's engine room is equipped with a large Fireboy automatic Halon extinguishing system. In the main cabin are two Halon II manual extinguishers, one mounted beneath the chart table and the other vertically on the small bulkhead forward of the forward sink. If you're still carrying dry chemical extinguishers, it'll take you only one small fire in your cabin to recognize that dry chemical is a messy, expensive way to go. While Halon II costs more to start with, it leaves no residue and is far more effective in the hands of an amateur fireman. And it's the dry chemical cleanup that'll really cost you in the long run. The automatic extinguishing system, incidentally, will get you a slightly lower insurance premium in many cases.

We've had to use a fire extinguisher only once aboard SOLUTION. That we just after we took delivery and tried to fire up the oven of our stainless Shipmate three-burner kerosene stove. Somehow

(perhaps it was my inexperience with kerosene stoves) the oven flared up into a hot, orange fire with lots of black smoke. Instinctively I reached for the fire extinguisher beneath the chart table, popped the plastic safety ring, and a three-second sguirt of Halon II was all it took to put out the fire.

(Do I own stock in the Halon company? Nope.)

Learning to live with our kerosene Shipmate stove was a chore, at least in the beginning. We had alcohol on the first boat, propane (with all the safety gear) on the second, and now we've gone to kerosene. Our original thought in buying the kerosene Shipmate was to get a stove which was simple and a fuel which was available anywhere and reasonably safe, not to mention inexpensive. Not that we've learned to live with the kerosene stove, we like it. We don't love it, but we like it. For ease, there's nothing like propane. For safety, there's nothing like alcohol. What would we do if we had it to do all over again? We'd rule out alcohol -- too expensive for long distance cruising. And it would probably be a tossup between kerosene and propane. In my book, there are good arguments on both side -- not the least of which is the ease of using propane. All things considered, however, a working kerosene stove does a nice job. And now ours works very well, thank you.

The batteries which came with SOLUTION didn't have a long life. We replaced the first one mid-way through our second season and now the second one has died. At this point, we're using Sears Diehards. I think, however, when we take off on that long cruise we'll use some of the expensive deep cycle batteries.

Incidentally, at G.G. Smith's suggestion we've also bought a small (500-watt) power inverter to change 12 volt DC into 110 volt AC. Like G.G., we expect to find this useful to operate small hand tools, a "Seal-a-Meal", and a small hairdrier. Ours will be mounted on a specially-built shelf beneath the chart table and adjacent to the batteries to minimize the length of the cable run.

To keep tabs on the state of charge of the batteries, we've installed a Danforth "Chargicator" -- a fancy name for a voltmeter. It's located on the electrical panel and has a three-position switch (1-of f-2). It's saved us from having completely run-down batteries a couple of times, particularly offshore where we had to use running lights and compass lights for long periods.

Our electrical panel, by the way, has been hinged at the bottom with snaps at the top so when I need access to the wiring behind the panel, I simply open it. No more screws and screwdrivers. Try it; you'll like it.

We've done little in the engine compartment, though we've both taken the seminars Westerbeke offers and feel that we have a better understanding of our engine. I change lube oil and filters every 100 hours (or less) and always leave the engine for the winter with fresh oil and filter. Aside from a leaky seal on the salt water pump (which I'm told isn't unusual), we've had no problems with the Westerbeke 30. Changing that pump was a real chore, and

once the pump was out and a spare installed in its place, I left replacing the faulty seal to an expert. Changing the pump took me about an hour and 45 minutes and also cost me a little skin from my knuckles. A set of box-end wrenches and a good racheting socket wrench helps. (I also used a cassette recorder to detail my steps so, when I went to replace the pump, I could refer back to what'd I'd done removing it. This worked well.)

We've also painted the bleed points on the engine white, so all it takes is the proper size wrench, a set of basic instructions (which I ought to post in the engine compartment), and a flashlight. Incidentally, I mounted an inexpensive 12-volt lamp in the engine compartment just beneath the electrical panel and this makes working on the engine a great deal easier. I also mounted a thru-deck access plate in the cockpit immediately over the lube oil dipstick, so I can now check the oil without crawling into the engine compartment.

Our fuel filter is a Racor, and it has a small light on the electrical switch panel to indicate when there is water in the filter. The light has never been on for anything other than an occasional test. I'm convinced that the Racor is a superb filter. I change the filter element about once a year.

On deck, we have the standard ketch rig. I have placed a vang arrangement on the split backstay to harden up the headstay and this seems to improve windward performance, particularly in light and moderate sea conditions when I can actually point a bit higher with the tension on. I also have the Hood "Seafurl" system, which I think is a good one. I'm not convinced that one ought to sail with headsails partially furled, as Hood's literature suggests can be done. But, other than that, the Hood furling gear has delivered on every promise. I think it's well engineered, and I can't imagine why I waited so long to get furling. Furling and unfurling certainly beats hell out of carrying a heavy headsail up to the foredeck, hanking it on, hoisting away, and (sigh) dropping the sail and trying to stuff it into a sailbag that's at least two sizes too small.

The Hood furling, which uses a luff tape and groove arrangement, does have one drawback, however. It's somewhat difficult to change from a large genoa to a smaller headsail in heavy air on a pitching foredeck with this system -- mainly because when you drop your large headsail it's attached at only three points (head, tack and clew), making it really hard to handle. Getting the new headsail up is a hassle for the same reason.

What Judy and I have decided to do is go to a fore staysail arrangement, with a removable forestay. For something over two hundred dollars Tom Gillmer designed such a system for us, and we re now talking with our yard about installation. Complete with two permanent backstays (and the associated chainplates) to oppose the new forestay and the rest of the hardware, it'll cost close to $1,700 -- and that doesn't include the staysail itself. Nevertheless, talking with offshore sailors who've used a similar rig has convinced us that this is the way to go. We don't, of course, expect to use the double-head rig with both sails working in tandem. Rather, we would look to using the larger jibs on the furling gear most of the

time, hanking on the small jib only when the wind really pipes up. In all but the worst conditions, I anticipate simply furling the jib when we go to using the staysail. The staysail arrangement, of course, also has the advantage of moving the center of effort of a small foresail (such as a storm jib or reefed staysail) aft towards the mast, which should result in better balance.

As for, we now have Hood cruising sails -- mainsail (7 oz.), mizzen (5 oz.), 130% genoa (7 oz.), and 150% genoa. In addition, we just got a SAILS/USA flasher type sail which we've yet to fly and a mizzen staysail from the same sailmaker. Our inventory is rounded out by the small 110 square foot staysail and a small drifter, both of which we used on our 27-footer. We've been very pleased with the Hood cruising sails.

Our ground tackle again reflects our belt and suspenders approach to safety. Although a Danforth 12H is rated to hold a Seawind II, our standard working anchor for the Chesapeake Bay is a Danforth 20H with 20 feet of heavy chain and a 250-foot rode of 5/8 inch nylon. In reserve we have a 35 pound CQR, also with 20 feet of chain, and a Danforth 12H with a short (12 feet) chain and a separate rode of 200 feet. Before we go cruising in earnest, I suspect we'll also load a CQR 45 and a Herreshoff of the same weight.

SOLUTION's dinghy is an Avon Redcrest, which we've had since Hawaii and which shows no signs of giving up the ghost anytime soon. It's powered by a little Johnson 1.5 horsepower engine, which seems all it needs. The Johnson is carried on a rack on the starboard side of the sternrail.

On the port side of the transom is a swing-down ladder made by High Seas Quality Marine Products. Because it's offset to the port side to provide room for the Aries vane, the fit is slightly less than perfect. And, with both ladder and vane, my transom could probably pass muster at a plumber's convention. But it's all functional, and if function is beauty then SOLUTION's transom is beautiful.

Beautiful, that is, unless the boat's been powering -- for powering turns the transom an ugly grey as smoke from the exhaust gets sucked into the water and then rises slowly up the transom. After powering at more than 1,000 RPMs for more than a few minutes, the transom really looks filthy. (At least the ladder's a good perch for cleaning the transom.) I've thought about moving the exhaust outlet up about seven inches with the idea that the exhaust would then be "thrown" clear of the transom. Does anyone have a better idea? Or am I the only one with a dirty transom problem?

Incidentally, when we're powering in the summer we find that the small mizzen awning built for us by Mike at Leonard Sails in Annapolis provides just the right amount of shade. Judy jokingly says that the most useful function of the mizzen boom is holding the little awning. Mike also made a larger awning to go over the main boom, and both awnings have side flaps which can be rolled up and out of the way.

Our "want list," nourished by all the yachting magazines and catalogs which find their way to our mailbox,

still has too many big ticket items on it: refrigeration, a self-inflating liferaft in a canister, additional tankage for water, kerosene, and--perhaps--a few gallons of wine, and a long list of engine spares.

And every now and then we fall in love--yes, impulsively--with something for SOLUTION. In the fall it was a FATSCO Tiny Tot wood-burning stove, which we mounted on the main cabin's port bulkhead and which keeps the cabin toasty warm at temperatures down to about 15�F. One of our favorite memories of the Tiny Tot was a cold 50-mile sail from Annapolis to Solomons last December in convoy with three other boats. While they brewed coffee laced with brandy to keep warm, particularly during the pre-dawn portion, Judy and I stayed warm inside the cabin, Tiny Tot glowing and thermometer reading 720 -- while the steering vane (and, occasionally, Tillermaster) kept us on course. The temperature outside: 170.

By the time we finish, according to our reckoning anyway, the boat will be down several more inches. (Incidentally, the SW II goes down one inch for every 750 pounds you load aboard her.) So we're having SOLUTION's waterline and boottop raised several inches this year. She's our third boat and the third one where we've had to raise the waterline.

If you find yourself in the Tampa-St. Pete area, stop by and have a look at SOLUTION. We think she's a super boat, and we're looking forward to having her take us through the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, on to the Marguesas, and then to Tahiti. We've scheduled a rendezvous with friends aboard three other boats in Papeete. Where will we go from there? Who knows!

We look forward to hearing, through the Seawind Newsletter and in person, from you. We've looked at perhaps 20 other Seawind Ils and have gotten at least an idea or two from each of them.

We hope, perhaps, you may find some of our ideas worthwhile.

Good sailing,

Milt & Judy Baker

PHRF RATING FOR THE SEAWIND II? (L.Talbot Adamson asks for help. . .)

We have an Annual West Penobscot Bay Race each summer in Maine, and this past year the Race Committee decided to adopt the Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) rating system for the Cruising Division. To get PHRF ratings for the Cruising Division, the Committee arranged for the New England Performance Handicap Racing Fleet headquarters to provide them with ratings for any stock built boat. Apparently, they have ratings based on racing performance for over 700 boats from across the country. They claim to have one for the Seawind II, and I plan to enter my boat INDIGO in the race this year. Would any of our readers have any information on such a rating for the Seawind II? Perhaps Scott Kuhner was given such a rating if PHRF was used in the Bermuda race last year when he sailed BEBINKA II If you have an answer, please reply to Vern luppa, our new editor. Thanks.

Following is an excerpt from a letter from new members Arnold and Janet Osgood, who are cruising south aboard SEAVILLE, SW II 43:

We are cruising (slowly) southward, having left Lake Ontario in October and now enjoying an extended layover in Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

Ed Rhudy at Wilmington lent us his copy of Newsletter #3, wherein we read of Talbot Adamson's fuel line problems. We had similar problems last summer in Lake Ontario and on the way down in the fall. Our trouble was a metal drill shaving stuck in the inlet pipe, which gathered "good" and let it loose when the filter was changed. Apparently the factory could be more careful in keeping the tank clean during construction. Since so many of your members sail in the Chesapeake, you might be interested in the mechanical genius who tracked this down -- Klaus Hain Jr. of Marine Engine Sales & Service, Inc. of Annapolis. He's a real gentleman as well. He succeeded where many failed, believe me.

By the way, Mr. Hain advises against any additives, including Biobor, which Westerbeke recommends as your report indicates. Raycor also recommends against most additives as detrimental to their filter bowl. (Through all our troubles, we have wound up with two Raycor filters, which is probably superfluous.)

Someone asked about cabin heaters. We have a Taylors kerosene heater from J. Stuart Haft. We don't like it because it requires too much attention and is only minimally effective. It has even blown out in a wind. We're now looking for a wood burner and expect to shorten the port bunk into a "love seat" in order to accommodate it. The warmest boats we've been on in the last three months have had simple solid fuel stoves, and they seem to be especially favored by Canadians. One of the reasons we've holed up here for awhile is to solve this problem. The other problem we have is the Galley Maid kerosene stove. It is a Galley Maid conversion from the alcohol model. The conversion worked about four months (3 out of 4 burners gone) . We're now arguing with the factory, which wants to charge us for repairs an amount equal to one half the cost of the conversion.

By the way, on the way down we stopped at the factory in Catskill to ask about the hull-deck problem (we don't have one). Mr. Pierce was out, but the man supposedly in charge said he had never heard of any discussions on the subject. This leads us to believe the problem is not typical. We've had the rail under many times.

We think the newsletter is great and represents a lot of fruitful effort on your part. We hope it continues.

Very truly yours,

�

Arnold & Janet Osgood

Although there appears no perfect answer for teak care, boat owners have a choice of three different finishes:

--"Natural finish." Basically, this is the easiest approach. You do nothing to your teak while the sun bleaches it out. Proponents of this school like to believe their teak is silver. Actually, it's probably closer to dirty grey. And a boat with this kind of finish usually looks older than its years.

--Matte finish. This is the finisb most people seem to prefer. It's smooth to the touch, a rich orangish-brown in color, and a joy to behold when kept up. Unfortunately, the rich color and look come from oil, which must be applied frequently. If you forget to apply t'e oil every three or four weeks you'll find your finsh slipping to the "naThral finish" we mentioned above.

--Glossy finish. A smooth, glossy finish is probably the most patrician of finishes and such finishes are usually the result of a great deal of work--sanding, varnishing, sanding, varnishing, et cetera ad nauseum. But once you obtain a smooth, glossy finish it's reasonably easy to maintain--occasional touchups and with major work required only once or twice a year.

Which of the three is for you? Perhaps this article will help you decide.

Whatever finish you choose, you'll want to start with good clean teak. There are a number of good teak cleaners on the market, but the best I've found is a two-part preparation known as TE-KA. Formula A penetrates and opens the pores of the teak, releasing dirt, grease and stains. Formula B neutralizes the first formula and helps close the pores back up. For particularly dirty or greasy teak, two or more applications may be needed, but TE-KA will perform like magic on most teak. Unfortunately, TE-KA is so strong that it leaves "tracks" on anodized aluminum and those tracks cannot be removed. So using TE-KA on a SW II is not advisable --not unless you want to mar the finish on your anodized aluminum rub rail.

Another good cleaner for your teak is Teak Brite, and a third good cleaner is Boater's Choice Powered Teak Cleaner. While not as good as TE-KA, unless your teak is badly stained these will probably do an excellent job for you.

After your teak is clean and dry, you could go ahead and seal it with a teak oil or sealer. However, your finish will last much longer if you lightly sand the teak using three grades of sandpaper. Start with 60 grit, then go to 100 grit, and finish up with 220 grit. You can use a small electric sander for this, but you'll probably find it just as effective to use a 3M rubber sanding block. (Watch it! 3M sanding blocks do not float.) Don't sand without a block or your teak will have a wavy finish.

Sanding the teak with progressively finer paper will produce very smooth teak, and very smooth teak will hold a finish far longer than rough teak. Smooth teak, of course, has far less surface area to get dirty.

After you've completed sanding the teak, unless you want a natural finish your next step is to apply a good sealer or teak oil. Our choice for this, hands down, is Deks Olje (pronounced Decks Olya) #1, though other sealers will give similar results. Simply follow the label directions. If you use Deks Olje, use as many coats as the teak will soak up -- usually 5 to 10 coats. We prefer a sponge rubber poly-brush, but a clean, lint-free rag will work almost as well.

Your teak sealer or oil will provide your teak with that rich matte finish yachtsmen prize. But if you don't give your teak a coat or two of oil or sealer every month, you'll soon notice that it's begun to look washed out and dirty. To restore it, you'll have to go back to square one.

If natural finish and matte finish are not your cup of teak, go on to the glossy finish. You may argue that glossy brightwork is too yachty. And perhaps it is. But we've found that for us it represents the best tradeoff in an admittedly imperfect world: it looks good yet doesn't require monthly coating.

For a glossy coat, choose a good quality of exterior varnish or use Deks Olje #2 and follow label directions carefully, sanding lightly between coats and using a tack rag to clean the teak immediately before applying each coat of the finish. Use a good quality natural bristle brush or a sponge rubber poly-brush, and do your brightwork when the sun is high on a warm (not blistering hot) day. Build up a minimum of five coats, sanding lightly between coats.

If you choose the glossy finish, be forewarned that from time to time you'll have to touchup the brightwork. Whenever you see that the brightwork has been scratched or that the finish has worn away, get out your varnish or Deks Olje and touch it up. Depending on how long it's been that way, you might want to do some sanding and apply a sealer on Saturday then apply a coat of finish on Sunday. Next weekend you could add a coat or two more of finish.

Aboard SOLUTION, Judy and I have gone the glossy route, using Deks Olje #1 and #2. With a coat or two of new finish each season and occasional touchups, our brightwork looks as good today as it did the day we applied it -- two years ago.

Which finish is for you? We'd like to hear some opposing viewpoints.

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AHOY ANNA II, PARFAIT, WHISPER, AND RESOLUTE!

We hear reports that you're touring southern waters in the vicinity of Florida. We can't all be as lucky, so how about telling us about it? And raise a glass in our honor when you splice the main brace!

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