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Techron Protection Plus Marine Fuel System Treatment

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Techron Protection Plus Marine Fuel System Treatment
Maximize your corrosion protection in both salt and fresh water. Courtesy Techron

Owners of gasoline-powered boats and personal watercraft will soon have a new option when it comes to protecting and keeping their vessels’ engines running clean and strong. Later this spring, Chevron Products Company, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc. will launch its new Techron Protection Plus Marine Fuel System Treatment, an industry leading formulation that is scientifically engineered for the harsh marine environment and the performance needs of boating enthusiasts.

While it stabilizes fuel up to an impressive 24-months, will not contribute to phase separation and provides total fuel system protection for off-season storage, Techron Marine also gives boaters important benefits with every fill up as a continuous-use product. Techron Marine provides maximum corrosion protection in both fresh and saltwater environments, making it an ideal choice for boaters nationwide. It works in boats powered by inboard, outboard and sterndrive gasoline engines, including two-stroke, four-stroke, carbureted, port or electronic fuel injected and direct-injected engines. It can be added to ethanol free gasoline or ethanol blended fuels from E10 to E85.

The advanced cleaning power of Techron Marine restores power and performance and optimizes fuel efficiency by cleaning fuel injectors, carburetors and combustion chambers. It also cleans, removes and prevents intake valve deposits in port fuel injected engines for smoother idling and enhanced throttle response. By removing gum and varnish from the fuel system and preventing it from re-forming, Techron Marine helps minimize cold starting issues, as well.

Techron Marine Fuel System Treatment will be offered in three package sizes — 4 oz., 10 oz. and 1 gallon — to accommodate the needs of pleasure boaters, active cruisers and fishermen. One 10-oz. bottle treats 100 gallons of fuel and will retail for about $12.99. Look for it at your favorite marine store later this spring. Visit TechronClean.com to learn more and locate local retailers as they come ‘onboard.

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Marine Engine Winterizing Tips

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Marine Engine Winterizing Tips
Newer sterndrive and inboard engines offer large, brightly colored, easy-to-access engine drain systems with built-in hand pumps. Courtesy Mercury Marine

Whether it’s a couple of months of colder weather or a full-on, six-month snow-and-ice winter, layup and winterization prove necessary for many boaters. We compiled a top list of tasks not to put off until spring.

Then to make sure we deliver you the right goods, we worked with Rob Gina, master mechanic and owner of Boatwrench Inc. near Orlando, Florida.

Stabilize Fuel
The No. 1 cause of clogged fuel injectors and carburetors is stale fuel. Today’s alcohol-rich fuels wreak havoc when left to sit. If you’re not going to use your rig for 30 days or more, treat the fuel with conditioner. Forget and you risk fuel lines deteriorating from the inside out, depositing goo inside your carburetors or fuel injectors. Small deposits of fuel left inside injectors or carburetor float bowls and jets can gel and solidify, making for a lengthy cleanup job come spring. Add stabilizer, such as Bell Performance, Star brite Star-Tron, Sta-Bil, or Techron Protection Plus, per the amount on the label on your last voyage of the season, and run your engine long enough — at least 15 minutes — to get the doctored fuel through the entire fuel system.

Drain Engine
When water freezes, it expands. With inboards and sterndrives, if you forget drainage, a cracked block, exhaust riser or manifold may greet you at the start to the next season.

Most newer inboards and sterndrives have easy-drain systems. Older engines must be carefully drained and checked to ensure complete drainage. To ensure complete protection, buy a gallon of pink RV antifreeze and pour it through all engine hoses and ­exhaust manifolds. When you see the pink liquid run out, you’ll know the system is completely drained of water.

Run a pipe cleaner into petcocks to clear debris and rust chips. You may be surprised at the amount of water that drains after doing so.

Outboards are self-draining. Simply tilt them fully down and all water exits through the propeller hub. Don’t tilt the drive back up — rain will collect in the prop hub and then the lower unit, leaving it to freeze and crack over the winter.

Drive Lube
The big no-no is the potential for water damaging storage. Water could be there all winter, separating from the lubricant and sitting on vulnerable gears, shafts and bearings. Your drive could be junk by spring. One common way water intrusion happens is when fishing line wraps around your prop and cuts into your prop-shaft seals. This causes the coffee look your drive lube gets when it’s mixed with water. The other bad lube look and smell is black and burnt. Examine yours and if it looks black or milky, smells burnt, or there are metal shavings clinging to the magnetic drain screw, gear and/or bearing, trouble is coming. Get your drive serviced now — don’t wait until next season.

Prop and Shaft
The way to find fishing-line snarls is to remove your propeller. It’s also a good time to check your propeller for blade damage and spin your prop shaft and check for straightness. With the propeller removed, send it off to a prop shop for repair. Before reinstalling, coat the prop-shaft splines with marine grease. Last, don’t forget to give the drive unit (gear case) a once-over. Check for skeg damage, paint abrasion, and corrosion. Fix any damage, and sand and coat with touch-up spray to keep the drive looking like new.

Fog Your Engine
Fogging means to protect the inner workings of an engine with a coating of lubricant. During storage, your engine’s steel parts (valves, camshaft, piston rings, crankshaft, bearings and connecting rods) need a film of lube to keep them from corroding. There are multiple ways to do this and many concoctions to use. Typically, you’ll remove the engine flame arrester, and while the engine runs at a fast idle, spray engine fogging oil (like that offered by CRC, Star brite and engine manufacturers) directly into the air intake until the engine stalls. Gina advocates a special mix. “We mix fuel 50/50 with 25 percent two-stroke oil and 25 percent Bell Performance fuel stabilizer and pour that into the fuel filter. Then we fog the engine with that same mixture by pouring it directly into the intake as the engine idles. Then we shut the engine off and replace the flame arrester.”

Grease Monkey
Keeping moving parts moving freely ensures you won’t have sticky issues next spring. With a grease gun filled with waterproof marine grease, lubricate all fittings noted in your owner’s manual. Just as important, wipe away all remnants of dirty, old, hardened grease with a rag soaked in WD-40 or similar lubricant. That hardened grease will eventually bind up; steering cables are a great example of this issue.

Coat of Arms
Gina notes: “It’s important to coat your engine with a film of protective lubricant. At Boatwrench we use AmsOil Metal Protector or CRC Metal Protector. Spray all electrical and ignition components, spark-plug wires, fittings, hose clamps, and all surfaces to protect from condensation and rust.” Others prefer a silicone spray.

Zincs
Anodes are typically placed in strategic locations as sacrificial elements, so when they are too eroded to do their jobs, they should be replaced. Check your owner’s manual for the location and proper removal and replacement of anodes, and whether yours should be magnesium (freshwater use) or zinc or aluminum (salt and brackish water).

This list could go on and on. There are many more tasks that should be remembered before winter layup: ­water-pump check, steering systems, electrical checkup, etc. Remember: A boat and engine that go unchecked are typically the ones to fail when they’re needed most. Keeping yours in top condition not only helps ensure safe and fun outings, but it will also help fuel higher resale values when it’s time to trade up.

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Build A Shrink-Wrap Boat Shed

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Climbing over an icy swim platform and through a snow-covered zipper door makes wintertime work aboard inconvenient. With basic carpentry, that same shrinkable plastic makes a storage shelter large enough to drive a trailered boat into with room to walk around, conveniently weatherproofing your work 365 days a year. I built a small shed to prove the concept. Here are the fruits of my experience.

Build A Shrink-Wrap Boat Shed
Protect your boat year-round. Capt. Vincent Daniello
Build A Shrink-Wrap Boat Shed
Traditional two-by-four framing techniques work well. Capt. Vincent Daniello

Build a Structure
Traditional two-by-four framing techniques work well. So do framing kits from 2x4basics and other companies that rely on metal brackets to make straight-cut lumber fit together at the appropriate angles. Most come with directions to build 8- or 10-foot-wide shelters. Those plans can be expanded for wider-beamed boats.

Shrink Film
Size 7mm film offers about the right balance between cost and ­durability to cover a work shelter. Expect a shed to last about three years before needing a new cover. For structures with frames spaced farther than 2 feet apart, consider heavier 10mm film. White shrink-wrap film reflects sunlight, so white shed skins expand less and stay tighter on warm, sunny days. “White is really nice to work under,” adds Mike Stenberg of Dr. Shrink (dr-shrink.com). “The light is almost shadow-­free, and it doesn’t skew colors the way blue would.”

Build A Shrink-Wrap Boat Shed
Pleated rolls make it easy for two people to handle. Capt. Vincent Daniello

Install the Film
Even very wide shrink-wrap film comes from Dr. Shrink in pleated rolls no more than about 5 feet wide, making it easy for two people to handle on days without a breeze. Cut away excess material on all four building corners and tack them closed with tape before welding those corners together — shrink film sticks to itself well in two or three layers, but once it’s bunched up, middle layers don’t get hot enough to melt together.

Secure the Edges to the Shed
Order enough film to allow an extra foot of material along the bottom of all four sides, which is rolled around 1-by-­3-inch wooden battens and screwed right into the wood structure. Once it’s heated to around 180 degrees, the film shrinks roughly 25 percent, magically tightening even a pretty loose cover.

Build A Shrink-Wrap Boat Shed
Start at the bottom, working in 3-foot sections. Capt. Vincent Daniello

Shrinking Advice
Start at the bottom, working in 3-foot sections. When the film goes smooth and starts to shrink, move along to adjacent, unshrunk material. Don’t go back over an area a second time with more heat. Shrink-wrap tape reinforces welded seams, covers any holes cut by sharp edges, and repairs the few burn holes that are bound to appear. Hinged door frames can be covered in shrink-wrap, or install zipper doors right in the shed’s sides and consider adding a vent or two.

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New Winter Storage Video from Techron Marine

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To fill the tank or not to fill that tank – that is the question facing many powerboaters when it comes time for off-season lay-up. Do you drain all the fuel possible from your boat’s fuel tank, so that you don’t have a tank of skunky fuel come spring? Or is it smarter to fill the tank to the brim to avoid issues with condensation forming in an empty fuel tank, which is essentially filled with damp winter air?

Chevron, which is new to the marine field but an old hand at fuel additives, has just produced anew video that takes a look deep inside a boat’s fuel system and engine and addresses the issues boaters need to know when storing their boats over the winter, or anytime it’s going to be “on the hard” for a while. While admittedly a promotion for the benefits of Techron MarineFuel System Treatment as a marine storage additive, the video does have some great information and illustrations about damage and problems that can occur when the proper steps aren’t taken to protect the fuel system.Chevron stresses the importance of using a high-performance fuel additive to stabilize your fuel and protect the entire fuel system from the build up of gum, varnish and corrosion over time.Chevron claims its Techron Marine Fuel System Treatment was scientifically formulated by the fuel experts at Chevron to provide the highest level of protection during extended storage, while also fighting the corrosive effects of the harsh marine environment.

Ethanol Issues

More than 98 percent of gasoline sold in the United States contains ethanol, which attracts water into your boat’s fuel system. During offseason storage — or any period of infrequent operation — this water accelerates fuel oxidation, the formation of gum and varnish and can lead to corrosion in the fuel system. It left too long, this corrosion, varnish and gum can cause permanent damage to your boat’s fuel system.

Some boaters attempt to prevent this by draining their fuel system in preparation for storage.This is often impractical, and it also wastes money and gasoline. Most importantly, it can actually create problems. Draining the tank exposes the metal components inside to condensation, which may accelerate fuel system corrosion. It can also cause internal components in your fuel system to dry and crack over time, leading to potential hazards and leaks.

Fuel winterizing with Techron
A good plan for most boat owners is to add a quality fuel stabilizer product. Ron Ballanti

In addition, there will usually be some fuel left in the tank after draining, and it will be subject to oxidation. This can create gum and varnish that can restrict fuel injectors, gum up carburetors, and even clog the system badly enough to cause a fuel pump failure.

Stabilize A Full Tank

We agree with Chevron that, instead of draining the tank, the better plan for most boat owners is to add a quality fuel stabilizer product to a nearly empty fuel tank and then fill it up nearly to the top with quality gasoline. Leave just a little room for expansion. Then, run the engine for a few minutes to allow the treatment to circulate throughout the system. Marine fuel additives are very concentrated – for example it only takes one ounce of Techron Marine to treat 10 gallons of fuel – so follow instructions and make sure you are dosing the fuel properly. Chevron says Techron Marine Fuel System Treatment has been scientifically engineered to keep fuel fresh for up to 24 months. A quality marine fuel additive like Techron Marine Fuel System Treatment is also beneficial for engine and fuel system cleaning and corrosion protection in the harshest environments — especially in salt water. Techron Marine Fuel System Treatment can be used as an additive with every fill up, not just during storage, to help keep a boat’s fuel system and engine running clean, strong and at peak efficiency. It works in all types of gasoline-powered boats including two-stroke, four-stroke, carbureted, port-or electronic fuel-injected and direct injected engines.

This versatility to stabilize fuel for extended storage and also protect boat fuel systems all season long contributed to Techron Marine winning a 2019 Top Product Award from leading trade journal Boating Industry magazine.

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How To Remove a Sterndrive

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Removing a sterndrive
Sterndrive removal is important for annual maintenance. Tim Barker

Removing a sterndrive is important for annual service and inspection. Here, we detail the five basic phases of removing a MerCruiser Bravo drive. Other drive models and drives made by other makers will come off similarly, but not exactly like the process outlined here. We will call out some of these differences. This is not step by step. We grouped steps to show you what needs to be done. We recommend you get the service manual for your drive’s make, model and year for specific step-by-step instructions.

Removing the prop
Remove the prop, shift the drive to the required gear and remove the trim rams. Tim Barker

First: Remove the prop, shift the drive to the required gear, if necessary, and remove the trim rams. Rest the rams gently against the boat, and tie them with cord to support them. Then remove the speedometer tube from the drive (not from the boat) inside the “helmet” near the exhaust inlet. Remove the bonding wire on the side.

Removing the drive
When breaking the drive free, consider leaving two nuts on, but at the very end of the studs so that the drive doesn’t pop off too quickly for you to react. Tim Barker

Second: Remove the fasteners holding the drive onto the bell housing. The drive may release a little on its own now, or with a few wiggles by you.

Third: If it is stuck, try this tip: Place a short length of lumber atop the joint between the drive and gimbal ring, as shown in the main illustration. Lift up the drive and gently drop it. The wood block will fall into the space between the drive and gimbal lever, freeing the drive.

Disconnecting the shift cable
Disconnect the shift cable. Tim Barker

Fourth: When the drive is separated but not yet removed, reach in and disconnect the shift cable by spreading open the clip that retains it. The drive can now be removed. Note that a Bravo drive weighs about 180 pounds, so you will want to have a friend to help you. Better yet, buy or build a sturdy stand with a slot for the skeg. Position this support so you can balance the drive atop it as it slides off. Some Volvo Penta drives boast tapped holes for a lifting eye.

Fifth: Now you can service your bellows, gimbal bearing, universal joints and more. Apply a coating of quality grease to the splines. You’ll need a new gasket kit for when you reinstall the drive. Do not reuse the old gaskets.

Shift Positions for Sterndrive Removal

This is a guideline. It’s always best to consult the owner’s manual for your specific sterndrive to determine the correct service and maintenance procedures.

MerCruiser Alpha: Forward for standard RH rotation (reverse gear for LH rotation)

MerCruiser Bravo One, Two, Three: Neutral

OMC Cobra: Neutral

Volvo Penta SX: Forward for standard RH rotation (reverse for LH rotation)

Volvo Penta DuoProp: Neutral

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Winterizing a Boat’s Potable Water System

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Winterizing the portable water system
Make sure you open all faucets and spigots, and pump dry your boat’s potable water system. Tim Barker

Much has been written about the importance of winterizing the cooling systems in marine engines, but depending on the boat, water might lurk elsewhere. For example, many boats have potable water stored in a tank below deck and delivered via pumps to faucets, showers, heads and freshwater washdown spigots.

These systems also require proper winterization for long-term boat storage in regions subject to temperatures of 32 degrees F or below. Otherwise, the H2O can freeze, expand and crack components such as faucets, fittings, hoses, pumps, accumulator tanks and even the water-storage tank itself, resulting in a hefty repair bill. Even in warm locales, boats stored or disused for more than a month should drain potable water systems to avoid stale, smelly, foul-tasting drinking water.

Read Next: Installing A Cockpit Shower

This project is best undertaken after the boat has been hauled for the winter, but if it is still in the water, turn off the shoreside water hookup and remove, drain and stow the freshwater hose before getting started.

Here are the steps required to protect the elements of your boat’s potable (aka fresh water) system from freeze damage this winter.

Skill Level: 1 of 5

Finish Time: Approx. 2 hours

Tools and Supplies

  • Nontoxic marine propylene glycol antifreeze with a minus-100-degree F rating ($10.99/gallon, westmarine.com)
  • Camco Water Heater Bypass Kit to avoid filling water heater with antifreeze ($29.99, westmarine.com)
  • Screwdriver and wrench sets (to install water heater bypass and remove/reinstall accumulator tank)
  • Funnel
Opening outlets for portable water
Open All Outlets Tim Barker

Turn on all faucets, shower wands and freshwater washdown hose bibs, then turn on the supply pump(s). Allow the pump(s) to run until the potable water storage tank is dry. Then close all of the outlets and turn off the pump(s). If your potable system has an accumulator tank, you’ll need to drain it by removing the hoses and pouring the water out. If it fails to drain completely, remove the tank and shake out or blow out any trapped water, then replace the tank, hoses, clamps and connectors.

Use the correct antifreeze
Correct Antifreeze Tim Barker

Buy nontoxic propylene glycol antifreeze. Be sure it’s the nontoxic antifreeze such as West Marine’s Pure Oceans or SeaFit marine water-system antifreeze. Common ethylene glycol automotive antifreeze that you put in a radiator is highly toxic; avoid it at all costs. Where temps drop below zero degrees F, look for a freeze rating of minus 100 degrees F, because any residual water will dilute the antifreeze; a minus-100-degree F rating ensures that the resulting solution will maintain adequate protection levels.

Pour in the antifreeze
Pour in Antifreeze Tim Barker

Open the deck fill for the potable water storage tank and pour in 4 to 6 gallons of nontoxic propylene glycol antifreeze. You might need a funnel to avoid spilling any of the fluid. The number of gallons that your boat needs will depend on the capacity of your boat’s water system (check your owner’s manual to determine the capacity of the potable water system for your boat) and whether or not you choose to fill the water heater tank or bypass it and drain the tank separately.

Flooding the system
Flood the System Tim Barker

Turn on the boat’s potable water supply pump(s) and, if you did not bypass the water heater, open the hotwater faucet or shower nozzle farthest from the pump to fill the water heater. Once the propylene antifreeze is coming out of all of the hotwater faucets, nozzles and spigots, turn them all off. Then open the coldwater fixture farthest from the pump and wait until antifreeze comes out, then turn it off. Repeat for all fixtures, working your way back to the one closest to the pump, then turn off the pump(s).

Dispose of the antifreeze properly
Antifreeze Disposal Tim Barker

While you’re winterizing or recommissioning your boat next spring, avoid spilling or draining any antifreeze into the water, on land or in storm drains, even though the antifreeze is nontoxic. Dispose of spent antifreeze in a manner consistent with federal, state and local regulations. The best practice is to drain the fluid into bottles, cap them, and drop them off at a hazardous-waste disposal facility. Contact your local environmental, health or waste agency to find hazardous-waste collections near you.


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9 Tips for Winterizing Your Boat’s Marine Electronics

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Raymarine MFD being winterized
Protect your electronics this winter. Courtesy Raymarine

You might not think marine electronics need winterization, but they do. Here are tips from Jim McGowan, marketing manager for FLIR/Raymarine, for preparing your marine electronics for long-term storage this winter.

Remove and Store

If practical, remove your electronics from the boat and store them at home.

Back ’em Up

Save your waypoints, routes and tracks to external media. With multifunction displays, you can back up to a microSD card or sync to an app on your mobile device. Should anything bad happen (such as theft), at least you’ll have your data saved.

Wash and Cover

Use fresh water, mild soap and a microfiber towel to clean and dry electronics left aboard. Then protect each unit with a sun cover. Wash radar scanners, GPS sensors, and thermal cameras too (don’t use a pressure washer) to remove salt and bird droppings before shrink-wrapping.

Lens Advice

If you have a FLIR camera, place it into its “Park” position, which faces the lens surface down to protect it from damage.

Not Too Tight

If you are shrink-wrapping the boat yourself, use care when covering radar and satellite antennas. If too tight, the wrap can warp open-array antennas or crack dome housings.

Connector Care

Ensure plugs and cables are not exposed to the weather, to protect the pins and contacts from corrosion. Label the cables as you are removing them for reference next spring.

Transducer Tip

If you have an in-hull transducer that uses a reservoir, check what kind of liquid is inside. It should be propylene glycol (nontoxic antifreeze), but sometimes it ends up just having water inside, which could freeze and split the housing.

Power Down

Turn off circuit breakers to your electronics. Your boat might also have power to NMEA 2000 networks. Switch it all off to preserve your batteries for next spring. One exception is your boat’s security system, which needs to stay on to help thwart would-be thieves.

Chillin’ Out

Before leaving marine electronics aboard your boat through the winter, check the temperature specification ranges for storage of your particular units. This might differ from the operating temperature, both of which you can find in your owner’s manual or on the manufacturers’ websites.

“Raymarine MFDs, instruments and other devices with screens can all remain on board for the winter as long as you are comfortable with your boat’s security situation,” says Jim McGowan, marketing manager for FLIR/Raymarine. “The cold weather won’t bother them at all. We do extensive cold-weather testing on our displays, and certify them for storage at temperatures ranging from minus 22 to 158 degrees F.”

Not all marine electronics are rated for storage at such low temperatures. Simrad’s NSS Evo3S multifunction displays, for example, are rated for storage down to 4 degrees F. If you anticipate temperatures dipping below the rated temperature, whichever brand you own, make plans to remove it from your boat before it’s shrink-wrapped for winter.

In addition to temperature considerations, think about suspending any subscriptions you use to receive information through your marine electronics. For example, if you have a subscription to a satellite service such as SiriusXM radio, marine weather or Fish Mapping, you can suspend your account for winter when your boat is not being used.

SiriusXM allows you to reactivate in spring without penalties or fees. It’s worth checking with SiriusXM or other providers to see what is possible, and perhaps save some money over the long, cold winter.

The post 9 Tips for Winterizing Your Boat’s Marine Electronics appeared first on Boating Mag.

Three Best Fuel Additives for Boats

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Fuel additives for marine engines
Additives can keep your fuel system in top condition. Courtesy Techron/Chevron, USA Fuel Service, Gold Eagle

Everyone tells you to use a fuel conditioner, especially when running ethanol-laced fuels in your engine. It’s common knowledge that treating your fuel can help keep it fresh when it sits for long periods of time. But with so many on the market, which one should you choose? We review three of the top performers to help you narrow it down.

Techron Protection Plus Marine Fuel System Treatment

Pros: Techron’s alcohol-free formula does not contribute to water absorption in the fuel, helping to minimize corrosion damage caused by water separation in the fuel system. Its detergency removes and prevents deposits on valves and piston tops, and also prevents gumming and varnishing in the fuel system. Reportedly, its formula stabilizes fuel for up to 24 months. It can also treat diesel fuels. It’s available at many larger online and brick-and-mortar big-box retailers, and the pricing is competitive.

Cons: Might not be available at local marine suppliers.

Price: $10.49 for an 8-ounce bottle; amazon.com

Gas-Shok Plus Water Absorber & Fuel Stabilizer

Pros: Gas-Shok advertises that it controls and disperses water in boat fuel tanks and systems, protects rubber and plastic seals and gaskets from ethanol damage, restores lost fuel economy due to carbon-fouled rings, valves and injectors, stabilizes all gasoline blends, including ethanol blends, and adds lubrication to extend fuel-pump and injector life. Gas-Shok is available locally and works well to ward off fuel degradation when used regularly.

Cons: Might not be available for sale in your local market unless a dealer network is active and aggressive.

Price: $18.85 for 8-ounce bottle; usafuelservice.com

Sta-Bil Storage

Pros: Sta-Bil Storage fuel stabilizer is widely distributed and offered nearly everywhere and has been available for decades. Dubbed “America’s most trusted fuel additive,” Sta-Bil Marine is said to be engineered to combat the effects of harsh marine climates, providing defense against the harmful effects of ethanol-blended fuels with industry-leading water-removal properties. Sta-Bil is advertised to keep fuel fresh for up to 12 months. Available at most marine dealerships and big-box retailers, with a competitive price.

Cons: Shorter advertised fuel life than some brands (12 months vs. 24).

Price: $8.98 for 8-ounce bottle; basspro.com

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How to Leave Access Points in Your Shrink-Wrapped Boat

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Shrink-wrapping a boat
It takes a little preparation to shrink-wrap yet still accommodate over-winter work on board. Capt. Vince Daniello

Shrink-wrap offers quick, thorough protection against harsh weather, but most shrink-wrap jobs leave little—if any—access to boats while covered. If your plans include over-winter work beneath that cover, consider these enhancements to your boat’s wintertime wrap.

Zipper door in shrink-wrap
Zipper doors make access easy. Courtey Dr. Shrink

Zipper Door

It’s tempting to just rig a flap taped over an opening, but pros say that causes trouble. “Shrink-wrap tape sticks well on fresh film, but when it’s cold or snowy, that tape won’t stick,” says Ryan Polcyn from shrink-wrap supplier Dr. Shrink (dr-shrink.com). The result is frustration while you’re aboard, as well as a potential failure point in winter storms. “Zipper doors allow smooth, easy access as many times as you need,” he says. Dr. Shrink’s doors range from 36-by-30 inches all the way up to 82-by-42 inches to ease access for people, parts and tools.

Wait until after the wrap is completely installed and shrunk tight before taping the closed door’s perimeter in place, and at the very end, unzip it and cut the film spanning inside the doorway. Bigger doors aren’t necessarily better because you’ll want to orient doors on flat areas as near vertical as possible to avoid leaks that often come if doors turn corners. Plan ahead so you won’t block doorways with supports or straps, and stay clear of easily damaged seat cushions.

Vertical supports installed
Vertical supports build in headroom for working. Capt. Vince Daniello

Headroom

Instead of a straight slope from the radar arch or hardtop to the transom, add vertical support posts aft, if that’s your boarding or work area. Just be sure centerline ridge posts are higher than posts farther outboard so the cover will shed snow and rain—try for at least a 1-foot rise for every 8-foot run. Fit plastic caps atop two-by-four posts to protect shrink-wrap film, and rig straps to hold those posts upright.

Vent for shrink-wrap
Extra vents will accommodate wintertime work. Courtey Dr. Shrink

Ventilation

Polcyn suggests increasing ventilation by half—a 30-foot boat normally needs eight vents, so increase to 12 vents to accommodate wintertime work. “Vents should be about one-third of the way down from the top ridge, spaced evenly around the boat,” he says.

Heat

Polcyn, from Michigan, points out that small gas heaters, like the Mr. Heater brand, are routinely safely employed in small, fairly weather-tight ice-fishing shanties. With adequate vents installed in the boat’s cover, he is nominally concerned with low oxygen or high carbon monoxide from using such heaters while working aboard. Still, he prefers electric heat whenever possible, principally because a byproduct of burning propane is water vapor, which invites mildew beneath the cover. Electric heaters dry the air instead.

Blue Shrink-Wrap

It absorbs the sun’s rays and sheds snow faster than white, but the light beneath blue wrap is dim and shaded blue. Switch to white wrap to vastly improve work-area lighting. White also stays cooler during warm springtime workdays.

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What to Look for in Shrink-Wrap Tools

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Shrink-wrapping a boat
Vince Daniello

Shrink-wrap heat guns range from a few hundred bucks to more than $1,000. While it’s true with heat tools that you get what you pay for, DIY boaters probably don’t need—or even want—some of the features available on top models. To get to the heart of heat-tool comparisons, I asked two industry pros for their hot tips on selecting the right gun.

Reach

Chuck Milliken, president of heat-tool manufacturer Shrinkfast (shrinkfasttools.com), says it’s safer to minimize climbing ladders while heating shrink-wrap. Less ladder work speeds up jobs too, which is why ­professional installers appreciate Shrinkfast’s 998 top model ($599), a heat tool that offers several extension combinations spanning from 2 to 8 feet. But that reach and flexibility is beyond what most DIY boat owners require, although large boats, particularly those that are both tall and wide near the top, benefit from long extensions.

Ripack heat tools (ripack.us) are similarly intended for professional installers or large jobs, with four models offering multiple extensions reaching past 6 feet.

Shrinkfast’s slightly smaller, lighter prosumer MZ ­model ($499), beginning in spring 2022, will offer a 3-foot ­extension that meets most DIYers’ needs. (By starting at the bottom and working up, Milliken says rising heat does much of the work, minimizing direct heat needed near the top.)

A 3-foot extension is available for Dr. Shrink’s consumer-­oriented Rapid Shrink 100 heat tool (­dr-shrink.com).

Shrink-wrap tools
Choosing the right heat gun will make shrink-wrapping your boat easier. Courtesy Dr. Shrink

Heat

Shrinkfast’s 998 pro model puts out 200,000 Btu—around 1,100 degrees F measured 6 inches from the gun’s tip—compared to 60,000 Btu and 730 degrees from the MZ model. (Shrink film reacts around 200 degrees.) Keeping either gun in the same spot—for just fractions of a second—will burn shrink-wrap, but Milliken says the MZ’s lower temperature provides a forgiveness factor two to three times longer against momentary lapses.

Dr. Shrink’s RS100 ($415) falls between the two, with 100,000 Btu output. Ripack heat guns range from 55 kW (near 200,000 Btu) to 80 kW (almost 300,000 Btu).

Notable Features

Ryan Polcyn from Dr. Shrink, a leading shrink-wrap supplier that sells all three brands mentioned, says: “They all self-ignite with the trigger pull and include a regulator, 25 feet of hose and a carrying case. It comes down to Btu and build.” Dr. Shrink’s RS100 is a budget tool for DIY boat owners. Its plastic body (with all-metal innards) won’t stand up to hard use as well as all-metal Ripack and Shrinkfast tools.

Gloves for protection
Safety glasses guard against hot-air blowback when sealing pleats, as well as rare drips of hot plastic. A long-sleeved shirt or Kevlar sleeves protect arms, and a welder’s glove covers the hand opposite the gun. Secure long hair and keep a fire extinguisher close by. Courtesy Shrinkfast

Safety

Shrinkfast and Ripack models include a dual-­action safety integrated into the grip, as well as an outer heat shield encircling the combustor that stays cool to the touch. Both carry UL approval in the US, as well as ­Canadian CUL and European CE certifications. The RS100 heat tool lacks the cool-to-touch heat shroud and trigger safety. Hoses and regulators are UL-approved, but the heat tool itself is not.

The post What to Look for in Shrink-Wrap Tools appeared first on Boating Mag.





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