JON ROOP
SAMSŪ AMSŪ, NAMSŪ CMS

Marine Surveyor & Consultant
Beaufort, North Carolina

The survey course at Chapman School of Seamanship is comprehensive; it covers all aspects of surveying yachts and small craft but it should only be considered as a starting point. It's a small window looking into a large room. If you have a lot of background in a marine field, it will help prepare you make the transition to becoming a successful surveyor. Without the experience I would recommend taking as many courses as you can and find a job with an experienced surveyor or firm where you can learn as you go. Experience counts as much as, or more, than education. There is no short-cut; plan on spending at least the first five years building your skills, knowledge and reputation to the point where you can support yourself as a self-employed small business owner.

SURVEY SOFTWARE:
Force 5 is word processing software written specifically for pre-purchase surveys. It was developed in the mid '90's by Charlie Corder and Ted Stevens in conjunction with the Chapman School Marine Surveying Course. It is essentially the SAMS recommended format. It's written in outline form and has an edit field to save the most common phrases used for each item on a survey checklist.

By today's standards it is primitive, awkward and not particularly user friendly. I have had less than happy results with support and have heard other users with similar complaints. All that said, it is a good tool for writing a comprehensive pre-purchase report. There doesn't seem to be anything better. It took me while to get proficient with it, I almost gave up before I felt like it really helped. But now it does help; I write almost all my pre-purchase surveys with it. Some surveyors have written their own outline-type formats but I'm a surveyor more than a software writer; I spend enough time at my computer as it is. I'm happy to have it even if it isn't perfect. Other surveyors write reports in narrative form. One advantage of that is being able to overwrite the basic format for boats that are similar. After a couple of hundred surveys are accumulated, it's easy to find something close and a report can be turned out quickly. I tried that but found I was making mistakes; forgot to change fuel tank capacity or something. Many of my clients read every word; when I made mistakes I heard about it fast. With Force 5 I start fresh each time. It takes longer but just about guarantees I have to confirm everything I write. I make fewer mistakes and my clients are very impressed with the level of detail.

I've heard an estimate of around 40% of boatpokers use it. Certainly a large majority of Chapman graduates are familiar with it if not users. It is sold by Stevens & Stevens; there is a web-site that has full information at www.force5.org . When I bought it, I felt it was very expensive. It took me about a year to feel like I got good value from it.

STANDARDS AT THE TIME OF CONSTRUCTION: ABYC recommendations are being upgraded all the time, mostly as a result of accidents and injuries or deaths. There is considerable pressure from safety officials and insurance companies to prevent and eliminate the causes of accidents. New boat builders, following ABYC recommendations, NFPA and CFR codes, try to design out problems that have been identified as causes of accidents. Boats built in earlier years sometimes still have systems or faults that can hurt or kill people on board. Boats are surveyed to present standards as part of the process of trying to reduce accidents and insurance claims. Please bear in mind that ABYC standards are voluntary; there is virtually no enforcement. Insurance companies use them because there are no other standards available. Your insurance company may request that you update the findings so as to lower their risk of having to pay a claim. Compliance is up to you; coverage is up to them.

BOATING CHECK LIST: When you come aboard:

1. Look: Is everything as you left it? Listen: Bilge pumps running? Smell: Anything different?
2. Check: AC panel, polarity OK? Line voltage normal? Amp load normal?
3. Check DC panel, battery voltage normal? Amp load normal?
4. Check bilges, water level low?

Before engine or generator start:

1. Check engine oil, coolant reservoirs, transmission oil, V belt condition and tension.
2. Check under engines, anything leaked? Look for fuel, lube oil or coolant.
3. Check shafts and packing glands. Drip rate at glands should be 1 drop in 30 seconds.
4. Wipe down engines with a rag; cover every surface you can reach. Look at hoses, clamps, wiring and look for leaks.

Before leaving the dock:

1. Start up electronics.
2. Warm up engines 1-2 minutes, pay attention to gauges and sounds.
3. Do a safety drill with crew and guests; show them where to find life jackets, fire extinguishers, throwable life rings. Also, show guests how to use the head and what not to touch.
4. KNOW how much fuel and water are aboard, weather conditions and forecast, where you are going, estimated running time; who's aboard.
5. Undo shore power cord.

At the end of the day:

1. Warm down engines, idle 5-10 minutes.
2. Secure generator, switch AC power back to shore.
3. Check bilges and under engines for leaks.
4. Log your day, engine hours, activities, repairs, etc...
5. Check the head.
6. Clean up, wash down, close the hatches and windows, take out the trash and lock up on the way out.

NOTES ON PROPELLER SELECTION:
In the course of running a boat during survey inspection we routinely perform a wide open throttle (WOT) test. This consists of operating the boat for a brief time, usually less than five minutes, at full throttle and with the boat trimmed out for maximum speed. During this period we observe all the gauges for proper indications of oil pressure, water temperature, alternator output, and tachometer for engine speed.

A large number of the boats tested do not perform to the engine manufacturer specification for rated RPM to develop full power. Many factors enter into this but after accounting for engine service and needed parts it often becomes very apparent the propeller(s) fitted are not the correct size for the application. In most cases the problem is that they are too large in diameter, pitch, or both. Boats get heavier with age from water absorption, larger loads of clothing, food and drink, utensils, tools, spare parts, added accessories, etc. End result is an overload on the engine and a boat that is sluggish in performance. New or reworked propellers are usually the only practical solution.

The propeller(s) selected should allow the engine to reach its rated RPM at wide open throttle with a normal load of passengers and gear aboard.

The use of a propeller that is too large and not allowing the engine to reach its rated RPM will create an overload condition that is detrimental to the service life and performance of the engine. Overloading can cause detonation resulting in damage to pistons and failure of valves. Damage of this type is not normally covered by any engine manufacturer's warranty.

Most of today's gas V-8 inboard engines are rated to turn from 4200 to 4600 RPM at full throttle with high- performance and outboard engines frequently rated much higher. The manufacturer's specifications must be checked to find the proper range for each engine.

Due to variables in boat design, gross load, bottom condition, etc., the correct propeller can only be determined by actual test. A recommendation will be made based on the observed performance. There are no guarantees that it will totally solve the problem but it will improve performance.

BAD TASTING WATER:
Several months ago I asked how to get rid of bad tasting water from FRP water tanks. The two most frequent answers were vinegar and baking soda. Since there were two tanks on the boat, I tried one each way. Each tank was emptied, cleaned and re-filled; one with a quart of white vinegar in 50 gallons and the other with an 8oz box of baking soda in 50 gallons. They were left for about three weeks, emptied, flushed and re-filled. Flushing was a slow process, even those small amounts it was difficult to get out the residual taste.

After weeks of testing, the results are in (drum roll please); the vinegar did a better job of getting the plastic taste out of the water. In addition to leaving more of the unpleasant taste, the baking soda was more difficult to flush out. There you have it, real world results.

WIRE RIGGING LIFESPAN:
As with so many things, it depends. Wire standing rigging on Masts stored indoors every winter is at one end of the scale, it can last thirty years and not show obvious wear. Wire in year-round service wintering in the tropics is at the other, 304 wire with sloppy swage fittings can be toast in five to seven years. Trying to apply a "rule" is like trying to estimate how long ice will last. It depends on the weather. Toggles and turnbuckles are easier, they generally last the life of the boat. I have found cracked turnbuckles twice so there is no substitute for a close inspection. Replacing wire every couple of years makes sense for rigging that is raced hard where physical damage is likely. The common symptom there is broken strands.

A good guideline as to when to replace is to look at the condition of the wire terminals which generally go bad before the wire does. Mostly they are swage fittings which start out shiny, slowly rust and eventually split. Any split in a swage terminal is condemned on the spot, regardless how small, since the rust damage usually starts inside and works its way out. If I see a lot of surface rust I mention it, saying the terminal is near the end of its useful life. Whether it's a B or a C finding depends on my client, if the boat will only be used on nice weekends it could last another season but if the boat is going offshore, replace now.

Roller furling systems are a question mark. I have looked at a few furling systems that were disassembled, usually they were in fair condition but some had problems that would lead to failure. I suspect disassembly and inspection every five years would occasionally find problems that, corrected, would prevent system failure or loss of the spar. On the other hand, many systems work just fine for ten or more years and taking them apart at five would be an unnecessary expense.

Since this is one of those "it depends" situations; the surveyor should make the call in each individual case.

TUNING A SAILBOAT MAST:
When tuning the rigging, the goal is to keep the mast straight while you put tension on the shrouds. Start by sighting up the sail track on the back of the mast. It should be straight but you may see it falling off to one side or the other. Next, look up the side of the mast and see if it bends forward or aft.

Start by spraying some WD40 or penetrating oil on all the turnbuckle threads, top and bottom. Begin with the forward lower shrouds. Alternate tightening the port and starboard turnbuckles, check each time to make sure the mast is straight stays straight to the spreaders. I use a large screwdriver through the body or an open end wrench on the side to turn the turnbuckle; you'll have to hold the swage at the top with a wrench to keep from twisting the wire. Turning the turnbuckle gets harder as you go; it's like tightening lug nuts on a wheel. They want to be tight enough so you can deflect the wire less than half an inch by pulling with your hand at shoulder level. I check the tension is even by tapping the wire with a wrench or a screwdriver; when they sound the same that's close enough.

After the forward lowers are tight and even, sight the mast to make sure it's still straight. Next, do the aft lowers. They want to be slightly looser than the forward lowers. When they are tight, go to the upper shrouds. Tighten the turnbuckles alternately, keep sighting the mast track. The uppers should be a little tighter than the forward lowers.

If the headstay is inside the furler so you can't do much with it. Tighten the backstay until the furler gets tight. You want no more than about two inches of deflection when you pull on it at shoulder level; less is better. You may wind up with the mast bent aft above the spreaders; that's OK up to about 4 inches of deflection at the top. If it comes back a lot further than that, the headstay is too long.

When you're done, the mast should be straight when sighting up the sail track. Sighting up the side, it can be straight or bent aft as much as 4" at the top. Put new split pins back in the turnbuckles, tape them and go sailing. On either tack, the leeward shrouds should stay fairly tight; you might see just a little a bit of slack. If you can see a lot of motion, you can tension the wire some more. Sighting the track under sail, you should see the top straight or bend slightly to windward. If it falls off to leeward, tighten the uppers. Sighting up the side, the top of the mast should stay straight or pull slightly aft. If it pulls forward, tighten the backstay.

WHY MARINE HARDWARE COSTS SO MUCH:
All of us who have purchased some necessary little piece of hardware for our boats have wondered at some time or another, "Why does this cost so much?" These days, going to a chandlery is like going to a jewelry store. We leave with hundreds of dollars gone from our pockets, carrying a tiny bag in one hand. We have all heard stories about how some common item like a flashlight is tripled or fourpled in price when it is sold for a "Marine" application; what's going on here?

Yes there really is a difference in that piece of marine equipment that looks just like its less expensive cousin at the corner hardware. To understand why, follow me while I review a little known piece of the history of metallurgy. It all started during the 1920's with the discovery of durabauxite ore. Three major sources were located, one under downtown Paris, one in Boca Raton and one under what is now the Neiman-Marcus store on Rodeo Drive. At first, little was done with the strange green and gold ore but eventually it was melted down and refined to become the well known plastic metal we call Durabex.

Durabex is a wonderful material; it serves us in the kitchen, the garage and even the bathroom. But in marine use it was a disappointment; it failed as often as any other material and it just wasn't shiny enough. Refinement was necessary. Soon after bathtub gin was invented, in some little-known laboratory in France, Durabex was alloyed with the foil from the necks of champagne bottles and became Super Durabex.

All could have happily ended there for the marine hardware purchasers of the day but progress marched ahead. Super Durabex was alloyed with cash and became SuperDuraBendaFlexaBex or SDBFB. That alteration immediately and dramatically raised the price while leaving quality unchanged. Modern manufacturers took notice.

Once the trend was established, the next step was inevitable. Another improvement was announced during the early 1960's when SDBFB was alloyed with hard currency to become Unobtainium. This amazing product was immediately declared top secret by the Government and all supplies were nationalized. Output was limited and commercial quantities were non-existent while experiments were carried out by the most clandestine of our defense agencies. It was used for years in developing nuclear submarines, stealth aircraft and tactical laser satellites; it provided technical solutions to problems once thought to be unsolvable. Rumors of invisible aircraft and submarines able to break the sound barrier were practically confirmed but ultimately the product was phased out as being too expensive for top-secret applications.

When supplies became available to civilians, the logical use was in the recreational marine field. Today, every product that has anything to do with pleasure boating contains Unobtainium. Thanks to this incredible material, being on the water is as close to perfect as it will ever be; fenders fend, manifolds fold and everything just looks better. You have only to scan the full page glossy ads in boating magazines to know this is so. So the next time you plunk down $69.95 for a bucket and four sheets of sandpaper, remember; it couldn't be better, thanks to Unobtainium.