Recent content by greenalien

I'm posting this because I found that there was a general lack of info available elsewhere, and it took me some exploration to solve the problem myself. If you have a Mariner 3.3 (or Mercury 3.3) with a N/F gear change, you should be able to move the shift lever with one finger. If it's stiffer...

You could always find a similar model of boat and see where they've fitted theirs - although that's no guarantee they are in the right place! That's the advantage of the removable type, you can adjust the position to where they works best - and, being removable, they won't snag your sheets while...

With your boat in the water, run a line from the forward cleats to the aft cleats, then use a sliding line at 90 degrees to attemps to pull the boat sideways. If the bow comes in, move the line aft. If the stern comes in, move the line forward. Once you find the balance point, that's the ideal...

While vinyl chloride is toxic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is safe - unless you burn it and inhale the fumes. However, PVC in its basic state is hard and inflexible, so it's commonly compounded with other chemicals (plasticisers) to make it soft and flexible. One group of these plasticisers -...

If you get a similar problem in the future, you could always email your files to a local print shop, such as Staples, and get them to print your documents for you. Obviously, it'll cost a bit, but if the job is urgent it may well be worth it.

The toxic part of polyurethane is the di-isocyanates used to make it. The vapour from this permanently damages your breathing and mustn't be inhaled. However, once combined in the compound, it's safe - just like salt is made from sodium and chlorine - each unpleasant and dangerous on their own...

Thanks for the suggestions. The van headlining seems to be either foam or felt backed - I wouldn't be happy about using felt onboard, too much likelihood of it getting wet and not drying out. I think I'll probably just use foam-backed vinyl again and hope it lasts another 25 years - by that...

After 25 years, the foam backing of my boat's vinyl headlining has turned to powder, and so all the headlining needs to be replaced. Most of the headlining is fixed to ply panels, which I want to re-use. Before I buy more foam-backed vinyl, is there any other headlining material that will look...

Hi Jerry, Thanks for your response - however, after buying and selling loads of stuff on Ebay, I've concluded that it's best to set a starting price that's the least you're prepared to take for the item - no different from setting a reserve, really, except that it's more transparent to bidders...

Unfortunately, fogging of transparent PVC is usually the first sign that it's about to become brittle. Keeping the transparent material shielded from the sun will certainly prolong its life.

Gas plus microwave. The microwave is very good for heating soup, pies, pasties and ready-meals - drop sails, start engine, start microwave, motor to anchorage/mooring - by the time you've parked the boat, there's hot food waiting.

I'm selling my Nasa Target HF3 SSB Marine Communications Receiver. It's in good working order- auction starting price is £100. The set covers a wide frequency range, from 30kHz to 30MHz, including Weatherfax and Navtex frequencies. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131143904066 Inspection welcome...

If anyone is interested, I'm selling a Target HF3 comms receiver on Ebay - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131143904066 - ideal for weatherfax and Navtex.

MyHermes are the cheapest parcel delivery option, but they keep their costs down by using a large pool of casual / part-time drivers with their own vehicles. I've never had any problems with them, but only use them for sending stuff worth under £50. For anything else, I use UPS's excellent...

The OP quotes £150 for a 30W panel - these days, you can get a 60W panel for around £100, so solar is much more cost-effective. Nobody has mentioned the noise wind-generators make onboard, impossible to sleep with one running, so no use at night if you're living aboard.