tcm
...
Welcome to the first issue of Practical Mangusta Owner. This is the online mag for any owner of a boat big enough to buy a sizeable quantity of chandlery, and then lose the lot somewhere on board, so you have to buy it all again. Damn.
Now, many peeps will wonder why anyone needs Practical Mangusta Owner. After all, there's loads of crew. Can't they do it all? Unfortunatley, no they can't. The crew knows sod all about looking after a boat, really, except what they've picked up from looking around other boats. Everyone in the marina uses a hosepipe and big brush to clean up, so best do that too. Everyone seems to do it every few days, so best follow suit. No consideration of the fact that the owner doesn't turn up for three months, so why knock off some more gelcoat if it's not necessary?
Crew know about getting drinks, cooking (but not tidying up much) washing up, spraying the boat with a hosepipe and brushing off the gelcoat, and perhaps getting the engine going if it breaks down. But they don't know a thing about looking after a big lump of engineering costing half a million quid or more. They move on before they see the results of mistakes, leaving you (or me) with the problem. Sure, most hings can be fixed by flinging money at it and buying new stuff. But not all of it can: only a new boat will fix it, and then the same problems will happen again. No aspect of RYA training covers looking after the boat in any depth, not even Oceanmaster or beyond. So you'll need to DIY, or trainem unless you want the boat to rot before your eyes. Or perhaps, direct them here.
This ish is about cushions. No, never mind about the enginey things yet, they're the easy bits. Even a 70 footer will have something like 15 cubic metres of cushiony things to sit on and lie on so it's a fairly sizeable portion of the investment.
IMHO, all the cushions should all be put-awayable, prefereably down below somewhere. All of them. So, a slap on the wrists for those manufactuers who fix the cockpit cushions (seatbacks anyway) so they can't be put away downstairs, and they get rained on or at least need to be seriosuly covered, else they will look less than brand new the following season. Lots of owners then believe that it is solely the exhaust that causes the prob, but the general crud in the air settles gently on the plastic for six months is significant. If your could put the whole lot away, then you could clean things up top. Covers aren't a good substitute for being able to detach the cushion and put it away either down below, or (even better) indoors onshore.
Some manufactuers seem unaware of how to make nice foredeck cushions. They seem to plonk on the foredeck cushion as an afterthought, rather than make it a real destination when underway, which is what it should be. Firstly, of course, the foredeck cushion should be massive- far bigger than an ordinary bed, and be horizontal, not sloping, and needs a bit of a recess so sunflopping people aren't left feeling as though "perched". There should be music control and speakers hereabouts. Of course, there should be some trampleproof drinks holders - not little plastcky things that get get cruched underfoot when cleaning the boat. Perhaps part of the moulding, or at least hidden away from stray foot falls. I can't think of a single productiony or semiproduction boat that has got all this quite right, and most haven't got any of it right.
Yiou can';t do anything about the design, but you can check out the cushions and make sure they are right at least. The correct route to providing a decent cushion outdoors is for the horizontal cushions to be nice thick foam. NOT the closed cell shite that is as hard as nails. Proper foam that "gives" nicley. It should be thick enough so you can land on the cushion on your knees from a standing position, without then needing surgery.
All cushions need TWO covers, one over the other. The first cover should have a plastic finish on its outside, and material finsish on the inside, and should fit tightly, with zip fastener. Leatherette stuff, like pencil cases, only heavier. You know the stuff. This first cover gives mild rainproofing, and protection of the foam if the cushion is unavoidably lashed with a hosepipe by a neighbouring boat or with the inevitable water fight. But mainly, the plastic cover allows a very tight and creaseproof fit of the top cover.
The top cover might be canvassy on the foredeck, or towelly covers are also popular and very cuddly. Zip shut again. With a plastic undercover, these material fabric topcovers can fit tightly, and (most important) will recover their shape and flatness after someone has sat onnem. So, if you see a rucked-up foredeck cover on a boat, it's cos the foam has only one cover, made of material - and the foam grabs this wherver it can. Not only is it impossible to slide on this cover evenly in the first place, but that lack of plastic undercover means it is almost always a bit ruckified, or even very ruckified and looks like a permanently unmade bed. A right mess. Lesson here for larger brit boats, again. Very tatty to see nice big sunseekers and fairlines, even new ones in the brochures - with stripy forecushions all looking a bit wavy and creased. They need a plastic undercover - and the existing floppy material cover could then sit nice and tight, and stay tight.
Warning: some cushions, even those with two covers, may have an additional primary "thin plastic bag" cover of the foam. This makes fitting the first main zipped cover easier for the cushion makers. Get rid of this: the foam inside can't breathe, and will soon go all mildewy with any dampness of the foam. Sitting on the foredeck of an older boat sufering from this will be wiffy in calm weather. Open the whole lot, and check the cushion foam. Even one season with damp foam can mean you need replacements.
Finally, when you do put the cushions away inside a boat (and the crew should do this every time you are away if not on charter) make sure they are stacked vertically instead of flat on top of each other, to avoid cool air being trapped and collecting on big flat surfaces and again risking mildew damage, especially either side of the main summer season when the risk of condensation is greatest. The crew/guardiennage will say that they will "air" the boat regularly so not to worry. Tellem to shut up, and insist that they stackem vertically anyway, cos with loads of cushions some cabins (or one anyway) will be stacked full so no chance of airing wherever the cushions are stashed, see?
Next issue: how to make a new boat last for lots longer within the first half hour of owning it.
Now, many peeps will wonder why anyone needs Practical Mangusta Owner. After all, there's loads of crew. Can't they do it all? Unfortunatley, no they can't. The crew knows sod all about looking after a boat, really, except what they've picked up from looking around other boats. Everyone in the marina uses a hosepipe and big brush to clean up, so best do that too. Everyone seems to do it every few days, so best follow suit. No consideration of the fact that the owner doesn't turn up for three months, so why knock off some more gelcoat if it's not necessary?
Crew know about getting drinks, cooking (but not tidying up much) washing up, spraying the boat with a hosepipe and brushing off the gelcoat, and perhaps getting the engine going if it breaks down. But they don't know a thing about looking after a big lump of engineering costing half a million quid or more. They move on before they see the results of mistakes, leaving you (or me) with the problem. Sure, most hings can be fixed by flinging money at it and buying new stuff. But not all of it can: only a new boat will fix it, and then the same problems will happen again. No aspect of RYA training covers looking after the boat in any depth, not even Oceanmaster or beyond. So you'll need to DIY, or trainem unless you want the boat to rot before your eyes. Or perhaps, direct them here.
This ish is about cushions. No, never mind about the enginey things yet, they're the easy bits. Even a 70 footer will have something like 15 cubic metres of cushiony things to sit on and lie on so it's a fairly sizeable portion of the investment.
IMHO, all the cushions should all be put-awayable, prefereably down below somewhere. All of them. So, a slap on the wrists for those manufactuers who fix the cockpit cushions (seatbacks anyway) so they can't be put away downstairs, and they get rained on or at least need to be seriosuly covered, else they will look less than brand new the following season. Lots of owners then believe that it is solely the exhaust that causes the prob, but the general crud in the air settles gently on the plastic for six months is significant. If your could put the whole lot away, then you could clean things up top. Covers aren't a good substitute for being able to detach the cushion and put it away either down below, or (even better) indoors onshore.
Some manufactuers seem unaware of how to make nice foredeck cushions. They seem to plonk on the foredeck cushion as an afterthought, rather than make it a real destination when underway, which is what it should be. Firstly, of course, the foredeck cushion should be massive- far bigger than an ordinary bed, and be horizontal, not sloping, and needs a bit of a recess so sunflopping people aren't left feeling as though "perched". There should be music control and speakers hereabouts. Of course, there should be some trampleproof drinks holders - not little plastcky things that get get cruched underfoot when cleaning the boat. Perhaps part of the moulding, or at least hidden away from stray foot falls. I can't think of a single productiony or semiproduction boat that has got all this quite right, and most haven't got any of it right.
Yiou can';t do anything about the design, but you can check out the cushions and make sure they are right at least. The correct route to providing a decent cushion outdoors is for the horizontal cushions to be nice thick foam. NOT the closed cell shite that is as hard as nails. Proper foam that "gives" nicley. It should be thick enough so you can land on the cushion on your knees from a standing position, without then needing surgery.
All cushions need TWO covers, one over the other. The first cover should have a plastic finish on its outside, and material finsish on the inside, and should fit tightly, with zip fastener. Leatherette stuff, like pencil cases, only heavier. You know the stuff. This first cover gives mild rainproofing, and protection of the foam if the cushion is unavoidably lashed with a hosepipe by a neighbouring boat or with the inevitable water fight. But mainly, the plastic cover allows a very tight and creaseproof fit of the top cover.
The top cover might be canvassy on the foredeck, or towelly covers are also popular and very cuddly. Zip shut again. With a plastic undercover, these material fabric topcovers can fit tightly, and (most important) will recover their shape and flatness after someone has sat onnem. So, if you see a rucked-up foredeck cover on a boat, it's cos the foam has only one cover, made of material - and the foam grabs this wherver it can. Not only is it impossible to slide on this cover evenly in the first place, but that lack of plastic undercover means it is almost always a bit ruckified, or even very ruckified and looks like a permanently unmade bed. A right mess. Lesson here for larger brit boats, again. Very tatty to see nice big sunseekers and fairlines, even new ones in the brochures - with stripy forecushions all looking a bit wavy and creased. They need a plastic undercover - and the existing floppy material cover could then sit nice and tight, and stay tight.
Warning: some cushions, even those with two covers, may have an additional primary "thin plastic bag" cover of the foam. This makes fitting the first main zipped cover easier for the cushion makers. Get rid of this: the foam inside can't breathe, and will soon go all mildewy with any dampness of the foam. Sitting on the foredeck of an older boat sufering from this will be wiffy in calm weather. Open the whole lot, and check the cushion foam. Even one season with damp foam can mean you need replacements.
Finally, when you do put the cushions away inside a boat (and the crew should do this every time you are away if not on charter) make sure they are stacked vertically instead of flat on top of each other, to avoid cool air being trapped and collecting on big flat surfaces and again risking mildew damage, especially either side of the main summer season when the risk of condensation is greatest. The crew/guardiennage will say that they will "air" the boat regularly so not to worry. Tellem to shut up, and insist that they stackem vertically anyway, cos with loads of cushions some cabins (or one anyway) will be stacked full so no chance of airing wherever the cushions are stashed, see?
Next issue: how to make a new boat last for lots longer within the first half hour of owning it.
