Having WD40’d the zipper on my computer case to get it undone and sanded the power leads to make sure of a good electrical connection, I am going to share our ongoing battle with "CORROSION" with you in all its finery as found in, on and around the S/V Glen Farr.

I've lived and driven in Toronto winters most of my life, experiencing the local government’s continual efforts to create a run on Sarnia salt, so I should have been better prepared for salt corrosion than I was. But who, let me ask you, leaves the Toronto Island Marina or Georgian Bay with that idea on their mind. On the way south, whether it be via the St. Lawrence River/Bermuda or the Barge Canal into the ICW, one always has salt water splashing on deck, rigging and self. The inevitable cleansing rain, lulls us all into a fresh water sense of security, as the unseen evils of corrosion have begun.

Before leaving Toronto, for safety, we increased the height of our stanchions and put on new life lines – beautiful vinyl covered stainless steel, clean and white and marine expensive. During the trip down the ICW and through the Bahamas unseen salt water seeped under the coating and on one bright idyllic Carribbean harbour day, a life line broke when leaned on. Later, a second let go. Luckily no man overboard procedures were needed. Our lifelines are now bare stainless steel visible along the entire length and washable. We have since noted that the charter boat companies are ordering their new boats with naked lifelines.

Also before leaving, in order to increase storage capacity, we had a local marine carpenter build us two deck boxes. I knew they were marine quality because of the price and besides that, he said so. Within two years, they had both rotted through. I rebuilt the boxes myself, figuring I didn’t need a marine carpenter to build boxes that would last only two years, I could do that myself and cheaper. When pulling the old boxes apart, I found that the glue joints were reinforced with ordinary steel staples. They had acted like wicks and pulled water into the wood whenever they had a chance. The new one had the glue joints reinforced with SS screws which were then plugged.

While underway one 15 knot, broad reach day, Lynda called my attention to the upper half of the main back stay, where it splits into two. To my shock I could see three strands of stainless steel that were no longer attached to the swaged end. This couldn’t be. Rusted? This is stainless steel we’re talking about, and the rigging was only 16 years old. Figuring that the remaining 16 strands would hold us the last few miles into St. Martin, we lowered the main and motored on. Fortunately in St. M, we found a good rigging shop and applying the old theory of exaggerated reactions, we replaced all the rigging, but that is a later tale.

The next part of the corrosive cruise centres around our electric windlass. After four years of devoted use, it quit. Extensive prodding and poking indicated that it would have to come out and be put into the shop. First step: unbolt the unit from the plate on deck from the motorized unit underneath. Question - why did the #&*# local marine expert who installed this unit put stainless bolts through an aluminium plate? Answer - use drill, several bits, lots of elbow grease, drilling oil and swear words to get the bolts out. Result – won’t drop off the post until further undoing is carried out. Question – Why did the #&**# marine expert who installed this unit not put in place, the protective splash plate recommended by the manufacturer, in order to keep the salt water from eating away the top of the bolts holding the gear box together which must be removed before the unit can be dropped. Answer – Heat – just two inches from the fibreglass deck – no!!! Corrosion Block, Rust remover, corrosion remover. Result – still bringing in the chain by hand. 

Last item for now – brand new wire stocked up for those rewiring jobs which we all know will come along. Stowed in a dry locker, when it came time to solder together those things which needed to be soldered, the wire would not solder. I cut off a short length to get a new surface and retried the solder. Not so lucky. Cut off some more to be sure of a nice clean corrosion free surface…… now that all the wire lies at my feet in little short pieces I realize that even in a dry locker, the salt air has wicked its way from one end of the wire to the other.

Thank gawd we do not have a steel boat.

Next installment: What we do to fight corrosion?

In the previous page from the log, I introduced you to our never-ending battle with CORROSION aboard the S/V Glen Farr. The big "C" is just like blisters – if you don’t have it now, it just means you haven’t got it YET.

I related to you some of the corrosion problems we have and have had. I promised you our solutions to this insidious scourge of the high seas. Solution one, is to come south with unlimited $$$$ so that you can go into marinas at every chance and use paid-for fresh water, hire locals at all times at US dollar prices to do all maintenance, replace aging and rusty items with new that you can order from West Marine or Boat US or … 

The first realization we have come to is, if you are going to have work done, items purchased, installed or built locally in such places as Toronto or Whitby or Midland, inquire seriously about the vendor’s experience in a salt water environment. David Goode*, of Ocean Marine has done a few years of salt water sailing in his own boat and would be familiar with corrosion problems and what items last in a salty, hot and moist climate. Others in the trade are only "fresh water familiar" and have little idea about sun and salt problems. (Ed note: David is one of our Searoom Forum Panel experts).

Another alternative is to wait until Florida to have the work done, where conditions are much closer to those you will experience and where the workmen you are going to deal with are familiar with salt water conditions. We waited until arriving in the south to have our dodger and bimini built. It has withstood 4 years of 12-hour, sunny Caribbean days, winds over 40 knots and salt spray, and is still in excellent shape. We wonder if the same would be true of a dodger/bimini made in Toronto. Quality crafts and trades people exist up and down the island chain. Carol and Bob Farrington, formerly of Oakville, have cruised extensively and now operate a canvas shop in Bequia, SVG and do excellent work.

As I mentioned in the previous log page, we have naked lifelines (no vinyl covering). Moorings, Sun Sail, Stardust now have naked lifelines on their new boats. Not only can you give the lines a fresh water rinse whenever, but also the condition of the strands can easily be examined. When it is not raining regularly, a spray mist bottle or a one quart pot of fresh water and sponge is enough to go over all the life lines and stanchions and swage fittings, getting rid of the salt build up. It also provides an opportunity to examine not only the lifelines, but also lower parts of shrouds, stays and swaged fittings as you spray your way around the boat. If the salt has dried and crystalized, a good idea is to wash first with salt water and then rinse immediately with fresh. The crystalized salt is removed with the salt water. For salty decks, overnight dew and a judicially applied mop early in the morning eliminates the salt. Also, removing as much salt as possible means you are not going to track as much down below later in the day.

You will read and believe it, that standing rigging down here should be replaced every seven years. Start counting when you come out of the Erie Barge Canal. Having your mast come crashing down on deck, as was reported by a sailing vessel 300 miles south of Bermuda, can just ruin your day. As described on the previous log page, Lynda spotted the back stay unravelling in the Anegada Passage (nicknamed Oh My Godda Passage) and we reacted by replacing all the rigging, with the help and advice of Gordon and John of FKG Rigging, St. Maarten. I replaced all the standing rigging for both the main and mizzen masts for US$2700, using Norseman fittings. According to what is said, the fittings can be used twice more, replacing only the 316 stainless wire. The old shrouds can be used for replacing lifelines depending on what the "admiral’s" judgement says.

Whenever having work done in the Caribbean, supervise, supervise, supervise!!!!!

Outside of making the workers aware that their efforts are being monitored, you might learn something. It keeps the US$ priced workers working. They love to stop and talk. Corners do not get cut and hours are filled with progress. Diligent supervision is extremely important in Trinidad and Venezuela.

For electrical wire supplies, whenever an open bare end is showing, use Liquid Electrical Tape to seal off the ends. Whenever you crimp a fitting, smother with liquid electrical tape even if it is shrink sealed. Plug-in connections, whether out in the weather or not, should be sprayed with good corrosion preventer regularly. Products that I recommend are Corrosion Block, Boeshield T-9, Corrosion X depending on your specific needs at the time. As an aside, to keep from losing the little red spray doodad, tape a drinking straw to the side of the can and put the little red, easily lost spray thing in it.

Another good reason for carrying a sufficient supply of anti corrosion products came to us over the last two weeks. We developed a deck leak one night during a rainy tropical wave, which dropped 7" on a nearby island in a 24-hour period. The leak soaked our computer. Three days of judicious drying did only a little to bring the laptop back to life. We then tried little bits of Boshield T-9 spray and let it sit for a day. The computer came back to life and uttered little encouraging sounds. Feeling there was nothing to lose we saturated the laptop with the same anti-corrosion product. Within an hour we were back in business but the lap top now has a character of its own and now and then feels that it knows better than I how to spell. It may be right!

It has been said that in the event that some piece of electrical equipment gets soaked with salt spray, rinse with fresh water, then spray with Corrosion Block or T-9. It has been reported by surprised sailors that "it works".

You will be advised over and over by those who know, to lock your dinghy, lock your motor, lock the gas can, lock your boat. That is going to be at least four locks. Unless you can afford to buy stainless steel locks, you are going to be fighting corrosion of brass locks, or buying new ones regularly at about US$12 each. Again the fresh water fight and liberal use of corrosion inhibitors becomes commonplace. About once every two weeks, I rinse and saturate each lock. In this way I eliminate getting one of those ‘looks’ from my wife when we get back to a dinghy at ten at night in the rain and find that the hasp on the lock won’t release or the key won’t turn. For those locks that are seized, try 1 part muriatic acid with 2 parts water. Soak for about 10 minutes then saturate with Worchester sauce, rinse with fresh water and apply corrosion prevention stuff. You’re right, she could look after the locks herself and that of course would eliminate all further problems?

There is probably a lot more I could go into but you have the idea – regular fresh water treatment, liberal use of quality corrosion inhibitors and regular inspection. And now you are saying –"Do you realize how much fresh water you want me to use?"

Another topic from the pages of the soggy log.