Wilderness Systems Aspire 105 / Another Toy

Rev. 7-22-2024

Wilderness Systems Aspire 105 / Another Toy

My daughters Perception Impulse got me hooked on marsh exploration and paddling, but I discovered
2 problems:

• It's tough to go with her when we have only 1 kayak.
• My back and bum wanted a more adjustible seat. The Impluse is very good--better than some chairs in my house--but I'm very old and stiff.
• I wanted to explore the Potomac River near my home, but it features whitewater, and though I'm not interested in serious whitewater, like a good breeze to a sailor, a few waves look like fun. Unfortunately, the Impulse stinks in white water.
  

I've hunted high and low (a Practical Sailor article on kayaks for the sailor is probably in the works), rented or borrowed many kayaks, and picked up a Wilderness Systems Aspire 105 yesterday. A hibred kayak, it features some of the shape of a whitewater boat (increased fore/aft rocker and limited keel) to allow quicker turns and to reduce the tendency of the current to grab the ends and spin you around. The thigh braces are better, and the seat has more adjustments to help hold the paddler in place; still, the seat is too wide and the boat too stable for effective edging, and there area pair of groves in the bottom that tend to grab water when side-slipping.  On the rec side it has a larger cockpit and storage more typical of sea kayaks. To provide straight tracking on flat water, it has a retractable skeg near the transom, yet angled and far enough in to prevent damage. Though it cannot be Eskimo rolled, the increase volume forward makes it easy to reboard after capsize. I tested that theory after neglecting to edge correctly pealing out of an eddy; it seemed so stable, but that big chine can sure catch water. It was a simple matter to flip it back over quickly, scooping only a little water, flop up on the bow, and slide myself back, all the while in fast moving but relatively flat water. The big cockpit opening makes reentry easy.

Basically, an upgraded recreational kayak with a few features to make it more at home in moving water.

Just north of Widewater on the C & O Canal. I had to special order a different color; I just couldn't see bight orange in a wilderness setting.

How do I like her? My first forays into whitewater assured me that she is more capable than I am at this point. On flat water, it seemed faster and the seat is a big improvement. If I were buying a boat strictly for sailing, I still like the Impulse; it's simpler and lighter. But for longer days, further afield, and more variety, the Aspire seems a good choice. It may prove the optimum choice for running long stretches of flat and moving river and for the occasional rough day on the Chesapeake.

Update 5-5-2013. Jessica and I took the Aspire and Impulse out on the open Chesapeake just as a small craft advisory had lifted; still a bit bumpy, and the water is still only 13C. Lots of laughs and relaxing too. The lessons:

• The spray skirt, which is required for whitewater, would have been nice in the rough water. We took enough waves to require bailing about every 20 minutes (1/2 gallon). a little safer and warmer too.
• Entering a kayak from the transom when the waves are rolling 2-3 feet is daunting. Possible, but non-paddlers will hate it.
• Speed. Identical.
• Stability. About the same; the Aspire has greater initial stability, but the impulse has a very good feel for secondary stability.
• Comfort. The Aspire has a nicer seat and thigh padding.
• Maneuvering. The Aspire is very nice in the waves and wind with the skeg up, but the bow blows off with the skeg down. Once back on track, the skeg is nice and we like it on flat water. The Impulse, not surprisingly, is somewhere in between. No question, the Aspire is more maneuverable, but for general use both are fine.
• Weight. I need to weigh them. The Aspire is only reported to be 4 pounds heavier (44 vs 48), but it seems like more to us when pulling it on deck. On this factor alone, we give the Impulse top marks for good paddling and light weight; simplicity pays.

On the Potomac above Old Anglers Inn. I was surprised to be able to catch this while on moving water. Credit to image stabilization and a stable kayak. He was several hundred yards away.

Update: June 2016 I noticed that the water tight bulkhead separating the stern compartment had started to leak, either the result of rough treatment in white water, or perhaps the result of dropping dropping down onto the seat. It was easily repaired with polyurethane caulk--Locktite PL S30(NOT silicone).

The skeg has also developed some severe cracks, though it still works.

I made a cockpit cover from some scraps of Sunbrella. Helps keep it dry and keeps the UV off the seat, the most vulnerable part (I keep it on the boat, on its side, all year). 

Update: 7-22-2024. It's proven to be a durable boat, stable and  capable. Very nice for kayak fishing (I have a pair of rod holders behind the seat--not vital but nice). However, I think I would suggest the Aspire 100 for any paddler under 200 pounds. It's just bigger than I need and thus harder to paddle. But you might appreciate the stability.

Inflatable Rehabilitation

When I bought the boat I honestly did not expect the tender to survive more than a season or two. She was 10 years old and faded, and didn't hold air too well. It was just a matter of time. As it turns out, Hypalon is surprisingly durable stuff and 5 years later she's going strong... with some rehab.

This time it was a bit of pealed rub rail and a wear patch that was starting to go through. A bit of heavy wader patch material (2 layers this time) and some 3M 5200 and she's right as rain. The masking tape is simply the most practical clamping method, since the stuff cures slowly. Is there a faster cure cement? Sure, but I don't keep it handy since it cures in the tube, it seems, certainly if you open the tube. I have used 3M 5200 before for wear patches and
gluing bits down. I wouldn't use it for patching a hole, but it does well for mechanical purposes. The rope scrap is in there just to apply clamping pressure to the edge.

(How is the tender supported in the air with the lifting tackle removed? The tricing lines, of course.)

Other repairs over the years?

• Replaced lifting spreader (plastic replaced by aluminum).
• Replaced floor. Fortunately for me, a demo with defective tubes (but new floor) was pitched, that only needed trimmed for length.
• Repairs to flow followed by replacement of floor.
• Lubing valves. A few drops of glycerine in the valves restores them to like-new performance for 6 months. Ever since I learned that trick she has held air just fine for a month at a time.
• Paint. I figured even if the paint didn't look that good, it would serve as sun screen. I'm more about function that appearance.
• A rub rail on the stern.
• Cut off the bow handle. It snagged when lifting.
• Added rod holders. Handy for numerous long items.
• Added fuel filter to outboard. I really do want it to last, as you can't buy 2-strokes any more and the 4-strokes are huge. Started using Biobor EB (top performing corrosion inhibitor).

What's next? I'll touch-up over these patches and perhaps re-paint in 2 years. I have a replacement seat I found that I need to pop in (same free source as the replacement floor). 

Some day, a replacement will be in order. Will I go bigger, an RIB with enough motor to scoot? I don't think so. While that is without question the right answer in some locations and for some people, for the Chesapeake with her soft beaches, short runs, and flat harbors, I think I prefer light weight and super-shallow draft to something beefy. I might go 6 hp, up from 3.5 hp, but that's it. light is nice.

Maryland DNR Tries to Understand Bottom Paint

Many marinas are coming out with new rules for DIY projects. OFten the boat owners gripe, but to me, these rules are very reasonable. The below is from a Chesapeake Bay marina. My thoughts are added and underscored.

• No wet scrubbing, hosing or pressure washing of bottom paint allowed while blocked on land. Would you want someone making a mess in your yard? Reasonable enough.
• Use filter cloth or tarp when scraping/sanding. Would you want someone making a mess in your yard?
• No dis-colorization may be noted on the ground under any vessel. Would you want someone making a mess in your yard?
• ALL paint cans must be placed outside of the shop on pallets after use. Paint cans that contain any wet residue are very likely hazardous waste. They cannot allow you to place them in the dumpster with regular trash. You can of course take them home, dry them, and put them in the trash.
• Do NOT throw any paint cans into dumpsters. Staff will properly dispose of paint cans. See above.
• Do NOT throw paint brushes, rollers, trays into office lot dumpster if WET. See Above. I always leave them in a neat pile under my boat (on a tarp and covered by the tarp) when finished; by the time I come back to launch they are dry and can be pitched. Very eas and much neater than fooling with the stuff wet.
• Put all used painting materials outside of shop for disposal by staff. See above.
• Office lot Dumpster is the ONLY dumpster for commercial waste. Very likely it goes to a different landfill, rated for industrial waste.
• ALL other dumpsters are for residential waste (trash, paper, bottles, cans, food, etc.)
• If in doubt, place item outside of shop door. Staff will dispose of properly.
• Shrink Wrap must be bagged and placed next to dumpster outside of Chandlery 

 "Please remember to inform the office of bottom paint applied. We need the date applied, manufacturer, type and quantity applied. Management must log paint applied on a daily basis and report to the state monthly."

 This all seems very reasonable to me. Most requirements are simply restating MD DNR regulations. The last line is intrusive, but as we will see, is logical for the marina.

Why do they need to know the type of paint? Maryland has passed a law that will restrict the VOC levels of paints applied, and marinas are only allotted a certain amount of non-compliant applications. Compliant paints contain less than 400g/liter VOCs.

http://www.boatinglaw.com/maritimear...eVOCs2012.html
http://www.dsd.state.md.us/comar/get...11.19.27-1.htm

Because they need to calculate the amount of emissions from paints that contain VOCs over the MD limit. You can get this off the MSDS or tech sheet. I found the paints I have used--I checked several and they were all traditional high-Cu solvent paints-- contain less than the mandated 3.3 pounds/gallon, so no problem. You DO NOT have to go to water-based paints, not in MD. Anything less than 400g/L will pass.

Pettit Horizons-------------323
Pettit Trinidad--------------400
Pettit SR 40-----------------330
Interlux Micron--------------330
Interlux Bottom Coat------465. And I bet this gets reformulated soon.

This e-mail has no impact on me, as I always did bottom painting this way. They are just asking us to be clean.

• Let the marina power wash the boat where it can be contained.
• Sand with a good vac set up. As a side benefit, you don't risk your lungs and the guy working next to you doesn't get red dust on and inside his boat.
• Dry your paint waste and tools before you trashing them. Try to use all the paint!
• Read the paint spec sheet. VOCs are easy to manage. 

And finally, use a 2-year paint. Just my opinion. But if I do the work only 50% as often as and annual practice, it just stands to reason the impact is less. Anytime you can benefit the environment, save money, and save work.... Well, the smart choice is just plain obvious.

Spring Break 2013

Long planned, long anticipated by my now-a-senior daughter, it was to be a glorious thing in dazzling spring weather. Nature disagreed, dishing out one of the coldest springs on record. We got 3 inches of heavy snow (March 25) the day before we left.

However, with a forecast for 3 days of sun and determined teenagers, we cast off. We have a heater.

Day 0ne. Deale to Slaughter Creek.

A pleasant down-wind run in a 10 knot breeze with he spinnaker up; cool (we had to shovel snow) but nice. Slaughter creek is well protected from the predicted west and northwest wind, particularly up near the bridge, and the holding ground is positive.

The main attraction of Slaughter Creek, to my tastes, is the access to the Taylor Island Wildlife Refuge. Certainly in the top 3 places in the Chesapeake to explore by kayak or dingy and my personal favorite. The marsh extends for miles and miles, and the guts and ponds sprinkled through the marsh make it possible to get quite lost. Simply wonderful.

The kids--my daughter and 2 friends--took off in the dingy while I warmed in the cabin for a few minutes, and then I followed in the kayak. Jessica's parting words had simply been "we'll be back for dinner," and by the time I hit the water they had disappeared into the marsh without a trace. I paddled for about an hour, following trackless paths wherever they led, enjoying the flow of the tide and the few fish that were darting about. Northern water foul have not yet left for the summer. Eventually I found my self wondering how far my girl might have gone; though she operates the dingy well, no outboard is completely reliable and you can't walk home from too deep in the marsh. They did have extra gas and paddles and paddles, though inflatables are pigs to paddle. I stopped and listened in the absolute silence. A salt marsh soaks up noise, like new fallen snow. I couldn't hear the engine, but I could hear intermittent voices, just bits of teenage boy carried on the wind, seemingly from miles away. And then they came around the corner. We had probably been separated by no more than 100 yards for the last hour, but with the tall grass I had no idea of it at all, no sense of near company. It always amazes me how a salt marsh envelopes a kayaker, severing all outside sensory input, leaving only what is immediate.

It was blowing a sustained 15 knots... but not deep in the marsh.

The evening consisted of a hot dinner, a movie, and kids stargazing under a pile of blankets on the trampoline.

Day Two. Slaughter Creek to St. Micheales via San Domingo Creek.

A more vigorous sail, for certain. A sustained 15 knots growing to 20 knots, some on the nose and later on the beam. Typical nasty Chesapeake chop, with the wind opposed to tide. As we entered the Chotank river the waves dropped, and as we entered Broad Creek we again had the close company of many small boats hand-tonging and dragging for oysters. While sailors we are accustomed to right of way, boat engaged in fishing change that norm. However, the draggers are generally working small mounds of oyster, driving in crazy circles and not crossing channels.

The town itself hold little for teenage boys, but the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum was a hit and we enjoyed some soup in a harbor restaurant. We got double appetizers, since it was claimed by our server that the cook confused oysters with clams. Odd.

No matter what the guides say, San Domingo Creek has terrible holding (or at least extremely variable)  in any kind of breeze. We've been there many times; once we sat out a squall and the anchor dug deep, other times, it just dragged and dragged, in spite of feeling well set. Thus, you've been warned. This time we returned after some hours ashore to find our boat had moved about 30 feet (20 knots sustained); this with a 35 pound Manson Supreme, good scope and power set. It was simply dragging through the mud at about 10 feet per hour. We tried another spot. Worse. We packed up an moved to Baby Owl Cove and were greeted by flat water and a firm bottom, perfect for a good nights sleep, to say nothing of the pleasure of being out of the cold wind. After all, there was bound to be more stargazing on the tramp, under a pile of blankets.

Day Three. Baby Owl Cove to Deale.

Wind. Starting at 15 knots building to 25 knots with gusts to 30 knots, and of course, right on the nose. This is when you feel good about having spent enough on the boat and worked enough on maintenance. Glad that you bought a boat that was built for a pounding and not just appearance at the dock. Some smaller catamarans that I won't name will creak and groan and the pounding under the bridge deck can make them terrible up wind in a blow. They place winches where they can't be reached, not with the 2-handed body core effort required to grind a genoa flat in a fresh breeze.

She battled through without complaint, though a few of the crew felt the motion. We forgot to tell them that hiding below is not the best plan. Jessica and I are--so far--immune to mal de mare, and so easily forget what others may expereince.And when we give advice, the victim is often disbelieving of simple cures to their life-threatening condition.

It has been calculated by the PDQ factory that capsize will occur at about 35 knots on the beam with everything in tight. I believe this is true. We sailed with a full genoa and 2 reefs in the main and certainly she got a little light in a few > 30-knot puffs, but still well within control.Like any multihull, she she point highest when pressed hard, tacking though 90 degrees at 8-9 knots.

And that is the story. Nothing broken, no one lost or injured, no one mad or made miserable. Perhaps a slight overdose of fresh air.

Dig the deck shoes, from  left to right: Borrowed from his dad, boots, and none.

Diesel and Condensation--It Is NOT a Myth

3-23-2013, rev. 8-1-2024

 

Not enough condensation to generate a water layer, but enough to generate haze, encourage bio-growth, and promote fuel system corrosion.

 

The bottle with the silica gel filter is noticeably clearer

Last year I performed dozens of tests for several Practical Sailor articles relating to vent filters and their ability to keep gasoline and diesel dry. Most of the focus was on w-10 gasoline;  I have gasoline engines and self-interest rules, and a regulatory change is requiring vent filters on new boats. We learned that the vent filters conserve fuel, reduce oxidation and reduce corrosion in e-10 gasoline. Also, I did do one quick test on diesel. Sure enough, when the temperatures and dampness were just so in the spring condensation formed in the jar with no filter and the jar with the silica gel filter stayed clear. There were small water drops on the bottom that mostly re-dissolved when temperatures rose.

 

 

The left bottle is sealed the right bottle is not

 

This year I repeated the test, including corrosion coupons in galvanicly coupled pairings, to measure any moisture effect on corrosion. And guess what; the sealed jar stayed clear and the vented jar clouded right up when the weather got damp in March (the test was started in December and the jar stayed clear until this week--the conditions must be just so). The corrosion coupons in the cloudy jar seem a bit worse, but I have not yet disassembled the bundle for examination. There are no added corrosion inhibitors or added corrosive elements (seawater or acid).

It also seems that the silica gel filters do not last as long on diesel (multi-season on gasoline but perhaps only a few months on diesel). I need to confirm this and to think about why it might be so. One reason is that the ethanol in e-10 gasoline tends to scrub the water out of the filter during exhalation cycles, a benefit that a diesel vent filter will not experience.

So much for those that proclaim water condensation in diesel to be a myth. Not too surprising, when we consider that water solubility in diesel is only about 500 ppm at 32F and that the diesel we buy is not completely dry (has some dissolved water). The effect seems quite reproducible, though the small sample size clearly exaggerates breathing. The 1/8-inch x 18-inch vent lines is based upon EPA work on fuel tank breathing and is intended to mimic a 1-year exposure in 1-month, based upon a 40 gallon tank.

What are the practical ramifications?

1. Keep the tank full to limit breathing? Maybe, but there is also an upside to adding fresh fuel in the spring. Do 2 and 3, and then top up in the spring.
   
2. Silica gel vent filter. I would.
   
3. Corrosion inhibitors. Absolutely.
   
4. Fuel polishing? 2 and 3 should prevent the need. If it recurred, I would build a system. based on a lower pick-up and a separate pump. High volume, because you want to catch the crap before it settles. A slow polish system only catches the stuff that didn't settle, and not the stuff that will get stirred up in rough weather, which is what worries me. 
   

Shifting: A New Morse MT-3 and New Cables

The sour note of our last sailing trip is that the starboard side of the MT-3 engine control and the port shift cable both packed-in on the way back. This left us trying to back into the slip with one person shifting manually and the other driving. Because we were far to timid with the throttle with this handicap we failed and pulled the boat in with lines instead, which is really quite easy, just not our normal way. But really neither failure was a surprise. The shifter had been gimpy fo ra year and I noticed a crimp in the port cable when I swapped the engines, but I was too tired to muck with it then.

I shopped around for pricing but found nothing much better than West Marine (I had a discount card handy) and I wanted to do the swap on the weekend anyhow; Jessica has an over night next week with some friends. Spring Break and all that.

The simplest way to run the cables is simply to couple the new to the old with a coupling nut--$0.57 each plus shipping from McMaster/Carr. Unfortunately, UPS didn't make it in time, so I had to go into the shop, play machinist, and make my own. Not difficult, with a bit of 1/2-inch brass rod, drill press and table vise, drill bit and #10-32 tap. Brass is a pleasure to machine, so only about 10 minutes. Thinner stock would have been better, but it is what I had.

The tools and parts:

• MT-3 controller. The starboard side unit had some problems, but the port side is still fine. Lots of good parts. Upon closer examination, the PO had changed the starboard cables and I think the controller damage was done during that effort. I believe they did not remove the fiberglass mount and that this caused them to force the connection (not enough room to work).
• 2 x 8-foot Teleflex Ultra 10-30 universal type 3300 cables. One was failed (cover split and rusting at the engine end), the other makes a good spare.
• 2 x 11-foot Teleflex Ultra 10-30 universal type 3300 cables. One was failed (swivle broken loose at the engine end and buckling), the other makes a good spare.
• Coupling nut. Possible without, but perhaps more difficult. 
• Waterproof grease. Never hurts.
• A few screwdrivers, scraper, needle nose pliers (for cotter pins and c-clips) and Vise-Grip needle nose grip pliers (for engine spring clips). Not very tool-intensive.

I'm thinking the increased flexibility of these upgrade cables may reduce the stresses placed on the cables when the engines are raised; time will tell.

The procedure:

• Release the cables from the engine connections (pull spring clips), remove the plastic end fittings and lock nuts, and pull out of the engines.
• Unbolt the MT-3 control from the fiberglass mount, cut the caulking loose and break it free, but do not it pull out.
• Remove the screws that hold the fiberglass mount to the bulkhead, cut the caulking and break loose.
• Thread 5 feet of rope through the fiberglass mount and suspend it up about 1/2 way. Easier to work with at this height and less cable friction when pulling. Place a towel behind the mount as you slide it down to prevent scratching the bulkhead.
•  Pull the MT-3 control up and remove the 2 screws that hold the halves together (just below the mounting flange, fore and aft). Separate.
• Remove and tag the neutral switch wires.
• Remove the end fittings from the control end of the cables.
• Pull the old MT-3 control out, one half at a time.
• Thread the new cables to the old cables using the coupling nut and pull. work slowly, pushing and wiggling and NEVER forcing. For starboard, stay well to starboard  when going up the bulkhead; the gap is wider and the run easy. For port it helps to reach in front of the battery box and help the cable make the turn. Also, push the cable across under the door more than pulling, keeping it LOW down near where the wires run; if you let it pull up high it will jam. Once across to starboard and visible in the engine well, pull up while feeding across.
• Set the new MT-3 to either pull-throttle or push-throttle, whichever you have. Look at the old control and consult the MT-3 manual. Easy.
• Connect the neutral switch wires.
• Connect the control cable ends. Connect the engine ends, and adjust. This is simple if the handles are in neutral and the throttle at idle. Get everything tight, as vibration will work them loose (when the PO replaced the cables he did not get one hard-to-reach screw tight and it came loose).

I suspect this could be done without removing the fiberglass control mount; the cables would pull fairly far under the battery shelf but you should be able to reach them. I did it this way because I had read a post that showed it this way. I think this way is probably easier.

All of this took about 1 1/2 hours including a lunch break, with the help of my lovely daughter. A one person job? Sure, it could be. In fact the easy button was working quite well and the job was not nearly the epic I feared. However, it's certainly worth replacing the lot all at once, though, onafter the controller is out.

Silky smooth, and very shiny!

A Perfect Early Spring Day

One would supose on the first decent weekend day since New Years that the water would be teaming with early season sailors. High of 58F, 10 knots, only a few high whisps of cloud. But most area boats are still deep in slumber.

Jessica "IT"

We didn't do anything special, just sat on the bow while the autopilot steered. Not much to hit, no gusts to be concerned over. Jessica took a knit hat an used it as a mono-sock, since she neglected to bring socks. We walked on a nearby beach, found half a kayak, and Jessica discovered just how cold the water was (44F).

Bare feet. Teenager in March.

Only one other recreational boat was spotted during the 6 hours we were out. The wind wasn't cold--not after winter--and the the propane heater kept the cabin toasty, almost too warm. Actually, it was a pretty special day, just as relaxing as imaginable.

Carrying Stuff

Spring showed up today, with highs near 60F. It's not that I don't get outside all year, but experiencing the outdoors with fewer layers is a welcome change.

In the summer the cyclist carries all he needs in Jersey pockets: a spare tube and a few tools, a few snack bars, and a cell pone. Dual water bottle cages carry water or sports beverage, and a micro pump is either mounted on the frame or tucked in a jersey pocket. Seatpost mounted carrying bags annoy me with visual clutter and poor functionality; the jersey pockets are easy to handle, present no drag and add no weight, are conveniently out of the way of peddle on your back, and the contents go with you when you change after a ride.

The winter presents different problems. No jersey pockets. Jackets have pockets in the front, in the way. Seat mounted bags are popular, but I always found them annoying to access. A stuck zipper and Velcro to fight with to just retrieve my cell phone.

Enter the water bottle carry-all. I actually looked for something of this sort in the bike shops and catalogs. IT seemed obvious. Nothing.

• I don't need 2 bottles in the winter, so the cage is available.
• Easy to grab off the bike after a ride. 
• Holds all I need it to: a spare tube and tools, snack, and cell phone (the cell phone actually tucks well in--I left it up for scale in the photo).
• Nothing has fallen out in the 2 winters I've used it.

 Simple. Just a give-away bottle I didn't like with the top cut off (leaving just enough lip to restrain the stuff). I spent all of a 1 minute selecting a bottle and hacking; It was just to be an experiment, but it became permanent.

Other permanent experiments? Two years ago I stopped to rest on a trail-side bench and decided I was wearing one layer too many. I spotted a girls "scrunchy" hair tie laying int he mud and used that to bundle my wind breaker to the top of the aerobars. A perfect lashing for a fraction of an ounce.Very secure and very little drag as it is behind the hands and between the forearms.

Why the Gatorade bottle? Mostly I drink water, of course. I find that empty Gatorade bottles are lighter than conventional water bottles, retain less taste, and are free since I do drink the stuff when it gets hot. It's a reasonable balance of energy and electrolytes that I can tolerate well when very hot and possible dehydrated. Often I start out with 2, refill the first with water several times, then drink the second and refill it too. Sometimes they get pitched in the recycle bin before the last push for home, saving some bit of windage and weight. Something like that.

Crimpers: the Good and the Bad

The second article I wrote for Practical Sailor was a 1-year salt environment chamber test of anti-corrosion greases and sprays, terminal blocks, wire types, and crimp connections. Over 300 crimps and 200 screw connections made for the test without a single failure or increase in resistance with time (some quick-connects failed). Credit goes to proper tools; ratchet crimpers make reliable connections time-after-time because they do not release until a preset compression is met.

Proper ratchet crimpers. Most are good, but skip Harbor Freight; I looked at theirs and the action was sloppy. Required features are adjustable tension (small wheel near hinge marked +/-) and dies that make 2 crimps. Proper strippers are important too. While it is certainly possible to use a knife, with stranded wire it is important not to nick strands.

Today I faced a home repair task; an oven with a fried selector switch. After 40 years there was also some failed wire and connectors, so a dozen crimps would be required. I keep my good crimpers on the boat, so I pulled out a pair of cheap ones I've thrown away and then recovered from the can a few times. I've been meaning to pitch them for years, but I'm cheap and good ratchet crimpers cost. And squeeze as I might, I couldn't make a crimp that wouldn't pull of the wire if given a good forceful yank by a helper. Not good enough.

Gone for good this time. Their very existence should violate the electrical code.

Home Depot and Lowes don't carry ratchet crimpers, only the pliers-type, which I dislike very much. Electrical supply houses do, but they're not open after 5 o'clock. Advance Auto Parts carries a perfectly serviceable pair for $29.00, which is quite an acceptable price when you're heading out of town and your wife would like to have her kitchen put back together. They also get thumbs-up for quality, whatever that's worth. Not quite as nice as my Ancor crimpers (for 2.6 times the price) but very, very close.

As with any crimpers, before starting a project make a test crimp with the wire and fitting brand you will use. Take the finish crimp to the bench vise, clamp it in and pull as hard as you can. The wire should not pull out without significant damage and significant effort.

Check Your Diesel pH

In the process of testing a few marina nieghbors' Raycor bottoms and reviewing the literature, I've learned that many diesel tanks contain some seriously acidic water. Literature research indicates that 2,500-10,000 ppm acetate is present at the 95th percentile of contamination--meaning 5% of the tanks contain something equivalent to 5-20% vinegar. Field pH testing produced two tanks with a pH of 3.5-4.5, also like that of weak vinegar. When I carefully pipetted the water and removed all possible diesel, yup, the Raycor water samples smelled a bit of vinegar. None of the tanks I sampled were thought to be infected, but certainly they were, in some small way.

Or could the acidity simply be common in the small bits of water we get with the fuel? That it concentrates in tank bottoms, as condensate extracts what is in the fuel and drags it down? Can't say, other than the tanks with no Raycor water were also tested by extracting the fuel with 5% distilled water and found to have neutral pH.

When I looked at the corrosion testing coupons after just 6 days hours of exposure to our synthetic corrosive mixture, only the most robust inhibitors were doing well, and uninhibited samples were doing very poorly. Premature tank failure from internal corrosion seems likely in most cases.

(No pictures--Sorry. I don't like disturbing the coupons until the exposure is finished)

Interestingly, some formulas that did fairly well in e-10 gasoline testing are not impressive. Not too surprising, now that I think about it, as the ethanol in gasoline has a major effect on corrosion chemistry and inhibitor action. With e-10 the salt solution is always in contact with everything as the ethanol dissolves the water and salt. Not true in diesel. For example, Seafoam did well in e-10 but is failing badly in diesel. One treatment, Valve-Tech, which claims to help suspend water, is actually making the situation significantly worse, with the fuel becoming discolored in just 36 hours. We saw the same trend in testing gasoline additives; any additive that suspended water tended to make corrosion worse, presumably because it made the water more available...

... Which should remind the reader that my gasoline testing has all centered on e-10 for the selfish reason that it is what I have. It is what most of us have. While the lack of ethanol is not likely to make the winners do badly, ethanol may be the reason some failed; they were never formulated for it.

Biocides are failing. Well, they never made anti-corrosion claims.

What is working? Star Tron is doing very well, at least on the upper sections. I believe this is in part because Star Tron is an effective emulsion breaker, preventing water suspension. In the past Star Tron has been unimpressive, generally not doing much, but then again, the effects were always positive. This time it is headed towards being a clear winner. Stabil is doing well, again; while it has never been "best" in in any of my testing, it is always in the upper quarter, suggesting versatile formulation.

_________________

The bottom line?

• Check the pH of water collected in your fuel/water separator. If the pH is less than 5.5 you have a serious problem. Empty and clean the tank, begin using a good inhibitor, begin practices such as vent filters and on-board polishing to keep the fuel dry, and begin using a biocide to prevent infection.
• Check the vapor space of your fuel tank for signs of corrosion (such as the sending unit area). Corrosion from acid products seems to appear first in the vapor space.
• If I had a metal--steel or aluminum--tank I would consider installing corrosion coupons somewhere in the fuel train; a corroded tank deep in the bilge sounds ugly. Perhaps a washer of the appropriate metal in the filter housing would work for many with minimum hassle and maximum probability that changes would be noticed.

A teaser. Practical Sailor will be publishing the results of our lab and field vent filter testing in the fall. In the lab photos below, one jar was sealed, one was vented through a small hose, and one was vented through the same size hose but with a scale-size silica gel filter. Two discolored, sludged and corroded, one did not.   Guess.