It’s a concept that’s commonly misunderstood, and one that seems counterintuitive; the lighter the load on your engine the greater the likelihood of developing problems.
A few years ago, the owner of a new trawler visited the boatyard I manage. He sat in my office and dictated a moderately long list
Cavitation erosion (and the related erosion or impingement corrosion) is an infrequently discussed yet frequently misunderstood phenomenon that can lead to metal damage and failure. It can afflict everything from engines and generators to plumbing systems and propellers. Cavitation is the formation of voids or bubbles in a liquid that are a result of forces that act upon the liquid. Its important, however, to distinguish these voids from common bubbles as the latter contain a gas, often air, while the former contain nothing. That is, they are vacuum bubbles. Interestingly, the formation of the cavitation void is tantamount to boiling because the boiling point of a liquid drops as the pressure drops. (Its why mountaineers use pressure cookers; at a high altitude and therefore lower atmospheric pressure, water boils at a temperature lower than 212°F.) Thus, cavitation bubbles are essentially a result of low temperature boiling induced by low pressure. Cavitation may occur as liquid moves swiftly around constrictions and through orifices, particularly when such orifices change shape from small to large, as in water moving past a gate valve, or worse, through a partially opened valve. These conditions create a Venturi effect and the rapid change in pressure is conducive to the formation of cavitation bubbles.
After overplanning for a Gulf Stream crossing on my refitted Grand Banks 47, I found myself in a scene that would have shocked anyone.
Your boat and its systems are composed of a wide variety of fasteners.
It’s smart to keep an eye on the boat’s emergency equipment, even between scheduled service intervals.
Discover how Captain Luuc Klop transformed a rugged, unfinished 44-foot pilothouse trawler into “Barabbas”—a stunning, family-friendly passagemaker.
A Veteran of Two Great Loops on Small Boats Considers a Third in a 25-foot C-Dory TomCat.
Setting expectations and communicating clearly can make time on the hard shorter and more fruitful.
It’s not every day that a builder and owner take Hull No. 1 for 1,200-mile, open-water shakedown, but the Demey 60 Spaceship is headed for new frontiers.
The concept process behind Croix du Sud demonstrates how to consider a future refit for a classic build.
Anchoring comes with a lot of variables. Here are the key things to keep in mind in order to stay put.
An Aspen Power Catamarans rally raises the adventure bar with a trip up Vancouver Island’s untamed west coast.
