Times of high humidity are bound to come, and then cake stands and sprayhoods will suffer. If the boat is unoccupied during the week, the usually closed and poorly ventilated space above the cockpit encourages the formation of mould and mildew stains. These in turn make lighter-coloured fabrics in particular unsightly and can cause mechanical damage to the fabric and yarn material; the fungi and bacteria are not healthy either. Regular cleaning, also from the outside, helps, at the latest in the cycle of recurring deck washes. However, this is an area that is often forgotten.
The industry offers various products for fabric that is already infested; we tried two from Yachticon, which offers the most varied cleaning programme on the yacht market. Treated in winter with the Sail & Fabric Cleaner (13.75 euros/0.5 litres), the boat cover could be cleaned quite well in just one pass. Most of the mould stains disappeared almost completely.
In spring, however, we needed to re-treat some areas, for which we used the manufacturer's slightly stronger mould and mildew stain cleaner (€13.95/0.5 litre). This is sprayed on, spread with a sponge and brush and thoroughly removed with water after a short exposure time. The process can also be carried out overhead on the cake stand and sprayhood when assembled, and cleaner stains on wood, paintwork or upholstery proved to be harmless. The cleaning was quite effective, even if stains remained after a single application.
New equipment
Smaco S300Plus Mini Scuba Tank: simply take a deep breath
The Smaco S300Plus Mini Scuba Tank with a volume of 0.5 litres can supply people under water with breathing air for around ten minutes. This is enough to clear the propeller from a line or scrape pocks from the bottom edge of the keel. The handy compressed air cylinder with automatic breathing apparatus can even be filled using a hand pump if necessary. However, this can take up to 30 minutes. Set price with cylinder, pump and bag 299 euros.
Ankerplex HHP anchor: Anchor made from individual parts
The Spanish company Ankerplex has a dismountable anchor in its programme. The base bar can be dismantled into three parts (shackle, pole, fluke) without tools. As the parts are all flat, the disassembled anchor can be stowed away to save space. A rectangular bag is also available. This makes it easy to stow the anchor in the bilge or in the depths of the forecastle. The ground anchor is available in two versions made of stainless steel and aluminium. The sizes range from 1 to 4, 6, 9, 14, 17 and 23 kilograms. The aluminium versions are available in the same sizes, but weigh only a fraction of the stainless steel versions. Prices range from 60 to 799 euros. The optional bag is available in three sizes and costs between 19 and 40 euros. The anchor harness with 25 metres of webbing and three metres of chain costs 50 euros.
