Best inflatable boat: 9 compact tenders put to the test
Sep 9, 2021 · Inflatables are everywhere: paddleboards, canoes, kayaks, tents, kites and wings – and inflatable boat technology has long been a practical option for tenders, RIBs, liferafts and lifejackets. But what the ‘new wave’ of inflatable boats brings to the practical boating landscape is the air floor, which makes very stable, very lightweight tenders a very practical option for …
12 diesel bug treatments tested - Practical Boat Owner
Sep 8, 2016 · Tales of diesel bug can seem overstated to some of us. Many boaters have evaded the problem for years, often more by luck than judgement, but with the introduction of biodiesel (often referred to as FAME – Fatty Acid Methyl Ester fuels) and biodiesel mixtures the slice of luck required to avoid diesel bug is going to need to be a lot bigger.
Best antifouling paint: 8 leading options in head-to-head test
Apr 17, 2023 · In June 2021 we coated the hull of a Hardy Commodore 42 with eight of the best antifouling paint products. The motorboat Raymariner, which is the test boat for Raymarine, is based in the Solent and is used three or four times a week for trialling the company’s electronics.. The aim of the test was to compare traditional copper-based annual antifouling paints with a number of longer lasting ...
Best forward-looking sonar: 5 units tested - Practical Boat Owner
May 10, 2016 · The transducer is identical in appearance to the Professional transducer for the FLS 2D so, perhaps unsurprisingly, our results were similar. Our range test picked up the wall at about 90m and, like the FLS 2D, it tended to show spurious depths in soft, shallow channels.
Which adhesive sealant is best? - Practical Boat Owner
Jun 9, 2015 · UniBond FlexTec FT101. PRICE per 300ml: £9.64; Buy now from Amazon; This is a popular builders’ merchant product, a one-part, moisture-curing polymer suitable for a wide range of elastic sealing and non-structural bonding operations.
Lithium boat batteries: 12 of the best options tested
Jun 15, 2021 · The one Transporter unit presently available has a multi-cylinder internal make up, using the ubiquitous 18650 cells. Externally it differs from all the others on test in having copper lugs with nuts and bolts for connecting the positive and negative cables, as opposed to recessed thread stainless steel terminals.
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Antifouling: Everything you need to know - Practical Boat Owner
Oct 31, 2023 · Removing antifouling – Method 1. Dry scraping. Scraping is the cheapest way to take paint off. But which is the best scraper to use? We tried three – a traditional flat-bladed ‘push’ scraper, a triangular paint scraper and a Bahco ‘pull’ scraper with tungsten-carbide blades.
Boat propeller: How to choose the right one for your boat
Jun 5, 2019 · A boat propeller is usually designed with two to five blades (though sometimes more). In the first instance, the number of blades is decided by the weight of the vessel: the greater the weight, the greater the blade area required to push it through the water with a minimum of slip and cavitation.
Best boat battery: Pros and cons of the 5 different types of marine ...
Oct 28, 2022 · Wet lead acid – dual/leisure battery. An ‘in-between’ option is the ‘dual’ or leisure battery. A compromise between starting and deep-cycle batteries, these are popular on boats that carry only a single battery, or prefer to have the same type of battery for simpler charging.