Look at the zinc

[All U Get]

I read Rich (P303)'s thread on zincs last week and have had a similar experience. So this season I put two zincs on myself while my boat was on the hard rather than having the yard do it. About half way through the season I got curious about the zincs. Casco Bay Maine also has plenty of seaweed, grass, and other flotsam to foul the prop so I decided to have a look. Since the water was 60 degrees, I decided to make a sight tube from PVC and was able to see the prop and zincs. By the end of the season there was about 20% gone from both zincs and the prop looked great. Thanks to who-ever wrote the tip on using 2 hammers to set the zinc last season.
All U Get

 

[Manny]

Site Tube? I'd like to see that!!! How does it work and how do you make one?

Manny

 

[Rich (P303)]

Cat Is Out...

OF THE BAG!

I was thinking the exact same thing some restless nights. I have to circle the boat about 2 times to see if anything is fouled. It isn't uncommon to see a couple of buoys wrapped around the mooring ball. I have to count the buoys when I go out to the boat... and again when I am about to shove off. Been below on a couple occasions... with lobstermen watching.

Put a patten on that device... if you could make it small enough to stow... it would be a money maker!:dance:

I am with Manny... How do you make one?

 

[Tim R.]

It is really as simple as a piece of PVC pipe and a clear lens adhered to the end. You can use a coupling to sandwich the plexiglass to the end of the pipe. It will also help protect the plexiglass when stored.

I have seen specially made 5 gal buckets with clear bottoms too.

http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2723&Q=325898

 

[Rich (P303)]

:naughty: Tim... the 5 gallon ones are for mussel viewing only! Hey Tim... our daughter Erin got a job where your wife works (I think).

 

[All U Get]

Tim has the idea, there is a commercially made tube but it isn't long enough to look through murky water. I used 5 feet of 3" PVC, because that's what I had, and a piece of plexi I cut slowly with a jigsaw. I painted the inside with flat black spray paint and glued the plexi on with a coupling at one end. You need a small vent in the coupling to allow water to fill against the plexi but not filling the tube. The buoyancy should hold it up under your boat and larger is probably better. I got into the dingy to get low enough for the proper angle and might add a drawer handle on the opposite end for controll. A bigger boat might need a longer tube.
All U Get

 

[sailingdog]

Another idea for the bigger boats is to make one that has a mirror and a 90˚ angle to it...basically a half a periscope. A friend of mine did this for his boat... its a catamaran and the angle was needed to really check out between the hulls.