Irving Stewart takes a closer look at the merits of a used Powercat 525 . . .Friday, 21 October 2011 00:00
In the final part of his two-part mini-series, Peter Caplen completes his balsa-cored deck repair.
While balsa and foam can provide very strong, lightweight decks, the ingress of moisture into the core can cause radical weakening and necessitate major repair work. The foredeck of this Coronet 21 cruiser (pictured) has suffered just such problems. The entire area felt very spongy to walk on, which is a sure indication of problems with the core. There were several areas where damage had been badly repaired, allowing moisture to take hold. To fix the problem, we have already removed all damaged material and repaired the inner skin. This month, it’s time to complete the job . . .
It is said that more people have cut their powerboating teeth in Fletcher sports boats than in any other craft. This may well be true, but either way, driving a classic Fletcher is like driving a Lotus 7. You are close to the water, the wind is in your hair, and the ‘no frills’ fun factor is wonderful.
This mammoth dry back from Musto is an excellent bit of kit. Perfect for wet and rough rides, this completely waterproof backpack makes use of heat sealed straps and a fold down sealing system. It kept all my belongings dry and safe like it said it would, and with lots of room to spare thanks to its massive 42 litre capacity. The only thing I found lacking was that there are no pockets inside the bag, just one big storage area. Reasonably priced, I heartily recommend this kit.
The Boat Mart crew had one of these cunning little gadgets on its stand at the Birmingham Boat and Caravan Show - and judging by the interest from visitors, this is one idea that is going to catch on in a big way. The Asado Flameboy is a tray that attaches to your guardrail using the rubber-lined clamp. You then insert a disposable BBQ tray into the Asado base, light it up and use it as you would at home, safe in the knowledge that your on board coals are not going to set light to your teak deck. It’s not complex or expensive because it doesn’t need to be. It just works.
