Here at Gael Force, we have a wide range of products for all your boating winterisation requirements but it can be time-consuming to find all the right products for this process. To make things easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of our top products for laying up your boat this year.
Disclaimer: This post is intended as a guide. As we come to the end of the sailing season, it's time to consider laying up your boat for the winter and one aspect of this is removing the antifoul from your boat if it is in poor condition. Now, opinions are split on when is best … Continue reading How To Remove Antifouling
With the rudder being completely hollow, I wanted to fill it with a rigid, closed cell polyurethane foam to add stiffness, strength and reduce water ingress. Making that first cut was one of those ‘no turning back now’ moments, but after discovering what lay inside, I’m confident it was the right thing to do.
I wanted to get the rudder and tiller home so that I could assess their condition and make any repairs from the relative comfort of my shed. I liked the idea of wet shot blasting – using blast media in conjunction with a pressure washer – as I thought it would be the quickest method and give the best finish. I was wrong...
Did you know that Gael Force has 3 stores across the UK? Our Inverness Marine Megastore is one of our biggest sites - watch this short video tour and pop in to see what's in store for yourself.
The next priority for this boat is to get it transported closer to home. However, she can’t be transported anywhere with her mast up, so un-stepping her mast was the next step and the subject of this blog. The boat’s mast is deck-stepped, so thankfully it doesn’t have to be lifted 3-4 feet to get it clear of the deck. Still, having the use of a crane to lift and remove it would still be the easiest, safest and most sensible way to get the mast off. Despite this, I had different ideas.
From the brand and material to the size and flooring and everything in between, there's a lot to think about when buying an inflatable boat. Read of our buying guide for what you should consider.
The engine is among the most critical (and expensive) pieces of equipment on a boat, so it would, of course, be prudent to give it a full inspection and test run before any prospective purchase. The engine in question is a Yanmar 1GM10: an 8hp, single cylinder, raw water-cooled diesel engine. These small diesel engines are relatively simple beasts, so armed with the Yanmar workshop manual and the excellent ‘Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual’ (a book every boat should have on board), I felt confident enough to service the engine and carry out some basic fault diagnoses.
Lifejackets are one of the most essential pieces of safety equipment you can arm yourself with, whether you’re out at sea or enjoying the UK's many and varied inland waterways, lochs and rivers. Taking a few simple steps to look after your lifejacket could help save a life as well as prolong the life of this invaluable piece of kit.
On the 5th Feb 2018, I purchased a 26 foot, 54-year-old fibreglass yacht in need of some serious TLC. My plans are to spend the next year or so restoring the yacht and documenting its restoration in this blog post. I plan to strip her back and start again - inside and out – with the aim of taking her across the North Sea to Norway, up to Shetland and beyond.
