LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
using nontox—a propylene glycol-based, pink antifreeze—when
winterizing all of your water systems,
including engines and other raw-water pumps, but the rationale is
environmental rather than technical.
I would venture to guess that spilling
or dumping permanent antifreeze
into lakes, rivers, or waterways (or
on the ground, for that matter) in
virtually any U.S., Canadian, or other
municipality is illegal. Furthermore,
there’s simply no reason to do so. The
nontoxic antifreeze mentioned in the
article has all the corrosion-fighting
power needed to protect this gear
during winter storage.
Like you, I and many other marine
industry professionals, as well as
individual boat owners, for years
winterized boats using conventional,
permanent antifreeze. One well-known
engine manufacturer even used to
suggest running a mixture of motor
oil and water through the engine
during winterization to inhibit
corrosion. Thankfully, we, and you,
now know better.—Steve D’Antonio
FIN STABILIZERS
The fin stabilizers article by Steve
D’Antonio (PMM Dec. ’08) was up
to his usual high standards of clarity
and insightfulness and was enjoyed
by all here. I would like to add a
suggestion for those considering this
method of stabilization.
I have personally seen two sinkings
as the result of groundings in which
the aft corner of the fin was driven up
through the hull. One case was with
a so-called “breakaway” shaft. If I
were installing a fin stabilizer system,
I would insist that the aft upper
corner of each fin have a large radius
cut on it and that a steel plate be
applied (or let in) to the hull in the
region of potential contact. Local
reinforcing inside the hull should be
carried aft well past this contact
point, if possible, and perhaps some
Kevlar or other super-strength fiber
should be used in the inner layup.
Regardless of what has been done
to support the system inboard, in a
heavy grounding, the shaft is going to
be bent/broken, so preventing the fin
from going through the hull is of
utmost importance.
John Brooke
Centerville, Massachusetts
Indeed, it’s difficult to deny that
virtually any appendage attached to
the wetted surface of a vessel’s hull
could be considered a liability in the
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