Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Melges 24 Boat Preparation but were Too Afraid to Ask

Ever wondered how some teams keep their boats looking like they just came out of the Melges Performance Sailboats factory? Got questions about preparing your Melges 24 for your next regatta but don’t know who to ask? Then this article is for you. Justin Chisholm asked renowned Melges 24 boat prep expert Bill Wiggins from Palmetto Performance Yachting (www.palmettoperformance.com) to let us in on a few trade secrets. Bill and his agents have a compiled 50 Years + of yachting and marine industry experience. Bill is affiliated with many top Melges 24 programs such as Full Throttle, Sweaty Betty, Monsoon and Rock & Roll.

IM24CA: What is your goal when preparing a boat for a client?

BW: When preparing a boat for a client, I have a number of goals to reach.
My first goal is to ensure that the boat is clean and organized. This means that the hull has been sufficiently cleaned and polished; the deck is white and without marks or stains and the area down below is neat, clean and orderly.

My second goal is to inspect the hull, deck, spars, appendages, and rigging for undue wear or possible failures. This means a visual inspection of all surfaces. I will also inspect the running rigging by physically running my hands over every inch.

My third goal is to try to make the boat seem as if it had just left the factory. This means that the gear bags are neat, clean & orderly with only essential items; the sheet bags (on deck and below) are emptied of any unnecessary items; and the boat has all factory items in place.

Lastly, I try to ensure that the boat has all of the latest upgrades made legal and available to the Class. If there are upgrades available, I will always contact the owner to offer the upgrade service with cost and benefits.

IM24CA: Describe the main points on your checklist when preparing a Melges 24 for a regatta?

BW: My preparation checklists are lengthy, yet made simple. They really fall back on the key goals above. Before the boat leaves for an event, I go through the boat entirely to reach those goals.

Once the boat is at the venue, I have a post travel checklist that involves re-inspection of the hull, appendages and mast. These are the most vulnerable areas when traveling.
When preparing the mast for stepping, I ensure that all of the pins/fasteners are in place securely and taped with Low-Friction Tape. I also ensure that the halyards are pulled straight and drop coiled to reduce the possibility of hockling or twisting.

Another good practice is to wipe the bottom of the mast butt as well as the mast base plate (on deck) to ensure that there are no carbon fiber shards or other unnecessary dirt particles. These particles may cause the mast to setup improperly which will make tuning very difficult. If the mast is new, I try to do this numerous times during an event. The mast can be rocked backward enough by easing the Highfield lever off down below.

Before stepping the mast, I always measure the current turnbuckle settings (all five). Then I back them all out to max ease. This allows me to wipe the threads with solvent, removing any dirt or gum. One dab of Lanocote or one drop of “One-Drop”, by Mclube before turning them back to the original settings will help preserve the turnbuckles and make them easier to adjust while racing.

Once the mast is up, I always put the forestay on directly. Even if I don’t install the jib. Some folks use the Spinnaker halyard as a temporary forestay. I don’t trust this method because cleats can fail, halyards break and there is always that human element. Enough said?

Tape, Tape, Tape… I also place some tape over the forward-port stanchion head to reduce friction when the spinnaker goes in and out.

I always clean the deck with Starbrite Deck Cleaner before I hand the boat off to the team. While cleaning, I will always soap-up the traveler, cleats and blocks to ensure that the bearings and such are clean of debris. I try to leave that soap on as long as possible before rinsing.

The vang… Some folks find that keeping the vang pressured up is very difficult. I learned last year that if you buy a slightly stronger bike pump it makes pumping it up easier. I also learned that if you spray a little WD-40 into the Schrader valve before pumping it up, it will seal better and last longer.

If the team has a dehumidifier and there is power close, I will place it below and turn it on to the lowest humidity setting.

Again, my goal is to have the boat neat, clean and orderly and race ready before any team members arrive.

IM24CA: Tell us how you approach cleaning and preparing the hull? What are the pitfalls and mistakes to avoid? Which products would you recommend?

BW: If possible, I try to hang the boat on a hoist before leaving for an event. I use Starbrite (or similar) hull cleaner to remove any dirt or grease from the hull. If there are any black streaks or stains on the hull, I will use “Black Streak Remover” or Acetone to remove them. I will always try BSR before Acetone.

Once the hull is clean of dirt and stains, I wipe on “Starbrite Polish with PTFE” (If the Teflon Version is available, I prefer to use that).

After placing the hull covers back on the boat for travel, I sprinkle a SMALL amount of Talcum/Baby Powder between the Cover and the Hull to keep the cover adhesives from sticking to or marking the hull. I only do this every third or fourth trip as the Talcum/Baby Powder lasts a long time.

IM24CA: What attention do you give to the cleats and blocks?

BW: As mentioned earlier, I try to soap-up any blocks, cleats and the traveler car during the final cleaning. If they still seam sticky or rough-working, I will use “One-Drop” to help them work smooth.

After each event, I place all of the loose hardware (mainsheet, spinnaker, jib cars, etc.) into a soap/water bucket to soak while I pack the boat. I never rinse that soap. It stays on the hardware until the next event.

IM24CA: How do you check out the mast and boom for wear and tear?

BW: This is done before I leave for an event and again before I set the boat up at an event. I visually inspect every inch of the spars for chafe, wear, cracking, corrosion or clear-coat imperfections. I also visually inspect the Spreaders, Spreader Bar and Shrouds before installing. The mast and boom ALWAYS get wiped down with a Cleaner/Wax before setup. Talcum/Baby Powder inside the Mast/Boom Covers is a must!

IM24CA: What precautions do you take when packing a Melges 24 up for trailing to a regatta?

BW: In packing a Melges 24 for trailing, I disassemble the boat to the point it looks like it came from the factory. I coil the shrouds (with the spreaders on) and place them in the padded bag that came from the factory. I always Bubble Wrap the spreaders to avoid damaging them in transport.

The rudder, tiller and vang are rinsed, dried and placed inside their respective padded bags and placed down below in the bow.

Once the loose hardware has been removed from the soapy water, they get placed in the sheet bag at the base of the mast (down below).

The mast and boom are rinsed, dried and covered.

The traveler car gets rinsed, centered and tied off with the loose traveler control line tied through the double block on the car. This method holds the block upright and keeps it from knocking around in transport.

All running rigging gets rinsed, coiled and hung up down below (from the pole).
I always place closed-cell foam in front of and behind the keel at the deck to avoid any possible chafe. This foam is taped in place with 2” shrink tape.

The sails are laid in the bow inside their respective bags.

I ALWAYS place padding (Baby-Blanket):

• Under the Aft Hold Down Pads
• Under the mast/boom in their crutches/brackets
• Between the cover and hull/deck where the ratchet straps would touch when in position
• Around the mast or boom cover where they are tied down.
• Between the bow chock and the bow.
• Anywhere that looks like chafe may be an issue

Obviously, the covers get tied on tightly with double-slip knots.

Before departing, I always check that the lugs, u-bolts, and keel lift are installed properly and tight.

The lights on these trailers (in the US) are sometimes finicky. If possible (and the owner is willing to pay the extra expense) I try to convert them to sealed LED’s. LED’s seem to last longer and stand up to the abuse of the road and moisture.

After 50 miles or so, I always stop and check the hold-down tension, ratchet straps, bow strap, spar ties, cover ties, lug nuts and lights. I do the same at every stop along the trip.

IM24CA: What are the commonest mistakes that you see people make with regards to preparing or generally looking after their boats?

BW: I would have to say that most people over complicate their boat prep program. When a Melges 24 leaves the factory, it has 90% of the items needed to race the boat. The gear bag has lubricants, vang pump, motor tools, etc.

I would also say that people do not spend enough time ensuring that the bottom, keel and rudder are clean and polished. This is very critical for boat speed.

IM24CA: What are your five top tips for good Melges 24 preparation?

BW:

1. Get a dehumidifier! A dry boat is a fast boat. Whether you are sitting at a dock or on the trailer, you should have a good Dehumidifier running at the lowest humidity setting to keep the standing water and moisture out of the boat.
2. Clean/Polished Hull!
3. Ensure that the mast and shrouds are kept clean and corrosion free.
4. Ensure that all moving parts are kept clean and properly lubed where necessary.
5. Watch the competition! Take time to walk the docks and look at the top boats.

Note the upgrades, tuning & trimming marks, tape points and overall setup of the boat. You may note that most top boats look as if they just left the factory. This does not mean that you need a new boat. It just means that some upgrades and gear are unnecessary or not needed to sail these boats well.

In Summary, I would like to say that the Melges 24 is easy to keep clean, organized and fast if you stay ahead if the maintenance and upgrades. If you take the time after each event to make repairs, properly stow gear and dry the boat, you will find that event prep goes much smoother and your boat stays looking factory fresh for longer.