We all know the tasks are endless when commissioning a boat for launch. If your boat has batteries, an important one of these tasks is checking the battery's status. When doing so one must be cautious pertaining to electrical systems and spills. Sparks from arcing cables can cause a battery to explode and the liquid in the battery is acid. Keep in mind that this is a task you will not want to be repeating, as batteries are often times hard to access.

Torresen Marine, inc maintains a stock of the most common batteries used in boats. We recommend the Deka brand from East Penn because of the track history and, if needed, the service response. These batteries are found with many labels, including Wonch and West Marine. The batteries at TMI are constantly on sale with very competitive pricing. TMI also has high-tech equipment for measuring the status of your batteries that goes beyond voltage testing and load testing. This is not equipment that we lend or rent but if your boat is nearby or if you bring the batteries to our service shop, we can run a test to let you know the current status of the batteries and what to expect of those batteries in the near future.

The sun has been out for a few days and the parking lot is almost free of ice. We have not packed away our DN iceboats yet but are working on getting our Lasers ready for the great Spring frostbite racing, which takes place in Holland at MBYC and also in Grand Rapids at GRYC. These races will start in two to three weeks.

A reminder to all racers: register for the upcoming Sailing Smart seminar to be held on Saturday April 16, 2005 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Muskegon Yacht Club. You can download an application from www.muskegonyachtclub.org. We are expecting a large number of out of town racers for this event. We would also like to congratulate Jon Ledsworth who has received his certification as a Club Race Officer from U.S. Sailing.

Torresen Marine has the best selection of used sailboats in Michigan. Because of our sales volume and our focus on the used boat market, sellers are attracted to Torresen Marine. See our list of used boats at www.torresen.com. We are getting new listings all the time.

VC-17 is one of the easiest antifouling paints to apply, and to maintain. But like any other antifouling system, there are some things that have to be done both at the initial application and as part of an annual maintenance program. There are three basic application situations that will be encountered. I'll take them one at a time.

First is the new application. This means applying VC- 17 to a new boat or a boat that has recently had a different antifouling system on it that has been removed. Essentially a clean fiberglass hull. If it's a new hull, it must be dewaxed completely to remove any residual mold release wax. This should be done with the Interlux 202 Solvent Wash. We recommend using a two-rag system. One to put the solvent on the hull, another to wipe it clean. Change both rags frequently and remember not to dip the application rag back into the solvent container, thereby contaminating it. When you're done with the entire hull, take a hose or container of water and wet down portions of the hull.