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??? about breathing under a boat
On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 17:35:00 GMT, wrote:
I'd like to clean the bottom of my boat, while it's
in the water. Is there a fairly easy and economical
way of breathing while a few feet below the surface?
A snorkle won't work because I'll be going under
a houseboat, but am wondering if a hose could
be made to work, or maybe a larger piece of tubing
with a hose attached so it's small enough to be held
in your mouth. Or something...?
How long can you hold your breath? 
Ok, I'm not suggesting to clean the bottom this way but seriously
though, If I'm not in a position to haul the boat and the shaft zinc
needs to be changed, I change it by just holding my breath for a little
bit at a time. It takes a few trips though. To make the trips faster I
tie a loop in the end of a rope and the first trip down is looping it
over the prop. The other end is either tied to the dock or a stanchion.
So I can pull myself up and down with the rope quickly.
Then I take the zinc down and put a screw in by hand. That takes a
trip. Then the other screw, another trip. Then tighten one then the
other, two more trips. Then I take a hammer down and pound the contacts
in, another trip. Then 2 more trips to tighten the screws again. Then
one last trip to unloop the rope.
So it takes maybe 10 trips down to do the whole thing and each trip is
like 6 or 7 feet long (around 4 feet over and 4 feet down). But it's
not as bad as it sounds. One word of advice though, keep a good knife
handy.
One time I was changing the zinc and the loop of thin line I used to
keep the allen wrench from dropping (I tie a loop around my wrist and
let the allen key hang from that so it's not in the way in transit and I
don't drop it when fumbling to get it in the screw) got snagged on
something. I think it wrapped around the shaft or prop, I don't
remember. Well, when it was time to come up for air I couldn't get it
untangled. So I just grabbed the knife and sliced the line and came up.
I lost the allen key but that's better than the alternative. From
then on I just use thin monofilament or thread or something that's
easily snapped in case I have to. But I still carry the knife just in
case.
Steve
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