Portlight Plastic Replacement

Thistle just celebrated her 28th birthday and the plastic in the hatches and portlights was really showing its age, so when we were in California we cut new plastic for all the openings. The Captain was graciously allowed to use the CNC router at our old sign shop which made the job super easy.

The process of replacing the plastic is quick and easy too, but messy. And potentially VERY messy if you don't mask thoroughly and carefully contain the silicone adhesive.

First we removed the old plastic by cutting out the adhesive. Then we scraped the aluminum frames with a dull chisel to remove all the old silicone. We also masked off the outer edge of the aluminum frame.

To protect the plastic we left the masking paper on both sides, but trimmed it where the glue had to go. To do that, we prefit the plastic, drew a line around the framework from the bottom, and cut away the masking paper where the silicone needed to go. (In the photo above, the plastic is upside down, but you can see the black strips where the masking paper has been removed.) Then we applied the silicone and set the plastic in place, pressing it down firmly. On this large Bomar hatch, we also had to reinstall the four latches.

 On the portlights, there was only a 1/2" strip around each edge, and on the smaller hatches there was only the edge and one piece of framework to trim around. Only after the silicone dried did we peel off the masking paper.

The difference is amazing! Before, the plastic was so cloudy we couldn't see anything, but now we can actually see out. The plastic is tinted, but they look so clear and bright that I sometimes think they're open when they're closed. This was a very worthwhile project.

During the Refrigeration Installation

Here's a photo of the boat during the installation of the new refrigeration system - and this is why you can't live aboard during a project like this.

As you can see, there's barely room to walk through the boat because the stove, floorboards, and the new freezer drawer are on the port settee, and the temporary refrigerator and new refrigerator are on the starboard settee.

The electrical panel had to be opened up to run the new circuits. The Captain is also redoing the navigation panel because some of our instruments were fried in the lightning strike two years ago and the new ones are a little different.

Floorboards had to be removed and the generator area had to be opened to run the wires. Tools are scattered everywhere. Someone is trying to stain and varnish while the other someone is trying to run wires and fit doors. It's chaos!

We were able to slip the freezer unit in without too much trouble, but we had to lower the refrigerator down from above before the countertop was put on because the space was just too tight. We also had to remove the drawer front to get the drawer into the unit.

I'll bet you didn't know that you had to be authorized to purchase or install Corian solid suface countertop material. But with persistence, we found a countertop installer in Jacksonville who would sell us the eight square feet that we needed. We took a scrap of the old top and found the perfect match. We re-used the old fiddle rails. With lots of sanding, and fresh stain and varnish, they look like new.

This little panel next to the sink had a controller for the old refrigeration system, so we had to make a new one since we removed that controller. With more space we were able to move the generator instruments down a bit which makes them easier to see.

The compressor for each unit is mounted directly below but only uses half the space, so we are utilizing that extra space for storage. On the right we will store large pots and pans, and on the left we found space for a trash bin. The Captain made the new doors match the old ones exactly. We think its very important to match existing details in any remodel.

So far we love the new refrigerators and the new storage space that we created. We'll do an update on power consumption after we've lived with them for a few weeks.

SOURCES:

Refrigerators - Hanson Marine, St. Augustine, 904 825-7448

Cherry - Florida Southern Plywood, Jacksonville, 904 786-4382

Corian - Wellcraft Fabrication, Jacksonville, 904 880-6921 wellcraftfab.com

Hardware - Fisheries Supply fisheriessupplies.com

Fingerbreakers aka Fingerpulls - LaLuna ♡

New Refrigeration

This will be a long post detailing a long project.

If you want to replace your refrigeration I would recommend you first empty all the galley lockers, put tape over all the seams in the floor so gunk doesn't fall into the bilge, protect the floor with towels or rugs, get a Sawzall, a pry bar, lots of big garbage bags.....and get at least a case of beer, or, better yet, a big bottle of vodka. Next take everything else out of all the other lockers and throw it on the floor because that's where it will end up eventually. Then pour yourself a drink and start sawing.

This is how the galley looked before we started. We are hoping it looks this good again soon. The two doors on either side of the stove access the original boxes; freezer on the left, refrigerator on the right.

First we removed the stove and the refrigerator doors. Then the Captain started sawing chunks of wood and fiberglass out like this:

It took us two days to cut all that stuff out and pry out all the insulation. Tillotson Pearson did a great job on these boxes. There was 4" of insulation on the sides, front, and bottom. There was 8" of insulation against the hull, and 6" on top.

The old Grunert cold plate system had a remote compressor under the cockpit, so there were several copper tubes running back and forth through lockers. We used cable cutters to cut those, then pulled all the pieces out.

Somewhere along the way we decided that the counter tops had to come out too, so we carefully removed the fiddle rails and saved them, then removed the countertops. About here is where I was reminded of that time we Sawzalled 2/3 of our house down for the big remodel. Through the haze of sawdust, you just have to keep the faith, baby!

By the third day we had cleaned out both holes, and gotten the new freezer box up onto the boat. Because the doors in our boat are only 16" wide and the galley is not in the aft cabin, the new freezer had to come down the large overhead hatch in the main cabin.

To make the freezer smaller and lighter, we removed the drawer and mounting flange, and taped the remote compressor to the side. With it arranged this way, we were able to lower it all down into the galley area through the large hatch that you see beneath the Captain's feet.

After figuring out the height of each unit, we installed shelves for them to sit on and started working on the new cabinetry. Our boat's interior is all cherry, so after calling several places we found Florida Southern Plywood in Jacksonville. They sell not only plywood, but solid cherry, walnut, oak, and maple for cabinet makers. We selected two small pieces of cherry and a sheet of 1/4" cherry plywood and got out the door for about $120.00.

Now the Captain cut the cherry to make the faceframes and doors, and I started staining and varnishing. Today, after almost two weeks of solid work, we set the two units in place to see how it will all look. The freezer, on the left, is a little smaller than the refrigerator. That gave us room for a garbage bin underneath. We've cruised all this time with the bin wedged in the corner. Yes, sometimes it tips over or slides around; this will be so much better!

Of course, the compressors will be installed below the refrigerator units, there will be cabinets doors below, and there will be new Corian countertops, but it's actually moving along!

We've got Wheels!

Although it seems to have taken FOREVER, we've been back to the boat for less than three weeks and we've got a car.

Before we could even shop for a car we had to get a South Dakota address, which took about a week. Then we had to get money out of Malcolm's retirement account to purchase it. Then we spent a whole exhausting day running around Jacksonville looking at every Odyssey within our year and price parameters. Then it took another five days to get the title because the seller had to wait until our check cleared.

On that long day in Jacksonville, we eventually went back to the first one we looked at and bought it. It was the cleanest one and that's what won us over. Honestly, some of these soccer mom cars were filthy, but this one looked like it was owned by a single woman and regularly garaged, and the title proved that. Look, here it is in Nancy's driveway:

 

So life has gotten a little easier here in St. Marys, Georgia. We can run to the store, or the barbershop, or the propane place whenever we feel like it instead of bumming a ride or renting a car. If we need to, we can just run on down to St. Augustine to buy paint at Marine Supply and Oil Co. and go to Ann O'Malley's for Cruisers' Happy Hour like we did Wednesday.

 

With the title finally in hand, this morning I scanned and emailed all the paperwork to our mail forwarding service in South Dakota to get the car registered. Hopefully in about two weeks we will be legally registered and have South Dakota plates. Thank goodness for our scanner/printer to email all the paperwork back and forth. It hasn't been easy, but I think we're almost there!

What's New?

We have carpeted the galley with this amazing all wool antique Persian rug (not). It fits perfectly between the cabinetry and certainly makes standing in the galley more pleasant. It's okay while we're on a mooring and not going anywhere, but I'll probably roll it up when we go sailing.

The generator parts FINALLY arrived from Westerbeke. We got absolutely the WORST customer service from them. Not only did they mislead us and tell us the parts were in stock when we first ordered, but they actually shipped the parts and then did a package recall because they'd had our credit card number so long and it didn't go through. Although we solved that within hours and the package arrived here in Stuart August 29th, they sent it back to Massachusetts claiming they would ship it "next day". Ha, ha, ha, ha ha.

It finally arrived on September 6th. Ordered July 26th. Only 6 weeks. And $2500.00. Wow.

In other news we found the perfect paper towel holder at Bed Bath & Beyond. Not only is it stainless steel, but it has a ratchet inside that prevents it from unrolling by itself. The plastic ones we used before would break after a few months, and they only fit the American length rolls. In some places rolls are shorter, but this holder will handle them perfectly. And it only cost $15.00.

We are very happy with the solar panels and wish we'd installed them before we left, but better late than never.

Today is a beautiful sunny (read scorching) day in Florida and they were putting out 9.0 and 9.7 amps at 11:30. In the afternoons we sometimes see readings in the 11s.

Consequently, our batteries have never been happier and we can run our inverter all the time to power our fans.

So here we are, back to the grind, fixing things in exotic places, and planning our next cruise as we float around here in Stuart.

The Marina at Emerald Bay

We don't normally stay at marinas because they cost a lot, like $50 to $100 per night, and anchoring out is free. However, we heard that the Marina at Emerald Bay had FREE laundry and since we hadn't done laundry since Puerto Rico, we thought we'd stay there a night.

We called ahead on the VHF radio and they assigned us a slip, had people on the dock to take our lines, and welcomed us royally. I'm sure they do that for everyone, but it sure was nice.

Then we saw these magic boxes on the dock that provide electricity and water. We haven't seen one of those in AGES. The marina where our boat stayed when we went to California didn't have these fancy boxes, and the marina in Panama had no power or water on the docks at all. I guess the last time we saw one was in Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua in April of 2015. It's funny what you get excited about when you're cruising.

And the laundry was indeed free, and they had modern front loading machines, and HOT water. The marina also had a gorgeous clubhouse with Internet, a pool table, a gym, nice showers, and TVs everywhere. We enjoyed all of it and I think we got our $100 dollars worth.

Bag Lady

Since we have been cruising I've become a bag connoisseur. Not because I love bags, but because they are so necessary for our lifestyle and there are so many kinds. We need bags for toting things to and from the boat, bags for carrying things on a daily basis, bags for short term storage, and bags for long term storage. Just about everything eventually ends up in a bag.

 

Anchoring out as we do for months on end means everything must be ferried from shore in our dinghy, so we need water resistant bags because the dinghy is often wet. It's almost like spray and splashes are magically drawn to clean laundry and important papers.

 

TOTE BAGS
When we were outfitting our boat I ordered some of those expensive, heavy-duty canvas bags with our boat's name embroidered on them. They are sturdy, stylish, and tough, but totally impractical for long term cruising. They might be okay for toting stuff from home to boat if you are a weekend sailor, but they are too bulky and too heavy to fit our needs now. Just finding a place to store them is a chore. They also absorb water and take forever to dry.

 

Now our favorite tote bags for groceries and laundry are the heavy plastic reusable grocery bags with webbing handles. First and most importantly they are water resistant. They are lightweight, easy to clend dry quickly, and small when folded up. The long webbing straps can be tied together to keep the top closed.

We first found bags like this at grocery stores in countries where they are trying to eliminate single use plastic bags. We have always taken our own bags to the store, but one day we needed more and we bought one of these. Now I wish I'd bought four of them; they are so useful.

 

I also have a few Tesco Cath Kidson bags that are smaller and good for heavy things like canned goods and drinks. I got these many years ago and love them, but they are starting to get stained because they are a fabric instead of plastic.

 

GARBAGE BAGS
Speaking of grocery stores, some still give plastic bags at the checkout. We always save those because they make perfect garbage bags. We have a very small garbage bin because we generate so little trash, and those grocery store bags fit it perfectly. When full, they easily fit into a five gallon bucket in the lazarette for later disposal on shore.

 

INSULATED BAGS
Every cruiser needs at least one large insulated bag for bringing perishables home from the market. We pack anything frozen, all the meats, cheeses, butter, and lettuce into this bag right at the store. Everything stays cool on the (frequently) long walk back to the dinghy, and ride to the boat. We also use this bag for picnics and potlucks.

 

BACKPACKS
For shore excursions and hiking, backpacks are popular, but we rarely use ours because they make our backs sweaty. However, they do distribute a heavy load better and I've used mine several times when the Captain was busy with another project and couldn't accompany me to the store. Using the backpack and two tote bags I'm able to carry a triple load a couple of miles.

 

BOAT PAPERS
When you check into a foreign country they want to see all kinds of important papers including your boat documentation and passports. You dont want to take any chances with those papers, so a totally waterproof bag is the best solution. You could use a dry bag, or a waterproof folder inside a larger tote bag.

 

FOOD STORAGE BAGS
We keep two sizes of zip lock bags aboard and use them for lots and lots of things. With humidity and spray always trying to dampen everything, we use them to protect our passports and phones when going ashore. We keep small parts together in them. Moving between islands with different currencies we keep money in them so as not to confuse pesos, euros, and ECs. Oh, we also use them for their intended purpose: storing food and meats in the freezer.

 

HANDBAGS

I've noticed that quite a few of the lady cruisers have the same brand of handbag; namely Ziploc. Not extremely stylish, but very practical. Last week when I was in St. Eustatius, Mazinga was having a sale and I snagged this Guy Harvey beauty for half off! I guess this bag Lady is coming up in the world.

 

The Swell Bridle

We'd been anchored at Gallows Bay on St. Eustatius for a couple of days and with the wind from the east and the swell from the south, we were (as our old cruising buddy Larry Kruzick used to say) "Rolling our guts out!" We couldn't leave anything out on the counters and we had to sleep like starfish; arms and legs fully spread out. It was miserable.

We've used a stern anchor several times in the past but setting one up requires a fair amount of time and effort, so I suggested we try a swell bridle. I read about this recently but can't remember where, so if one of the brilliant Women Who Sail posted it, please take credit and accept my thanks. Because it is awesome. And it works. And it's easy!

Here's how to set it up:

Take a line (nylon is best, but if you are desperate, you'll use a dock line) about the length of your boat and tie it to one end of your anchor chain snubber, then attach your snubber to the chain in the normal way. (If you use rode, tie it to your rode with a rolling hitch.)

Now instead of taking the snubber through a bow chock, run it outboard of all lifelines and shrouds, through a midship fairlead or hawse pipe, and to a primary winch. Do this on the side you need to face into the wind.

While letting out chain, winch in the snubber and your boat will head into the swell. Observe how the boat sits and adjust as necessary to keep the boat's bow directly into the swell. Notice the tug boats in front of us? They are using the same technique even on their mooring buoy.

It's that easy! You don't have to heft the stern anchor into the dinghy and you don't have to retrieve it later. And the real beauty of this method is you haven't complicated everyone else's anchoring by having two anchors out.

Positioning your boat side to the wind increases the strain on the anchor, so consider adjusting your scope as well. And obviously if there's a wind shift, you won't be heading into the swell any longer. If the swell comes back or wakes you up, simply adjust the bridle again.

I don't know why we waited so long to try this; we certainly could have used it a few times here in the Caribbean. Next time you're in a rolly anchorage, give it a try; I think you'll be impressed. We certainly were.

ps: Please excuse my lame graphics. I don't have Photoshop or Illustrator so I made these drawings on my tiny phone screen with a tiny slippery stylus. At anchor. 

Arts and Crafts

A really long time ago I started making these embroidered tea towels of our various trips. So far I have finished three. Perhaps I should make them a little simpler so they don't take so long?

 

Notice how little my now-grown-up daughters are in this old photo? Boy, I am really WAY behind.

 

 

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

 

 

And Malcolm still had red hair when we were there in 2002.

 

 

Using them sure brings back great memories. I just hope I can catch up someday, but now I have to add more for our sailing trip; Mexico, Central America, the Panama Canal, San Blas Islands, Cartagena, Aruba, Bonaire. I'd better buy a lot more tea towels! 

Equipment Review After One Year

We started with a sound, well built boat, but spent months doing modifications, improvements, and upgrades before we went cruising. We also culled through our belongings taking only what we thought we would really need. Some existing equipment was "iffy" but we went with it anyway. After one year we feel that a review is in order; what's working well, what isn't working so well, what we are glad we took, and what we wish we had done before we left.



THINGS WE ARE SOOOO GLAD WE UPGRADED



Full Bimini over the Cockpit - This is priceless and we absolutely would never cruise without one.

New Rocna Anchor & New Windlass - An anchor that doesn't drag is the best insurance ever. We love the Rocna; it sets every time, never drags, yet is easy to retrieve with our new windlass.

New Rigging and Sails - Very expensive, but absolutely necessary in our case.

Raymarine Chartplotter with AIS - Modern navigation systems make cruising so much easier now. The first time we used the chartplotter we felt like we were cheating. We also have iSailor on the iPad and sometimes us the driving directions on our smart phone for close in harbor work. Wonderful tools all of them.

Watermaker - Since we anchor out a lot, the watermaker is a joy to have. Ours runs on 120v so we have to use the generator to run it, but it's well worth it.

Inflatable Dinghy with 9.9 Engine - Your dinghy is like your car and you use it every day to get ashore, purchase fuel, visit the neighbors, get to the snorkeling spots, and run out the stern anchor.


THINGS THAT HAVEN'T PERFORMED WELL

Hydraulic boom vang and backstay adjuster - Just before we left we rebuilt the hydraulic panel in the cockpit because of a leak, then the vang started leaking somewhere in Costa Rica, then the backstay adjuster blew up in the Guna Yala. The whole system has been very disappointing and the repairs have been messy, time consuming, and expensive.

Grunert Refrigeration - Our refrigeration system is original to the boat and although it does the job, we have to run the generator twice a day for it. We should have gotten a new 12v system and may do that when we get to Florida.

Caframo Fans - We bought three of these fans at over $100.00 each and they started failing around Panama. You just can't survive in the tropics without fans, so we have been purchasing little 120v personal fans and they are almost better than the expensive marine fans. We run the inverter to power them.



THINGS WE ARE GLAD WE TOOK WITH US



Luci Lights - These little inflatable, solar powered lights are so handy to have. We have one over the cockpit table at all times.

LED lighting - We have changed most of our interior lighting to LED and they are real power savers.

Tools, Tools, Tools - We have lots of tools onboard and can maintain or repair almost anything on the boat.

Copier - We found a little copier/scanner/printer from HP. It's been handy for printing all those copies that the officials want when you check into a new country.

Real Dishes, Good Knives, Good Pans, Propane Stove - We aren't camping, we are simply living aboard a boat that sometimes moves around quite a bit, but mostly is at anchor. We actually cook three meals a day, set a decent table, and try to dine graciously every evening.



THINGS WE WISH WE HAD UPGRADED OR ADDED

Solar Panels - All our battery charging must be done with the generator or the main engine. Let me tell you, the noise and the heat from running the generator twice a day is getting really annoying. That may be another project for Florida.


So basically we are happy with the decisions we made before we started cruising. And we really don't regret going with old refrigeration, leaky hydraulics, and no solar panels. At some point you just have to go and figure you will repair, replace or upgrade along the way. And isn't that better than staying in the harbor waiting until everything is perfect?

Speaking of Fans...

When we outfitted our boat for cruising we knew that we would need good fans so we bought three of those expensive Caframo Sirocco ones. We enjoyed their three speeds, timer settings, and fully articulated brackets for several months, but then they started acting up; they would shut off within seconds of turning them on; they would only do one speed; or they wouldn't come on at all.

We cleaned them and fiddled around with the connections, but never could get them to work properly. We put up with that for a couple of months and finally took them all apart and bypassed the switches. They now run 24/7 unless we turn off the circuit to that part of the boat. Which is never because it's so darn hot here. They still look pretty good, and the motor must be well built, but the switches and internal connectors are a bad design.

Somewhere along the way, in desperation, we bought a few 120v fans. They are cheap and they last several months. The 120v issue doesn't matter because we have our inverter on nearly all the time anyway and they use very little power. We can move them around and aim them directly at our sweaty bodies. They caress us with a gentle breeze. We sometimes argue over who gets to be near them. We can't sleep without them. We cry when one dies. I think we are in love with these fans. 

We also have two of these Hella fans that were on the boat when we bought it. They are quiet, have a simple mechanical switch, and still run fine, but they don't seem to move quite as much air as the other fans.

So there you have it; we have eight fans on our boat; three are fine since we rewired them, two are old and small but functional, and three use 120v but we treat them like lovers.

The Cruisers' Library System

Cruiser's read a lot. I mean A LOT. Yet, they rarely buy books because all over the world, in places where cruisers congregate, there are lending libraries just for them. They aren't fancy or well publicized, but cruisers know where to find them and they are popular and well used. They are usually in a restaurant, laundry room, or lounge at marinas where cruisers hang out and the standard procedure is to simply leave the same number of books as you take.

Since we have been cruising we've read a large variety of books by many different authors. Inspired by a friend's recommendation, we read most of Wilber Smith's historical novels about South Africa. With their epic sagas, sweeping settings, and heroic characters, they are both entertaining and educational. We have also read many, many crime novels including several of John Sandford's "Prey" series.

When we were in Panama I read David McCullough's epic narrative, The Path Between The Seas, on the building of the Panama Canal. I think it helped me to understand Panama's problems a little better. To educate myself on the history of the Caribbean I recently read Mitchner's eponymous novel and I must say I found it a little depressing. I hope the reality is better than the novel.

Since the books are free at these cruisers' libraries, I often select ones I wouldn't normally try. For instance, I recently picked up The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. If you think your family is a little odd or wish your childhood had been better, reading this book might change your mind. Her story is fascinating, horrifying, and unforgettable. Another non-fiction book I recently read was Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea. It is an eye opening insight into the culture of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

After reading Three's a Crew, the Pinkerton family's story of cruising the Pacific Northwest and Alaska in the 1930s, I understood my new Canadian friend Sheila perfectly when she said, "Just throw it in the chuck."

Now that we are in Cartagena we will go through our books again, exchanging the ones we've read for new ones. Who knows what we will get this time? And that is one of the best things about the Cruisers' Library System.

Desperate Measures

Back when we were in Panama City I bought a SIM card from Digicel to go in my dongle so I could have Internet. Things haven't worked out too well since we came through the canal, and it didn't always work, so I thought maybe if I put it in the iPad it would work better. The problem was that it was only cut to fit in the phone or the dongle. There is a third, smaller size available, but we are out here in the sticks where those are not available.

 

So the other day I got out my X-acto knife and a ruler and cut it down to fit in the iPad. I think I did a pretty good job and it acted like it was going to work, but it didn't. I finally took it to a Digical store in Colon where "Digicel Man" fixed it. He said it hadn't been set up for data from the beginning so it was just using all my minutes the first day and then would stop working. Anyway, he reset the SIM card and everything now works like it should. He couldn't even tell that I had cut it down to fit the iPad. I'm thinking having it in the iPad is better anyway. And if I want to I can still stick it in the dongle so it's all good.

Laundry - The Chore That Keeps On Growing

Laundry aboard a cruising boat is a never-ending chore. In the tropics you sweat, sweat, sweat everyday; boat maintenance is grubby work; salt water seems to get on everything; and you can't let it pile up because it gets mildewed; so laundry must be done frequently.

Ask any woman cruiser and she will tell you the thing she misses most from "land life" is her washing machine. I know the dream of walking the laundry room any time, popping a load in the machine and having it come out clean 30 minutes later certainly haunts me!

When we were in Mexico lavanderias were common and easy to find, but here in Panama they are difficult if not impossible to find. So we find different ways to do laundry....

While underway we wash it in the sink and hang it on the lifelines.

In Kuna Yala we went up the Rio Diablo and washed it in the murky water, but at least it was fresh water! 
 

 

Recently I have discovered this little Laundromat at Panamarina, another marina about a 15 minute dinghy ride away. The wash costs $1.50, but there is no hot water and it takes 30 minutes just to fill the tub so a load takes at least 45 minutes. The dryer costs $1.75 and runs on propane, so if the propane tank runs out while you are drying, no heat. Plan to be there during their regular business hours which are 8:00 to 9:30, 12:00 to 1:30, and 5:00 to 7:30, closed Sundays and Mondays. That way if anything goes wrong, or you need quarters, someone can help you. Oh, and bring bug spray, because the noseeums are fierce there.

 

Here is the route to get there.

Go out of Linton Marina past the monkey island. Go across the bay and into the mangroves. Come out at Panamarina, go to their dinghy dock, carry your laundry 200 yards past the restaurant to the restroom/shower area, and there you are. I did three loads the other day while Malcolm was installing the new battery charger and it took me about 3 hours.

 

 

I have recently heard of another way to do laundry on a boat: you simply put water in a 5 gallon bucket, add 1/3 cup ammonia, add the laundry and agitate it with a toilet plunger, let it soak for a couple of hours, wring it out, and hang it outside. The sun and breeze remove the ammonia smell and the laundry comes out clean and fresh. Ammonia supposedly removes perspiration and sweat stains quite nicely. I will be trying this soon here on Thistle, because using Tide and rinsing, rinsing, rinsing uses a lot of fresh water and anything that uses less fresh water is a definite plus.