Thunderbird - Formula Boats

Boat Care By: Scott Smith
It occurred to me recently that Formulas have certainly evolved in the
17 years I have been with the company. The amount of standard and
available equipment has increased tremendously on today’'s 31 PC versus
the 1988 29 PC I cut my teeth on as a product specialist in the Technical
Assistance Department. If you were to look through a 1988 Cruiser
catalog, you would see that many of the options back then are now
standard items, and many of today'’s options would have been
unimaginable on anything short of a megayacht at that time. From that
perspective, let’s take a look at how changes in construction and equipment
ref lect in the care of your Formula today.
Take exterior trim, for example. In the '80s, you
might have found areas surfaced with teak, which
could certainly be beautiful, but keeping it from
becoming dull and making the rest of the vessel
look old required constant maintenance. It demanded
regular sanding and oiling or varnishing. For
many of today’s boaters, the demands on their
time call for a beautiful boat that can be cleaned
and maintained more quickly so they can enjoy
time with family and friends on the water. Today’'s
Formula is a thing of beauty, with surfaces of gelcoat, Imron ®®, glass,
acrylic, Corian® and stainless steel accents. Exterior care can be accomplished
simply with soap and water and a little glass cleaner. Of course,
cleaning must be done regularly, with at least a rinse after a saltwater
run, but it is much easier and more practical.
Cockpit upholstery construction is
another example. Back in the ‘80s, anyone
who allowed their boat cockpit to take a
good soaking and not allow it to air out and
dry properly was asking for trouble. While
the materials used at the time by Formula
were of the highest quality, their nature did
LEMON CAPER TILAPIA
Per fish packet:
1 3 to 4 Ounce Thin Fish Filet
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Lemon Wedge
(approx. 1 / 4 of a small lemon)
1 Tablespoon Capers
1 Small Scallion (green onion)
Garlic Pepper to taste
Light the fire on the grill when
you pull into your marina to preheat it
while you prep the fish.
Place Tilapia or any other thin-filleted fish into individual foil packets. Top
each filet with 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon capers and a few scallion slices.
Squeeze the juice from a wedge of lemon ( 1/ 4 lemon) on top and add garlic pepper
to taste. Seal the packets and let them cook on the grill while you prepare the salad.
not lend them to negligent care. Closed-cell foam could
soak and retain moisture, and the plywood, while
marine grade, would eventually become saturated as
well. Formula aggressively tackled the problem, first by
using every means to improve ventilation and air f low
through the cushions. Then came the advent of Dri-
Fast ®® foam, with open cells that allowed water to f low right through and
encouraged the dissipation of any residual moisture. Starlite ®® XL and
other synthetic materials soon replaced plywood panels, eliminating dry
rot, and we also discovered Tenara®® thread, a state-of-the-art material
impervious to UV, cleaning agents and saltwater. Now, as with the rest of
the cockpit, upholstery care is reduced to a quick wash with soap and
water, with some vinyl cleaner for more stubborn jobs. It won’'t stay like
new if subjected to long-term abuse and neglect, and we still recommend
keeping the boat covered and protected, but it'’s a far cry from the old days.
Cabins have changed, too. The first thing your foot touched as you
went below used to be a carpeted step. Although that carpet was of very
high quality, its fibers were subjected to constant traffic, along with
the accompanying dirt and wear. Now, that step is covered in Lonseal, a
durable, synthetic f looring used in other applications from pool decks
to hospital surgical suites. Easy to clean and resistant to wear, it saves a
lot of time in cleanup and continues to look good.
Corian ® has replaced Formica in surfacing applications
from the galley to the head. It’'s beautiful and
complements the cabin décor, and, being nonporous,
spills and messes wipe right up. And Ultraleather TM
has taken the place of woven fabrics on cabin upholstery.
It looks like real leather (but with a more luxurious feel), cleans
easily (no more steaming) and doesn’'t get worn by constant rubbing.
I could go on, but you get the idea—Formula is always striving to
improve your boating experience, making maintenance easier so you
can spend more time boating and less time cleaning! HAPPY BOATING!
As the boating season winds down, Formula owners want to spend every spare second
on their boats, capturing some last minute fun and creating memories to warm winterweary
hearts when the snow begins to fall. So why not stretch your Formula day past
the sunset and treat yourself to dinner on board with this simple yet delicious meal?
FRESH TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA SALAD
Fresh Red Tomatoes
Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Basil Leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Your favorite blend of pre-washed
salad greens
Salt and Pepper
Scatter some pre-washed salad greens
on a big platter and arrange alternating layers
of sliced ripe, red tomatoes and fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese on top. Drizzle
extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with
lots of fresh basil for an easy but dazzling accompaniment to the fish.
If you’re not counting carbs, round out the meal with a crusty French bread
baguette and a nice bottle of wine.
Do you have a recipe you’ve found to be a hit on your Formula? Share it with us, and we may highlight it in the Action! Send the recipe to:
Thunderbird Products, Attn: Tonya Hamilton, P.O. Box 1003, Decatur, IN 46733, or via e-mail to tlhamilton@formulaboats.com
www.formulaboats.com
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