28 • SAILING February 2006 www.sailing.co.za

Well it’s not quite green, but somewhere between aquamarine and turquoise is probably more like it. Like what you are undoubtedly asking?

It is in fact Corrosion Block, the la tes t high-performance grease to hit the SA market.

And why get excited about it, one may ask? It’s not quite about getting excited about it, although it is pretty spectacular stuff which does appear to work exceptionally well too.

I was fi rst introduced to Corrosion Block a few years ago when there was a fl urry of activity with a local launch, and then not much until the Johannesburg Boat Show in August last year when it miraculously appeared again.

As all boat owners know, and in fact anyone who lives on the coast, corrosion is an on-going problem, and how to prevent it is often a personal choice. Sometimes it’s an idea which has come second-hand, or just some new ‘stuff’ one just has to try. And I suppose unwittingly that’s how I came to use it.

Having sat on it for a while, and wondered just where I was going to use it fi rst, the opportunity came when I decided to service my winches, and so out it came. When sitting in a marina working on a boat there are always people wandering by who can do the job better, differently, quicker, or have some smart-alec comment to make. They all came, but most of those who stopped wanted to know what ‘the blue stuff is’ that I was greasing the winch with.

The comments and reactions were interesting as everyone had to dip a fi nger into it, with the one comment I remember most vividly referred to it as a ‘clean grease’. I’ve never thought of grease as clean, but they were right. It was soft, clean, smooth, and certainly did not have the ‘fi llers’ that many greases have.

But that’s not all, as there is more to this product range than just grease. There is also a Corrosion Block spray too (and other lubricants far to complicated for me). So having used the grease and some spray on my winches and cleaned up, I did what all amateurs should do having serviced a winch, and that is to put a line on it and wind the handle on all speeds to ensure that it is working properly. Fortunately they were, not that I was surprised, although I was surprised at just how quiet and smooth the winches were - and still are.

Since then I have used the grease and spray on a few bits on the boat, and been pleased with the results.

Corrosion Block is a high performance grease which the blurb says won’t soften, breakdown or wash out!

Corrosion block grease provides maximum protection under severe marine conditions. It’s advanced formulation provides exceptionally long life at high temperatures and protects wheel bearings and critical components up to fi ve times longer than most lithium greases. Its unique non-clay based thickening system makes this grease compatible with most greases. It also strongly resists salt water wash out.

And again the blurb says that it protects switches, locks, electronics, batteries, hinges, zippers, snaps, railings, connectors, AC units, running lights, fuse panels ... . And in terms of applications it can be used on wheel bearings, chassis, fi shing tackle, winches, windlasses, gear boxes, wiring harnesses, linkages, hitches, wheel hubs, roller furling gear, prop shafts, CV joints, engine brackets, steering cables ... .

So, if you’re looking for a good corrosion block and lubricant with an added bonus of the grease being ‘clean’, give it a try.

Information is available from Leading Edge Aviation. Tel. 013-741 3654. �

by Richard Crockett

THE GREAT GREY GREEN GREASY...

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