Here’s a quick fix for a serious anchor winch failure Issue 40 : Jan/Feb 2005 The typical foot-operated anchor winch switch lives just a membrane away from a very hostile environment. This membrane is...
A better way to keep the crew on board Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 Commercial vessels have a lot to teach their recreational cousins, yet many of their lessons go unheeded. A prime example is cabintop han...
Prevent your roller-furling sail from unfurling Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 Considering the number of roller furlers in use around the world today, the accidental unfurling of a sail on a moored or berth...
Keep your sanding disks flat Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 Ashore or afloat, the loose stowing of the typical sanding disks of any size usually results in their curling like leaves. At best, this is a nuis...
Salvage those little bits of horribly expensive wood Issue 61: July/Aug 2008 After fitting out a boat or just making moderate changes to its interior, few of us escape the scrap dilemma. This occurs w...
Being kind to your outboard engine Issue 57 : Nov/Dec 2007 Low-powered yacht tender outboards are often overworked and under-serviced. They rarely, if ever, enjoy a thorough freshwater flush. This can...
The logic behind the old-time card markings Issue 67: July/Aug 2009 Boxing the compass was once a very important element of the seaman’s art. Before the colorful and geometric compass rose gave way to...
Dedicated downwind headsails offer better control Issue 73 : Jul/Aug 2010 The twin-headsail rig, once commonly seen on boats running in the trade winds, has become a dinosaur in today’s fleet of rolle...
A safe and reliable installation takes thought Issue 82 : Jan/Feb 2012 Davits provide the ultimate system for launching, retrieving, and stowing a tender while offering a few bonuses beyond their desi...
An internal transducer eliminates a through-hull Issue 85 : Jul/Aug 2012 Signals from a depth sounder will pass through a fiberglass hull that is not too thick and has no delamination problems. The ow...
Compound errors add up to a bump in the night Issue 91 : Jul/Aug 2013 Accidents are supposed to be nasty moments that come out of nowhere. Yet in 1983, when I had more than 20 years’ sea time under my...
Fatigue, false steps, and a child adrift Issue 107 : Mar/Apr 2016 After four days of the most uncomfortable seas in our entire world circumnavigation, we arrived at the island of Great Inagua, Bahamas...
Shielding a sensitive device from onboard vibrations Issue 109 : Jul/Aug 2016 Vibration from an engine, or from the twanging of tight rigging in a high wind, could very well affect the performance of ...
Spaces between deck beams beg to be filled Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 On vessels with well-defined deck beams, the spaces between the beams can be ideal sites for hinge-down storage lockers. And when s...