A trailerable pocket cruiser from a legendary designer Issue 42 : May/Jun 2005 In the late 1960s, we owned one of the first Rhodes 22 sailboats manufactured by General Boats Corporation. We sailed our...
Treat them with care and they’ll serve you well Issue 42 : May/Jun 2005 A binocular is an essential piece of boating equipment, and the selection of this item of navigational gear requires some basic ...
A novel way to overcome the problem of lying alongside pilings Issue 43 : Jul/Aug 2005 Fendering a boat in a berth next to pilings — such as alongside a bulkhead — is always a problem. If the fender i...
This proven safety feature is now practical for all sailboats Issue 43 : Jul/Aug 2005 Radar is an acronym for RAdio Detecting And Ranging. A marine radar is used to determine the distances and azimuth...
It’s the simplest, most reliable instrument on your boat Issue 45 : Nov/Dec 2005 There are many types of compasses that help the mariner determine direction: the electronic flux-gate compass, an elect...
Keep your batteries topped up with a slow but steady charge Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 On a bright, sunny day, with the sun directly overhead, the sun supplies about 1,000 watts of energy per square mete...
The basic rules of anchoring — and staying put Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 Everyone who owns a boat have occasion to anchor at one time or another, perhaps when cruising overnight, clamming, fishing, swim...
How to read your boat’s “birth certificate” Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 Unless you have a really old boat, you probably have a set of 12 characters embedded on the upper starboard side of your boat’s tran...
Available fuel choices for cruising sailboats Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 The selection of the best galley stove for use aboard your sailboat depends on the size of the boat, the layout of the galley, and...
The way we keep time at sea Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 The concept of latitude and longitude have been known since the early days of sail, but without accurate timepieces longitude readings required long...
Check out the various ways to reduce sail area Issue 49 : Jul/Aug 2006 When the wind suddenly picks up or a squall line is approaching, the ability to douse the sails or reduce sail area quickly, effi...
Extra guest? No problem with this jumpseat Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 When we have guests sailing with us, there never seems to be enough room around the cabin table. To add another seat quickly, I inst...
Turn your cockpit into a porch Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 It’s annoying to have to stay in the cabin during all-day rains. Some days it’s also annoying to have to be out in the cockpit, regardless of ho...
Extend your time cruising … in comfort Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 Heating your boat in the off-season make sailing more enjoyable and extends your time on the water. For any planned heater installation,...
What it’s made of and how to check it Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 STANDING RIGGING IS THE TERM GIVEN TO THE CABLES that support a sailboat’s mast(s): the forestay, backstay, and shrouds, as well as special...
The basics on auxiliary propulsion systems Issue 51 : Nov/Dec 2006 Unless you are exceptional sailors and purists, like Lin and Larry Pardey, you probably have a mechanical propulsion system on board ...
Modern systems for stowing sails and reducing area Issue 53 : Mar/Apr 2007 When the wind suddenly picks up or a squall line is approaching, the ability to furl or reef sails efficiently and safely is ...
Adding staying power to your ground tackle Issue 54 : May/Jun 2007 The anchor sentinel has been used by mariners for thousands of years. It is known by many other names throughout the world: the kelle...
Here are the terms that define the wind Issue 55 : Jul/Aug 2007 Knowledge of the wind is vital for sailors. So is knowledge of the vocabulary of the wind. To understand and talk about the wind, some i...
Understanding satellites and their benefits Issue 55 : Jul/Aug 2007 Today about 2,700 man-made satellites circle the Earth, but our satellite age had very humble beginnings. In October 1957, 12 years ...
What you need and how to use it Issue 56 : Sept/Oct 2007 Fire extinguishers are classified by letters and numbers, depending on the class and size of the fire they are designed to handle. The letter, ...
Make sure they stretch and absorb shocks Issue 57 : Nov/Dec 2007 The majority of sailboats see more time at the docks than actively sailing. This makes the selection of docklines especially important....
Electronic devices designed to save your life at sea Issue 58 : Jan/Feb 2008 EPIRB is an acronym for emergency position-indicating radio beacon, a device designed to save your life in an emergency by ...
Avoid a trip aloft Issue 59 : Mar/Apr 2008 Every spring I go to the top of the two masts of my schooner, Delphinus, spraying the sailtracks with lubricant along the way. Although many people never do ...
Dealing with potentially lethal gases Issue 59 : Mar/Apr 2008 Aboard sailboats there are several toxic or explosive fumes that are potentially lethal and must be detected for the safety of the crew an...
New alerts help prevent loss of life Issue 60 : May/Jun 2008 Every year the electronics aBoard the offshore sailboat become more exotic. Among the latest trends in marine safety are man-overboard (MOB...
After 35 years, this boat project still isn’t complete Issue 60 : May/Jun 2008 In April 1972, a year aFter he was married, Ed Stanton, of Franklinville, New Jersey, ordered the bare hull of a Se...
Be careful where you use these similar alloys Issue 61: July/Aug 2008 In comparing bronze and brass, it is helpful to define two key terms before pointing out the differences, attributes, and deficien...
Converting battery power to alternating current Issue 62 : Sept/Oct 2008 An inverter is an electronic device that converts direct-current (DC) power (the output of your boat’s battery) to alternating-...
Complying with regulations Issue 63 : Nov/Dec 2008 It seems that recreational vessels anchored without anchor lights are more the rule than the exception. However, the International Regulations for Av...