Reverse the ravages of age or accidents Issue 121: July/Aug 2018 Deck hatches are great for the light and air flow they allow below, and it’s nice to see through them. Unfortunately, subjected to ultr...
A better way to connect snubbers and bridles to chain Issue 121: July/Aug 2018 Anchoring can be a straightforward procedure, but there are occasions that demand special strategies. And anchoring as a ...
Those nightmare threads that become unthreadable can be avoided Issue 122: Sept/Oct 2018 Sailing is all about feel. And sometimes it’s through feel we get the first hint that things are about to go al...
Don’t let dock-hose biomass contaminate the boat’s water tanks Issue 123: Nov/Dec 2018 Every time I take on fresh water, even in my home marina, I get an uneasy feeling. I’ve seen what lives in water ...
Banish the black bane with a simple chemical brew Issue 124: Jan/Feb 2019 As near as I can tell, boating consists of one part blue lagoons and white sails and two parts painting the bottom, fixing eng...
They’d set sail tomorrow if it weren’t for . . . Issue 125: March/April 2019 We see it all the time. A boat is purchased and an announcement made, but, after some time has passed, either realit...
Getting tasty water from your boat’s tap isn’t a pipe dream if you follow some basic steps. Issue 130: Jan/Feb 2020 Stagnant, skunky, tank-sourced drinking water is one of the less romantic aspects of...
Understanding what’s happening on the bottom goes a long way to improving anchoring success. Issue 130: Jan/Feb 2020 Any article about anchoring can smack of fear mongering. And the audience is ripe b...
Issue 132: May/June 2020 Filling Fuel Tanks Neatly Just over a decade ago, filling outboards, mowers, chainsaws, and small tanks got messy when CARB (the California Air Resources Board) mandated low-e...
Issue 134: Sept/Oct 2020 Chain Lube Change-up Steering chains lurk unloved, out of sight, in one of the toughest environments on the boat, a constantly damp bilge. And steering failure ranks near the ...
Issue 135: Nov/Dec 2020 Clamping Up… Edson Marine clearly has an eye for what the market needs, adding to its products a garden hose connector fitting made by Banjo, one of the best-known manufacturer...
A bracket fabricated from Coosa board keeps an outboard tiller out of mischief. Issue 136: Jan/Feb 2021 The outboard tiller had been bothering me for a while. The friction lock on the engine side—the ...
Issue 139: July/Aug 2021 Since 2009, when the EPA banned the sale of traditionally vented gas cans, we’ve all endured a generation of gas cans compliant with California Air Resources Board (CARB) spec...
If you’re tired of bogus bungees, try this custom-built alternative. Issue 140: Sept/Oct 2021 The average bungee has a one- to two-year life expectancy when enduring stressors such as UV and chafe tha...
Issue 140: Sept/Oct 2021 Buffing can help or hinder. Doing a good job buffing vinyl windows requires considerable effort and patience, and it is quite possible to make things worse. I recommend not tr...
Properly maintaining dodger and enclosure windows is a lot trickier than it looks. Issue 140: Sept/Oct 2021 Perhaps the most fragile and vexing part of any boat’s exterior is the clear vinyl material ...
Here’s how to give your old ropes a new life. Issue 140: Sept/Oct 2021 Every sailor has gazed longingly upon the rack of shiny new ropes at the local chandlery, admiring the smooth finishes and ...
Try these tricks to stay toasty warm while cold-weather cruising. Issue 141: Nov/Dec 2021 Summer sailing can be lovely, but there are downsides; the season is short in much of the country, the waters ...
A luff tape cleaner makes mast groove maintenance easy and sail hoisting smoother. Issue 142: Jan/Feb 2022 The most basic part of sailing—hoisting your sails—should be easy and straightforward. While ...
Outboards are an easy way into electric propulsion, but are they for you? Issue 143: March/April 2022 For the last 15 years I’ve been telling myself my next outboard might be electric. If I had a smal...
Do you really need to splice a thimble into that line? Maybe not so much. Issue 143: March/April 2022 Traditional wire or metal thimbles are common gear on boats, usually spliced into a line where a r...
Nobody likes damp gear. A DIY dryer solves the problem. Issue 144: May/June 2022 I sail year-round, and I can endure as much heat and cold as my passions demand. But whether it is summer or winter, I ...
Issue 145: July/Aug 2022 Taking the Nip Out of Flies Sailors who assume mosquitoes are the pastime’s main insect issue clearly haven’t experienced biting flies. Mosquitoes primarily come out at night,...
Issue 146: Sept/Oct 2022 Protect Your Pate Thinning hair is a bummer for anybody, but for sailors especially it has major downsides, among them sunburn, scalp cuts, bumps, and bruises. There is just n...
For certain applications, glued-on studs are an alternative to through-bolts. Issue 147: Nov/Dec 2022 Through-bolts are the gold standard for strength and security when it comes to attaching stuff to ...
A simple strap with low-friction rings can improve mainsail performance. Issue 148: Jan/Feb 2023 Sails are amazing fabrications. They start out as bits of flat cloth, and through the tailoring of the ...
Padding your mast climbing harness will save your legs and allow you to work longer Issue 149: March/April 2023 Climbing harnesses have become increasingly popular for mast work, outstripping the trad...
Regulating copper-leaching rates of antifouling paints may be better than banning them Issue 149: March/April 2023 Copper is lethal to many marine organisms. That’s why it works. Antifouling paints re...
DIY rope hooks to keep your coils organized Issue 150: May/June 2023 Hooks are designed to snag. But that is the polar opposite of what I need in a rope locker. Installed in a sail locker, for example...
The right products and technique are key to separating those stubbornly cemented parts Issue 151: July/Aug 2023 I’ve tried solvents for removing sealants, but unless they are aggressive enough to melt...