Make holding-tank chemistry work in your favor Iss...
March 12, 2026
Take the pain out of the main, make your own lazy-jacks The easiest way for the shorthanded sailor to control the mainsail when reefing or stowing is a set of well-fitted lazy-jacks. Lazy-jacks are ma...
A 27-year-old outboard starts a newer, deeper life. I bought Brushfire, my 1975 San Juan 24, from the Sea Scouts. Before I agreed to the deal, the Sea Scouts offered to throw in an outboard as a sweet...
Ted Brewer reviews the ins and outs and ups and downs of keel design The purpose of a keel, fin, or centerboard is to provide resistance to making leeway; in effect, to keep the yacht from sliding sid...
Use a riding sail to steady your boat at anchor You’re all settled in for the night in that well-protected cove, when the wind picks up. What had been a nice quiet anchorage is now alive with mo...
As you are aware, proper helm balance is a very desirable factor on a sailing yacht and can make the difference between a craft that is enjoyable to sail and one that has a helm that would rupture a g...
Controlling your environment makes you a better, safer sailor As a person to whom quality time and time aboard are synonymous, I often daydream of idyllic passages through tropical seas with steady tr...
Picture a hot, windless Sunday afternoon as you power home on a glassy sea. Suddenly your engine slows and stops or overheats. Today of all days! You really did not need this, and it could have all be...
While economics favor the sloop, other rigs have much to offer The history of the fore-and-aft rig is a fascinating one. It is particularly interesting when you realize that two of the earliest fore-a...
The epoxy “cure” One of the most annoying problems that can occur on a sailboat is a leak in the diesel fuel tank. If you don’t have the time, expertise, or courage to attempt to rep...
What to look for when buying your Dream Boat In the nautical lexicon, it seems these three words – good old boats – always go together. Some of the most aesthetically pleasing designs from...
Handholds are an easy and inexpensive way to increase your security afloat Dodgers are not necessary – that is, if you’re a masochist or a Spartan who enjoys being hit in the face with wat...
Check the pros and cons before you decide which tender is right for you The age-old question of what dinghy is best will never find a universal answer. Each boating situation has too many variables to...
Sailor and writer Webb Chiles is credited with saying something to the effect that when the engine in his boat died he was set free – no maintenance chores, no need to get fuel, no more worries ...
A clean look at the “dirty” half dozen Pros and cons of the six main fuels for galley stoves When it comes to choosing a marine stove fuel there is rarely anyone completely happy with the choice. All ...
Building your own (leakproof!) classic hatch When Mary and I bought our 1965 Alberg 30 we knew that replacing the forward hatch was going to be one of many projects. Down below there was no indication...
At an age when many sailors retire, sell the house, move aboard, and go cruising, my wife, Dee, and I built a house, sold the boat, moved ashore for the first time in 25 years, and started a business....
Catalina Yachts: One big family Call the Woodland Hills headquarters of Catalina Yachts in California, and one thing strikes you right away about the choices the telephone answering system offers you....
Planning for an unplanned inversion Capsize: how it happens, and what you can do to survive it When Isabelle Autissier’s 60-foot racer capsized in the Southern Ocean, it sent a chill of fear thr...
Swap your old plastic windows for salty new ports After buying our old 1965 Alberg 30, Mary and I knew that part of the renovation program would be the replacement of the old fixed windows with operat...
What’s the meaning of all those numbers used by yacht designers? The terms and ratios that follow are used by all yacht designers, so it’s a good idea to have an understanding of them if y...
Tried and trusted old fittings give character to modern yachts If you remember when all sailboats had wooden spars, manila lines, galvanized fittings, and cotton sails, chances are you have problems w...
Whether a cosmetic or structural issue, a thorough investigation of any blister problem is warranted People often ask whether gelcoat osmosis problems – generically called “blisters”...
A bad case of blisters made the boat affordable; upgrades were the expensive part. It all started innocently enough. It was mid-October of 1990, and we were going to Texas anyway to visit cousins in S...
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water … Why is it that some sailors go quietly about their business, consistently making quick, safe, and satisfying passages, while others lurch er...
Despite the popular notion today, fiberglass and plastic resins were not “new” technology in the mid-1950s, nor was Clinton Pearson the first person to use them to build sailboats. This be...
Don’t wait until it happens; get your boat ready now My first memory, as a small child, was being in the middle of a hurricane in the North Atlantic. It was the 1930s. Our family was returning b...
Spoil yourselves and get a really good night’s sleep while aboard Have you ever wondered what you have to do to get a boat with a decent-size bed? My wife, Cheryl, and I searched for six years f...
“The shock of discovering bubbles on your boat’s bottom is merely the prelude to a prolonged pain in the assets.” Boat pox, osmosis, or blisters . . . call it what you will. Most fib...
Diesel envy? Take another look at the gasoline engine that came with your good old boat If you own a sailboat, there is a good chance that you recognize the Atomic 4 engine by name, even if you don...
The wind had shifted overnight. A sea was starting to run into the anchorage from the exposed direction, so we decided to leave. We finished the breakfast dishes and pulled in the “off-duty hook...
