Your guide to making a tricky job simpler and easier Issue 37 : Jul/Aug 2004 When you peer into the companionway of an unfamiliar boat, the first thing you notice is the cabin sole. It may be a textur...
Comfort and grace from folding cockpit seats Issue 38 : Sept/Oct 2004 Among the loveliest boats around are Concordia yawls. They were designed by C. Raymond Hunt and, mostly, exquisitely built by Abek...
Careful fall layup gives you a head start in spring Issue 38 : Sept/Oct 2004 October on the north coast (Great Lakes) or, for that matter, anywhere north of the 38th parallel, means taking the boat ou...
Use this low-tech water trap for sanding dust Issue 38 : Sept/Oct 2004 I have a random-orbital sander for which I have an affection that borders on the unseemly. Hook it up to a shop vacuum cleaner, a...
The best way to join fabric to hard surfaces Issue 38 : Sept/Oct 2004 There occasionally comes the time when you need to fasten fabric to wood, fiberglass, or some other hard object. Sometimes eyes an...
Here’s how to keep those cockpit cushions in place Issue 38 : Sept/Oct 2004 The boat heels over, and the cockpit cushions end up in the foot well. You might even be sitting on one when it slides off t...
Smart addition to a venerable Cape Dory 27 Issue 44: Sept/Oct 2005 LAST JANUARY I SET OUT TO REFINISH the interior woodwork of Linda Jean, our 1981 Cape Dory 27. Most of the interior woodwork was easy...
Radar takes the sting out of navigating in fog Issue 38 : Sept/Oct 2004 We’d been cruising the coast of Nova Scotia for a week but had yet to see it. Our charts said it was out there to the left somew...
Inspecting and maintaining seacocks Issue 38 : Sept/Oct 2004 The hull of a boat is designed to keep water out, but most boats also have through-hull fittings and seacocks that are designed to allow wa...
It started with replacing the sole and ended with casting molten lead Issue 38 : Sept/Oct 2004 Not long ago I was reminded about how a small job can turn into a much larger one. My 1976 Chrysler 26 Sw...
A nasty fall overboard spurs non-skid deck renovation Issue 38 : Sept/Oct 2004 I knew the deck of our 42-foot boat needed attention, but I always put it off in favor of other projects. Non-skid replac...
Transforming a sloppy paint job into a safe and spiffy deck Issue 38 : Sept/Oct 2004 A few years ago, my friend, Gil, and I searched for an Allied Seawind II at a good bargain price. We found several ...
A classy English lady gets a facelift Issue 44: Sept/Oct 2005 ONCE EMBARKED ON A LIMITED REFIT project on your classic cruiser, you will surely be tempted to carry on until she is transformed into the...
If you can get a wire around it, you can clamp it Issue 39 : Nov/Dec 2004 Last January, at the Strictly Sail show in Chigago, Robert Wozencraft introduced me to a tool that uses wire to clamp almost a...
It’s easy to make some versatile sink covers Issue 39 : Nov/Dec 2004 If your boat is anything like ours, the galley sink seems to get a lot of stuff stowed in it just as you are leaving the dock. It s...
Modern lighting projects for cruising sailboats Issue 44: Sept/Oct 2005 WE BEGAN TINKERING WITH LED lighting in our boat several years ago. Since then we have completed numerous small lighting project...
A simple fix for a spongy hatch cover Issue 39 : Nov/Dec 2004 The challenge came when the marine surveyor finished his inspection of my 1983-vintage Catalina 27. “The boat’s in good shape, but you mig...
A simple way to create more cockpit rails Issue 39 : Nov/Dec 2004 Solar panels are very sensitive to partial shading. Even the thin shadow of a stay falling on one of the cells causes a dramatic reduc...
Glue inside glue solves a sticky problem Issue 39 : Nov/Dec 2004 Not since I had to attach a bag of clean shingles to finish my daughter’s new dollhouse have I appreciated the merits of hot-melt glue....
No more grungy towels for this solo cruiser Issue 39 : Nov/Dec 2004 Early September . . . the Dog Days whelp no more . . . overnight cruises are again pleasant. By 6 p.m. the anchor is secure, the sai...
How to put that water back outside where it belongs Issue 39 : Nov/Dec 2004 There is an enormous variety of bilge pumps on the market. Some are electric, some manual, and some are belt-driven from the...
Lightweight upgrade — their new cabin “carpet” came in cans Issue 39 : Nov/Dec 2004 “What a stupid thing to have in a boat!” thundered my brother-in-law, as the loose carpet skidded out from under his...
Sloops and cutters — here’s a good look at the family tree Issue 39 : Nov/Dec 2004 Most of today’s sailors think of cutters as having a rig much better suited for offshore voyaging than that of ...
Before the snow comes, build yourself a simple, economical boat shelter Issue 39 : Nov/Dec 2004 Covering our boat marks the end of a season here on the coast of Maine. Warm colors have given way to th...
Expert advice on choosing the right caulk or bedding Issue 39 : Nov/Dec 2004 During a visit to the local home improvement center, I chanced to meet a fellow sailing-club member. Barnacle Bob, as he’s ...
A simple but effective idea to improve a dinghy’s tracking Issue 40 : Jan/Feb 2005 I have made many modifications to our Hughes 26, Smooth Moves, over the years. Some have been real improvements, some...
Not even Sherlock Holmes would have solved this mystery Issue 40 : Jan/Feb 2005 On the desk in my study there is a curious thin-bladed paper knife. As an item of intrigue it would not have disgraced t...
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...
Turning an aging Pedrick 41 into a dream boat Issue 40 : Jan/Feb 2005 My love affair with boats began in 1971, while I was ferrying aircraft in and out of Vietnam via Ching Chuan Kang, a Chinese Air F...
