Simple fix for those who don’t want to be parted Issue 49 : Jul/Aug 2006 Walk the docks and you’ll see pieces of fire hose used as chafing gear for docklines. Simply slip the hose over the bitte...
It’s a big job, but easier if you first do your homework Issue 51 : Nov/Dec 2006 When I told my much younger sibling that I was going to install an electric anchor windlass on my Cape Dory 36 cutter, ...
How to make sure your boat stays put Issue 53 : Mar/Apr 2007 Not long ago I spoke with a sailor that had a 27-foot Sabre moored on a 250-pound mushroom mooring anchor as recommended by the local yacht...
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...
A pair of throwable anchors is a valuable aid to “ungrounding” Issue 68 : Sept/Oct 2009 T GIF! Friday had finally arrived. Soon we’d be off, just my little beauty and I, sailing out into the serenity ...
One project serves dual roles in the dinghy Issue 72 : May/Jun 2010 There are times when boaters face minor problems that appear unrelated but can be resolved together. After I purchased a used Avon d...
Mechanical advantage for the windlass disadvantaged Issue 79: July/Aug 2011 For about 19 years, we have anchored Mystic without benefit of bow rollers or a windlass. When we were weekend sailors, we o...
A homemade sentinel is cheap reassurance Issue 80 : Sept/Oct 2011 Anchoring is a lot like sailing: 95 percent relaxing and fun and 5 percent hassle, if not outright terror. At the end of the summer, t...
Taking comfort in a little added weight Issue 80 : Sept/Oct 2011 When sailors get together and talk boats, the topic invariably shifts to anchoring. What follows is a steady stream of stories about lo...
It’s rugged, enduring and, er, rustic Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 When I had my wooden dock built in the late 1980s, the builder asked me if I wanted expensive metal cleats or less-expensive cleats. I ch...
A cardboard box is an instant spray-painting booth Issue 106 : Jan/Feb 2016 Proper anchoring depends on knowing how much rode is out. Fiber rode can be measured by arm span (fathoms) and chain can be ...
A flopper stopper makes untenable anchorages amenable Issue 109 : Jul/Aug 2016 We were anchored in Resolution Bay on the island of Tanna, Republic of Vanuatu. Although we had arrived only that morning...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
Worry about a bobstay failure inspires a rigging and anchor locker redesign. Issue 139: July/Aug 2021 Over the years, I’ve come to know my 1978 Allied Seawind II pretty well. Yet, that part of my boat...
Yawing on the hook can wreak anchorage havoc. Here’s how to help prevent it. Issue 138: May/June 2021 A few years ago, while anchored in the snug little harbor of Oxford, Maryland, I witnessed t...
The catenary effect justifies carrying heavy chain rode. Right? Issue 138: May/June 2021 Every sailor knows that in polite company, it is best not to discuss politics, religion, or anchors. But rode i...
The Bristol 29.9 seemed too small for a windlass, but doctor’s orders demanded one. Issue 138: May/June 2021 As we embarked on the refit of Pegu Club, our 1977 Bristol 29.9, my husband, Jeff, an...
When using all-chain rode while anchoring, a proper snubber is a critical link. Issue 138: May/June 2021 Carolyn and I cut the docklines two years ago and we’ve since learned that our ability to secur...
No windlass? No problem with this nifty, time-tested, anchor ring hack. Issue 138: May/June 2021 In high school, I worked as a deckhand on a charter fishing boat. Bottom fishing for cod in the Gulf of...
A pawl, aka chain stopper, can take the strain when you windlass won’t. Issue 138: May/June 2021 Once, when I was working for a yachting magazine, we received an anguished letter from a cruising...
Spare chain and the right placement make an easy kellet for an all-rope anchor rode. Issue 138: May/June 2021 Small boats often use only rope for rode. This is understandable; chain is heavy, and smal...
Nearly 90 years old, the revolutionary Northill anchor continues to inform today’s generation of ground tackle. Issue 138: May/June 2021 At first glance, it’s just another fisherman anchor. But ...
Designing a windlass install to fit in a bow locker called on an array of skills. Issue 138: May/June 2021 After our first season sailing Fiddler’s Green and weighing the anchor by hand—over and over ...
Losing the steering is not necessarily the end of steering Issue 126: May/June 2019 Loss of steering is possibly the most common reason boats sailing long offshore passages are abandoned. The inabilit...
