A cheap alternative to the washdown pump Issue 57 : Nov/Dec 2007 Washdown pumps are great when a muddy anchor chain comes aboard. But there is a cheaper alternative. I took two scrub brushes and linke...
Simple solution for hard-to-reach stowage Issue 57 : Nov/Dec 2007 Odd-shaped and difficult-to-reach stowage compartments present challenges to stowing and retrieving gear aboard. On Ariel, our 1979 Ca...
Remove old finishes an easier way Issue 57 : Nov/Dec 2007 I made a conscious decision when we purchased our good old boat: it would have the minimum of wood trim on the exterior. Maybe it was too many...
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....
Taking up the mooring strain Issue 59 : Mar/Apr 2008 To take the strain off our windlass, I needed a chain stopper. I found some nice ones on the market, but they were expensive and I had to come up w...
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...
Make your own from leftover wire Issue 60 : May/Jun 2008 After i completed some house re-wiring, i had some leftover #6 bare copper wire. I hacksawed a half-dozen pieces, then bent them up using a ben...
This one really won’t jam in a block Issue 60 : May/Jun 2008 Having been a racing sailor for many years, i know firsthand the extra pounding a boat takes while you’re out there rounding the buoys. Ove...
Braided tail improves hold on rode Issue 60 : May/Jun 2008 A simple running (or rolling) hitch, used to attach a snubber to an anchor rode, may have difficulty in maintaining a good grip on the rode, ...
When weather lets you goof off without a guilty conscience Issue 61: July/Aug 2008 Some days dawn gray, wet, and windy and promise only scud, thump, and splash. But if you are safely anchored and gene...
Singing the praises of a hard, non-inflatable dinghy Issue 60 : May/Jun 2008 Over the last 20 years i have worn out two inflatable dinghies. As the kids grew, we put lots of happy miles on both of the...
Mate narrow Grade 43 chain with heavy-duty shackles Issue 60 : May/Jun 2008 Eleven years ago, as we were completing our first cruising boat in our backyard, our thoughts turned to the ground tackle th...
How to halt the flight of wet bath towels Issue 62 : Sept/Oct 2008 As experience has taught many of us, a head is not the best environment for a wet towel. Because we live aboard, our family of five i...
Making a clean sweep of the dirtbuster business Issue 62 : Sept/Oct 2008 My favorite weapon for attacking dirt on our boat deck is a broom. We have one of those expensive, expanding boat-brush systems...
Here’s a $5 propeller puller you can build yourself Issue 62 : Sept/Oct 2008 We wanted our own propeller puller but it had to fulfill the following requirements: As a result, we created a design that ...
Two ways to protect your investment Issue 63 : Nov/Dec 2008 Varnish is typically not used up all at once. The more that is used, the quicker a skin forms on top of what remains in the can. When the ca...
Replace your depth sounder and get a GPS for free Issue 63 : Nov/Dec 2008 Sometimes sailing can seem like it was intended for those few folks with high standards and even higher budgets. Since that so...
Practical and economical professional advice Issue 64 : Jan/Feb 2009 Having spent 35 years in the fire service, with more than half of that time as a Medical First Responder, when it came time to outf...
The Compleat (sailing) Angler Issue 64 : Jan/Feb 2009 For more than 25 years, I’ve been doing practical research on the best method for fishing from a sailboat. The result of my accumulated research c...
Stowing oars and more in a plastic tender’s slick interior Issue 64 : Jan/Feb 2009 Back in the days of wooden dinghies, or at least wooden seats in plastic dinghies, a person always had a place to las...
An automatic bailer for deck puddles Issue 65 : Mar/Apr 2009 This is not an original idea. We copied it from fellow sailor and Good Old Boat publisher Michael Facius. After all, we figured, if it work...
A new way to get a grip on deck clutter Issue 66 : May/Jun 2009 “OK, Sam, slap the cuffs on her.” This line from an old B-rated cops-and-robbers movie could have a new life as good advice on how to ke...
Custom woodwork at a price you can’t beat Issue 66 : May/Jun 2009 Having never given the subject much thought, I assumed that all overhead hatches were fitted with some sort of locking or adjustable s...
Pick up a mooring with grace and élan Issue 66 : May/Jun 2009 A mooring-and-buoy system consists of an anchor, a length of chain, and a mooring buoy that both holds up the chain and marks the location...
Getting a grip on a slippery problem Issue 70 : Jan/Feb 2010 Just as Imelda Marcos was addicted to footwear, I confess I’m addicted to tools. And not just any tools, either. I’m addicted to pliers. At...
A modern adaptation of an old tradition Issue 70 : Jan/Feb 2010 On sailing ships, an opened cask, or butt, of water was often placed near the galley scuttle. This “scuttlebutt” was where the crew coul...
Color-coded coils take stress out of docking Issue 70 : Jan/Feb 2010 When cruising, it helps to have aboard an assortment of docklines of various lengths so you can secure your boat in a variety of tr...
Turn, turn, turn on the lights Issue 71 : Mar/Apr 2010 Do you remember the Green Lantern, the DC Comics superhero of the 1950s? This article isn’t about him; it’s about my multi-function, crank-powere...
Security without using pliers or rigging tape Issue 71 : Mar/Apr 2010 I was in a fabric store buying sticky-back Velcro tape for use on insect screens when I saw a Velcro product named One-Wrap. This ...
Make your own handy-billy Issue 71 : Mar/Apr 2010 Most good old boats have all the mechanical muscle a person could want in the form of powerful winches. Boats at the smaller end of the scale, however...
