When space is an issue, this busy bag works two jobs Issue 29 : Mar/Apr 2003 Jill and I live aboard our Nor’Sea 27, Guenevere. On a boat of this size you can imagine how important the size and a...
Make this excellent abandon-ship kit for next to nothing Issue 29 : Mar/Apr 2003 I put together an abandon-ship module because I wanted to have just one safety item to grab if we ever have to go over ...
A quick look at the complicated business of finding the right propeller Issue 29 : Mar/Apr 2003 Nearly all cruising and most racing sailboats have an auxiliary engine and an associated propeller. Apar...
Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 My wife, Marilyn, began singlehanding our 25-foot sloop in the mid-1980s. One problem she had at that time was hoisting our outboard up and into the stowed position. I made a d...
A neat and simple way to store the anchor line Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 One of the most convenient features found on many newer boats is a dedicated anchor locker on the foredeck. My O’Day 222 lacks th...
Here’s how to maintain your winches for long, reliable service Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 In the early history of sail, all sail handling was accomplished through brute strength or with the help of multi...
Look before you take the leap from tiller to wheel Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 Thinking of converting (or buying a boat that’s been converted) from tiller steering to wheel steering? Read this first. I wo...
How one cruiser converted from tiller steering to wheel and pedestal Issue 30 : May/Jun 2003 The longer you own your sailboat, the more you upgrade it. Some of the upgrades are planned from the time y...
Down below, the weight wars are raging Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 Aboard our cruising home, Siandra, battlelines are drawn. It starts innocently enough. Jamie announces his intention to buy one of those ...
Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 One of the problems all cruisers face is what to do with onboard trash between visits to town. Not only is it bulky, but let’s face it, it does tend to smell after a few days, ...
A convenient holder created in thin air Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 While checking out the “goodies” offered for sale at a neighborhood flea market, I came across a used, handheld GPS receiver. The unit c...
Issue 32 : Sept/Oct 2003 Like most sailors, I take pride in ownership. Every item not in use is stowed in its proper place, and anything with a cover is covered. It is because of this attention to det...
Issue 32 : Sept/Oct 2003 Many diesel engines aboard sailboats have compression-release or decompression levers on top of the engine for each cylinder. As their name implies, these levers hold open the...
A crafty sailor converts a water tank into a chain locker Issue 32 : Sept/Oct 2003 The stock water tank in my 1965 Columbia Defender 29 was a plastic, 25-gallon, tapered, trapezoidal thing under the V...
Say hello to the North Coast mooring pick-up buoy Issue 33 : Nov/Dec 2003 North Coast sailors (those sailing on the Great Lakes) count on two major seasons: sailing and snowing. The two minor seasons ...
Instant anti-flap for the rigging before you hit the freeway Issue 33 : Nov/Dec 2003 One of the biggest advantages of trailersailing is that you are not limited to one sailing area in a single sailing...
Using an electric drill to drive sheet, halyard, and anchor winches Issue 33 : Nov/Dec 2003 The idea originated with Jim Schmitt, a friend and Freedom 33 owner, who said, “There is a lot of talk on th...
Check these valuable tips before buying a used sailboat trailer Issue 33 : Nov/Dec 2003 For the most part, sailboat trailers are semi-custom, owing to the fact that each must be designed and built to ...
Shorthanded or sailing solo, this trailing line could save your life Issue 35 : Mar/Apr 2004 Anyone who has ever sailed offshore shares a common dread: falling overboard and helplessly watching the bo...
An easy, low-cost project for the beginning canvasworker Issue 36 : May/Jun 2004 Screen bags are an elegant solution to a couple of age-old problems aboard our little sailboat — namely where do we put...
Be prepared for the worst and hope it never happens Issue 36 : May/Jun 2004 Oof the many steering systems available to the small ship, none is easier to make, simpler to use, or more sensitive to the ...
The trailersailer’s answer to low-water launch ramps Issue 37 : Jul/Aug 2004 With its shoal-draft keel/centerboard combination, my trailersailer draws only 22 inches. However, if I want to float it of...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
