Keep your sanding disks flat Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 Ashore or afloat, the loose stowing of the typical sanding disks of any size usually results in their curling like leaves. At best, this is a nuis...
Another idea on how to improve airflow below Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 In the March 2003 issue of Good Old Boat, Peter Bonsey presented his unique method of increasing belowdecks airflow in a small boa...
An easy way to deal with a heavy dinghy Issue 51 : Nov/Dec 2006 Every year my inflatable dinghy seems to be getting heavier and heavier when I pull it up on the storage float. The truth is that I’m ge...
How to prevent things from falling apart Issue 51 : Nov/Dec 2006 When something vibrates loose on your boat, the result could be anything from a mere nuisance to a catastrophe. To “safety” a fastening...
Homemade bearings make launching easier Issue 53 : Mar/Apr 2007 Sometimes on improvement creates an opportunity another. To make it easier to launch my Com-Pac 16 when the tide is low, I installed a t...
This handy gadget just measures and measures Issue 53 : Mar/Apr 2007 Have you ever used a deck shoe as a hammer . . . or a knife from the galley as a screwdriver? We’ve all used whatever was handy at ...
At last, a collapsible boathook that works Issue 53 : Mar/Apr 2007 I have never seen a collapsible boathook I liked. Even if you can get the twist lock to release, it never seems to retighten securely...
Almost as good as a second pair of hands Issue 53 : Mar/Apr 2007 If your crew tends to abandon ship at the smell of an open tube of sealant, this tool might help you re-bed that deck fitting singlehan...
A knot you can trust with your wine Issue 54 : May/Jun 2007 The hackamore knot is well worth knowing. It has at least three distinct uses for which it is invaluable. The first of these is as an emerge...
Avoid paying for those expensive thumps Issue 54 : May/Jun 2007 Our 30-year-old Ranger 28 has a balanced rudder and is tiller-steered. While I prefer a tiller and like the feedback it gives, it unsett...
Salvage those little bits of horribly expensive wood Issue 61: July/Aug 2008 After fitting out a boat or just making moderate changes to its interior, few of us escape the scrap dilemma. This occurs w...
An easy way to check fore-and-aft trim Issue 55 : Jul/Aug 2007 I got tired of looking over the transom to check trim fore and aft. Our Ranger 28 has a reverse transom, which makes it difficult to see ...
A better way to store that extra fuel Issue 55 : Jul/Aug 2007 Just about every time I step aboard a sailboat, I learn something. This was the case during our two-week cruise two years ago. The first t...
What you need and how to use it Issue 56 : Sept/Oct 2007 Fire extinguishers are classified by letters and numbers, depending on the class and size of the fire they are designed to handle. The letter, ...
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...
