. . . replace irreplaceable windows Issue 99 : Nov/Dec 2014 When it was time to replace the deadlights in the deckhouse on my 1978 Eastward Ho 31, I ran into a problem. Replace them with . . . what? T...
Why does cleaning it require taking a bath? Issue 101 : Mar/Apr 2015 Now that we have mapped the human genome, it’s time to tackle the real technological challenge of the 21st century — foul-proofing ...
Soft barriers keep out bugs and sunbeams Issue 100: Jan/Feb 2015 I’ve had it with mosquitoes and also with the sun shining in my eyes when I’m trying to sleep. Maybe it’s about my sense of privacy too...
A mast gets a new foot to stand on Issue 101 : Mar/Apr 2015 I’ve always been in the habit of pulling my mast when I lay my boat up each fall. It adds to the annual cost, but it’s better in the long ru...
Trap dirt and sand before they get on the mother ship Issue 105 : Nov/Dec 2015 My sailboat, Pelorus, sits on a mooring about a third of a mile offshore. I get to her by dinghy, a plywood Phil Bolger d...
Turn any flat surface into a workbench Issue 105 : Nov/Dec 2015 What happens if you find yourself on a sailboat and need a vise for holding either wood or metal while you work on it? I have long admir...
Cleaning the mainsail track made easy Issue 106 : Jan/Feb 2016 Some time ago, Don Launer came up with a great device for lubricating the mainsail slot (see “Sailtrack Lubricator,” March 2008) but I ha...
Thoughts about the little boat that tends the big boat Issue 108: May/June 2016 Conditions at Fire Island Inlet on the south shore of Long Island were “a bit sporty,” as they say in New England, but n...
Better backing plates restore rigidity Issue 108: May/June 2016 When a concentrated load is applied to a structure, that load must be distributed widely enough that the surrounding structure is not ov...
Obscure tools the the gymnastics out of routine jobs Issue 106 : Jan/Feb 2016 We have owned our Pearson 386, Lakota, for more than 20 years. She is a lovely and reliable good old boat that has served ...
A pillow block put its troubles to rest Issue 110: Sept/Oct 2016 A disadvantage of owning a semi-custom boat is that there is no manufacturer to call on for help in resolving matters that are specific...
Banish the hazing, crazing rays of summer Issue 111: Nov/Dec 2016 Under the relentless glare of UV, crisp sails turn to fragile rags, shiny paint dulls, and clear plastic windows become hazy and craze...
Hard labor and a little luck restore order Issue 111: Nov/Dec 2016 I was staring at the rivulet of diesel forming a pool near the fuel tank. “Well, we knew it was bound to happen sooner or later,” sai...
A stubborn small task is done at last Issue 112: Jan/Feb 2017 When we purchased our 1976 Ontario 32 sailboat a few years ago, we knew she needed a refit. Most of the tasks on our to-do list, from larg...
. . . and replaced with mixed results Issue 112: Jan/Feb 2017 I have lost rudders five times over the course of owning two different boats, each time for a different reason, each time requiring a diff...
A rudder head succumbs to its mixed-metal construction Issue 112: Jan/Feb 2017 As the proud new owner of a 1985 Gloucester 22, I’m taking time to go over her thoroughly and return her to near-pristine...
Protect bright-finished handrails with snap-on covers Issue 112: Jan/Feb 2017 Teak handrails are not just functional, they add a beautiful, classic aesthetic to a sailboat, especially when the teak is...
When less than perfect is bright enough Issue 114: May/June 2017 About an hour after I put what I hoped was the last layer of varnish on some of Nurdle’s brightwork, it started to rain. The rain was f...
Keep ahead of it and never look back Issue 115: July/Aug 2017 We’d neglected the bottom of our boat for a month and the warm Mexican waters had transformed our sleek hull into a furry ecosystem teemin...
Jet it off with a homemade washdown wand Issue 115: July/Aug 2017 Dirty rode in an anchor locker can make a mess and get to smelling pretty foul. A clean rode is especially desirable when an anchor lo...
Is it real? Is it laminate? No, it’s paint! Issue 116: Sept/Oct 2017 My good old boat is a 1979 San Juan 28, a plastic production-line IOR fin-keeler. When I had her hauled one recent fall for a multi...
Years and years of antifouling succumb to chemical stripping Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 After a pressure washing at the boatyard, the hull of our new-to-us Morgan 382 did not present a pretty picture. Wh...
Getting a grip on a tired molded-in deck surface Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 My 26-foot Paceship, Pelorus, was built with non-skid molded into the deck in a cross-hatch pattern rather like a gun grip. Lot...
Don’t be sidelined by bad bearings Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 Two hours into the 3-hour drive to Virginia’s Ware River Yacht Club, where I was taking my Chrysler Mutineer 15 to race in the Governor’s Cup...
The guardians of the through-hull fell down on the job Issue 118: Jan/Feb 2018 Fifteen years of world cruising and my wife, Ellen, and I were now gliding along the Sassafras River on Chesapeake Bay’s ...
Banishing wet balsa, one stanchion at a time Issue 119: March/April 2018 When we bought our 1977 Pearson 365 sloop several years ago, the surveyor noted elevated moisture readings around just about ev...
Reverse the ravages of age or accidents Issue 121: July/Aug 2018 Deck hatches are great for the light and air flow they allow below, and it’s nice to see through them. Unfortunately, subjected to ultr...
With careful planning, a rudder can be unshipped and refitted in the water Issue 123: Nov/Dec 2018 The lengths that sailors go to avoid hauling out range from the ingenious to the ridiculous. Friends ...
Banish the black bane with a simple chemical brew Issue 124: Jan/Feb 2019 As near as I can tell, boating consists of one part blue lagoons and white sails and two parts painting the bottom, fixing eng...
Issue 140: Sept/Oct 2021 Buffing can help or hinder. Doing a good job buffing vinyl windows requires considerable effort and patience, and it is quite possible to make things worse. I recommend not tr...
