A simple system developed for RVs provides a versatile table for saloon and cockpit. Issue 134: Sept/Oct 2020 Fulmar, our 1982 Pacific Seacraft 37, came to us without a dining table—not in the saloon,...
With the ship’s wheel base, a clever design makes for finer dining. Issue 134: Sept/Oct 2020 Our good old Bristol 35 has a cozy dinette in the main saloon, but the weather here in Florida often ...
Sourcing rigging tension creep reveals an old flaw. Issue 134: Sept/Oct 2020 For a few years, the shrouds and stays on Mikula, my 24-foot Seafarer, would slowly lose their tension over the course of e...
A backup battery system for a fixed-mount VHF ensures communications in an emergency. Issue 133: July/Aug 2020 Despite the introduction of satellite communications and cell phones over the past couple...
The LED revolution has seen a million rechargeable lights hit market—many for the marine market. I had one question on my mind when I received this Mantus Snap-On Light for review: Is there anything s...
It was time for a stronger autopilot, but the install presented interesting challenges. Issue 133: July/Aug 2020 It was a June day, and a gale was blowing. I remember because I spent 18 hours hand-ste...
A vertical windlass, reimagined, fulfills dual duty as an automatic furler. Issue 131: March/April 2020 I stared down at my university packing list. I had been onboard Jasamine since I was two days ol...
An old instrument’s housing provides a platform for its replacement. Issue 131: March/April 2020 When we bought Phantom, our 1981 Pearson 365 ketch, in 2001, she had old Signet Marine instrumen...
With Corian countertop material as a core, a new centerboard takes shape. Issue 131: March/April 2020 I’m one of the lucky few. Not only do I sail a boat with a centerboard, the centerboard on my Alli...
Last year, as hurricane Dorian headed for Florida, I was forced to evacuate, leaving my schooner Britannia to fend for herself in a Cape Canaveral marina. For two days I worried about how she was fari...
We launched Christmas the first week of June 2019 and hauled her out late October 2019. This is our typical five-month sailing season on the coast of Maine. Before launch, I prepped the prop (which wa...
Equalizing batteries can improve performance and extend their lifespan. Issue 131: March/April 2020 Lead acid house batteries aboard boats that spend most of their time in a slip and connected to shor...
My previous boat was a traditional cutter with an outboard rudder and boomkin, precluding the use of a common stern swim ladder. The wooden side ladder she came with was cumbersome and difficult to st...
Clever surgery on a standard bed mattress improves a V-berth’s sleepability. Issue 131: March/April 2020 When we bought Phantom, our Pearson 365 ketch, in 2001, my wife, Barbara, and I slept on V-bert...
We’ve got some poorly lit areas aboard (as you can see above), and they’re where we most need bright light: our under-the-bridgedeck galley sink and our chart table. Early on, we’d use a flashlight to...
Irascible and indomitable, the British Seagull was not for the faint of heart. Issue 134: Sept/Oct 2020 Long before the Energizer Bunny, there was the British Seagull outboard motor. Conceived in the ...
A repower in rural Alaska required precise planning and helpful hands. Issue 130: Jan/Feb 2020 Wide awake in my bunk, I stared at the ceiling without really seeing it. It was nearing 3 a.m., and my mi...
Adding an inner forestay expands sail plan options and can make for better boathandling. Issue 132: May/June 2020 When my wife, Ellen, and I began our search for an ocean-going cruising boat, high on...
Knowing battery basics and technologies empowers battery choices. Issue 131: March/April 2020 Aboard any boat with an electrical system there exists a need to store electricity. Enter the batte...
Replacing a traditional marine head with a composting system is clean and green. Issue 132: May/June 2020 I love my new-to-me 1999 Beneteau 311, but the boat came with a very pronounced smell in the h...
Need to replace a prop? Pull the lower unit on an outboard without pulling the engine? How about installing an external strainer without pulling the boat? Working on most anything below the trampoline...
Replacing a fabric interior hull covering with oak-on-cedar strips transforms a V-berth. Issue 129: Nov/Dec 2019 Manufacturers of many good old boats of the ’70s and ’80s were looking for time and cos...
When our keel started weeping and our bilge started filling, a keel bolt repair came next. Issue 129: Nov/Dec 2019 Losing a bolt-on keel is a relatively uncommon occurrence, but it’s also about the mo...
Suffering’s for singing the blues, not sailing. Here’s how to stay pain-free on the water. Issue 129: Nov/Dec 2019 When I was in my 20s, a long breezy day on my beach cat invariably resulted in a grim...
Install a day tank to ensure a clean fuel supply at the ready. Issue 129: Nov/Dec 2019 Few things give me the willies more than the thought of navigating an inlet, cut, or tricky channel when we’re ru...
