The epoxy “cure” One of the most annoying problems that can occur on a sailboat is a leak in the diesel fuel tank. If you don’t have the time, expertise, or courage to attempt to rep...
Handholds are an easy and inexpensive way to increase your security afloat Dodgers are not necessary – that is, if you’re a masochist or a Spartan who enjoys being hit in the face with wat...
Building your own (leakproof!) classic hatch When Mary and I bought our 1965 Alberg 30 we knew that replacing the forward hatch was going to be one of many projects. Down below there was no indication...
Swap your old plastic windows for salty new ports After buying our old 1965 Alberg 30, Mary and I knew that part of the renovation program would be the replacement of the old fixed windows with operat...
Whether a cosmetic or structural issue, a thorough investigation of any blister problem is warranted People often ask whether gelcoat osmosis problems – generically called “blisters”...
A bad case of blisters made the boat affordable; upgrades were the expensive part. It all started innocently enough. It was mid-October of 1990, and we were going to Texas anyway to visit cousins in S...
Spoil yourselves and get a really good night’s sleep while aboard Have you ever wondered what you have to do to get a boat with a decent-size bed? My wife, Cheryl, and I searched for six years f...
“The shock of discovering bubbles on your boat’s bottom is merely the prelude to a prolonged pain in the assets.” Boat pox, osmosis, or blisters . . . call it what you will. Most fib...
Diesel envy? Take another look at the gasoline engine that came with your good old boat If you own a sailboat, there is a good chance that you recognize the Atomic 4 engine by name, even if you don...
Leave the weight in the lake and tow a lighter boat Issue 127: July/Aug 2019 Water can be used in various ways to increase a boat’s stability. One method is as old as yachting itself. Æmilius Jarvis r...
Set fasteners to the right tightness with a wrench torque Issue 127: July/Aug 2019 “Remember, Eddie, one hand on the socket end of the wrench and your other hand perpendicular to the end of the handle...
The ClampTite alternative is more effective and less injurious Issue 127: July/Aug 2019 When most sailors think of hose clamps they think of the ubiquitous worm-drive steel clamp. Worm-drive clamps ar...
It gets a new look and loses its fishhooks Issue 127: July/Aug 2019 We were in the middle of a race and Sam was up front, jibing the spinnaker pole over to the other side of the boat. “Ouch! Dammit!” ...
Rebuilding an Atomic 4 on a mooring far from home Issue 127: July/Aug 2019 Although I lived in Michigan, I bought my 1967 Morgan 34 with a trip south in mind. I thought she would be a good boat for th...
Where cast aluminum failed, mild steel became the material of choice Issue 127: July/Aug 2019 The cast-aluminum steering quadrant on Rhythm had been in use for approximately 15 years. When I removed a...
E10 gasoline is now a fact of life, but its devils don’t have to be Issue 127: July/Aug 2019 Why is ethanol problematic for marine engines but not for cars? The only noticeable difference for the fami...
When they were new, the four Rayovac 6-volt golf-cart (GC2) batteries on Phantom, our Pearson 365 ketch, had plenty of electrical capacity to provide all the power we needed to go three or more days b...
A garden-variety geotextile is a perfect protective sock Issue 126: May/June 2019 Having spent a substantial sum for a new foam-luff cruising genoa to fit the CDI furler on our Catalina 22, Bright Eye...
Losing the steering is not necessarily the end of steering Issue 126: May/June 2019 Loss of steering is possibly the most common reason boats sailing long offshore passages are abandoned. The inabilit...
Given new feet, they’ll last a few more years Issue 126: May/June 2019 By owning five boat stands for more than 20 years, I have saved the annual rental cost of $25 per stand when my Grampian 30 is ha...
How to (and not to) install hardware to cored laminates Issue 126: May/June 2019 Installing hardware on boats, a seemingly straightforward procedure, is fraught with pitfalls: failure to reinforce the...
They put a check on electronic noise from RFI and EMI Issue 126: May/June 2019 Have you ever tried to listen to someone transmitting on their VHF whose voice was almost drowned out by an annoying buzz...
An old design puts cheap wheels under a long-loved tender Issue 126: May/June 2019 When I moved from New Jersey in the spring of 2018, I sold, gave away, or abandoned a lot of my stuff, including the ...
A couple of days’ work extends into an odyssey Issue 126: May/June 2019 Way in the back of the long-term storage lot where old boats go to die, I looked at my Catalina 34, Ukiyo, and thought of an ins...
Add-ons made a luggage cart multi-purpose Issue 126: May/June 2019 A handcart is handy to have aboard a boat. We wanted one that could adapt to carrying a variety of items, support a considerable payl...
A fresh-air solution for a boat that lacks a locker Issue 125: March/April 2019 In the 1970s and ’80s, a lot of production sailboats were equipped with alcohol-fueled galley stoves. Accordingly, there...
Simple or sophisticated, each type has its merits Issue 125: March/April 2019 When we bought our 45-foot Liberty cutter, Nine of Cups, in 2000, she needed a number of upgrades to convert her from a co...
A simple system will keep a frugal sailor’s battery topped off Issue 125: March/April 2019 When I first mentioned adding solar power to our Corsair F 24 trimaran, my boating partners choked. They envi...
They tame stranded wire and make connections secure Issue 125: March/April 2019 A ferrule slips easily over a stranded wire and ensures that the connection is as secure as it can be in devices that ar...
Prototyping bug-proofing possibilities for opening portlights My friend’s Westsail 32 has 10 opening portlights. That’s a lot of ventilation. Without screens, it’s also a lot of entrances for bugs. Th...
