It’s not traditional on a catboat but it sure looks salty Issue 43 : Jul/Aug 2005 Wannabe world cruisers dote on their alter egos, looking for ways to make them ever more perfect, capable of mee...
What it is and what it does for you and your engine Issue 43 : Jul/Aug 2005 Most boaters have probably heard about biodiesel as an alternative fuel but never actually seen or used it. As long as our a...
A contrarian view from a practical mariner Issue 43 : Jul/Aug 2005 Like most boaters, I’ve been exposed to many ads for binoculars and come away convinced that most of what I’ve read has been written ...
Change that awkward throttle and gear placement Issue 45 : Nov/Dec 2005 Some sailboat traditions deserve to die. Among them is the placement of the auxiliary engine controls down around the ankles of ...
Simple improvement provides perfect engine access Issue 45 : Nov/Dec 2005 After purchasing a Sovereign 24, the first trip to the water revealed the need to repack the stuffing box. Since the Sovereign...
A classy English lady gets a facelift Issue 45 : Nov/Dec 2005 In this two-part series, which began in the September 2005 issue, James Baldwin discussed interior modifications, including cabinets, lock...
It’s the simplest, most reliable instrument on your boat Issue 45 : Nov/Dec 2005 There are many types of compasses that help the mariner determine direction: the electronic flux-gate compass, an elect...
Solving a cruiser’s chronic head-bashing problem Issue 45 : Nov/Dec 2005 I awoke one morning a couple of years ago and felt my usual backache, so I lifted myself to change position and wham! bashed my...
A thorough discussion of the many causes of metal corrosion Issue 45 : Nov/Dec 2005 Part 1 of this series in the September 2005 issue took a long look at marine corrosion theory, the galvanic series, ...
Here’s how to repair a hole in your boat’s hull Issue 45 : Nov/Dec 2005 A few years ago, a fellow boater abandoned his boat on Lake Michigan as it was sinking in 450 feet of water. Several days later,...
Out with liquid soap, in with GPS Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 With prices becoming more reasonable, I broke down and purchased a handheld GPS. I chose a Garmin GPSMap 76. Handhelds eat batteries, so I pur...
Detecting that faulty bilge-pump switch Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 If you have never had a bilge level switch fail, sooner or later it’s bound to happen. For a few bucks you can buy a stand-alone, batter...
Upholstering for those who hate to sew Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 My husband, Chris, and I have been sailing in the Pacific Northwest for 15 years on a variety of sailboats. We look for older sailboats t...
Emergency kit saves boat after sailor drills hole in hull Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 A fellow sailor told me he was installing a new water-tank fill pipe and almost sank his boat. He said he was tired of...
Converting an awkward quarter berth into a handy cockpit locker Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 Our Bristol 29.9, Quintessence, was built in 1978 when most builders’ brochures made much of how many people a b...
Keep your batteries topped up with a slow but steady charge Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 On a bright, sunny day, with the sun directly overhead, the sun supplies about 1,000 watts of energy per square mete...
This tough, flexible, shiny oil penetrates old gelcoat Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 OVER THE YEARS, I’VE OWNED SEVERAL “EXPERIENCED” FIBERGLASS sailboats. These are boats that have already had at least one ...
Make them yourself this easy way Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 A LIFELINE CUSHION IS SOMETHING YOU CAN THROW TOGETHER from materials intended for other projects, and you can save a nice wad of cash while you...
How to equip your boat for the wild blue yonder Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 Visit a marina, yacht club, or boat show, and you will meet or hear of sailors who are planning a long cruise or circumnavigatio...
Barbecue charcoal does the trick Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 SINCE I PERFORM THE BULK OF THE MAINTENANCE ON MY SAILBOAT, not to mention on my cars, pickup, tractor, and house, it’s only reasonable that I w...
An inspired solution to an intimidating problem Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 BELOW THE WATERLINE OF VESPERA, THE 51-FOOT CUTTER I had chosen as a refit project, the entire gelcoat surface was star-cracked. ...
The basic rules of anchoring — and staying put Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 Everyone who owns a boat have occasion to anchor at one time or another, perhaps when cruising overnight, clamming, fishing, swim...
How changes can affect the strength of a rig Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 In recent weeks I’ve had several inquiries from boatowners asking for advice on mast rigging. Their questions prompted me to write ...
A major refit for a 1967 Ted Hood 24-foot trailersailer Issue 46 : Jan/Feb 2006 She was a wreck. When I first saw her, she was sitting on a derelict trailer with two flat tires. Her hull was faded fro...
Here’s a handier way to keep it in place Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 Our boat has halyard winches to port and starboard near the base of the mast and another winch on the boom for the outhaul and reefs. I...
An automatic cycle counter for next-to-nothing Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 Living in Colorado, with my Pearson 424 tied up in New Bern, North Carolina, I sometimes awaken in a cold sweat, wondering if my ...
Classic varnish solves boater’s problem Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 Any owner of a good old boat will, at some time or another, be confronted with the sight of brightwork that no longer lives up to the na...
Use these socks on your portlight screens Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 I dream of there mass extermination but, alas, it remains a dream — no-see-ums (midges, punkies, sand flies, and sand fleas) are a fac...
Or how a desperate sailor drilled out a sheared stud Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 So there we knelt, staring at the bolt head in my hand in horror. What was once a beautiful 5⁄16-inch x 3-inch bolt was now...
It’s easy to help these pesky pests on their way Issue 47 : Mar/Apr 2006 Drat those wretched fruit flies! Here’s an odd, but quick and effective, way of dispatching them. Keep a plastic bag with...
