Adding a second engine switch in the cockpit made singlehanding safer and easier. Issue 141: Nov/Dec 2021 Reading Robb Lovell’s review of the Beneteau First 345 (September/ October 2019), I realized f...
Try these tricks to stay toasty warm while cold-weather cruising. Issue 141: Nov/Dec 2021 Summer sailing can be lovely, but there are downsides; the season is short in much of the country, the waters ...
A clever design for storable mast supports makes for easy traveling between lakes. Issue 142: Jan/Feb 2022 I have the great fortune to live next to an inland lake that is fully navigable, which means ...
Installing a new motor in a dead solar vent was far more satisfying than the alternative. Issue 142: Jan/Feb 2022 Shortly after buying my 1975 Tanzer 26 in 2011, I installed two 4-inch Nicro solar ven...
From a spare parts drawer and a galley, you can make a quick and easy anchor light. Issue 142: Jan/Feb 2022 A functioning anchor light is a basic piece of vital equipment on board. And while you might...
A dreamy cruise is interrupted when the head calls it quits. Issue 142: Jan/Feb 2022 A number of years ago, my family and I sailed Dreamer, the first of two Islander Bahama 30s we’ve owned, from the V...
Careful use of KiwiGrip provides a solution to some slippery problems. Issue 142: Jan/Feb 2022 Having lived aboard Cetus, our Fantasia 35, for nearly 30 years, my wife, Heidi, and I are well aware of ...
Issue 143: March/April 2022 What to do with rotted wood on a boat? Whether it’s a supporting internal structure or a wood-cored fiberglass sandwich exposed to the elements, either may be remedied with...
An externally mounted sensor takes the guesswork out of the holding tank status. Issue 143: March/April 2022 In 2014, I rebuilt the holding tank in our 1978 Bristol 29.9 using 3/8-inch polypropylene w...
Issue 143: March/April 2022 I am fortunate to sail my 1962, Carl Alberg-designed Pearson Electra, Sea Gypsy, out of Bluffton, in the heart of South Carolina’s low country. As a self-acknowledged natur...
A DIY diesel-to-electric repower required a lot of education but only a little engineering. Issue 143: March/April 2022 While motoring my 1968 Mason 40, NorthWind, out of the marina on a beautiful spr...
Restoring a nearly 50-year-old Pearson included repowering with electric. Issue 143: March/April 2022 I purchased my 1972 Pearson 30, hull #220, in March 2015 sight unseen by way of eBay. I was the on...
Precise patterns and plywood replace a complex, cracked floor. Issue 144: May/June 2022 Our 1980 Fantasia 35, Cetus, is a centercockpit design, and below deck on the port side beneath the cockpit is a...
A dinghy foot pump comes to the rescue to clear a clogged saildrive water intake. Issue 144: May/June 2022 It was another spectacular summer day, and once again my wife, Carey, and I escaped life asho...
A father and son find and restore the first Cal 25, then win the nationals with her. Issue 144: May/June 2022 In these days of glitzy grand prix yacht racing, it might be easy to believe that the trul...
Nobody likes damp gear. A DIY dryer solves the problem. Issue 144: May/June 2022 I sail year-round, and I can endure as much heat and cold as my passions demand. But whether it is summer or winter, I ...
After an exhaustive six-month refit, a forlorn Blue Jay flies again. Issue 145: July/Aug 2022 When I first saw her, leaves swam in 6 inches of dirty water in her cockpit, and the trailer had a flat ti...
Installing GFCI outlets is an easy way to make your shorepower system safer. Issue 145: July/Aug 2022 Ah, shorepower. Love it or hate it, it’s important, especially if you are a liveaboard. In a cold ...
A new headliner provides a big makeover for a 44-year-old racer/cruiser. Issue 146: Sept/Oct 2022 When Doug Peterson designed the Peterson 34 based off his innovative one-tonner Ganbare, he reportedly...
An old, leaky hatch gets a makeover to stop the drips and add some special teak. Issue 146: Sept/Oct 2022 The original forward hatch on Calypso, the 1976 Bristol Channel Cutter that my husband, Jeremy...
When the toilet pump handle broke, ideas began to flow. Issue 145: July/Aug 2022 My father once offered me a sage piece of advice: Never get run over by the same trolley car twice. So, when the handle...
Repurposing a 12-volt car cooler transforms an icebox into an inexpensive DIY fridge. Issue 145: July/Aug 2022 Our boat Allamanda, a 1984 Alberg 29, has an icebox for keeping food. While this is a fai...
An extra shower compartment is repurposed into a four-tier storage space. Issue 146: Sept/Oct 2022 One of the things we love most about our Moody 44 is her four cabins. It’s a fantastic layout for a f...
Hot-melt glue solves a sticky situation when rebedding deck hardware. Issue 146: Sept/Oct 2022 Recently, we wanted to replace the Dorades on our 1979 Gulfstar 37 with lower-profile solar vents....
Issue 147: Nov/Dec 2022 Even though the sailors in our lives might think they have it all, we know there is always something they need. Their preferences can vary as much as their boats. Read on for s...
A steep learning curve on a Speedy Stitcher eventually yields happy results. Issue 147: Nov/Dec 2022 Most sailors have seen a Speedy Stitcher or sewing awl. How many have used one? My first time was s...
Want your boat to have great canvas? Ask the right questions. Issue 147: Nov/Dec 2022 Marine canvas can make sailing more enjoyable and safer while sprucing up a boat’s aesthetic. Yet so many people d...
Replacing an old canvas dodger with a hardtop/canvas hybrid levels up comfort and safety. Issue 147: Nov/Dec 2022 In the grand scheme of things, few items on a sailboat are truly more oriented to comf...
For certain applications, glued-on studs are an alternative to through-bolts. Issue 147: Nov/Dec 2022 Through-bolts are the gold standard for strength and security when it comes to attaching stuff to ...
For in-the-field sail repairs, adhesives can get you out of a sticky situation. Issue 147: Nov/Dec 2022 When I was a young sailmaker in the ’80s, our loft purchased a German-made sewing machine that h...
