Newly installed traveler on a sailboat

Moving a mainsail sheet traveler track makes for smooth sailing through the companionway. Issue 139: July/Aug 2021 To my mind, there are two types of sailors: racers and cruisers. Racers are intent on...

corroded bolts and fastners

What started as a much-needed refit devolved into a scary search for mangy metal. Issue 138: May/June 2021 It all began with a corroded ball valve. It was seized, which rendered inoperable the seacock...

northill anchor resting on deck

Nearly 90 years old, the revolutionary Northill anchor continues to inform today’s generation of ground tackle. Issue 138: May/June 2021 At first glance, it’s just another fisherman anchor. But ...

new windlass shelf installed

Designing a windlass install to fit in a bow locker called on an array of skills. Issue 138: May/June 2021 After our first season sailing Fiddler’s Green and weighing the anchor by hand—over and over ...

sailboat speaker mounted on bimini

An easily assembled base and two Bluetooth speakers provide a rockin’ sound system. Issue 137: March/April 2021 I spend a lot of time aboard my boat just tinkering. Other times, I sail her alone...

Sailboat solar panel bumper

Furniture protectors make a quick, easy fix for sharp solar panel corners. Issue 137: March/April 2021 It wasn’t long after I installed the solar panel on the stern pulpit that I discovered the proble...

Three strand rope gaff rig

Easily taken for granted, rope is a critical thread throughout human history. Issue 135: Nov/Dec 2020 What do sailors, the Egyptian pyramids, Britain’s cotton mills, and the first space shuttle all ha...

rope vs. line

The world of ropes and lines is woven with its own terminology that draws on a deep history. Issue 135: Nov/Dec 2020 Make fast, slack off, cast off, take a turn, reeve: These are just a few of the way...

depth sounder transducer

A simple elevator system enables top efficiency for depth sounder transducer. Issue 135: Nov/Dec 2020 If you haven’t run aground, you haven’t sailed the Chesapeake,” is a common refrain among those wh...

harpoon retrieving boltrope

Bolted boltrope? Try this handy harpoon to retrieve it. Issue 135: Nov/Dec 2020 Many good old boats (and newer boats with laminate sails) feature mainsails that attach to the mast via a boltrope in th...

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