A new alternator delivers on the promise of faster charging Issue 116: Sept/Oct 2017 Electrical systems aboard cruising sailboats hang by two threads: the capacity and reliability of the batteries and...
Securing non-human crew against the unexpected Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 We were hand-steering my Southern Cross 28 in rather blustery winds on a fairly smooth Conception Bay, headed for the Royal Newfo...
Anyone handy and well tooled can make them at home Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 Over the course of 30 years, the unfinished handrails on my friend’s 35-foot Bruno & Stillman powerboat had become whittl...
The onboard “just in case” locker supplied the parts Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 Over the years, our method for boarding the boat from the dinghy has changed. In our South Coast 25 days, we used the swim ...
Years and years of antifouling succumb to chemical stripping Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 After a pressure washing at the boatyard, the hull of our new-to-us Morgan 382 did not present a pretty picture. Wh...
Replacing them with shelves created more storage space Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 When our youngest son, David, his wife, Hannah, and their toddler, Ashleigh, began the transition to being liveaboards tw...
A deflated blow-up makes way for something solid Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 We bought our Mercury inflatable dinghy 11 years ago, despite some misgivings about the concept of its inflatable floor. The di...
Dropboards give way to user-friendly doors Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 Companionway dropboards are cumbersome to remove and replace and inconvenient to store. When you need them, they’re often buried deep...
Getting a grip on a tired molded-in deck surface Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 My 26-foot Paceship, Pelorus, was built with non-skid molded into the deck in a cross-hatch pattern rather like a gun grip. Lot...
Don’t be sidelined by bad bearings Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 Two hours into the 3-hour drive to Virginia’s Ware River Yacht Club, where I was taking my Chrysler Mutineer 15 to race in the Governor’s Cup...
Tame an unruly gennaker with a homemade snuffer Issue 117: Nov/Dec 2017 Aboard Smooth Moves, our Hughes 26, we do most of our cruising up and down the Strait of Georgia during the warm summer months. ...
Lasting social mementos created with imagination and recycled sailcloth Issue 118: Jan/Feb 2018 It wasn’t until my partner, Jim, and I made our first trip to Mexico on our Outbound 46 that I was intro...
Extending the life of an engine’s raw-water strainer Issue 118: Jan/Feb 2018 The Perko intake water strainer that feeds the engine on Phantom, our Pearson 365 ketch, was on its last legs. A hinged bol...
It keeps the air fresh in a closed-up boat Issue 118: Jan/Feb 2018 When cleaning our good old Island Packet 31 shortly after purchasing her, I noticed a little white mold on some of the wooden interio...
The guardians of the through-hull fell down on the job Issue 118: Jan/Feb 2018 Fifteen years of world cruising and my wife, Ellen, and I were now gliding along the Sassafras River on Chesapeake Bay’s ...
A dilapidated freebie becomes a respectable tender Issue 118: Jan/Feb 2018 When I bought my Down East 45 schooner, Britannia, she didn’t come with a dinghy, but she had very sturdy aluminum davits jus...
A camp stove makes the grade for a lakes-cruising family Issue 118: Jan/Feb 2018 For the first 49 seasons after our 1965 Alberg 35 was built, a simple two-burner propane camp stove had sufficed in the...
Handmade pendants add grip and color Issue 119: March/April 2018 Shackle pulls can spruce up zippers, shackles, key chains, and many other pieces of hardware on your boat. You can purchase pulls for a...
Finding hidden corners and using them for storage Issue 119: March/April 2018 Fitting out our 2003 Tartan 3700, Sapphire, for a cruise from Lake Ontario to the Bahamas, I realized that we needed more ...
Where the climate insists, a built-in system pays dividends Issue 119: March/April 2018 Summers on the Chesapeake are hot and humid, so we thought we were in high clover when our new-to-us boat came w...
A Vagabond 47 gets a multi-year makeover Issue 119: March/April 2018 Almost 40 years ago, walking the docks at Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle, I came across a new Vagabond 47 ketch. It was love at fi...
Swageless terminals were a hands-on sailor’s choice Issue 119: March/April 2018 When I purchased Pelorus, my Paceship PY26, she had suffered damage to the bow and starboard side during Hurricane Bob i...
Banishing wet balsa, one stanchion at a time Issue 119: March/April 2018 When we bought our 1977 Pearson 365 sloop several years ago, the surveyor noted elevated moisture readings around just about ev...
It supports a whole lot more than an over-the-cockpit solar array Issue 119: March/April 2018 “Don’t do it . . . just don’t.” That’s the advice we got from nearly everyone we talked to after deciding ...
Make strong connections with a needle and twine Issue 120: May/June 2018 Conventional splices are king for forming eyes in rope. They resist abrasion and snagging and retain nearly the full strength o...
A neglected vintage sailing dinghy finds love Issue 120: May/June 2018 A couple of years ago, I realized that, if I wanted to sail more, maybe I should look around for a smaller boat. I started watchi...
A suspended zippered bag relieves crowded cockpit locker Issue 120: May/June 2018 Prepping Sapphire, our Tartan 3700, for a cruise from Lake Ontario to the Bahamas forced us to review our stowage opti...
Storm windows on hatches and ports help keep the cabin cozy Issue 120: May/June 2018 How many northern sailors miss the glory days of sailing? I’m talking about the fall when, in many parts of the con...
Applying patches with a sticky sealant is as effective as sewing Issue 121: July/Aug 2018 Modern cloths make sails infinitely trouble-free when compared with the state of things in the bad old days. B...
Reverse the ravages of age or accidents Issue 121: July/Aug 2018 Deck hatches are great for the light and air flow they allow below, and it’s nice to see through them. Unfortunately, subjected to ultr...
