A cannibalized cockpit enclosure provides versatile shelter Issue 116: Sept/Oct 2017 How much shelter from the weather does a sailing crew need? Some sailors look at their bare unprotected cockpits an...
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...
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...
From Carbon Wings to Polytarp Lugs and Beyond: The Complete Guide to What’s Flying in 2025 The wind hasn’t changed, but the cloth catching it has never been more diverse. On one marina dock you’ll fin...
A new mainsail puts a spring in a good old boat’s step. Issue 132: May/June 2020 I slept with my sail in my bunk for a month before I finally set it. That hadn’t been the plan. The plan had been to me...
Eight-track audio tape makes for perfect telltales. Issue 132: May/June 2020 When I first began sailing my own boats, I tied yarn to the shrouds to use as telltales. This common, quick-and-easy method...
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 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...
An array of flexible, foldable solar panels enables extended cruising even when it rains. Issue 148: Jan/Feb 2023 Some people are motivated by the lure of wealth, fame, and power. I’m motivated by bee...
A simple strap with low-friction rings can improve mainsail performance. Issue 148: Jan/Feb 2023 Sails are amazing fabrications. They start out as bits of flat cloth, and through the tailoring of the ...
A little nip and tuck on a used spinnaker makes for an inexpensive upgrade Issue 150: May/June 2023 One of my most memorable sailing days was crossing the broad mouth of the Chesapeake Bay’s Potomac R...
Taming the lazarette mess with easy-to-make mesh bags Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 Having a home base in a marina allows a sailor to spread out a bit. Lesser used items can go in a dock box or garage, din...
Tape can provide a quick fix for torn or cracked vinyl windows Issue 152: Sept/Oct 2023 Eventually a vinyl window will crack, either because of extreme age or extreme cold. The right fix is new vinyl,...
Building a Jordan Series Drogue is an exercise in patience, but well worth the effort. Issue 147: Nov/Dec 2022 As my partner, Tim, and I prepared to sail from Montreal, Canada, down the St. Law...
Spring is here and marinas will soon be filled with mast-raisers. And while the world is filled (to the brim?) with mast-raising solutions, I have another. I believe my method is possibly the simplest...
It’s been said that the most useless things aboard a sailboat are an umbrella and a Naval officer. However, sometimes that’s just not completely true. Cruising in New England, I would ofte...
Being able to get the sail cover on quickly means we don’t have to resent the time it takes to protect our sails. Just as important, if a halyard starts slapping the mast just when we are starting to ...
Take the pain out of the main, make your own lazy-jacks The easiest way for the shorthanded sailor to control the mainsail when reefing or stowing is a set of well-fitted lazy-jacks. Lazy-jacks are ma...
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...
Tips for sailing with a top-down furling spinnaker Issue 125: March/April 2019 In Part 1 of this article, in the January 2019 issue, Hugh introduced flying-sail furlers and described how he installed ...
A top-down furler takes the terror out of setting a spinnaker. Issue 124: Jan/Feb 2019 Downwind sailing with only a jib or genoa can leave a sailor wanting more. I wanted to fly a spinnaker on Hagar, ...
