Antique technology that still finds favor Issue 86: Sept/Oct 2012 The gaff rig was the rig of choice for more than 250 years until the Marconi rig (also called the Bermudan rig) came along. The gaff-r...
It’s a versatile and invaluable tool Issue 87 : Nov/Dec 2012 The hand-bearing compass, or sighting compass, is a portable compass used to take a bearing or azimuth. This type of compass has been in us...
Her name is symbolic of a cruise and a career Issue 87 : Nov/Dec 2012 George Smith began reading about boats when he was in grade school. As he grew older, his reading focused more on sailing books, e...
Getting a magnetic compass to tell the truth about North Issue 88 : Jan/Feb 2013 Most recreational sailors today navigate their craft using electronic devices. This is all well and good until an elect...
They hold up the shrouds that hold up the mast Issue 88 : Jan/Feb 2013 Spreaders are struts attached to the sides of a mast to hold the shrouds away from the mast and increase the angle at which they ...
Centerboards, daggerboards, bilgeboards, and leeboards Issue 89 : Mar/Apr 2013 Sailboats need draft if they are to sail to windward efficiently, but deep draft limits boats to sailing in deep waters a...
A simple way to power up or down the mainsail Issue 90: May/June 2013 Many mainsails have a cringle at the luff of the sail a few inches above the tack. It’s known as the Cunningham and is named after...
Where you are depends on where you measure from Issue 91 : Jul/Aug 2013 A chart datum is a reference from which data or information displayed on a nautical chart is measured. One type of chart datum, ...
When it’s time to replace them, think swageless Issue 92 : Sept/Oct 2013 Most good old boats were delivered from the factory with swaged terminal fittings on their standing rigging — the shrouds and s...
Sophisticated mechanisms that use a simple principle Issue 93 : Nov/Dec 2013 Windvane steering was pioneered by Blondie Hasler in the 1960s and is the autopilot of choice for many bluewater sailors. I...
Wireless systems depend on this wire Issue 94 : Jan/Feb 2014 Coaxial cable, or coax, is used for transferring radio-frequency energy from one place to another. It was invented by English engineer Oliv...
Nobility among metals has its benefits Issue 95 : Mar/Apr 2014 When two dissimilar metals are immersed in an electrolyte, they form a battery. If they are connected electrically, an electric current w...
Bid farewell to flutter Issue 96 : May/Jun 2014 A Bermudan or Marconi mainsail is seldom a straight-sided triangle. On many sails, the leech — the aft edge of the sail — is made convex to add more sai...
Use the proper wire for safety and reliability Issue 97 : Jul/Aug 2014 Household electrical wire, automotive wire, and marine-grade electrical wire are all very different. When subjected to the vibrat...
Some sailors still value the printed world Issue 98: Sept/Oct 2014 In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson recognized the necessity for accurate coastal navigation charts. Since 1862, the U.S. government ...
Low-tech, high-precision aids for sail trim Issue 99 : Nov/Dec 2014 Sail telltales are short strips of very lightweight material of a color that contrasts with that of the sail. They are sewn on both ...
Ahoy! Who goes these? Issue 100: Jan/Feb 2015 AIS, the Automatic Identification System, allows vessels to “see” and identify each other (and for shore stations to “see” vessels). It was developed as a...
Making the right connections Issue 101 : Mar/Apr 2015 For electrical wiring aboard boats to meet recognized standards for safety and reliability, wires should be connected to equipment and other wires...
A fun factor with a bonus safety feature Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 A boarding ladder not only gives sailors an easy way to get in and out of the water, but can also be a lifesaver after an accidental f...
A handy sailing rig for dinghies and small trailerables Issue 103 : Jul/Aug 2015 The gunter rig was developed by Edmund Gunter in the late 1700s. It has always been popular in Europe and, during the a...
Exercise that gets you somewhere on the water Issue 104 : Sept/Oct 2015 For many of us, our very first boat was a rowboat — in my case an old and leaky one — so every outing is a trip down memory lane...
Variations on taking in a slab of sail Issue 105 : Nov/Dec 2015 A sail is reefed to reduce its area so it will not overpower the boat in stronger winds. Of the many reefing systems used, slab or jiffy...
Reflection and absorption create quiet on board Issue 106 : Jan/Feb 2016 The iron wind is a fixture aboard most of today’s sailboats. On a typical sailboat the inboard engine lives directly beneath th...
