Not a pretty sight but they get the job done Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 In addition to owning a sailboat of a certain age, I have other hobbies. I dabble in woodworking — a handy skill when it comes to m...
They also spend who only sail and toil Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 Some time ago I participated in a government survey focusing on the national economy. It was interested in the buying habits of the publi...
Coil and stow that line following British tradition Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 Any time we crew for another skipper, I think most of us take a look around and try to acquaint ourselves with how things ar...
Make your own sacrificial strip for the genoa Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 It was time to replace the sacrificial sun cover on our 150-percent genoa. It wasn’t worn out or damaged, but I was getting tired ...
A high-tech substitute for the bowline knot Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 Steve Brennan was up in a bosun’s chair during a race some years ago, trying to free a spinnaker-halyard splice that had jamme...
Roller guards tame halyard chafe Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 When I took my mast down for repair, I noticed that the surface of the aluminum spreaders was flattened in places by halyard chafe. A friend su...
Dress them up and domesticate them Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 Rubber tires are used everywhere in the world as fenders — but on workboats, not on yachts. They’re big, ugly, awkward to stow, and when they...
Extend your cruising season with this added protection Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 After many years of dreaming, sketching, and reading about other similar projects, a hard dodger became a reality for Whi...
This respected company continues to move with the times Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 Aa any marketing whiz will tell you, brand recognition is key to sales. And among sailboat builders, Pacific Seacraft ha...
This beamy, home-built 12-footer is still going strong Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 All during the long, clear california summer, the rising sun heats the rich black soils of the Golden State’s vast centra...
The way we keep time at sea Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 The concept of latitude and longitude have been known since the early days of sail, but without accurate timepieces longitude readings required long...
It’s his boat’s way of warning him to pay attention Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 Ahhh . . . at last. Spring is here. I can tell by the bump on my head . . . near the hairline on the right side, same as eve...
A gourmet cruiser’s tasty substitutes for fresh produce Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 It was the end of a perfect day. Earlier, we’d had a great spinnaker run along Lake Superior’s Ontario wilderness shorel...
Fresh produce from a cruising ketch’s deck Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 Heading north from Nanaimo to begin our circumnavigation of Vancouver Island on Canada’s west coast, we passed another sailboat headi...
Lose yourself in the mystery of the universe Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 We hardly get to see the sky at night anymore; electric light has all but banished it. Anywhere near a city, the atmosphere reflect...
How a world voyager improved light-air performance Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 If you wonder how much drag and hinderance a 2-, 3-, or 4-bladed propeller puts on a sailboat, I suggest you toss a large met...
How to fix bargain boats and make a modest fortune Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 “I know about guys like you,” the old yard worker said as we strolled the back fence. “You’re a bottom feeder. You look for o...
Eliminate heavy hardware on that flogging headsail Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 Different skippers, different long-splices, they say. Bending on jibsheets is a task that allows for considerable variety fro...
My life with Jane Duck Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 There has never been another boat like her, not before nor since. I remember crossing Rosario Straits, leaving Lopez Island bound for Deception Pass with...
An affordable coastal cruiser in three editions Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 During the 1960s and ’70s, Southern California was home to the world’s largest builders of fiberglass sailboats. While Columbia,...
Hard work (plus cash) saves a classic from the scrapheap Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 Strider’s clean white deck and the rich red paint job attracted our attention as she floated in her slip at Sugarloaf M...
Learn the only real essentials for success Issue 48 : May/Jun 2006 I recently read a prediction that it only a matter of time before anyone who is so brave and presumptuous as to command a sailboat wi...
