A critical conduit fails in old age Issue 109 : Jul/Aug 2016 Buried in the bottom of the hull, the stern tube is one of those invisible parts of a boat that rarely calls attention to itself. When it d...
Inexpensive pipe fittings beat the cost of custom Issue 111: Nov/Dec 2016 On a beautiful March weekend in the Pacific Northwest, my partner, Fiona, and I decided to go for a cruise aboard MonArk, our ...
Learning from adventures in anchoring Issue 114: May/June 2017 For the first two months of cruising on MonArk, our 1979 Dufour 35, I barely slept at anchor. I was too nervous about the possibility of ...
The riddle of “overheating” engine Issue 115: July/Aug 2017 It was a beautiful summer’s day and we were heading out for a two-week cruise. Our first leg was 26 miles across the Strait of G...
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 ...
The kink-free lifeline daisy chain gives wet rope a good airing Issue 120: May/June 2018 For sailors, wet rope is a fact of life. Coil and stow that wet rope after a sail, and green rope may become a ...
Most everything, according to surveys Issue 120: May/June 2018 We spent two years preparing our boat to cross the Pacific. We read countless blogs and peppered experienced ocean sailors with questions...
With careful planning, a rudder can be unshipped and refitted in the water Issue 123: Nov/Dec 2018 The lengths that sailors go to avoid hauling out range from the ingenious to the ridiculous. Friends ...
When our keel started weeping and our bilge started filling, a keel bolt repair came next. Issue 129: Nov/Dec 2019 Losing a bolt-on keel is a relatively uncommon occurrence, but it’s also about the mo...
New lip seals cure a dripping engine-cooling pump Issue 125: March/April 2019 The raw-water pump is an integral part of the cooling system of any marine diesel engine. If it should fail, the engine wi...
