Maintenance

Know Your Rudder

by Don Casey, Posted April 10, 2012

After hull integrity, rudder integrity is the most vital component of a seaworthy vessel, yet most sailors pay more attention to LED lighting or smartphone apps than they do to their boat’s rudder. Before you shrug off rudder failure as a remote concern, consider that the incidence of mid-ocean rudder failures is close to 1 percent.

Decommissioning Checklist

by Sail Staff, Posted October 25, 2006

By Charles MasonBefore you do anything else, compile a detailed list of all the projects that need to be done before the boat goes back in the water next year. Detail each item as carefully as possible and take photos and measurements of the project area so you can use them when ordering materials and in planning work sessions. Make this list when the boat either is still in

First aid kit

by Sail Staff, Posted August 24, 2009

Few sensible sailors would consider setting out without some form of first-aid kit on board. Scraped knees, cuts, bruises, and bumped toes are all part of the sailing experience—everyone suffers them at some time or other. Being able to deal with these appropriately makes them minor annoyances rather than life-threatening emergencies. Of course, don’t be slow to call for help

To Varnish or Not?

by Don Casey, Posted April 13, 2011

Dorothy Parker once famously remarked: “I hate writing; I love having written.” I feel the same way about varnishing. Nothing flatters a boat more than the glow of well-varnished wood, but to bask in that glow, someone must suffer through the process of preparing the wood and applying the varnish.Almost all woods other than teak will weather and eventually rot if not

Down to the Bone

by Pip Hurn, Posted April 21, 2013

Often the hardest part of refinishing wood on a boat is getting the old finish off. Unfortunately, there is no magic solution. It usually takes a combination of methods, all involving a large tub of elbow grease and a bucket of patience.

Take Care of That Life Jacket!

by Adam Cort, Posted August 17, 2011

Inflatable life jackets are effective, reliable and comfortable. However, unlike traditional foam-filled life jackets, they must be properly maintained if they are to function correctly. This goes double for a life jacket with an integral safety harness and/or automatic inflation. Inflatable life jackets include a number of parts that must all work properly if the life jacket is to function at

Stairway to Heaven

by Charles Scott, Posted August 24, 2011

I was sailing solo to Bermuda one year when the weather turned wicked. The wind and waves kept building, until finally I lay ahull with the sails furled. Knockout blows from the steep seas pounded my Westsail 32, Antares. When at last the storm blew over I found both halyards were loose and had wrapped around the masthead in a huge tangle. I had no choice but to climb. Going aloft in a