Upgrades

On the Right Track

by Peter Nielsen, Posted March 21, 2013

Here is a sad truth relating to older boats: the more desirable the piece of equipment you want to install, the harder it is to remove its predecessor.

Traditionally, all sailboat mainsails were reefed by simply pulling down the reefing lines through cringles in the luff and leech of the mainsail, then securing the reefing pennants—often permanently attached to the mainsail—to the boom to tidy the sail up.

Sails and Sailhandling Systems

by Sail Staff, Posted January 11, 2013

Six experts weigh in on the best ways to improve a boat’s sails and sailhandling systems.

Simpler is Better

by Peter Nielsen, Posted May 15, 2012

Sometimes you have to pass through complexity on the road to simplicity, as one sailor found while rethinking his sail-handling systems.

Testing Ultrasonic Antifouling

by Charles J. Doane, Posted May 8, 2012

I’d been wrestling with the problem of antifouling for some time prior to this, as I don’t like to use copper-based paint on Lunacy’s aluminum hull. I had tried E-Paint ZO, a zinc-based ablative paint, for a couple of seasons but was disappointed with the results.

Warm and Snug

by David Schmidt, Posted December 2, 2011

A look at onboard heating options for every sailor, and every budget

Take the Load Off

by Peter Nielsen, Posted September 27, 2011

For several years we sailed our 34ft sloop without feeling the need for a windlass. The weight of the ground tackle—a 22-pound Delta anchor, 70 feet of 5/16in hi-test chain and 200 feet of nylon rode—was seldom an issue in the shallow anchorages we tend to frequent. But I’ve been involved in enough anchoring dramas to know that for more ambitious cruising, an electric windlass

Power from the Sun

by Ralph Naranjo, Posted August 24, 2011

In 1982, I mounted four ARCO Solar M-55 monocrystalline panels to a stainless steel frame above the dodger on my Ericson 41 sloop, Wind Shadow. On sunny days during the hours closest to noon, my amp meter indicated an 8 to 10 amp charge. Before and after the midday feast, the flow tapered to 2 to 6 amps.

A Better, Smarter VHF Radio

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 15, 2011

As part of the gradual replacement of outdated systems on our Norlin 34 project boat, it was time to look at communications. As any radio manufacturer will tell you, the problem with VHF radios is twofold: they are inherently reliable, thus tend to be a long way down the list of essential upgrades for owners of older boats. As long as you can use Channel 16 in an emergency or call your launch

Light Fantastic

by Nigel Calder, Posted April 25, 2011

Not long ago I was bemoaning the fact that so many boatbuilders are still using highly inefficient incandescent and halogen lights, even though fluorescent lights have long been available and LEDs are now viable for most marine lighting applications. Since then, Neil Harrison, a reader from the UK, has pointed out that the next revolution in lighting may already be on the horizon—Organic