Ask Sail: Soot or Something Else?
December 14, 2014
There is a soot-like buildup on the face of the alternator on my diesel engine. I have not noticed any fumes or exhaust leakage in the engine compartment.
There is a soot-like buildup on the face of the alternator on my diesel engine. I have not noticed any fumes or exhaust leakage in the engine compartment.
One of the sails that came with my Catalina 27, Rainbow’s End, when I bought it is a “Daisy staysail.” I’ve never flown it because I don’t know what it is for, what conditions it can fly in, or how it is to be rigged.
I have full-length battens on the mainsail of my Corsair 37rs. They are 17 feet long. I broke two this winter. Where is the best place to buy replacement battens?
I was reading “Seeing the Light” (May 2014) about solar power on a budget, and it got me thinking about a similar problem I’ll be facing soon. This summer I will be moving my boat to a dock where there is no shore power for my battery charger.
My VHF radio and masthead antenna regularly give me better transmission and reception than the cruising sailors around me.
Every month, SAIL gives its readers the opportunity to interact directly with sailing experts regarding sails, maintenance, electronics, systems and more. Check out our questions and answers from the August issue and feel free to send in some questions of your own.
I have a Cheoy Lee ketch, and the sail track on both wood masts has become misaligned. What is the best way to reattach the track? I plan on having the mast taken down when I have the boat hauled next month…
I just bought two marine handheld radios that also have land channels for GMRS. A few weeks ago on a hike to Mt. Whitney, the marine VHF channels gave us extraordinarily increased range over the GMRS channels…
I was interested in the article by Nigel Calder in the February 2012 edition on the H2OUT dehumidifier and think it is something that I might install.
I own a 1973 C&C 30 sloop that came with a staysail setup. We race the boat frequently, and it’s surprisingly competitive for its age using just the jib, spinnaker and mainsail…
This weekend saw the fourth annual Northeast Ocean Racing Symposium (NORS), held at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. The day of technical lectures and networking
Contributing Editor Christopher Birch’s much anticipated book The Four Seasons of Boat Maintenance is out now. Billed as “the maintenance manual that should have come
On March 1, the U.S. SailGP Team shook up the Grand Prix series and won the Sydney Sail Grand Prix, marking their first victory since
Lessons learned by others are a great guide when putting together a vacation to remember.
After being the Chief Designer at Tartan Yachts for 48 years, Tim Jackett has found a new home with Niche Watercraft. The company has announced
A trans-oceanic performance catamaran loads up on practical features and comforts of home.
A classic racing yacht, three weeks at sea, and eight crewmates you’ve never met. What could go wrong?
Editor’s Note: This story is excerpted from SAIL Contributing Editor Christopher Birch’s upcoming book The Four Seasons of Boat Maintenance(available for order soon)—a compendium of
Ever notice how sea stories just get better with the passage of time? The more years that disappear in the wake and the more times
We spend too much time in the sun as sailors and need all the protection we can get… but, have you ever put on a
