Ask Sail

Can a forward-looking sonar effectively spot floating deadheads ahead in the water when cruising in the Pacific Northwest?

I am replacing the rubrails on my 26-year-old Pearson. I have removed the many bolts that hold the rub rail to the deck and the deck to the hull. They do not

I would like to add an inner forestay to my Hughes Columbia 40. The sail for this is 350 square feet. What safe working load would I need for an exit block for the mast as well as jib tracks and leads?

Last year, I purchased a 2000 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37. The boat had been chartered, but was well maintained. Its Yanmar 3GM30F engine started easily and ran well during the survey, but a few weeks after closing, an engine stringer broke, and the repair required that the engine be removed. After it was reinstalled, I began to experience intermittent starting problems.

I recently purchased a handheld battery-operated GPS chartplotter. I was told it could survive 30 minutes in a couple of feet of seawater. But once when landing the dinghy on a beach, I jumped out too soon with the GPS in my pocket.

I just purchased a new Seldén mast for my 42-foot sailboat, but was surprised to see a splice in the lower part of the mast. I expected a one-piece extrusion.

I am upgrading my Lewmar manual winches to electric power and would like to cover the motors. However, Lewmar does not sell covers.

I recently bought a used Ranger 26, and as far as I know the bottom was painted with Interlux VC 17. The previous owner raced the boat, but I don’t plan to

I have a 30-foot C&C. The boom on this boat is too low for a standard vang, and the mast has an internal track for round slugs

I have a Boat U.S.-issued MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) number for my VHF radio, and now I’m adding a Garmin AIS 600 Class B transponder.