As part of my hybrid-propulsion research I have been looking carefully at large-capacity Litihum-Ion batteries as a possible energy source on modern cruising sailboats. Lithium-ion batteries are common in cell phones and laptops, but they are rarely used in higher capacity applications. This may rapidly change, because the hybrid automotive and electric vehicle markets are in
If you sail in Maine, youve likely heard the one about the best way to cross a channel (Answer: walk across on the lobster-pot buoys). This isnt hyperbole; visit many harbors in Maine and youll find them choked with pot buoys, some of them in working channels. For sailors, a wrapped prop in a tight channel flanked by rock ledges is a serious predicament: not to mention the potential damage to
Lisa Jawork of Toledo, Ohio, asks:”So far Ive only used my 24-foot Bristol Corsair for daysailing, but this summer Im planning to take some weekend cruises. I want to be sure I have enough power, not only for the battery that currently feeds the cabin lights and instruments, but also for a second back-up battery I carry for miscellaneous uses. Im thinking about getting
D.B. of Marina del Rey, California, asks:”Not long ago I received a phone call from my dockmaster telling me a loud alarm was coming from my boat. I told him Id be right down, and to keep an eye on things until I arrived. When I went aboard I found the sound was coming from my RayMarine Ray 240 marine VHF. How could it possibly go into an alert mode after being turned
Mike Montanaro of Cornelius, North Carolina, asks:”Don Caseys thorough and very informative article on the proper way to install shorepower on a boat (Sail, January) clarified a lot of points for me. But he says that if you touch both wires in a 12-volt DC circuit it is unlikely to cause injury. This assumes your body is the only current draw. What would happen if there
John M. Bollinger of Bellevue, Ohio, asks: “I’m planning to replace my halyards this summer and I would like to learn how to splice them to the shackles myself. Where can I find this information?” Win Fowler replies: Splicing techniques vary depending on the type of cordage you plan to use. Most manufacturers provide detailed splicing
Nothing will ruin your cruise faster than a damaged or torn sail. With the BoatWorks sail-repair kit on board, youll be able to make emergency repairs and keep on sailing. Ours cost less than $100 to assemble but could save us hundreds in repair bills.A. Curved and straight needles of different diameters.B. Stainless-steel scissors for cutting thread and sailcloth.C.
Jabberwock, the BoatWorks project ODay 25, was looking very scruffy around the underparts. The boat had been standing for so long that most of the paint had just fallen off the bottom, and the keel was looking particularly seedy. There was no way we could launch the boat with the keel in such bad condition. It was time for a makeover. A proper keel job done by a boatyard will cost
Jabberwock, the BoatWorks project ODay 25, was looking very scruffy around the underparts. The boat had been standing for so long that most of the paint had just fallen off the bottom, and the keel was looking particularly seedy. There was no way we could launch the boat with the keel in such bad condition. It was time for a makeover. A proper keel job done by a boatyard will cost
Joseph Strong of Barrington, Rhode Island, asks:”I am repowering my Bristol 35.5 with a Yanmar model 3YM30 diesel engine, but I also want to increase my electrical capacity. Currently I have two 12-volt batteries with a standard three-way battery switch (Bat. 1, Bat. 2, and Both). I would like to add two more 12-volt batteries and align them like the two-bank configuration
Calling all sailors in the Pacific southeast of Hawaii! Some University of Washington students need your help retrieving a wayward data-gathering vehicle whose battery is on its last legs.
This weekend we’re looking back on the start of the inaugural Sunday Times Golden Globe, which began on June 1, 1968. There was no organized
Mark Synnott, Dutton,Penguin Random House, $32 You can fill a lot of shelves with books about Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition in search of
Looking to clean up your technique this season? Hop onboard with Newport’s Wind Walker for a lesson on textbook mark roundings. View this post on
Want to sail on the edge? Try running the bow for the first time on a 140-foot classic schooner in a world-class regatta.
I always thought you’d pry my classic Dubarry seaboots from my cold, wet hands, but that’s before I tried Zhik’s Seaboot 700. And while it
It’s summertime! The days are getting longer, the twilight more magical, and the nighttime breezes softer. Here’s a preview of SAIL’s June/July issue to inspire
Hang on Tight! Moving aft from the foredeck on a windy day, have you noticed a sort of no-man’s land between the mid-deck where coachroof
Colloquially the term “skyscraper” is used to refer to a tall city building, but nearly a hundred years before its modern architectural association, it had
The William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, locally known as the Bay Bridge and actually two spans (one built in 1952, the second in 1973),
