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
J. Hillier of Sausalito, California, asks:”I bought what I thought was a waterproof handheld VHF radio, but when I dropped it in some water in the bottom of my inflatable it died. It was only in the water for a few seconds before I picked it up, and even though it did work for about two hours it went dead after that. What do those specifications really mean?”
The decks on Horizon, our Hans Christian 38, are 20 years old and have seen the full spectrum of weather conditionscold and rain for weeks on end in Alaska and constant sun and heat in the tropics. No matter where we are, our maintenance strategy is the same: keep it simple and keep it silver. As with anything boat-related, proper maintenance now is always much easier than an extensive
The decks on Horizon, our Hans Christian 38, are 20 years old and have seen the full spectrum of weather conditionscold and rain for weeks on end in Alaska and constant sun and heat in the tropics. No matter where we are, our maintenance strategy is the same: keep it simple and keep it silver. As with anything boat-related, proper maintenance now is always much easier than an extensive
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 desperate need of
Jim Ballantine of Charleston, S. Carolina, asks: ’ve installed new adjustable cars for my genoa aboard my 39-foot sloop. But now that I have them, I’m not sure what adjustments I should make to the cars when sailing in different wind conditions. I do know that whenever I reef down the headsail I should move the cars forward. But I’m not sure what other adjustments to make
David Watkins of Parrish, Florida, asks:”I have a 15-year-old fiberglass boat that I bought new. It has spent most of its life either in Florida or the Caribbean and has suffered severe exposure to the sun. There is surface crazing or cracking on the deck, coach roof, and upper topsides. These are not stress cracks, but they are widespread. Do you have some thoughts on
Jack Hammond of North Carolina, asks:”Reception was good on my analog TV using a Shakespeare SeaWatch 2025 amplified omni-directional masthead antenna. But Ive been told the new digital converter box wont work with this antenna and that I should get a new TV. Is this right?”Gordon West replies:The antenna is fine but make sure the converter
Henry Buckminster, of Seattle, Washington, asks: “My 35-foot 7⁄8 rig sloop has a 135 percent roller-furling jib, and once the wind starts blowing over about 12–14 knots I want to take a reef. But I’m not sure whether I should reef the mainsail or the headsail first. Are there any reefing rules when going to windward, and does the protocol stay the same when I am running off
“Reception was good on my analog TV using a Shakespeare SeaWatch 2025 amplified omni-directional masthead antenna. But Ive been told the new digital converter box wont work with this antenna and that I should get a new TV. Is this right?”– Jack Hammond, North CarolinaGordon West replies: The antenna is fine but make sure the converter box is on the TV
Named for the author of Around the World in 80 Days, the Jules Verne Trophy commemorates the fastest circumnavigation on record. Which of the following
A sail to Newfoundland, and a summer spent cruising there, expands one sailor’s horizons in every way.
This passage reflects on the enduring impact of Steve Callahan’s remarkable survival story—his 76 days adrift in a life raft after his sloop Napoleon Solo
“It was almost standing waves, and we were hobby horsing. The bow was going whoosh, and we were going nowhere,” says Kevin Starnes, 62. He’s
The latest from Dufour should help achieve the French builder’s goal of encouraging people to get on the water and sail, sail, sail.
Going up the mast can be daunting, but not for this sailor who tackled the task while underway on Narragansett Bay last summer. This year,
Title: Gear: Streamlight Wedge EDC Flashlight
When his tiller head broke at the worst moment, cool thinking and the Hydrovane came to the rescue.
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
When Friction is Your Friend Changing engine oil filters has always been a bit of a battle for me. They tighten up in use, and
