Ask Sail

I often hear from people who, after years of preparation, have set out on their first ocean crossing with a high degree of confidence in their boats. Then something really disconcerting happens—say, the propeller shaft disappears out of the back of the boat. It’s quite a confidence shaker. I’ve heard enough of these stories to be able to identify several easily prevented but potentially

“Whenever I’m motoring with the wind about 10 degrees off the starboard bow, the mast starts pumping so badly that it shakes the whole boat. The same thing happens at anchor. The mast is deck-stepped, and I’ve beefed up the compression post under the deck to make it rock solid. I’ve also checked the mast with a plumb bob and found that the column is straight but has a slight rake aft. All the

Dave Storch, of Long Beach, California, asks:”The former owner of my Ericson 39 installed a teak cabin sole with grooves for holly strips. The strips were never installed, and the sole was never sealed or finished. It remains unfinished, but now has a number of stains in the teak, including engine oil that escaped when the engine was removed to replace the transmission.

R. Staats, of Neha Bay, Washington, asks:”Have you tested the new SPOT portable position transponder? If so, is it living up to all the hype it has received?”Gordon West replies: Yes, I have tested it, and so far it has worked well for me. This $150 transponder provides reliable status signaling through 48 Globalstar low-earth-orbit

“I am curious how the Odyssey TPPL AGM batteries are working out on Nigel Calder’s new boat. I am thinking about putting TPPL AGM’s on my boat for all the reasons Calder gives. However, I wonder about how they might affect my charging system. I have a160-amp Balmar alternator and an 80-amp Yanmar. When I’m running the genset I use a Prosine 2.0 charger. Do I have to reconfigure the chargers for

As part of the refit of our project boat, Ostara, a 1973 Norlin 34, I decided to scrap its vintage hydraulic system for tensioning the backstay, boomvang, and babystay, along with the control panel in the cockpit. In its new role as a coastal cruiser and occasional racer, the boat had no need for such powerful trimming gear or for hoses full of hydraulic oil leading

Don Arnold of Chattanooga, Tennessee, asks:”My local marine-electronics dealer tells me that marine SSB and ham radio are outdated and that I should use a satellite phone. What do you think?”Gordon West replies: There’s no question that a sat phone is a very handy device. But the advantage of radio is that since SSB signals bounce off the

David Meyers of Kaysville, Utah, asks: “I’m refurbishing my Ericson 30 this winter and am about to remove a light layer of rust that has accumulated on the boat’s stainless-steel rigging. What do you recommend for this sort of rust removal? Most of the rigging is in good shape, but it has lost its shine. I’ve heard of using an electrolytic process, but I don’t want to

Bob Eischen of Toledo, Ohio asks:”The metal and Lexan hatches on our Slocum cutter are leaking. I’ve tried a BoatLife sealant and 3M’s 4200, but without success. What kind of sealant will stop the leaks?”Don Casey replies: BoatLife shouldn’t be used with Lexan because the polysulfide and solvents it contains will leach out the plasticizers

Alan Therrien of Boxford, Massachusetts, asks:”The two zincs on my prop shaft were eroding quickly last summer, so I hung a zinc guppy over the side and attached it to the backstay. I measured the current between the backstay and the guppy with my multimeter, which read between .04 and .07 amp of current with all battery connections removed. Where is this current coming