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
When something on board needs to be fixed, one of my secret weapons for getting the job done correctly is havingand being able to locatethe right tools for the job. Over the years Ive accumulated hundreds of tools appropriate for any conceivable problem. The problem is how to stow them in an organized way. The tools I use most often need to be within easy reach; the rest
ChecklistToolsBasic tool kitWrenches and sockets (metric if youre working on a European or Japanese engine) Screwdrivers Propane blowtorch Rubber malletHammerRazor bladePliersVise-GripsVise400-grit wet/dry sandpaperBrush for applying grease and lubricating
Tom Gilbert of Jensen Beach, Florida, asks:”I’m about to install Wi-Fi on my boat so I can use my laptop when I’m in the harbor. I think a 14-element YAGI, such as the RL/WAVRVMAR or the RL/14ele2.4wp, would be good units I can aim, set, and receive. However, other people tell me that an omnidirectional antenna is the answer. Which is the better
Howard Lennox of Lexington Park, Maryland, asks:”I’d like to know how to inspect (for corrosion) a chainplate that is encapsulated inside a bulkhead. Are there any nondestructive tests I can perform to determine a chainplate’s condition without having to cut into the bulkhead?”Don Casey replies:When a through-the-deck chainplate begins to
Bob Graveline of Bismarck, North Dakota, asks:”Last summer my 34-footer was hit by lightning when it was sitting unattended in my marina slip. The boat was plugged into shore power when it was hit, but it was not drawing power. Do you think that having a boat plugged into shore power increases, decreases, or has no effect on the chance of damage from a
Upgrading the deck gear on your boat can seriously enhance your sailing pleasure. Once youve sailed a boat set up with low-friction blocks, good rope clutches and jammers, and genoa-sheet cars that are quick and easy to adjust, its hard to go back to the creaky, friction-riddled 30- or 40-year-old deck gear that so many older boats are still saddled with.We had always planned to replace
Upgrading the deck gear on your boat can seriously enhance your sailing pleasure. Once youve sailed a boat set up with low-friction blocks, good rope clutches and jammers, and genoa-sheet cars that are quick and easy to adjust, its hard to go back to the creaky, friction-riddled 30- or 40-year-old deck gear that so many older boats are still saddled with.We had always planned to replace
Diesel mechanics is not a difficult subject. In fact, all owners of diesel-powered boats canand shouldlearn the fundamentals of operating and maintaining their engines. To run well, a diesel engine requires clean fuel, clean oil, and a lot of air. Routine maintenance will virtually guarantee years of trouble-free service and will keep your busy mechanic at bay.How a diesel engine works,
Diesel mechanics is not a difficult subject. In fact, all owners of diesel-powered boats canand shouldlearn the fundamentals of operating and maintaining their engines. To run well, a diesel engine requires clean fuel, clean oil, and a lot of air. Routine maintenance will virtually guarantee years of trouble-free service and will keep your busy mechanic at bay.How a diesel engine works,
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),
