A serious cruising boat should carry at least three different anchors on board, and one should be better than the other two for a particular type of bottom. I’m not a great fan of anchor-sizing formulas; if your boat is heavier or has more windage than an average boat of similar length, you’ll usually need a bigger anchor than the one recommended by any simple formula. Remember, too, that
Gray R. Riddick of Chocowinity, North Carolina, asks:”I know you have discussed using a multimeter to check a batterys voltage. What does the reading mean? Will it tell me whether or not a battery should be replaced? My two house batteries, for example, read 12.82 and 12.36 volts.”Nigel Calder replies: A specific voltage reading wont tell
“Many books on fiberglass repair, including one of yours, have drawings showing how to lay up cloth and mat over a tapered repair area, like a hole. The repair always begins with a small piece of cloth at the bottom, and as the layup continues, the pieces get larger. This makes sense to me, because a layup schedule doesnt depend on just one interface bonding. Going from smaller to larger would
“I have a 28-foot boat with a fractional rig. I’m thinking about mounting a radar reflector on the leading edge of the mast between the forestay and the masthead. Is this a good idea?”– Dave Adams, Newington, ConnecticutGordon West replies: Having a radar reflector is always a good idea; it can increase your boat’s target visibility by up to 6 miles.
“Starting my engine often wipes out some waypoints in my charting program. My multimeter tells me that the voltage to the charting system drops only .5 volt when the starter is cranking, but that seems to be enough to cause the problem. Everything else still works fine with the lower voltage. Any ideas?”– Janet Margelli, Marina del Rey, CaliforniaGordon West
“I’m building a 42-foot cutter that I hope to launch this year, and my present sailplan is a fractional rig with running backstays. I plan to use a carbon-fiber mast, but I want to do away with the runners. Can a rigger redesign the standing rigging—particularly the chainplate locations—or will I have to redo the whole sailplan? And if that’s what’s required, where should I go to get a new
“I’ve got my boat well grounded for lightning protection and have a pair of insulators to isolate my backstay. I’m concerned that the grounded rigging will pull down my SSB signal transmissions.”– Jim Wonn, Cashmere, WashingtonGordon West replies: As long as your backstay is insulated so the SSB antenna can radiate, there is no problem. Although the signal
“My Grampian sloop is fairly heavy, but it performs well in a breeze. However, my arm gets tired holding the tiller to keep the boat sailing in a straight line. Would moving the foot of the mast forward or aft help correct this problem?” — Harry Newiger, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada Win Fowler replies: Several things could be causing this problem—it’s
“The two group 27 batteries on my boat are both four years old. After charging, all cells have a specific-gravity reading of 1.225 +/- 0.005 and about a 75 percent charge. Hoping to improve the readings, I have been charging at 16 volts and 1 amp. After several days, the cells read 1.260 +/- 0.005. Is this a sign of sulfation?”– Roger A. Karmes, North East,
“Our boat was built in the Far East, and the interior has a beautiful lacquer finish. I have a photograph of a worker brushing on the lacquer, and I can see he is using a 1-inch brush. Ive tried a thick brush, a thin brush, short strokes and long strokes, and I cant get a finish that looks like the original. Any suggestions?”– Duane Ericson, Oceanside,
With its new 6 Series, Catalina Yachts focuses on performance and a range of thoughtful upgrades.
For people caught in the maelstrom of cancer, Sail Beyond Cancer offers a respite.
Here’s how to help your boat’s batteries live a healthy, long life.
The second time around with a Dolphin 24 affirms the less-is-more philosophy of sailing.
Perception of risk is a funny thing.
With its latest grant, the Ocean Cruising Club supports a sailing family’s initiative that aims to make it easier for sailors—both inshore and offshore—to participate as citizen scientists in a variety of marine science and conservation projects.
Raymarine has released its latest generation of LightHouseCharts for Raymarine Axiom and Element multifunction displays, delivering faster redraw speeds and expanded and updated coverage.
“We’ve never seen anything like it,” says Mike Rees, Seawind Catamarans’ sales and marketing manager. He’s referring to the popular appeal of their new model,
Building on proven positives in its earlier designs, Seawind Catamarans has hit a sweet spot with its new 1370.
Even if you know it’s coming, 30 knots is a lot. And we—and presumably the whole fleet competing in last September’s Naval Academy Sailing Squadron
