BoatWorks: A Sticky Through-hull
February 4, 2015
It’s hard to make a hole smaller, but sometimes it’s just as hard to make it bigger, I thought as I stared at the through-hull fittings for my galley sink drain.
It’s hard to make a hole smaller, but sometimes it’s just as hard to make it bigger, I thought as I stared at the through-hull fittings for my galley sink drain.
Arguably, there are few items on a cruising boat more oriented to your sailing comfort than a dodger, especially in Maine, where cold water rules. Bashing to windward, pushing to get somewhere in a cold downpour or just keeping the crew happy, the dodger plays a major role.
It was easy to gather a slew of devices on board Gizmo that hunger for a USB power supply at least occasionally. Heck, when the Verizon Android Galaxy phone is providing an LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and also streaming Bluetooth audio to the Fusion IP700 stereo as it is now—
As part of a general refit of the boat, I wanted to install a toilet that was somewhat more streamlined and—more importantly—used fresh water for flushing. Boat toilets have a reputation for being smelly with a tendency to clog.
The frozen Raymarine aSeries MFD had almost finished a two-day low temperature test, but that was only the beginning of its suffering. Next it had to run another two days in a high-temperature cabinet with 85 percent relative humidity, followed by 19 more days of torture as part of Raymarine’s ERT (Early Reliability Test) Qualification Process.
Bilge pumps live in a hostile environment. On most boats they sit in at least a little saltwater and are expected to uncomplainingly pump water that may be contaminated with all sorts of detritus.
Thanks to the high cost of marine lumber and a growing aversion to brightwork maintenance, fewer new boats these days have wooden rubrails or toerails. This is understandable—wood is pricey to install and, if finished bright, is a lot of work to maintain.
My newly installed stereo system works great out on the water until I turn on the autopilot. Then every time the pilot makes a course correction, I hear a grinding noise on the stereo, at any volume level. Is there a cure?
There is a soot-like buildup on the face of the alternator on my diesel engine. I have not noticed any fumes or exhaust leakage in the engine compartment.
One of the sails that came with my Catalina 27, Rainbow’s End, when I bought it is a “Daisy staysail.” I’ve never flown it because I don’t know what it is for, what conditions it can fly in, or how it is to be rigged.
Catching and prepping your own dinner while underway is one of those one of a kind cruiser experiences. The process gets a whole lot better with the right gear.
In her first Marion-Bermuda Race as skipper of a Navy 44, Nancy Rhodes and her team of U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen aboard Integrity stuck to their strategy—even when things looked grim—and walked away with bragging rights and an armful of silver.
In addition to having the trophy for fastest circumnavigation named after him, what other Junes Verne reference might be found in the modern sailor’s vocabulary?A)
Managing Editor Lydia Mullan sits down with the winningest navigator in Transpac history for a breakdown of what this year’s fleet can expect.
By Tim Queeney (304pp, St. Martin’s Press, $27.00) In ancient times man responded to the urgent need for food, transportation, and trade by building all
The Marion-Bermuda Race wrapped up yesterday after a slow approach to the finish, but it certainly wasn’t a drifter for the whole way. The first
48 years after the first Marion-Bermuda race, 20 boats competed in this summer’s event, including the J42 Dianthus, on which SAIL Editor in Chief Wendy Mitman Clarke and crew won the Class A division.
Winning scores of races or cruising thousands of miles, their 34 years with a Cal 40 has always been about great sailing.
Four Seas has announced a new folding inflatable RIB, the Fore Runner, designed for convenience, durability, and a few adventures of its own.
Known for its racer-cruisers, Grand Soleil builds a sleek daysailer with sustainability driving its brief.
