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Sailboat DIY And Repair Tips

USB Electronics Charging Offshore

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—

DIY: In Search of a Push-button, Freshwater Flush

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.

Tested: Raymarine aSeries MFD

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.

Surveyor’s Notebook: Bilge Pumps

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.

Repairing Wooden Rubrails and Toerails

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.

Ask Sail: Not so Sweet Sounds

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?

Ask Sail: Soot or Something Else?

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.

Ask SAIL: A “DAISY” STAYSAIL

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.

Surveyor’s Notebook: Good Insurance

Many boat owners look upon insurance surveys as a necessary evil, a rite of passage to be endured to propitiate their insurers. It’s important to remember, though, that insurance companies understandably want to protect themselves and make sure that a boat is an insurable risk

Keep Your Bilge Dry with a Garboard Drain Plug

Every once in a while you hear about a boat stored ashore that leaked enough rainwater to fill the bilge and flood the cabin. What a mess! And even a little water in the bilge, if it freezes, can cause damage.

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Seaglider Rescue!

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.

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Book Review: Into the Ice

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

Ready, Set, Gybe!

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

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Gear: Zhik Seaboot 700

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

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June/July SAIL Sneak Peek

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

Trivia

Scraping the Sky

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

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