I have a 30-foot C&C. The boom on this boat is too low for a standard vang; instead it has to be rigged to the toerail. The mast has a female internal track that receives round slugs. I’ve lived with the rig, but it is growing old. Can I raise up the boom with this type of mast track to make room for a vang?
When a boat’s systems or interior are modified, you may need or want to glass over existing holes in the hull. One season when we hauled out in Trinidad, we decided to eliminate three through-hulls in our Creekmore 34, Eurisko. The holes were all different sizes, but we treated this as one project.
After hull integrity, rudder integrity is the most vital component of a seaworthy vessel, yet most sailors pay more attention to LED lighting or smartphone apps than they do to their boat’s rudder. Before you shrug off rudder failure as a remote concern, consider that the incidence of mid-ocean rudder failures is close to 1 percent.
When my flexible solar panel gave up the ghost early last summer, I was surprised at how much motoring it took to replenish our Norlin 34’s two Group 27 house batteries after they’d been run down by a week of sporadic bilge-pumping (caused by a slow leak around the keelbolts, ahem).
I have to replace my depthsounder. The plastic nut that holds the old transducer in place was set in the hull with adhesive. The new transducer will not fit the old nut, which has proven very difficult to remove.
Tutorials about electrical systems and multimeters often involve theoretical analogies to flowing water. In these primers, the authors test well-designed, functioning circuits, and everything behaves exactly as anticipated.
When I turned on my recently installed chartplotter, I got a “low voltage” message. Using a digital voltmeter, I measured 9.7 volts at the circuit breaker on the load side. Voltage on the battery side was 12.5 volts.
When I’m at sea and at anchor, my audio system plays great, and my new digital TV converter gives me great HD reception on my new HD LCD screen. But at the dock I get a loud hum on my audio system, and my over-the-air reception “breaks apart” on most of my favorite TV stations. What gives?
The original purchase survey for my Allied Seabreeze sloop Keewaydin included a note about the fixed three-bladed bronze propeller: “some cupping noticed on all blades.” One of the surveyor’s post-purchase recommendations was to have the prop reconditioned.
When sailing my Baltic 35 I usually fly a large 140 percent genoa on a roller furler. When the wind gets too strong, however, I find it is too big to roller-reef efficiently. The boat also came with an 80 percent working jib that I’ve never used.
After rounding Cape Horn in relatively calm conditions, the Pardeys pay the piper in the Roaring Forties.
Canvas is one of your boat’s most valuable assets. Here’s how to care for it in the off-season.
After six years away from the sea, Lin Pardey’s return to voyaging was not without adventure.
TeamO has earned the overall 2024 DAME Design Award for its Hi-Lift 150N lifejacket and harness, while Yanmar Marine took home wins in two categories
To answer that unanswerable question, the best is what you make of it.
In Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, sailing, maritime history, and community are uniquely connected.
Sailors involved with a rescue during the Newport Bermuda Race discuss the takeaways, big and small.
Restoring a Thames sailing barge is about far more than preserving maritime history.
What happens when you put a young racing rockstar and a lifelong cruising legend on stage together—and then throw a bunch of questions at them?
Cruising advice and tips from Tom Cunliffe
