Dave Stillerz of San Francisco, California, asks:”I recently installed some new tanks aboard my older wooden sailboat, and now my automatic pilot wont keep me on a steady course. Any ideas?”Gordon West replies:Sounds like your new tanks are metal and your pilots fluxgate heading sensor is mounted nearby. Reposition the fluxgate compass away
Bill Schultz of Bay City, Michigan, asks:”I am installing a 24-volt battery bank in the bow of my 40-foot sailboat to power a bow thruster. Do I need to run a grounding wire to my engine block? Or can I use an alternative grounding site? What size wire do I need?”Nigel Calder replies:Technically, if the bow thruster has a case ground
This article originally appeared in the December 2009 issueYour boomvang is a key tool for adjusting the shape of your mainsail. Sailing off the breeze without a vang, the pressure on your sail causes your boom to rise up, degrading sail shape. On small dinghies you sometimes dont need a boomvang as the mainsail may be small enough that you can control sail shape with mainsheet
Dean Hall of Anacortes, Washington, asks:”I enjoy watching TV broadcasts from our local PBS station while aboard my boat. When they switched from analog to digital signals, I added a small digital converter to my set. I do get reception, but with some freeze frames. Any suggestions?”Gordon West replies:If the freeze frames are occurring
Mike Allen of Beaufort, South Carolina, asks: “My standing rigging is 22 years old. It seems to be in good shape, but there is some oxidation and discoloration. Is there an ultraviolet penetrating dye that can be used to inspect standing rigging, chainplates, turnbuckles and other hardware? If so, do you know of any vendors?” Win Fowler
Bill Reilly of San Francisco, California, asks:”To increase energy efficiency onboard I am wondering if I could plumb my water heater into my generators cooling system so that it shares the circuit from the main engine coolant loop that heats the hot water. It seems that a couple of sturdy Y-valves and brass one-way valves would adequately isolate these two systems, which
Peter Burke of Fredericksburg, Virginia, asks:”We recently went aground in a creek off the Potomac River in my Hunter 28, which has a shoal keel that draws 3 feet 6 inches. We were unsuccessful in our attempts to break free, but fortunately a marine police boat and a rescue boat came along within minutes to assist. Surprisingly, the rescue boat had to pull hard with its
In recent years, LED lighting has gone from the fringe to mainstream in terms of marine applications. Today LEDs are replacing halogen and other incandescent bulbs both on deck and below, in uses ranging from masthead running lights to reading lights in the saloon.Despite their higher costsabout three times that of their halogen counterparts LEDs have gained ground thanks to their
Dining al fresco is one of the joys of being afloat. Eating off a cockpit table is much more civilized than eating off a plate in your lap.Often a simple picnic table will do the job nicely. A combined table and chairs model can be used, with the legs up and held in place with body weight.
Pete Econ of Columbia, Maryland, asks:”How long before we see fuel cells replacing generators on sailboats? They make a lot of sense in that they are smaller, lighter and quieter than generators. I see one yacht manufacturer is already installing SFC methanol fuel cells, and I know the military is using fuel cells to replace and supplement batteries.”Nigel
Want to sail fast, easy, and stable downwind on passage? Learn to sail with a pole.
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The class of 2025 is shaping up to be an intriguing mix, and while the push continues toward greater interior volume, maximum comfort, and easy sailhandling
Hard to believe it’s pumpkin time—which also means boat shows time—and the October issue of SAIL magazine has the latest in new models making the
It’s been a long time since I’ve thought much about my eyewear onboard, but Vallon changed all that this summer when I tested a pair
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For more multihull reviews and stories, subscribe for free to Multihull Power & Sail You haven’t done it, have you? You haven’t put Catskill, New
Moody DS48 Moody has launched a new installment of their “monomoran” concept—a 48-footer that borrows design ideas to bring the flow and spaciousness of a
