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
Ben Cantor of New Bedford, Massachusetts, asks: “I’ve been cruising on a 1973 Pearson 36 for the past 10 years, and this year I plan to splurge and buy all new sails and running rigging. I expect I will order high-quality Dacron sails. I’ve read a lot about high-modulus line and would like to try it out, but I wonder if it is worthwhile using it on a cruising boat. I like
Ben Hatheway of Coos Bay, Oregon, asks:”The VHF and SSB radios on my boat share the same Maritime Mobile Service Identity number. I recently purchased a new marine VHF handheld with DSC capability, and Im wondering if my new handheld, which is sometimes off the boat, should have a different MMSI number.”Gordon West replies:This very
Some of the best gifts come in small packages. So it was when my sister-in-law asked me and my husband if we would race her
More and more, “smart” systems are becoming the norm on boats. Case in point, the Smart-Hatch, which swaps out the hinge and handles of a
For more multihull reviews and stories, subscribe for free to Multihull Power & Sail When my editor assigned this story, I promised myself not to
Schooner Creek services more than 600 boats a year in addition to new builds. When it comes to West Coast sailing, images of the deep,
As one of this year’s Magenta Project Mentees, I’ve had the opportunity to try out a new bit of kit in the form of Mustang
The August/September of SAIL is here, and we are talking a lot—but not entirely—about small boats in this issue. Here’s a quick look at the
In the early spring of 1893, a seemingly unassuming young man, a clerk who then worked in the British House of Commons, made a fateful
Join us for a unique conversation during the Annapolis Sailboat Show with special guests Cole Brauer and Lin Pardey who encompass 50 years of sailing,
For more multihull reviews and stories, subscribe for free to Multihull Power & Sail Yes, Washington D.C. may not be the first destination that comes
Lifeline failure usually arrives as a shocking surprise, sometimes with disastrous consequences. Metal fatigue and crevice corrosion are hidden from sight in traditional lifeline construction,
