Jose Viegas of Lagos, Portugal, asks:”I have a Navman DSC VHF radio, and last summer I began noticing that when I transmit in bad weather, only boats close by can hear me. But I can always clearly receive transmissions from others, near and far. How can I test to see whether the problem is with the antenna, the connection or possibly the radio itself?” Tim
Stan Stockdale of Palm Coast, Florida, asks:”I am installing a generator on my Morgan 416. Space is at a premium in the engine room, and Im curious to know whether you approve of combining the generators exhaust with the existing Perkins 4.154 exhaust line, perhaps by fabricating a Y-type device and putting an anti-siphon valve connector immediately in front of the
Rocky Hill of Canyon Lake, Texas, asks:”Whats the best way to repair my leaking foredeck hatch? I dont want to replace the entire unit, because it isnt cracked. It just leaks.” Don Casey replies:There are three types of hatch leaks: around the frame, past the gasket and around the lens. To fix a leak around the mounting frame or past the
Bob Hayes of Coral Gables, Florida, asks:”Ive just returned from cruising in the Caribbean, and I cant say enough about my AIS. It was great to be able to see the ships around us and to use their Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) numbers to hail them on the VHF. But when we got closer to Miami on our way home we began having some close calls with foreign vessels,
The purpose of this class, announces the burly man by the blackboard, is to save engines from people like you. Larry Berlin is not a man to mince his words. Tall and grizzled, the head of training for East Coast Yanmar diesel importers Mack Boring is an imposing figure. It is all I can do not to flinch guiltily as his eyes bore into me. Has he somehow sensed that I once left old oil in an
Terry Rugg of Santa Barbara, California, asks:”The SSB insulators on my Islander 36 are coming off. Any ideas for a new setup for my straight wire backstay?”Gordon West replies:You have several alternatives. A stern-mounted 18-inch white whip antenna, from either Shakespeare or Digital Antenna, will transmit a good signal down to 12 MHz,
Bill Schoenherr of Midland, Michigan, asks:”My gelcell batteries are 8 years old and although they are showing no signs of age, I have abused them by discharging them below 50 percent of their capacity. Im considering replacing them because we cruise the Great Lakes in the North Channel area and I would hate to have them fail up there. Are TPPL batteries (Odyssey) still
Rick Conner of Southport, Florida, asks:”My 1982 sloop has a keelstepped rig and the balsa-cored deck around the mast partners is saturated with water. Can I drill holes into the deck and replace the core from the top using WEST System epoxy to make the repair? Or should I remove the wet balsa core from around the mast and fill the area with solid fiberglass? What about
Many readers may be familiar with the hull-resistance curves associated with displacement boats, which include most sailing monohulls. These curves show the amount of energy needed (in kilowatts or horsepower) to move a boat at a given speed through smooth water in no wind.At slow speeds, the principal resistance to motion is friction between the wetted surface area of the hull and the
I’ll never forget the time I epoxied my wristwatch to my arm and shirt cuff. Oh, how I laughednot. Then there was the time I neglected to clean resin off my hands before it kicked, and spent the next week walking around with flakes of it peeling off my skin like something out of the Mummys Revenge.My tales of woe are obviously not unusual, for WEST SYSTEM has just introduced a
Hallberg-Rassy builds carry a reputation of solid offshore cruising boats. However, the forecast for my date with the 40C was among the lightest air the
Sailing hasn’t been a sport of the masses during Cole Brauer’s lifetime. In fact, there’s a full generation of young adults who grew up after
When Cole Brauer crossed the finish line of the Global Solo Challenge in A Coruña, Spain, early today, she was met with scores of fans
The April issue of SAIL is here, and we’ve got your wanderlust covered as we head into spring. Here’s a preview of what you can
Go ahead. Tell me who you love most in this world. I’m willing to bet that your boat makes the top five, perhaps the top
“When I saw the Horn at 3 o’clock this morning it gave me chills,” John Kretschmer said in a grainy video from the deck of
When it comes to West Coast sailboat construction, images of California’s fiberglass heyday or the deep, cold waters of Puget Sound come to mind. But
Neil Evans has been talking about the merits of Harken’s T2 Soft-Attach blocks—most significantly the soft Dyneema shackle as its attachment point, rather than a
Taking cues from its award-winning big sister the Outremer 55, the new VPLP-designed Outremer 52 has been optimized for performance and long-distance bluewater sailing. Technologies
The family of two cruising sailors who have gone missing and are feared dead have asked the cruising community to “stand down” to let local
