Photos by Mark CorkeSimply removing accumulated dust and grit on your hull with a garden hose before the spring launch might make it a little cleaner, but to get a sparkle on your topsides youll have to spend a bit more time and effort. Fortunately, getting a spit-and-polish shine is neither difficult nor complicated. I know some sailors honestly believe that they can pour
When your antifouling paint arrives in plain-labelled cans marked Experimental, youre going to get some suspicious looks from your boatyard neighbors. When I painted our 34ft project boats bottom with Interluxs Pacifica Plus copper-free antifouling last spring, the product was so new the labels hadnt even been printed, and it proved to be a bit of a conversation-starter in the
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
It’s a well-accepted truth of offshore sailing that things get more dangerous the closer you get to land. An extension of that axiom in chartering
My visit to the Bermuda stopover of SailGP’s Season 4 circuit came with a few revelations. I’m based in Boston, and the first surprise came
Donald Street Jr., the indefatigable sailor and writer whose charts and guides to the Caribbean quite literally opened the islands to charterers and cruisers, has
American sailor Taylor Canfield, 35, grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands and has been competing as a professional match racer and fleet racer since
For more multihull reviews and stories, subscribe for free to Multihull Power & Sail When I showed up for the sea trial of the Seawind
I am sailing with Robin Lee Graham, but there is no wind. It’s a hot day in July and Montana’s Flathead Lake is glass. The
When we decided to add windvane steering coupled with a hydrogenerator to our sailboat, our focus was on the practical aspects: conserving battery power, adding
When I was growing up with SAIL magazine, Patience Wales was the editor. I was maybe 18 when I pitched my first story to her.
As the Croatian fuel dock attendant flung the dockline back at our boat, I let out a memorable string of salty language. The bow thruster
Daniel Hays, at age 63, is now almost 10 years older than his father David was when they sailed around Cape Horn together in a
