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
In the first two installments of this three-part story on buying new sails we considered types of material, sail-cut choices and construction options. Now well discuss how to measure your boat in order to give your sailmaker the information he needs to build your new sails. Measurements need to be spot-on accurate or youll probably get sails that dont quite meet your expectations. Take several
When replacing the pressure water system on our project boat, we thought it would be fun to install a water heater. But where to put it? Like most early 70s boats, our Norlin 34 lacks interior volume compared to modern boats. The need for the heater to be mounted below the engines heat exchanger (to prevent problems with coolant circulation) further complicated matters.The only logical
Out of sight, out of mind That adage is so old it creaks, but that doesnt make it any less true. It was especially true of the cockpit drain hoses and gate valves on our 34ft project boat. Back when we acquired the boat, the surveyor looked at the ancient hoses and corroded gate valves in horror and suggested that we replace them before long. Three years later, before long still hadnt
Out of sight, out of mind That adage is so old it creaks, but that doesnt make it any less true. It was especially true of the cockpit drain hoses and gate valves on our 34ft project boat. Back when we acquired the boat, the surveyor looked at the ancient hoses and corroded gate valves in horror and suggested that we replace them before long. Three years later, before long still hadnt
Easy Upgrades: #1 of a seriesEvery fractionally rigged boat will have (or should have) a means of adjusting backstay tension. Its main purpose is to flatten and depower the mainsail in stronger winds, putting off the time at which a reef will be required. Because very few masthead-rigged boats are provided with backstay adjusters, cruising sailors regard them with the
Before I laid the boat up, I had to replace a bilge pump that had mysteriously stopped working. This was a secondary pump, serving to keep the water out of a poorly drained part of the hull forward of the mast step. It was a good opportunity for a quick photo tutorial on connecting 12-volt wires together. Yes, this sounds remedial, but I have seen enough botched jobs on boats to know that you
A few years ago, I left my boats two lead-acid batteries on board over winter. It wasnt intentionalan early snowfall led me to cover the boat up sooner than anticipated, and I just never got around to taking the batteries off.After three months of freezing New England winter, I suddenly remembered they were still on board. I snuck down to the yard one mild Saturday and hooked the
Careful with the Cranking Running out of fuel or losing the engine by way of filters blocked with dirty diesel is bad enough, but ending
I lay in my suspended bunk and waited for the next wave to lift me up and slam me down onto the hard bench below.
You may know Corsica as the island just north of Sardinia in the Mediterranean where, in August 2022, a violent derecho swept through with 140-mile-per-hour
You could argue that best thing about the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) isn’t really the camaraderie, the energy, or even the excitement of taking
We were anchored at the end of a narrow bay under glittering pink granite cliffs. A whiff of pine scented the air. From Belamies, our
Most sailors are well attuned to keeping an eye out for cold fronts, which can bring nasty, squally weather with strong winds and large seas.
Maybe you’ll remember back in 2014 when the Volvo 65 Team Vestas Wind, racing in the Volvo Ocean Race, slammed into the Cargados Carajos Shoals
“Why didn’t he point the boat into the wind to raise/lower the main to avoid tangling in the lazyjacks?” Ah, the comments section on YouTube.
Grizzly bears? Check. Tidal currents at up to 15 knots? Check. Wild weather? Check. This is the Race to Alaska (R2AK), 750 nautical miles of
New sailboats can make statements in many ways—sharp-edged performance, glamorous styling, cutting-edge systems—but sometimes a boat stands out because its form follows its function so
