Using a popular airfoil analysis code (XFOIL, by M. Drela & H. Youngren, see http://web.mit.edu/drela/Public/xfoil/) we analyzed the performance of the stock centerboard of a San Juan 23. As this board was a thin flat plate, this performance was rather poor, consistent with the
Janet Hartman of Beaufort, North Carolina, asks:”Recently I contacted the National Ocean Survey (NOS) to ask whether the authorized clearances for overhead cables shown on their charts include the extra distance needed to avoid arcing. I received an email from nautical.charting@noaa.gov stating ‘The authorized clearance for an overhead power cable does not include the
Jim Liggett of Cornish, New Hampshire, asks:”I am installing a lightning- ground system and plan to use a 5/8in rod extending at least 6in above my VHF antenna. Does it matter whether the pointed rod is solid copper or can it be copper-coated steel, as is often used for grounding rods on shore? If the steel rod will work equally well, is there a good way to keep the tip
Robert Miller of Port Isabelle, Texas, asks:”If I dont bother to clean my radome when it gets covered with dried salt spray, dirt and dust, will that have any effect on the efficiency of my marine radar antenna?” Gordon West replies:It could be significant, which is why you should always keep your radome as clean as possible. Soot, dust,
Steve Karas of Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, asks:”My 1985 Catalina 27 is in good shape except for some tiny spider cracks in the foredeck gelcoat. The previous owner tried to repair the cracks by drizzling loose gelcoat into them, but the repaired deck looks worse than it did before.I had to sand it all downlosing the non-slip prism deck pattern in the processand then I
D.I.Y. Outboard ShifterA lever for all reasons Although I could reach the tiller/throttle of the five horsepower outboard that was mounted on the transom of my 20-foot trailersailer, whenever it was time to go from forward to reverse I had to face aft and then bend over the transom and the motor to reach the side-mounted shift lever. That’s not a good position to be
THE EXPERTSNigel Calder is an expert on boat systems and diesel engines. Don Casey has written many books and articles on marine maintenance and repair. Tim Bartlett is a former Royal Navy officer who is an expert in radar and electronics systems. Gordon West is a communications expert and a specialist in radio communications.DIRTY GROUND
Time and again sailing has been revolutionized by the introduction of new fibers. Traditional wood hulls have been supplanted by glass fiber, Kevlar and carbon. Canvas sails have given way first to Dacron and then to laminated sails utilizing various high tech fibers. Running rigging today is entirely synthetic. And now stainless steel standing rigging is being replaced by fiber rigging,
Time and again sailing has been revolutionized by the introduction of new fibers. Traditional wood hulls have been supplanted by glass fiber, Kevlar and carbon. Canvas sails have given way first to Dacron and then to laminated sails utilizing various high tech fibers. Running rigging today is entirely synthetic. And now stainless steel standing rigging is being replaced by fiber rigging,
Time and again sailing has been revolutionized by the introduction of new fibers. Traditional wood hulls have been supplanted by glass fiber, Kevlar and carbon. Canvas sails have given way first to Dacron and then to laminated sails utilizing various high tech fibers. Running rigging today is entirely synthetic. And now stainless steel standing rigging is being replaced by fiber rigging,
Would a brief passage to no particular place soothe this landbound sailor’s pelagic soul?
It was half past midnight and the wind had been building for the last few hours. We had left the west coast of Puerto Rico
A Clean Bottom and No Burglars Nighttime dinghy theft is a major issue in the Caribbean. Even in parts of the United States it is
Editor’s Note: In 1956, Alan Nicol—nicknamed “Stormy” for the weather he seemed to attract—was Francis Chichester’s main crew on Gipsy Moth II, sailing with Chichester
When they think about the Society Islands, most sailors likely conjure the most famous of this French Polynesian group—Tahiti, Bora Bora, perhaps Moorea—the stuff that
Peter Harken needs little introduction in the world of sailing. With his brother, Olaf, he started a shoestring business building collegiate and Olympic class dinghies
The new Windelo 50, which made its U.S. debut in February at the Miami International Boat Show, is an updated version of an earlier launch
Three Grenada men have been charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of American cruising sailors Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel. The
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
