Ask SAIL: a Bag of Lines
September 24, 2025
You ask, we answered: Ask SAIL is back. Send your questions to sailmail@sailmagazine.com to be featured in the magazine. We have a whole bag of lines
You ask, we answered: Ask SAIL is back. Send your questions to sailmail@sailmagazine.com to be featured in the magazine. We have a whole bag of lines
Q: In one of your recent Ask Sail responses, you wrote about loose-footed mainsails. I have an S2 7.9 that has a rope-footed main.
Q: I’ve been watching the most recent America’s Cup down in Auckland, which has got me thinking about technology and sails. My question is, how
TO VANG OR NOT TO VANG Q: Last year, I bought a new, fully-battened Dacron main for my 36-footer. Unlike the old one, the new
I used Sikkens Cetol on the bare wood on my Catalina 30, Morning Dew IV. The can was compromised over the spring, and I put the balance in a 16oz clean glass mayo jar. Last spring when I went to use it, a skin had formed over the top of the liquid, so I just cut the skin off. It is 1/8in thick. In the future, is it still OK to use?
Q: I have an early ‘70s Catalina 27. The keel bolts look pretty good. My question is, why not glass over the keel to bond
Q: When sailing dead downwind (assume 22 knots of wind), if the main is eased out to 90 degrees relative to the wind (perpendicular to
DINGHY DILEMMA Q: We are in the throes of choosing a dinghy, and I would like to ask if you would recommend buying a RIB
Q: I have a 1974 Aquarius 23 that I am fixing up. I am wondering if I should replace the standing rigging no matter what,
Q: I have a 40ft Pearson with a 24-mile radar antenna installed on the radar arch aft. I am concerned that I could be missing
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Where you’ve seen her work: the iconic Transpac photography at Diamond Head light, The Ultimate Sailing Calendar Sharon Green’s photography career began suddenly and with
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Sailing the “Standing Mast Route” Through The Netherlands
When it comes to managing a blow, reefing is just one part of the equation.
