Ask SAIL: Teak Deck Removal
We are removing the teak deck from a 1972 Swan 43. We will not be putting any teak back on and will be looking to apply nonskid and paint. I have taken all the fixtures off and removed all the old teak.
We are removing the teak deck from a 1972 Swan 43. We will not be putting any teak back on and will be looking to apply nonskid and paint. I have taken all the fixtures off and removed all the old teak.
My newly installed stereo system works great out on the water until I turn on the autopilot. Then every time the pilot makes a course correction, I hear a grinding noise on the stereo, at any volume level. Is there a cure?
There is a soot-like buildup on the face of the alternator on my diesel engine. I have not noticed any fumes or exhaust leakage in the engine compartment.
One of the sails that came with my Catalina 27, Rainbow’s End, when I bought it is a “Daisy staysail.” I’ve never flown it because I don’t know what it is for, what conditions it can fly in, or how it is to be rigged.
I have full-length battens on the mainsail of my Corsair 37rs. They are 17 feet long. I broke two this winter. Where is the best place to buy replacement battens?
I was reading “Seeing the Light” (May 2014) about solar power on a budget, and it got me thinking about a similar problem I’ll be facing soon. This summer I will be moving my boat to a dock where there is no shore power for my battery charger.
My VHF radio and masthead antenna regularly give me better transmission and reception than the cruising sailors around me.
Every month, SAIL gives its readers the opportunity to interact directly with sailing experts regarding sails, maintenance, electronics, systems and more. Check out our questions and answers from the August issue and feel free to send in some questions of your own.
I have a Cheoy Lee ketch, and the sail track on both wood masts has become misaligned. What is the best way to reattach the track? I plan on having the mast taken down when I have the boat hauled next month…
I just bought two marine handheld radios that also have land channels for GMRS. A few weeks ago on a hike to Mt. Whitney, the marine VHF channels gave us extraordinarily increased range over the GMRS channels…

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