Ask SAIL: The Ultimate Ground
September 18, 2015
Q: I have a new Icom M-802 that I am installing aboard. I read about wires that make up the needed ground, and a wire
Q: I have a new Icom M-802 that I am installing aboard. I read about wires that make up the needed ground, and a wire
Q: My headsail has hanks and I am thinking of buying a new roller-furling unit. Can I convert the sail to a reefing headsail? Paul
I’m trying to determine why the diesel fuel for my 4.108 low-line Perkins is getting black. I use the word “black” instead of dirty, because the fuel looks as if it is getting crankcase oil (or soot) mixed in it.
While in the Bahamas, I tried, with no success, to pick up weather using the SSB function on my portable Grundig YB400 radio. Can this little radio effectively hear SSB bands like weather, ham radio, or international shortwave?
My boat is a 1974 C&C 30 with a gooseneck fitting that is set very low on the mast. What would you think of raising the gooseneck 12 inches? As it is, it isn’t possible to use a conventional boom vang, and fitting a dodger under the boom is out of the question
I would like to add some insulation to the cabin sidewalls, because we sail in Maine, where it often gets chilly. Is there a way to do this without developing a future mold problem?
Do marine electronic plugs just go bad on their own? I have a GPS chartplotter that sometimes go off intermittently until I reach back and wiggle a certain multi-pin plug connection.
Aspiring distance voyagers will find this newest cat a perfect fit.
While checking in on my parent’s boat at the yard, I saw this unusual keel. What’s the purpose of it? — Maddie Doherty, via sailmail@sailmagazine.com
The 2026 Newport International Boatshow is underway now. Here’s what to look forward to.
A new documentary relives the 1995 America’s Cup, as told by the American teams vying to defend the Auld Mug.
My parents, who have been collecting SAIL since I started working here like they did with my childhood artwork, are running out of storage space.
Team United by the Ocean took first place in the inaugural transatlantic race, with American-flagged 11th Hour Racing in a close second.
The temperatures are starting to cool off, the days are getting shorter, and your October issue is on its way. Here’s what’s coming up.
Offshore and offline go hand in hand.
Small electric outboards are becoming increasingly popular for everything
from dinghies to small race boats. We put three new models to the test.
The first days of the inaugural Ocean Race Atlantic test the fleet with sporty conditions.
