Ask SAIL: A Low Cost AIS Test
April 26, 2016
Q: Do I need to buy an expensive VHF test meter to check my AIS antenna, which is separate from my normal VHF antenna? T.
Q: Do I need to buy an expensive VHF test meter to check my AIS antenna, which is separate from my normal VHF antenna? T.
REVIVING NONSKID ON DECK Q: The molded-in nonskid is becoming less and less nonskid on the side decks and foredecks of my old 35-footer. I’m
WHAT KIND OF MARINE TOILET? Q: I recently purchased a 1979 Cal 2-25, which has a ceramic head. With all the flexible tubing, the plastic
REACHING SAIL NOMENCLATURE Q: I keep hearing about different kinds of headsails, like Code 0s, gennakers, A-sails, etc., and for the life of me can’t
A DIN WHEN DIMMING Q: I just purchased an 18ft roll of amber/white flexible LEDs to light up our cabin down below. They are plenty bright
DEEP GOUGES Q: While on a night passage aboard my boat, I struck an unidentified floating object. It did not penetrate the inner laminate, but
Ever had refrigerator angst? It’s a dreadful state of mind that consumes you when your reefer doesn’t deliver the goods. It’s been known to paralyze
SERIOUS BATTERY DRAIN Q: While sailing on a friend’s boat we noticed what we thought was excessive voltage loss overnight. The vessel has five 8D
Q: The electronics at my nav station rely on the old NMEA 0183 protocol for sharing data. I can’t seem to find my original wire-color
Q: The prop shaft zincs on my Cal 33, which I keep in a marina on Long Island Sound, have been disappearing rapidly for a
A spin around the steaming cauldron of the Aeolian Islands makes a bewitching visit to the heart of the Mediterranean.
After a long absence, one sailor finds herself sailing the waters of her youth and contemplating years of change in all its forms.
The 52nd annual St. Thomas International Regatta (April 3-5) wrapped up on Easter Sunday with nearly 40 boats from all three U.S. Virgin Islands, the
Spring is in the air and warmer weather is right around the corner. Get ready for the season with SAIL’s adventure issue! Through the Eyes
15 years after the original First 30 debuted, this re-imagined update proves a winner.
When several members of our Florida sailing club, the West Coast Trailer Sailors Squadron, decided to get together for a group daysail on a recent
The morning our diesel engine experienced a runaway started like any other. We were headed out of Monterey Harbor on our 1979 Cheoy Lee 41,
Six sailors have been selected as 2026 inductees to the National Sailing Hall of Fame for their achievements, leadership, and enduring impact on the sport
Editor’s note—This is the second installment of a story that began in the March 2026 issue.Click here for part one. I’m dimly aware of the
In tomorrow’s e-newsletter, we conclude the story of my transatlantic crossing with the Women Wave Project. For part one, click here. In retrospect, the whole crossing
