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Nigel Calder

Nigel Calder’s Holy Grail of Sailing

My first exposure to Nigel Calder, same as most people, was through reading his great marine technical bible, The Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual. I

Ask SAIL: Using Fuel After it’s Been Stored

I have an 8hp two-stroke outboard engine on my sailboat. I use a 5-gallon portable gas tank and always mix water-absorbing additives and the required lube oil into my fuel. The problem is at the end of last sailing season, I had about four gallons of fuel left in the tank. Is it okay to use this fuel after it has been stored on the boat over the winter, or should I dispose of it and get fresh gas instead?

Water Power Generators

My last two columns discussed the high cost of generating electricity with a diesel engine and the relatively short payback period for solar panels on liveaboard cruising boats. The problem with solar is that it requires a lot of surface area to produce significant amounts of power. This is relatively easy to find on catamarans, but not so on monohulls.Coincidentally, I received an email

The boom furling powered by Laughing Gull’s electric winch snagged Tamsin’s arm, resulting in a trip to the hospital.

Electric Winch Warning

Though they’ve made sailing easier and more accessible, electric winches must be treated with appropriate caution.

Woman wearing a hat on a boat.

Water System Salvation

Tank water can easily be contaminated with anything from a lingering bad taste to dangerous bacteria. Installing a triple filtration set up on Ben-Varrey helped.

A bridge and a moon

Understand the Tides

Tides are an essential part of coastal sailing, so don’t forget to look at the moon once in a while. 

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