Ask SAIL: True Colors
January 27, 2016
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 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
Q: When the breeze builds above 16 or 17 knots my 31-footer gets hard to handle and has significant weather helm. The autopilot does not
My sailboat is equipped with a Yanmar diesel. Often while motoring, the tachometer suddenly pegs out beyond the highest value. At these times there is no change in the engine itself; it is not racing.
NEW JIB TRACKS Q: I have been rehabbing a Pearson 35 for the past eight years. I am just about done and plan on sailing
Q: Filling my diesel tank is a pain, since fuel coming out the vent is the only signal that it’s full. This is because my
MMSI: YOUR NUMBER PLEASE Q: I just purchased a slightly used Jeanneau with a relatively new Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder. The previous owner had
PROP ZINC DETERIORATION Q: My 2014 Dehler 38 has a Volvo saildrive 130S-F and a two-blade Flexofold prop. After six months in the Annapolis area,
TWO FULL-LENGTH BATTENS ENOUGH? Q: Can you resolve a debate I have been having with a fellow sailor? He insists that I should have full-length
HOW TO PLUG A NEW HOLE Q: I am putting an outboard on my Grampian 26, and I will be taking out the old Westerbeke
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
You’ve probably seen the clips online. During the first day of racing in SailGP’s New Zealand series, the worst crash in the league’s six seasons
Log the Glass These days with weather forecasts available wherever there is WiFi, it doesn’t do to forget the old ways. Last season I was
This weekend saw the fourth annual Northeast Ocean Racing Symposium (NORS), held at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. The day of technical lectures and networking
