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.
The Outremer 51 illustrates perfectly the “light is fast, fast is fun” philosophy endemic to performance-cat builders. A development of the popular Outremer 49 designed
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.
I have a 1972 Cal 2-29. The interior fiberglass was evidently painted at the factory. Now, however, large pieces of paint are peeling off everywhere. I have found a solution for removing the old paint by first scraping and then using a combination of peel-and-strip paper with some orange citrus Home Depot paint remover.
I am doing a retrofit on my old CRT radar to a new Garmin LCD radar system. All my wiring is replaced, except for a spaghetti-sized coax cable that was original
Contributing Editor Christopher Birch’s much anticipated book The Four Seasons of Boat Maintenance is out now. Billed as “the maintenance manual that should have come
On March 1, the U.S. SailGP Team shook up the Grand Prix series and won the Sydney Sail Grand Prix, marking their first victory since
Lessons learned by others are a great guide when putting together a vacation to remember.
After being the Chief Designer at Tartan Yachts for 48 years, Tim Jackett has found a new home with Niche Watercraft. The company has announced
A trans-oceanic performance catamaran loads up on practical features and comforts of home.
A classic racing yacht, three weeks at sea, and eight crewmates you’ve never met. What could go wrong?
Editor’s Note: This story is excerpted from SAIL Contributing Editor Christopher Birch’s upcoming book The Four Seasons of Boat Maintenance(available for order soon)—a compendium of
Ever notice how sea stories just get better with the passage of time? The more years that disappear in the wake and the more times
We spend too much time in the sun as sailors and need all the protection we can get… but, have you ever put on a
The Charter issue is on the way! Here’s what to look forward to in the April issue of SAIL Magazine. Cruising in the Land of
