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Slipping and Sliding

by Don Casey, Posted June 13, 2012

Will adding a flattening agent to a glossy two-part topside paint make it much less slippery? I would prefer not to add an abrasive antiskid medium to the paint.

To Freewheel or Not

by Nigel Calder, Posted June 12, 2012

I sail an S2 8.7 with a Yanmar 2GM engine. When sailing, should the prop be locked or should I let it freewheel? If I should lock it, is it better to put the transmission in forward or reverse?

Ask Sail: Diesel Desiccant Marinade

by Nigel Calder, Posted May 10, 2012

My question is this: what effect will diesel have on the blue desiccant beads in the H2Out? Is there some change I should make to the air vent?

Ask Sail: Battling Diesel Fumes

by Don Casey, Posted May 8, 2012

Thanks to a number of maintenance errors made by its previous owner, my sailboat smells of diesel fuel. I have cleaned the bilge and corrected the maintenance issues, but the smell still lingers. What do you recommend to get rid of it?

Ask Sail: Boom Raising

by Win Fowler, Posted May 3, 2012

I have a 30-foot C&C. The boom on this boat is too low for a standard vang; instead it has to be rigged to the toerail. The mast has a female internal track that receives round slugs. I’ve lived with the rig, but it is growing old. Can I raise up the boom with this type of mast track to make room for a vang?

Ask Sail: Transducer Extraction

by Don Casey, Posted March 14, 2012

I have to replace my depthsounder. The plastic nut that holds the old transducer in place was set in the hull with adhesive. The new transducer will not fit the old nut, which has proven very difficult to remove.

Ask Sail: Voltage Drop

by Nigel Calder, Posted March 14, 2012

When I turned on my recently installed chartplotter, I got a “low voltage” message. Using a digital voltmeter, I measured 9.7 volts at the circuit breaker on the load side. Voltage on the battery side was 12.5 volts.

Ask Sail: Dockside Interference

by Gordon West, Posted March 14, 2012

When I’m at sea and at anchor, my audio system plays great, and my new digital TV converter gives me great HD reception on my new HD LCD screen. But at the dock I get a loud hum on my audio system, and my over-the-air reception “breaks apart” on most of my favorite TV stations. What gives?

Ask Sail: Flying Jib

by Win Fowler, Posted March 14, 2012

When sailing my Baltic 35 I usually fly a large 140 percent genoa on a roller furler. When the wind gets too strong, however, I find it is too big to roller-reef efficiently. The boat also came with an 80 percent working jib that I’ve never used.

Ask Sail: A Warped Fixer-Upper

by Don Casey, Posted February 1, 2012

A recent survey states that a 41-foot Morgon Out Island I am considering buying has hull deflections. These were discovered when the boat was hauled. Should I be concerned?