SAIL.SailMagazine

North America is as big as its waters are varied. Some sailors inhabit a tideless world where 0400 departures to catch the south-going stream through Hell Gate are as foreign as flying to the moon.

As part of our SAILfeed get-to-know-the-bloggers series, I decided to chat next with The Mariner. SAILfeed.com is our blogging site made up of some of the industry's most interesting sailors. They regularly contribute their thoughts and opinions on sailing news, their adventures at sea and boat repair.

Do you antifoul your propeller? Looking around the yard where we keep our project boat, Ostara, the consensus seemed to be “no”. Most propellers showed the telltale signs of barnacle infestation, as indeed did our three-bladed Gori folding prop.

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?

Preparations for the 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition in Rio are already well underway. After choosing the Mackay FX as the official boat for the women’s skiff, the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) announced the remaining event and equipment selections for the next Summer Olympics.