Maintenance

How to Create a Deck Dam

by Kimball Livingston, Posted March 13, 2012

When Mark Edwards, a rigger from Auckland, New Zealand, molded the deck for his 50-footer Relapse, he deliberately included raised toerails that trap water on deck for most of the length of the boat: as in, all the way back to the fill-point for the water tanks.

File Your Sandpaper

by Zuzana Prochazka, Posted March 14, 2012

If there’s one thing I hate more than varnishing it’s not having all the tools at hand to do the job right. Besides brushes, old cans of varnish, new cans of varnish and thinners, there is the sandpaper.

Sail Cover Tactics

by Charles J. Doane, Posted March 14, 2012

Getting a sail cover on and off a mainsail is often harder than it should be. Once it’s off the sail, it can be hard to tell which end goes where, and when you spread it out to check, the wind will wrestle you for control of it.

Four Inexpensive Upgrades

by Peter Nielsen, Posted February 1, 2012

Here are four inexpensive additions and upgrates from experienced cruiser Terry Kotas, who sails Cetus, a Fantasia 35.

Chain Messenger

by Ann Hoffner, Posted August 21, 2008

A handy technique for rereeving lost halyardsBy Ann HoffnerWith our Peterson 44, Oddly Enough, snug in a slip in Darwin, Australia, we stripped the gear off her deck before flying home for an extended visit. I bought three small bales of light polypropylene line and rigged messenger lines so I could rereeve the halyards when we returned. But I was distracted by the

Freshwater Engine Flush

by Don Casey, Posted June 12, 2012

As warm-water sailors, we do not winterize our boat. However, we do store it out of the water for hurricane season, and as part of our decommissioning procedure we run the engine on the hard to pass fresh water through the raw-water circuit and flush out salt and guard against corrosion.

Diesel in the Air

by Niels R. Jensen, Posted August 21, 2008

Spilled diesel fuel leaves an unpleasant odor that can nauseate some people, especially if they have to be down below in heavy weather. It’s tough to get rid of the odor once it takes hold. When the diesel in the fuel tank aboard Freelance, my Pearson 36 cutter, became contaminated, my fuel filters clogged and disabled the engine. I changed the primary and secondary filters and bled the

No More Cotter Pins

by Connie McBride, Posted June 18, 2012

Standing at the bow of Eurisko, our Creekmore 34, my heel always scrapes the turnbuckle for the cutter stay when I operate the windlass. For many years I inevitably returned to the cockpit after setting the anchor with a bloody foot where the cotter pin had gouged me.

Cruising Cat: Performance Primer

by Richard Woods, Posted August 26, 2008

Follow these performance tips to get the most from your cruising cat.By Richard WoodsI’ve been sailing and designing catamarans since 1976. I’ve cruised tens of thousands of miles and have won several national titles in racing boats. Years of experience have taught me how to maximize sailing performance. For starters, nothing turns a cruising cat’s polar potential

Tennis Ball Grommets

by Bill Bleyer, Posted September 19, 2012

When covering my boat for the winter, I like to use heavy gray-green poly tarps, as they are inexpensive and last several years if they are protected against chafe and are properly secured.