Sail Magazine

by Don Casey

Contributing editor Don Casey is the author of several books on boat maintenance, including This Old Boat, published by International Marine/McGraw-Hill

Replacing Fixed Portlights

by Don Casey, Posted April 29, 2013

Let’s start with a tip. Kits sold in auto stores for polishing headlamps can also restore the clarity to portlights. If your plastic portlights are cloudy, not crazed, this is where you should start.

Ask Sail: Line up your Drawers

by Don Casey, Posted April 26, 2013

The drawers have never been painted before and are made of plywood. What kind of paint should we use?

Ask Sail: Seeing Green

by Don Casey, Posted March 15, 2013

One of the stainless steel chainplates on my Olson 911S is tinted green both above and below deck. The fasteners that bolt the plate to the internal bulkhead do not show the same condition.

Ground Rules: Anchoring in Three Dimensions

by Don Casey, Posted March 11, 2013

Anchoring involves more than dropping a chunk of metal overboard and fastening your boat to it. The best way to improve your technique is through practice, but this can be hard to come by if your boat is often on a mooring or dock.

Boatyard Zen

by Don Casey, Posted February 28, 2013

Waiting for the spring as your boat sits on the hard may not seem the best time to improve your seamanship, but a boat truly at rest does provide an ideal environment for enlightenment through contemplation.

Ask Sail: Preserving Old Varnish

by Don Casey, Posted January 31, 2013

Can Pump N Seal be used to suck air out of a varnish can to stop it from skimming over?

Ask Sail: Wax-on Poly Paint

by Don Casey, Posted December 17, 2012

I have built a 33ft Kelsall-designed catamaran with vacuum-bagged cored composite panels. I finished the exterior with International’s two-part Perfection polyurethane paint (in white)...

Ask Sail: Straight and True

by Don Casey, Posted December 2, 2012

Before I re-launch the boat should I also have the shop check and true the transmission output shaft to its flange? This is a lot more work, but I’m prepared to do it to get things lined up properly.

Ask Sail: Deck Freshener

by Don Casey, Posted November 1, 2012

My yacht is 20 years old, and the antiskid is looking poor. Is there anything wrong with cleaning the deck, wiping it down with acetone and brushing flowcoat (waxed gelcoat) on to the antiskid?

Ask Sail: Centerboard Corrosion

by Don Casey, Posted September 27, 2012

After I fix the pin and remove the rust, what product do you recommend to protect the steel before I reinstall the board? The boat is sailed in both fresh and salt water, and is stored on its trailer.