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Ask SAIL: Do Without a Bolt Rope?
Q: In one of your recent Ask Sail responses, you wrote about loose-footed mainsails. I have an S2 7.9 that has a rope-footed main. Since I’m just cruising and not racing, could I just leave the rope out of the track and sail it as though it were loose-footed, or am I asking ...read more
Ask Sail: Do Square-Top Mains Make a Difference?
Q: I’ve been watching the most recent America’s Cup down in Auckland, which has got me thinking about technology and sails. My question is, how much difference do square-top mains, like those used aboard the AC75 mononulls, really make? In the America’s Cup, obviously every ...read more
Ask SAIL: Some Random TLC
Q: I recently removed my radar’s white radome, which covers the internal rotating antenna. I gave the radome a light sandblasting to clear it of years of grime and discoloring. Should I paint it, too? — B. Anderson, Aberdeen, MD GORDON WEST REPLIES Stop! First, make sure the ...read more
Ask Sail: Underperforming Solar
UNDERPERFORMING SOLAR Q: I have a pair of solar panels on my aft arch feeding to a solar voltage regulator and then feeding my bank of three AGM house batteries. All was well for the last two winters, but now when the panels are putting out 15-plus volts the regulator begins to ...read more
Ask Sail: When to Use a Vang Sheet
TO VANG OR NOT TO VANG Q: Last year, I bought a new, fully-battened Dacron main for my 36-footer. Unlike the old one, the new main is loose-footed. I have a mid-boom sheet arrangement and a traditional (non-rigid) vang. Is the vang really doing anything? It seems to me that ...read more
Ask Sail: Cetol Skin
CETOL SKIN I used Sikkens Cetol on the bare wood on my Catalina 30, Morning Dew IV. The can was compromised over the spring, and I put the balance in a 16oz clean glass mayo jar. Last spring when I went to use it, a skin had formed over the top of the liquid, so I just cut the ...read more
Ask Sail: Keel Attachments
Q: I have an early ‘70s Catalina 27. The keel bolts look pretty good. My question is, why not glass over the keel to bond to the hull rather than changing the bolts if, or when the bolts are too far gone? I haven’t seen anything on this, so could you discuss? Full-keels are ...read more
Ask Sail: How Far to Ease Out?
Q: When sailing dead downwind (assume 22 knots of wind), if the main is eased out to 90 degrees relative to the wind (perpendicular to the wind) are roughly the same forces applied to the sail as to the sail if it isn’t quite out all the way, say, 75 degrees to the wind? My ...read more
Ask Sail: Shackles Versus Bowlines
Q: I’ve sailed and raced on a number of boats over the years. I feel like aboard most of the boats I’ve sailed, we’ve just attached the jib sheets to the sail with a pair of bowlines. However, aboard a few the owners have used shackles. What are the pros and cons of the two ...read more
Ask Sail:To Bond or Not To Bond
Q: I have a new-to-me Gulfstar 41 Ketch and would like some advice on bonding the through-hull valves. They are not bonded to anything or each other now. I have found a lot of conflicting and confusing information on the internet and wanted a professional opinion. If I should ...read more
Ask Sail: Choosing the Best Jib Sheets
CHOOSING THE BEST JIB SHEETS Q: I need to replace the jib sheets on my 35ft performance cruiser. I keep hearing about how high-modulus line can benefit sail shape and wonder if I should maybe spring for something fancy. Or will good old double-braid polyester still do the job? ...read more
Ask Sail: Spinnaker Conundrums
Q: I have an old 30ft C&C from the mid-80s. It was originally equipped with a conventional spinnaker, but a spinnaker hasn’t been flown from the boat in years. I don’t even own one now! I was thinking of trying an A-sail. Is it absolutely necessary to have a sprit to fly one of ...read more
Ask Sail: Why The Bombproof Mains?
Q: This past winter I did a bareboat charter aboard a 38ft cruising catamaran. I was once again impressed by how heavy and massively built the mainsail was. Why does this always seem to be the case on multihulls? (The headsails seem to be pretty much the same as those on ...read more
Ask Sail: Analog or Digital
Q: I am redoing my voltage distribution panel and can’t decide between a needle movement voltmeter or a digital illuminated voltmeter to monitor my house and starting battery voltages. Which way would be best? — J. Henshaw, Tampa FL GORDON WEST REPLIES I would say do both types ...read more
Ask Sail: Why all the Membrane Sails?
Q: I am noticing more and more cruising boats carrying high-tech membrane sails, and I was wondering why that is. — Carter Dickens, Houston, TX Brian Hancock Replies It’s all about the engineering. Specifically, membrane sails are highly engineered, so you can end up with a ...read more
Ask Sail: Water Getting into Coax
Q: While inspecting behind the nav station for my spring cleaning, I discovered water behind my chartplotter and VHF radio stack. Freshwater to boot! Do electronics leak? I didn’t think so. — Everette Gracy, Norton Shores, MI Gordan West Replies Last winter your region was ...read more
Ask Sail: Dinghy Dilemma
DINGHY DILEMMA Q: We are in the throes of choosing a dinghy, and I would like to ask if you would recommend buying a RIB with a double-skinned hull rather than a single-skinned hull. Which provides better handling or stays drier? Also, aside from the heavier weight of a ...read more
Ask Sail: Silencing A Rattling Headsail
Q: Our Pearson 26 has a 110-percent jib that tends to rattle very noisily at the top hank. We only bought the old boat recently, but it must have been happening for a long time, since there’s a deep groove worn inside that bronze hank. The jib has an unusually large and wide ...read more
Ask Sail: Are Self-trackers Worth It?
Q: I’m seeing more and more self-tacking jibs out on the water (and in the pages of SAIL) these days. I can’t help thinking these boats are all hopelessly underpowered, especially off the wind, when compared to boats with even slightly overlapping headsails. But I could be ...read more
Ask Sail: State of Standing Rigging
Q: I have a 1974 Aquarius 23 that I am fixing up. I am wondering if I should replace the standing rigging no matter what, or if I can just check it over. I think that it is original, but I am not sure. It seems from what I have read that I should at least replace the wire, but I ...read more
Ask SAIL: Radar Antenna Location
Q: I have a 40ft Pearson with a 24-mile radar antenna installed on the radar arch aft. I am concerned that I could be missing medium-range targets beyond eight to 10 miles away. Should I have the antenna moved to the mast, 10ft higher than where it is now? — Jack Crawford, ...read more
Ask Sail: The Right Cabin Sole Finish
Q: I am working on refinishing my cabin floorboards. I have brought them home and sanded the old finish off and would appreciate comments on using varnish or polyurethane for the sole. — Danny Love, Grand Rivers, KY DON CASEY REPLIES Polyurethane is the better choice for a ...read more
Ask Sail: Who has the right-of-way
WHO HAS RIGHT-OF-WAY? Q: I sail in Narragansett Bay, which is a relatively narrow body of water that has upwind boats generally going south and downwind boats generally going north. When sailboats are racing, the starboard tack boat has the right-of-way over the port tack boat, ...read more
Ask Sail: Not Quite Ready to Reef
Q: I race on a small lake in the Midwest, and most afternoons the wind picks up and is fairly steady, but because of the hills around the lake we often get squalls that come through. They don’t last long enough to justify taking a reef, so I was wondering what is the best way to ...read more
Ask Sail: Transducer Dilemma
Q: I have a nice in-hull depthsounder transducer, and it works fine going through the hull without the need for an outside transducer assembly. Do the new forward-sounding transducers all require an outside-the-hull transducer mounting, or can I use my current in-hull transducer ...read more
Ask Sail: Mystery Leak
A MYSTERY LEAK ON THE HARD Q: We have a 2004 31ft Catalina 310 that has an in-mast furling mainsail, and the mast is deck-stepped. Haulout is the first week of October, and by Thanksgiving water in the bilge is already climbing up the sides and back-filling toward the stern where ...read more
Ask SAIL: Trimming an A-sail Tackline
Q: I fly an asymmetrical spinnaker from a sprit on my 35-footer and was wondering about how best to trim the tack line. I’ve seen cases in which other sailors have brought the tack of the sail all the way to the sprit, and cases in which there are a couple of feet of tackline ...read more
Ask Sail: VHF Whine
NOISE ON THE BOAT NEGATIVE LINE Q: I have a new fixed-mount VHF radio, and I have severe alternator whine on both transmit and receive. My old radio did not, even though it was on the same 12V DC line. The manufacturer says new digital radios are more sensitive to alternator ...read more
Ask Sail: Repairing Small Tears on Sails
DEALING WITH SMALLER SAIL TEARS Q: I recently discovered a small tear in the Dacron mainsail on my Pearson Ensign. Not sure how it got there, but I can only assume the sail snagged on something at some point. The tear is roughly L-shaped, about 3in to a side. What’s the best way ...read more
Ask SAIL: Time To Buy New Sails?
TIME TO BUY NEW SAILS? Q: I have a very old set of Dacron sails on my Catalina. Friends have told me I should have them replaced because it will make my boat sail better. But quite frankly, I’d prefer not to spend the money on sails that seem plenty sturdy enough for the kind of ...read more
Ask Sail: Transferring a MMSI
Q: I just purchased a used 54ft Jeanneau that was recently outfitted by the previous owner with the latest in marine electronics. All radio gear has the previous owner’s MMSI number entered into its memory. I am told it is a major job to pull the equipment and have a new MMSI ...read more
Ask SAIL: Digital or Analog Voltmeter
DIGITAL OR ANALOG VOLTMETER? Q: I am redoing my nav station voltage distribution panel, and I was wondering if I should go with a needle type analog voltmeter for DC or a digital meter. Your thoughts? R. Davenport, Coral Gables, FL GORDON WEST REPLIES While a digital DC ...read more
Ask Sail: Bringing Back Old Woodwork
BRINGING BACK OLD WOODWORK Q: I’m looking to purchase a 1985 Sabre 38 Mk1 sailboat. It has the traditional dark teak/mahogany cabin woodwork. My question is, can the woodwork be effectively lightened to something like that of a white oak or similar appearance? Edwin M. Bellamy, ...read more
Ask Sail: Time for New Sails
TIME FOR NEW SAILS? Q: I have had the same Dacron sails on my boat for five years, and the previous owner had them for a number of years before that. I know that they are getting old, but how do I know when it’s time to replace them? Pat Chandler, Chardin, OH BRIAN HANCOCK ...read more
Ask SAIL: a Mouse in the House
A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE! Q: I store my small sailboat in an open space under a roof. Mice have chewed up the existing foam flotation as evidenced by the pile of chewed up foam on the floor. I need to replace the foam, but don’t want a recurrence. It does not seem possible to keep ...read more