Duncan Kent explains what you should look for in these vital fittings Clearly, with any device that penetrates the hull of a yacht, the choice of materials, design and method of installation is paramount to the safety and integrity of the vessel. Plenty of boats have been lost ...read more
Push-Button Reefing Boats have never been easier to sail, and yet, designers and builders still strive for that extra iota or two of convenience. A case in point is the growing acceptance of powered headsail furlers. Roller-furling headsails are ubiquitous not only on cruising ...read more
Your ground tackle is like a relationship—the more you care for it, the longer it will last. So, how do you enhance the relationship? First up, think of the accommodations—a damp, salt-rich, often warm environment, just the kind of thing to encourage corrosion. What can be done? ...read more
Getting a good night’s rest is important on any cruising boat. Back in the early days, a sailor was lucky to have a canvas hammock strung up in the bow of a ship to sleep in. Thankfully, today’s boaters have things a bit better, but getting a good night’s sleep aboard your boat ...read more
Not surprisingly, given all the changes to antifouling paint in the last few years, such as the loss of some biocides, copper regulation in California and Washington State, raw material costs and new VOC regulations, many sailors have been left wondering, “What’s next?” Efforts ...read more
One of the most versatile of panel materials, plywood is used for everything from sheathing houses to building boats. It’s not a new concept; laminated wood was used in ancient Egypt and China and commonly in seventeenth-century European furniture. By the end of the nineteenth ...read more
As a wooden-boat owner I spend large amounts of time each winter and spring painting and varnishing. Slapping on a few extra coats will simply not do. Here’s my essential equipment for the best finish. A. Paint thinner Essential for thinning down some paints and cleaning ...read more
There are few boatowners who have never walked the docks and marveled at a beautifully varnished rail or hatch cover. Even boats with no exterior varnish often have some brightwork down below; fiddles, door frames, bookshelves, and mast supports are often finished bright to ...read more
Not so long ago, boat owners would recoil in horror at the mention of Cetol. It was a product used by amateurs who didn’t know any better and the result was an orange coating that dulled quickly and did nothing to enhance the grain of any wood; in short, better suited to the ...read more
I used the larger Flexpoxy dispenserideal for bigger projects. The smaller cartridge that fits in a standard caulking gun should suit most needs Like all owners of older boats who like to do their own work, I’m extremely familiar with epoxy resin. I reckon I’ve used a good few ...read more
I first installed a twin-transponder Ultra 20 system from Ultrasonic Antifouling Ltd. on my Tanton 39 cutter Lunacy in late August of 2010 (“The Ultrasonic Alternative,” February 2011). I’d been wrestling with the problem of antifouling for some time prior to this, as I don’t ...read more
