In this video, West System Epoxies’ Ben Gougeon takes a look at some of the basic properties of marine-grade epoxy, as well as what it’s capable of and the different kinds of materials it can be used with: whether it’s in the context of a minor repair or an entire boatbuilding project.
In this video, West System Epoxies’ tech advisor and veteran sailor Bruce Niederer Gutzmer uses a number of different tools and techniques to install a new fiberglass-reinforced bulkhead in the tech center’s J/22 project boat. For additional information or to contact the tech center directly.
In this video, West System Epoxies’ tech advisor and veteran boatbuilder Greg Bull explains the different tools and techniques that can be used to replace a wet core—in this case in the starboard sidedeck of the tech center’s J/22 project boat.
In this video, West System Epoxies’ tech advisor Don Gutzmer takes a look at some of the tools and techniques that have been developed over the years to not only make it that much easier to use marine-grade epoxy, but minimize waste and help ensure each project is a success.
When we acquired our new project boat, a 1987 Pearson 39-2, it was evident that she was in need of much TLC. Not only had she been sitting forlorn and unloved in a boatyard for a couple of years, but those of her systems that were not original were a couple of decades old. ...read more
So, you want to find a great deal on your next charter vacation? Sure, you can scour the internet, hope for Black Friday deals or ask friends. But an even better way to find good prices on charter boats is to go to a boat show. Not only do charter companies like The Moorings, ...read more
We were 1,100 miles from the nearest land when we received a text message on our Iridium GO: “Rudder gone. Water in bilge. Worried pumps can’t keep up. Please call!” We had been in contact with the owners of Rosinante, a 38ft Island Packet, since they had first announced over ...read more
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
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
All last winter the faded red Achilles inflatable floated in an empty slip, a rose with its bloom most definitely gone, abandoned, I was told, by a cruiser who’d moved up to a RIB. In the autumn gales she filled with rainwater and in the coldest New England months, she cradled a ...read more
In the pantheon of mythical creatures—right up there with unicorns, hippogriffs and manticores—we have in the realm of cruising a most important one: the perfect dinghy. This, of course, is a very subjective concept that exists in Platonic form in every sailor’s mind, but never ...read more
My partner, Jeff, and I needed crew for a two- to three-week sail down the Mexican coast of Baja California on our new-to-us Antares 44i catamaran, El Gato, so we put an ad in one of our local sailing publications. We received some promising letters of introduction, but thanks ...read more
Don’t take your rig for granted. Show it some love before you start the season During spring commissioning we often lavish far more attention on our engine and electrics than we do on the rig, even though the latter presents a much greater risk to both the boat and crew. Because ...read more
Q: I am the owner of a 1985 Cal 22 sailboat that is moored during the season in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The boat is in very good condition; however, when I pulled it out of the water at the end of the season in early October this year I noticed a slight crack in the keel that ...read more
Over the last 25 years, there has been a dramatic shift in the types of refrigeration systems carried aboard cruising boats. Today, 12-volt systems prevail, but the systems most often installed up to the late ‘90s were driven by the main engine. Engine-driven refrigerators ...read more
From the first time I switched on the lights on board our new project boat, one thing was certain: they would have to go. The 1987 Pearson 39-2 had been updated in some ways, but not in others—and it was obvious that interior lighting had been way down the previous owner’s ...read more
Military strategist Helmuth von Moltke said, “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” This is also true for a boat refit plan I started the refit of my boat, Passion, with a simple plan. Just as my geezerly body has needed a few parts replaced and some other repairs to ...read more
I was in the café at West Bay Marina in Olympia, Washington, on a damp, chilly fall morning, and my buddies and I were assembled for our morning briefing on what’s going on and what’s not going on. After a few jokes that were funny only to old men, we narrowed the focus to what ...read more
It seems that every time I walk into a boatyard I inevitably find myself smitten by some under-loved (read derelict) classic beauty sitting forlornly off in a corner. Hmmm, I think, I could buy her for a song and with a little elbow grease and some TLC, she will be ready to go. ...read more
SMOKING DIESEL Q: I have noticed black smoke from my diesel under high rpm, over 2,000, and suspect unburned fuel to be the cause. I have checked the air intake and fuel filler gauge, made sure of good flow from the exhaust and use a bio-additive in my fuel. The oil level has ...read more
