maintenance

Everyone dreads the day that something as major and costly as a boat’s rigging must be replaced. For my 1984 Tayana 42, Eclipse, still sporting its original setup and with a 1,500-mile offshore passage looming, the time for an upgrade had finally arrived. Along with swapping out ...read more

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

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

Soundings magazine and Active Interest Media are launching the first in a series of online boating education courses. Beginning in July, Boaters University will launch its first course “Maintaining and Troubleshooting Marine Diesel Engines.” Early-bird registration is ...read more

On Deck Give each winch a quick spin. If they’re not turning freely, now is the time to strip and clean them. Windlass issues are almost always down to poor connections. Inspect these closely, especially at the foot switches, and if necessary take the connections apart, clean ...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

On many boats, decks are cored with end-grain balsa or plywood with a fiberglass laminate on each side. It’s not unusual for moisture to find its way into this wooden core. Stanchion bases and chainplates often leak as a boat ages, and often holes are drilled in the deck for new ...read more

Before choosing which inflatable dinghy is right for you, there are many factors to consider Some sailors claim that the inflatable boat has killed the traditional rowing sailing tender. I don’t think so. I think that it was the development of small, lightweight and reliable ...read more

Q: I’ve just bought a sailboat that’s been sitting unattended for a couple of years. The docklines, sheets and furling line are green with algae and stiff to the touch where they have been in contact with the deck. What’s the best way to clean the crud off polyester and nylon ...read more

BASHED-UP BOW PULPIT Q: The bow pulpit on my old 34-footer has seen more than its share of abuse over the years, and now it’s bent and dented to the point where I’m afraid to simply bend it back into shape. A couple of the sockets where it attaches to the deck/bow also appear to ...read more

HOLDING TANK PUMP-OUT FREQUENCY Q: How long can I go between holding tank pump-outs? I can see it being over two weeks easily between uses and only one or two liquid uses at that. Should I pump out each time no matter how little is the holding tank? Richard Magoon, Canyon ...read more

Q: Do I need to buy an expensive VHF test meter to check my AIS antenna, which is separate from my normal VHF antenna? T. Rabie, Norfolk, VA GORDON WEST REPLIES First of all, VHF antenna test meters are not all that expensive. Check out the Shakespeare ART-3, which I’ve seen ...read more

REVIVING NONSKID ON DECK Q: The molded-in nonskid is becoming less and less nonskid on the side decks and foredecks of my old 35-footer. I’m thinking the easiest thing to do is apply some kind of paint with an abrasive in it, but I assume it will either not work or look odd ...read more

WHAT KIND OF MARINE TOILET? Q: I recently purchased a 1979 Cal 2-25, which has a ceramic head. With all the flexible tubing, the plastic tank and the age of all of it, I question the wisdom of repairing the system. Would replacing the ceramic toilet with a Porta-Potti be a ...read more

REACHING SAIL NOMENCLATURE Q: I keep hearing about different kinds of headsails, like Code 0s, gennakers, A-sails, etc., and for the life of me can’t figure out how they differ from one another, either in terms of cut or the way they’re used. Could you help me out? Robert ...read more

A DIN WHEN DIMMING Q: I just purchased an 18ft roll of amber/white flexible LEDs to light up our cabin down below. They are plenty bright for reading charts, and a rotary dimmer pulls them down to a wonderful warm glow for dining. The one down side is that when I dim the light ...read more

DEEP GOUGES Q: While on a night passage aboard my boat, I struck an unidentified floating object. It did not penetrate the inner laminate, but left a couple of deep 6in-long gouges in the hull. I have a rather large damage excess on my insurance policy and would like to attempt ...read more

Q: The electronics at my nav station rely on the old NMEA 0183 protocol for sharing data. I can’t seem to find my original wire-color codes for NMEA 0183. Can you help? W. Alber, San Francisco, CA GORDON WEST REPLIES: Try these: White = Talker A Brown= Talker B Yellow = ...read more

Q: The prop shaft zincs on my Cal 33, which I keep in a marina on Long Island Sound, have been disappearing rapidly for a number of years. Prior to 2013, when the boat was hauled the lead keel exhibited numerous round “pops” where epoxy and bottom paint had lifted off and whitish ...read more