Boat Maintenance

Does your rudder feel unsteady, with play in the tiller or wheel? Do you experience vibration at certain speeds or slapping or thudding sounds...

Exploring beaches, marshes, shorelines—and yes, small towns—is one of sailing’s greatest joys. The challenge is getting in and out of a dinghy or kayak,...

When applying a paste cleaner, a toothbrush is useful for buffing tight spots and working into the pores of welds; follow by buffing with a cotton cloth. A green 3M scrubby pad helps for removing more aggressive stains. Continued rusting in welded areas might indicate a developing failure, requiring replacement. Rinse thoroughly with fresh water and mild soap when done buffing.

Spring and fall on the Chesapeake Bay deliver cruising at its best. Last fall, we were ready to go, the crowds were gone, along...

The 1666 London Fire. The 1871 Chicago Fire. The 1906 San Francisco Fire. Common factors shared by all of these disasters were inadequate spacing...

In the process of rediscovering my machining hobby, I dug out my long-ignored collection of machinist tools from a great uncle who worked in...

We expect a lot from sealants. They must withstand UV, salt and cleaning chemicals, bond to everything, flex to absorb mechanical and thermal strains, be strong but removable when equipment needs serviced, and stay white. Wow. In PS Marine Sealant Adhesion Tests (December 2016) we tested the shear strength of many caulks on many materials and delivered a few tentative recommendations. Three years later, it is time to follow-up with field observations.

The factory skimped on resin when laying up the internal skin of the anchor locker hatch on our Corsair F-24 test boat. The goal...

Bowsprits are a common feature on traditional boats as a way to extend the sail plan beyond the boat’s length over deck and create...

As I approach twenty years of surveying boats, most issues that I encounter are repetitive. The root causes for these repeat problems usually involve...