DIY Projects

Just about every sailboat owner has at some point mixed up a batch of epoxy to fill a hole, glue parts back together, or tackle an extensive project. Practical Sailor testers evaluated four marine epoxy resins based on their mechanical properties (strength, adhesion, hardness, and flexibility) and key handling attributes such as wet-out, sag, curing, and overall handling. We tested West 105 Epoxy Resin, MAS Flag Resin, Raka UV-inhibited epoxy, and Interlux’s Epiglass HT-9000.

Wood is strong, stiff per unit weight, easy to work with, attractive, and economical. And it rots. A few special types of wood, such as teak, are highly resistant to rot, but these woods are generally heavy and almost always expensive. Pressure treated lumber is an option, but it’s ugly, warps, does not take coatings well, and is not always very rot resistant. Western red cedar, on the other hand, has long been used in canoes, and cedar fence posts have a deserved reputation for durability. We started our rot resistance testing eight years ago in 2015, and we finally cleaned out our accelerated rot test box in July 2023. Results ranged from abysmal (untreated samples of fir have nearly disappeared) to astounding (our teak samples are still just like new). Let’s see what we learned.

Have you ever been sailing along and thought to yourself, something just doesn’t feel right. That is what happened to me with our steering...

When I started sailing, navigation gear consisted of a paper chart, a few drawing instruments and a compass. Instruments usually consisted of a single...

Depending on the size of your fuel tanks, having a professional clean your tank and dispose of the dirty fuel can cost more than $1,000. But for the careful, competent do-it-yourselfer there is another option. For those sailors whose tanks have reached the contamination point-of-no-return, heres a helpful article on DIY tank cleaning that accompanied our July 2009 test of diesel biocides.

One of the aspects of safety on a voyaging sailboat that I am most concerned about is that objects stay stowed where they're supposed...

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,...

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...

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...