Giving Old Winches New Grip
On Natasha, our 1978 Islander Bahama 30, the Barient two speed sheet winches were showing their age—a dull chrome surface and the drum were...
Refurbishing Aluminum Deck Hatches: A DIY Guide
Many boats constructed during the heyday of production in the 70s and 80s, both power and sail, emerged from the factory with aluminum deck...
PS Tests Adhesive Removers
Many years ago, one of our editors had an old wooden boat with lovely wooden handrails just inside the companionway that his sailing partner decided could use new varnish. The original coat, which was peeling around the base and worn where hands had gripped it, was sanded smooth and meticulously coated with varnish. Subsequent coats were applied according to the process that had served well for years-varnish, scuff, wipe, varnish, scuff, wipe . . . repeat.
Marine Sealant Adhesion Tests
We recently launched a new evaluation of marine adhesives and sealants. There is no single caulk that works in all of these cases, so its impossible to declare a single Best Choice adhesive, but we decided to at least put some numbers on paper to guide you in your choices.
VC17 OFFSHORE Pre-Application Prep
It’s been a few years since Interlux (Akzo Nobel) discontinued the popular VC17 and VC17m antifouling due to environmental and safety concerns. However, it...
How to Replace Sailboat Plexiglass Windows: A DIY Guide
Many coastal cruising production sailboats designed during the heyday of the 70s and 80s emerged from the factory with plexiglass cabin windows. These larger-than-standard...
Keep Tapered Bronze Seacocks Working Smoothly
Are the tapered plug seacocks on your boat difficult or impossible to close? If you tighten the adjustment nut enough for them to stop weeping all over the inside of your boat, does it take two hands and a hammer to operate them? If so, it's time for an overhaul. Even if they worked well last season, a little care while the boat is hauled can save you a lot of grief in the future. As part of your boat's routine maintenance, tapered plug seacocks should be disassembled, cleaned, lubricated, and reassembled on a regular basis.
Give Old Boat Parts New Life as Holiday Gifts
There’s nothing worse than getting or giving yet another ugly sweater or never-to-be-worn tie. Why not try up-cycling old boat parts to give new...
Can Exterior Paint Revive Faded Dodger Canvas?
One of the little luxuries many sailors treat themselves to is great canvas. I just went sailing on a brisk, cold and windy day...
Freeing Seized Hardware
Simple ferrous-metal oxidation is a process in which iron, oxygen, and water chemically react, and it can cause rust to seemingly weld fasteners together. This unyielding grip often turns disassembly into much more of an ordeal, but with a few, regularly available products and a good set of wrenches, the big battle becomes a minor squabble.
This 1997 Sailboat Costs $350,000… Here’s Why – Hampton 43
Can a 1997 sailboat really be worth $350,000? In this video, we take a deep dive into the Hampton 43 pilothouse cutter, a heavy-displacement...
Latest Sailboat Review
Rhodes 22 Used Boat Review
Designed by Phillip Rhodes back in 1960, the Rhodes 22 is a trailerable cruiser for a couple that wants the amenities of a larger boat without putting up with the hassles and expenses of a larger boat. It's clearly not a racing boat. It's also not a "shoehorn special," whose claim to fame is how many persons it can sleep. And it's not an inexpensive boat for its size. The Rhodes 22, from its inception, has been a purpose-built boat. And, with a history of detail improvements and some innovative thinking, it meets that purpose quite well.