Build Your Own Dorade: Fresh Air Below, No Water Allowed
Dorade vents are the best solution to keep the cabin fresh in bad weather or offshore. They let air in but keep water out...
Exterior Wood Finish Update at 2 Years
The wood samples we varnished in late 2015 finally went into service three years after they were varnished. They'd been boxed and stored as...
The Best Respirators for the Boatyard
Athough falling off a ladder or cutting yourself with a sharp tool are the most common boatyard injuries, damage from the foul air we breathe is more insidious. Marine paints contain solvents that can make you dizzy at best or increase cancer risk at worst. Dust from sanding wood is usually only a nuisance, but sanding bottom paint or grinding fiberglass presents serious health risks. Fortunately, theres a wealth of industrial experience with contaminated air…
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.
Finally Cheap Enough to Be Dangerous – This 42-Foot Jeanneau DS
Tour the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42DS, a 42-foot cruising sailboat that may be one of the most tempting used sailboats on the market. With...
Latest Sailboat Reviews
Pearson Rhodes 41/Rhodes Bounty II Used Sailboat Review
Buyers looking for a good used sailboat should ask themselves, When is a bargain really a bargain? The time-tested Pearson Rhodes 41 is one of the most popular boats on the used-boat market. They have a strong following, and an aging Pearson 41 with a previous owners accumulated TLC is one of the smartest buys among used boats. The Pearson 41 is a modest draft sailboat with a lean, long overhang and real sea berths. It features a solid fiberglass hull with encapsulated lead ballast. The low-aspect sailplan, which relies on a big genoa to boost horsepower. The Pearson 41 has an easy motion and enough functional space to qualify as a good inshore or offshore cruiser. It makes an excellent DIY candidate. Most of the 50 Pearson Rhodes 41s, built from 1961 to 1968, are still around today and have a cult following, making it one of the most sought-after used boats.
