Roller Bearing Rudder Upgrade: A DIY Guide for Spade-Rudder Sailboats
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...
Budget Nav: Build a Fault-Tolerant Electronic Navigation System for Under $3,000
When I started sailing, navigation gear consisted of a paper chart, a few drawing instruments and a compass. Instruments usually consisted of a single...
Do-It-Yourself Fuel Tank Cleaning
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.
Cabinet Hardware That Holds When It Counts
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...
Rudder Restoration: Eight Lessons Learned
Does your rudder feel unsteady, with play in the tiller or wheel? Do you experience vibration at certain speeds or slapping or thudding sounds...
DIY Kayak Boarding Assist Arm
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,...
Phosphate Conversion Coatings: The DIY Rust Fix That Also Protects
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...
DIY Wooden Bowsprit
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...
A Better Bridle Plate
In the midst of discussing bridles, snubbers, and rigging multiple anchors, ten years ago we introduced the idea of an improved bridle plate—see “Adjustable...
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...
Video: Why Are Sailboats So Cheap?
Why are sailboats so cheap right now? The used sailboat market is flooded with affordable boats from the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, and...
Latest Sailboat Reviews
Brewer 12.8/44 Used Boat Review
The Brewer 12.8 and the Brewer 44 are developments of the Whitby 42, a cruising boat from the board of Ted Brewer. Brewer is one of the great modern cruising boat designers. His boats are well-mannered, attractive and practical. To improve windward performance, a high aspect ratio centerboard extends through the bottom of the 12.8's shallow keel. Since the board is not ballasted, it does not affect stability, but can be used when reaching to shift the center of lateral resistance.
