Seacocks for Thin Hulls
A proper below-the-water line sea cock consists of three parts: the outside portion or mushroom, which threads into the flanged valve, the flanged valve, and the backing plate.
DIY Fairing and Filling
Epoxy deserves its wonder resin status as a highly adhesive, water-resistant laminating resin. It is the secret sauce behind a shelf full of fillers, glues, and fairing compounds.
Non-Skid Refinishing with KiwiGrip
Like most sailboats from the heyday of factory production in the 70s and 80s, our 1978 Islander Bahama came with a textured non-skid gelcoat...
Wheel Thimbles for Synthetic Line Terminals
This is not a completely new concept. Spool thimbles have long been used on multi-pulley block beckets to increase the pin diameter to better...
Restoring a Classic: How to Get into Sailboat Ownership on a Budget
Some sailboat buyers want (and can afford) to plunk down a boatload of money to get on the water right away. For others, restoring...
Making Your Own Workshop Filter
It all started when I needed to make a number of large cuts inside the house and outside of the confines of my shop....
How I Made My Wooden Wheel
The reader will notice that the title is not “How to Build a Wooden Wheel”. I don’t pretend to be a carpenter or shipwright,...
DIY Salon Refit: 1979 Fast Passage 39
"Interesting, functional and downright ugly," were a few words people used when I mentioned the boat my husband and I had on Vancouver Island...
Rescuing Older, Self-Tailing Winches
I love my winches. Like a trusted companion, they have been with me through thick and thin and have always performed for me when...
Engine Replacement on Islander Bahama 30
There may come a time when repowering your cherished sailboat needs to be addressed. I suspected that not all 13 horses of the venerable...
The $89k 55 Foot Bluewater Yacht That Got Cheap Enough to...
The Tayana 55 is one of the most tempting used bluewater cruising sailboats on the market: a 55-foot center cockpit offshore yacht with serious...
Latest Sailboat Reviews
Luders 33 Used Boat Review
The Luders 33 was designed by Bill Luders and built by Allied Yachts of Catskill, NY, from 1966 to 1974. The builder of the Luders 33, Allied Yachts, had a troubled existence, struggling for survival from the early 1970s until the firm finally succumbed for good in 1981. Throughout its nine year production run, a bit more than 100 Luders 33s were built. Still, like such similar boats as the Alberg 30, the relative scarcity and traditional styling have made it a bit of a cult object.
