Boat Maintenance

Spring Inspection Checklist for Boats

Spring is here. Time to step back, put on your inspector hat, and approach the boat as an independent hired inspector would.
Green Grease is Practical Sailor's Top Choice for electrical connector grease. Ensure your electrical connections are protected against corrosion with an effective waterproof grease, rather than a conductive grease.

Conductive Greases vs. Corrosion

Many marine installations call for dielectric grease to seal out moisture and prevent oxidation at electrical connections. During the course of our multi-part reporting on greases, several readers asked if a conductive grease would be better for these connections. We have reviewed several conductive greases (see Marine Wiring: Are the Pricey Options Worth the Cost? Practical Sailor, December 2010), testing their ability to protect wires and terminals for extended periods in a salt spray chamber,…
Greenboats laying flax fabric to construct the MB9 monohull, which is entirely constructed from Natural Fibre Composites (NFCs). Photo courtesy of Greenboats.

Considering Fiber-Reinforced Composites for Sheathing

As we explore material legacies and evolution with a regenerative lens for our Wharram Narai Mk IV build, the focus now shifts to sheathing...

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.
The hull, rudder, keel and prop should be clean and dry. This 1982 Mirage 33 was perfectly prepared. (Photo/ Ray Ville)

How To Prepare Your Boat for a Survey

You’ve decided to proceed with a pre-purchase survey for your potential sailboat and are working with the seller to get their lowest price. A...

Anti-Seize Coatings for Spars

If youve ever been humbled by a single impossibly stuck fastener, or plan on adding hardware to your spar, running gear, or deck, this report on anti-seize protectants is right up your alley.
Resins and hardeners ready for testing.

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.
You can apply KiwiGrip in section-by-section stages, so you don't have to tiptoe around drying surfaces. (Photo/ Bert Vermeer)

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...
A soft bladder water tank like this ITRAZ Water Bladder Tank, is helpful to keep dedicated fresh water for toilet flushing.

Managing Holding Tank Odors: For Fresh Water and Salt Water

Like most boats I’ve been in, that unpleasant foul smell emanating from onboard sanitation systems is not uncommon. Some smell worse than others! For those...

Everything You Need to Know About Yanmar Sailboat Diesel Engines

Are you interested in a sailboat with a Yanmar diesel engine? Or wondering how to maintain your Yanmar diesel? This week, we dive into...

Latest Sailboat Review

O’Day 30 Used Boat Review

Over 350 O'Day 30s were built between 1977 and 1984. During 1984, the 30 was modified by changing the keel and rudder, and the stern was lengthened to accommodate a European-style boarding platform. This "new boat" was called the O'Day 31, and it stayed in production until 1986.