Boat Maintenance

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...
The author’s Tanzer 22 Ardmore sailing in light air on the Haverstraw Bay stretch of the Hudson River. The aged genoa’s wrinkling was due, in part, to a low-cost roller reefing system that was later replaced. (Photo/ Doug Henschen)

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...

Tool Kits For Every Possible Boat Job

Like all sailors that have a home shop and work on their boats, we’re constantly schlepping tools back and forth. I have multiples of...

Hatch Tinting Test

UV is the enemy of both hatches and interior fabrics. Acrylic can resist UV for 15 years or more, but polycarbonate generally begins to...

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....
Although the cause of this delaminated rudder is unknown, In most cases the delamination comes with age. Also, a small nick from hitting a rock or coral will let water in and, if not attended too, the delamination will worsen in time. (Photo/ Ray Ville)

Pre-Purchase or Insurance Survey: Which One Do I Need?

You’ve been bitten by the sailing bug and every spare minute is spent searching online for that perfect vessel. You’ve narrowed it down to...
Instead of holding a sander above your head for hours, use a foam block, boat hook and zip ties to create a support. (Photo/ Bert Vermeer)

Bottom Sanding Hack To Save Your Back

If you own an older sailboat, you’ve most likely had the dubious joy of working on the bottom. Perhaps multiple coats of bottom paint...

Antifouling Exposure Risks

One look at the safety data sheet for an antifouling paint, and a quick listen to the controversy surrounding the effects of antifouling paint...

In Search of Better Filters

Presumably, air cleaners are about dusty environments, and dust is a rare thing on the water. But is the engine room actually clean? We’ve seen...
A DIY wooden wheel shines on a sunny daysail. (Photo/ Bert Vermeer)

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,...

Why the Catalina 42 Took Over the Caribbean

You see them everywhere — the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, all across the Caribbean. The Catalina 42, especially the Mark II, has quietly become...

Latest Sailboat Review

Dragonfly 25-2 Boat Review

If you’ve ever dreamed of blasting across the water at 25 knots with the wind in your hair and the spray in your face...