Bottom Paint Removal Decision Time
Tempis fugit . . . times a-waistin’ . . . fast flies the irreparable hour . . . However you choose to use your...
Are Boatbuilders Expecting Miracle Glues?
Don’t ask an adhesive to do more than it can. If a bolt breaks, we accept it as deterioration or faulty design, not a...
Boat Repair in the Age of Plexus
Historically, fiberglass boat hulls and decks were molded separately, and then bonded at the deck seam. Bulkheads were added either with polyester or epoxy...
Choosing the Right Boat Glue
Any time I start researching glues, I can hear the voice of Old Man Parker from the classic film “A Christmas Story,” ringing in...
The Best Gloves for the Boatyard
We choose our sailing gloves and deck shoes with great care, because they are our interface with the boat. The same goes for work...
Shock Cord Hardware for Sailors
Every rope we have on board has its quirks when you’re trying to form a knot that won’t slip or come untied.
Dyneema is a...
Bungee Lanyards Take the Shock Out of Tools Dropped from the Mast
Iput a nice dent in the deck several decades ago when I dropped a wrench from the masthead. It scared the crew too.
I haven’t...
Dodging the Marine Chandlery Trap
The marine environment is demanding, so sacrificing quality is often a mistake. But marine supply stores, and even online “discount” marine retailers can feel...
Protecting Against Boatyard Fire
The 1666 London Fire. The 1871 Chicago Fire. The 1906 San Francisco Fire. Common factors shared by all of these disasters were inadequate spacing...
Random Orbit Sanders for Bottom Paint Prep
More than a century has passed since Art Emmons, a visionary young engineer at the 15-year-old Porter Cable Company, launched a technology race in...
Universal Diesel Engines – What You Should Know
This week we take a look at the Universal Diesel Sailboat Engine and its history including the Atomic 4 sailboat engine followed by the...
