Can You Recoat Dyneema?
Dyneema fibers are given a thin polyurethane coating at the factory that reduces chafe, UV damage, and adds some stiffness. Hoping that an aftermarket...
Gonytia Hot Knife Proves its Mettle
A hot knife is a luxury item, but nothing is better for cutting and sealing synthetic rope and fabric. We find ourselves reaching for...
Where Winches Dare to Go
Cross sheeting—directing the leeward jib sheet from the working winch across the cockpit to a winch on the windward side—is common practice on sport...
Mildew-resistant Caulks for Boats
Choosing a marine caulk for use above the waterline comes down to which product offers the best resistance to weathering, dirt, mildew, and ability...
Can We Trust Plastic Boat Parts?
When a plastic part on our boat breaks, we often deem it “damn cheap plastic” and toss it away. In some parts of the...
Repairing Molded Plastics
Before looking for the right glue, understand why the part broke. Did it succumb to a combination of UV damage, creep (distortion), fatigue, and...
Mailport: Marine plywood, fuel additives, through bolt options, winch handle holders
DIFFERENTIATING FIRS
I enjoyed your destructive wood testing and your patience in waiting eight years to report comprehensive results (see PS December 2023, “Wood Rot...
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...
Deep Cleaning the Supremely Dirty Boat
One reason for my aversion to scrubbing is that a Corsair F-24 trimaran is a folding trimaran, making it a nightmare to clean. Comprised...
Making Sense of Plywood Choices
With the myriad ways to combine resins and wood into layers to create plywood, it is no wonder we can get confused when selecting...
The Great Loop – The Basics
Join us this week as we discuss taking a sailboat around North America's great boating adventure - The Great Loop. We discuss advice from...
