Mailport & PS Advisor

Letters to Practical Sailor, May 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: Practial Heads, Anchor Lockers, Handheld Vacs, and more!

Making a portable set of dinghy wheels is relatively simple and inexpensive. Reader (and PS contributor) David Liscio sent us the following DIY how-to on dinghy-roller making, a timely Reader Workbench as we’ll be reviewing dinghy wheels in an upcoming issue. Email us your DIY project ideas at [email protected].

Your September 2010 issue had a great article on electric bilge pumps. My Pearson 424 ketch has a bilge sump that has to be 4 feet deep, which would be a lot of water to move if it ever started to fill. In the article, you recommended a mix of a small pump for “everyday duty” with a couple of large-capacity backup units, you didn’t mention how to plumb these. Would each pump have to…

Letters to Practical Sailor, April 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: WI-FI Solutions, Eco Antifouling, Laser News, Streamlight Headlight and more!

Aqua Signal Corp. (www.aquasignal.info) recently recalled a small number of its popular Series 40 bi-color navigation lights. The recalled lights, manufactured between November 2010 and February 2011, were made with the colored lenses reversed—with the red lens on the starboard side and the green lens on the port side.

My wife and I have moved our O’Day 39 to the Oriental area of North Carolina. We have the three-cabin version without the formal nav station. Our draft with our lead-ballast keel is 6-feet, 4-inches. Since we are going to be sailing in the Pamlico Sound, Neuse River, and the Intracoastal Waterway, we are being told we should modify our keel to better cope with the shallower water.

I have noticed that several new sailboats are being offered with turbocharged diesel engines. Seems to me these pose two problems: excess fuel consumption and excess heat. Do you have an opinion or technical advice on their use practicality?

Letters to Practical Sailor, March 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: Wind Gens, Great Anchor Debate, Bottom Paint, Designs, and more!

Trident Rubber Inc. has recalled the solenoid valves in its quarter-inch Trident Marine LPG Systems sold between March and October 2010. The recall was issued late last year when the company discovered that defective quarter-inch 12-volt and 24-volt Parker-branded solenoid valves were used in the systems. The LP gas control solenoid valve may not fully turn off, allowing gas to continue to flow to the distribution system until it is turned off at the LPG cylinder. The plunger piston assemblies, which move to open or close the valve to gas flow, are defective

Letters to Practical Sailor, February 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: Micron in Fresh Water, Onboard Washing, Wiring Tools, Glazing and Bonding, and Paint-Away Spiders and more!