Mailport & PS Advisor

In the October 2010 boat review of the Catalina 375, there was a statement regarding the location of a galley: "While some argue that the traditional port-side galley is more desirable when crossing oceans, the point is moot for a family coastal cruiser." Is this just a whimsical nautical tradition, or is there some logic underlying it? Why is the port preferable? I would agree that [a port galley would be favored] if most of our sailing is on a starboard tack, but the number of port and starboard tacks should be about the same.

I’m the happy owner of a 31-foot sloop, a replica of a 100-year-old wooden Friendship. Her fiberglass hull was laid up in a mold made from the old boat. My boat is very traditional, with wooden mast and spars, and lots of heavy bronze hardware on her gaff rig. The mast and spars all need to be stripped and refinished this off-season, and the owner of the yard where she’s stored has recommended using Mas epoxy (www.masepoxies.com) as the base, then a coat of varnish, then a sprayed-on clear coat. The Mas people advised not to use an oil or mineral-based spar varnish, as it isn’t compatible with their product.

Letters to Practical Sailor, January 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: Sailing non-profits, wind gens, pressure cookers, wood finish and mildew remover.

We made the embarrassing mistake of putting fuel in one of our water tanks (built-in fiberglass tanks). The silver lining is that we were trying to figure out how to expand our fuel capacity. Can you advise me on how to figure out if the tank can serve as our new fuel tank?

Letters to the Practical Sailor editors in December 2010 include: paint colors, sailmaker services, bilge pumps, pest control and the Wirie v. a DIY WiFi antenna.

My boat has an ITT/Jabsco 36600 diaphragm bilge pump that does not sit in the bilge and is rebuildable. With an 8-foot head on the pump installation, I think this type of pump may be a better type for me than the electric centrifugal pumps you reviewed in the September 2010 issue—although they are more expensive. You did not include any diaphragm pumps in your review. Was there a reason? Do you plan to test this type of pump and perhaps compare them to the ones reported on in the September article? Any information on diaphragm pumps versus centrifugal pumps would be greatly appreciated.

Letters to Practical Sailor from our readers. November 2010's topics include cleaning products, sail hardware, galley stoves and anti-fouling paints.

I recently installed an 80-watt solar panel on my bimini. I am concerned that this may have reduced the positional accuracy of my GPS, a Standard Horizon 180i, which has an internal antenna mounted directly below the solar panel. Do solar panels cause interference with GPS signals?

Letters to Practical Sailor, October 2010. Subjects include an owner's comments about MacGregor boats, digital maps, teak cleaners, props and adhesives.

Recently, while working to add third-reef controls to the mainsail reefing on my Morgan 382, I realized I had no idea how to calculate loads and, therefore, no concept of the size and strength of hardware to install.