Mailport & PS Advisor

Mast climbing accidents have occurred because the crew member either misunderstood or did not perform their duties attentively and properly. Belaying should be considered a precision job with zero tolerance for error. • Actively tail the winch. The tail can jump out of a self-tailing winch. Self-tailing with an electric winch is even riskier. • […]

PRAISE FOR X-YACHTS Your report “Stowing Gear on Deck,” in the July 2022 issue had some good tips for line and miscellaneous storage on board. X-Yachts, the maker of my XC38, LARK, has several great solutions that I wanted to share. First, all control lines lead into the cockpit coach roof. Once they come through […]

Unless the Purchase and Sale Agreement or the Acceptance of Vessel forms specify otherwise, the buyer is responsible for any work that is done to the boat after the closing date, including rigging and splashing. If you are selling privately, it’s important to use the verbiage “as is, where is” in the wording of your […]

ALADO FURLER ISSUES? My Alado furler system was installed for 3 years on my Newport 27 and the 3/16” forestay (purchased separately at the same...

Many sailors only visit the boat in fair weather and light winds, and they don’t know the mischief their berthed boat is up to...

DUMP LINES FOR FAST CATS Regarding your recent blog post on the manual mainsail dump line on the custom catamaran Whisper Dave (see the Inside...

Seven years ago, in my home cruising grounds of Chesapeake Bay, high voltage electricity arced from a powerline to the mast of a 35-foot...

DREMEL POLISHING BOBS Regarding your recent blog post on corrosion (see “Fighting Off Marine Electrical System Corrosion,” PS Online), when cleaning up corroded terminals and lugs, I’ve found polishing bobs on Dremel tool to be useful. This is much easier than using sandpaper or a file and does a superior job in confined areas. The […]

Ever since my own brush with a breezy day that turned an afternoon dinghy sail into an arduous struggle to get back to shore, I’ve kept my dinghy stocked with a few essentials. • Legal requirements. PFDs and a sound making device. Obvious, but also smart. My daughter once ran out of fuel in the […]

Often stainless steel hardware on our sails will begin to rust under the cloth webbing, not only staining the fabric and webbing, but inviting crevice corrosion. The cause is a lack of oxygen under that tightly fitted bit of webbing, and the fabric holds moisture and salt that breeds corrosion. If left alone, the stainless […]