Damage Control at Sea
For many boaters, damage control means a cell phone call to Sea Tow, Tow Boat US or another marine assistance provider. These are reliable...
Checking Rope Strength
We like nylon for docklines, anchor rode, and chain snubbers because it stretches, absorbing jolts that would otherwise be transferred to the boat and...
Stopping Mainsheet Twist
The dinghy requires a gorilla to hoist onto the davits. The mainsheet won’t release in a gust. The internal reefing line inside the boom...
Revive Your Mast Like a Pro
Unobtainium is the metal at the top of every Naval Architect’s wish list. It’s a perfect marine material; light, strong, stiff yet flexible—it’s as...
Anchor Trip-line Tricks
An anchor trip line is a stout line connected from the after end of the anchor fluke to a marker buoy so that the...
Shock Cord Test Looks at Long Life
We’re sailors and we know our knots. We don’t use bungees to avoid lashings or because we don’t have enough old rope lying about...
Designing a Dump Line for the Multihull Mainsheet
One of the rewards of doing time in a boatyard like Salt Creek Marina, in St. Petersburg, FL where Opal and I have been...
Other Methods to Control Yaw
Yawing is the result of imbalance between windage (you want it aft) and underwater resistance (you want it forward). If the center of windage...
Drogues to Dampen Yaw
A leading cause of anchor dragging is yawing so vigorously that either the soil around the anchor is liquefied, or the anchor simply capsizes....
Getting the Most Out of Older Sails
Efficient windward work requires sails with a good lift-to-drag ratio. Mylar laminate sails hold their shape throughout their useful life, well enough for all...
Beneteau 423: What You Should Know | Boat Review
Looking to buy a 40-45 foot sailboat? Considering a Beneteau 423? See a Beneteau 423 for sale? What are the pros and cons of...
