Where Credit Is Due: Citimarine Air Conditioner Customer Service
I first became aware of Citimarine when the old 16,000 BTU Dometic air conditioner on my 1998 Catalina 380 failed during the pandemic. Air...
Electric Outboard Charging Tips
Somewhere around the third carburetor rebuild for our 3.3 hp four stroke dinghy outboard, I decided enough is enough. Four stroke outboards are supposed...
How To Prepare Your Boat for a Survey
You’ve decided to proceed with a pre-purchase survey for your potential sailboat and are working with the seller to get their lowest price. A...
Islander Bahama 30 Used Boat Review
More than a few years ago my wife Carey and I were looking to move up from our O’Day 25 to something a little...
House Battery Bank Replacement: What to Consider
Replacing a battery bank on a cruising sailboat requires a myriad of choices—driven by one overriding goal. What are you hoping to power with...
Non-Skid Refinishing with KiwiGrip
Like most sailboats from the heyday of factory production in the 70s and 80s, our 1978 Islander Bahama came with a textured non-skid gelcoat...
Marine Binoculars Guide
Regardless of your vessel type or size, having access to a clear, magnified view of your surroundings is one key to safe boating. The...
Wheel Thimbles for Synthetic Line Terminals
This is not a completely new concept. Spool thimbles have long been used on multi-pulley block beckets to increase the pin diameter to better...
Alternator Overheat: A Surprising Solution for Older Boats
Over the years, and with two different small diesels working in the tight quarters of the engine compartment of our 1978 Islander Bahama 30,...
Managing Holding Tank Odors: For Fresh Water and Salt Water
Like most boats I’ve been in, that unpleasant foul smell emanating from onboard sanitation systems is not uncommon. Some smell worse than others!
For those...
ASA Certification: Are Sailing Courses Really Worth It?
Are you learning how to sail and considering taking sailing courses at a sailing school? ASA certifications are a great way to learn how...
Latest Sailboat Review
Irwin Citation 34 Used Boat Review
The Irwin 34 is in many respects a typical Irwin boat. It was originally called the "Citation 34," which was meant to indicate that it was more of a plush cruiser than the race-oriented Irwins at the time, but more of a racer than the larger cruisers. According to the company, 305 Irwin 34s were built in the production run, from 1978 to 1985, a moderate but successful model for the era. Near the end of its production, the boat was advertised as the Irwin 34 rather than the Citation 34. There were no major changes in the boat from beginning to end, just the details and equipment that are typical of any long production run.