When Should We Retire Dyneema Stays and Running Rigging?
About a decade ago, like many sailors, we began replacing wire and low-stretch double braid ropes with super strong single-braid ropes. These ropes were...
Can You Recoat Dyneema?
Dyneema fibers are given a thin polyurethane coating at the factory that reduces chafe, UV damage, and adds some stiffness. Hoping that an aftermarket...
Gonytia Hot Knife Proves its Mettle
A hot knife is a luxury item, but nothing is better for cutting and sealing synthetic rope and fabric. We find ourselves reaching for...
DIY survey of boat solar and wind turbine systems
Many used cruising sailboats on the market will have a couple of solar panels, a wind turbine, or possibly both. But are they working?...
Re-sealing the Seams on Waterproof Fabrics
Rain gear can represent a substantial investment, and it always seems to start leaking long before the garment appears worn. Sometimes the coating wears...
Where Winches Dare to Go
Cross sheeting—directing the leeward jib sheet from the working winch across the cockpit to a winch on the windward side—is common practice on sport...
What’s Involved in Setting Up a Lithium Battery System?
Our 2004 Privilege 435 Confianza (Connie for short) came equipped with traditional lead-acid batteries—5 100ah for the house bank and 2 starter batteries. We...
Leaping Into Lithium
Your dock neighbor just switched out her old 12-volt lead-acid batteries for lithium-ion batteries. Should you? The lithium solution will be more expensive, but...
How to Sell Your Boat
For many sailors, selling their boats is an emotional experience. The big decision is setting the price. Setting your price, or the acceptable net...
The Day Sailor’s First-Aid Kit
As a former ER nurse and a current family practice clinician, one of the topics I get asked about most frequently by my sailing...
Universal Diesel Engines – What You Should Know
This week we take a look at the Universal Diesel Sailboat Engine and its history including the Atomic 4 sailboat engine followed by the...
