It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since I started this blog. The projects alone have been a lot of work, but building this blog has also been worth the effort. It’s gone from an undiscovered notebook on the fringe of the blogosphere to the fastest growing DIY sailboat improvement blog in the world! Well, I can’t prove its the fastest growing, but the global thing is for real. It gets hundreds of hits from sailors around the globe every week. Many thanks to all my international visitors, especially the many Canadians who come by. What are you guys doing up there, expanding your navy?

I appreciate everyone who has stopped by to look at the projects, particularly those who have left comments and questions. You are why I do this, it’s that simple. It’s been my hope from the beginning that others like me would find ideas, inspiration, and motivation to roll up their sleeves, get their hands dirty, and restore and improve their own trailerable sailboats to keep this sport healthy. And not just that, but to give examples of how to do it right at minimal cost. As I’ve stated elsewhere, I couldn’t afford to do this any other way. The truth is, I enjoy it almost as much sailing.

So now begins a new year of more DIY projects! I think some of these will be the best yet.

Here’s a sampling of what I’m working on that you can see here in the very near future:

• Single-handed mast stepping (with almost no special gear)
• All rope halyards conversion with lines led aft (and a couple of ideas I’ve not seen elsewhere)
• Autopilot installation (with handheld GPS link)
• Custom mast gates (so cheap it will shock you)
• Exterior teak restoration (going from dull to Dang!)
• Upgrade your outboard motor to charge your house battery (plug and play)
• Complete 3-bow bimini (for under $100!)
• Cabin cushion covers (DIY that looks like a pro job)
• Complete rewiring (to ABYC standards)

And those are just MY ideas. As we launch into prime sailing season, I want to know what YOU want to see here. Leave me a comment to this post with your ideas. They can be projects that you want to try, budget challenges, design problems, or whatever. Want more pictures? Less pictures? More details? Step-by-step instructions? Videos? More humor? Less story? Let’s hear about it. If it would be helpful to most trailer sailors, I’ll try to make a project of it or shift the style of this blog more in that direction.

Hope to see you on the water! Sail more, sail safe, sail well.

Ever windward,
$tingy Sailor