2020 was another exciting year here at The $tingy Sailor with new all-time records:

• >2,200,000 page views from 139 countries
• >50,000 monthly page views in August
• >2,800 page views in one day in June
• >200 articles, most of which are projects
• >3,300 subscribers

I’m very grateful and humbled that you have continued to visit, read, subscribe, comment, and support this website after 7 years. It motivates me to keep finding new projects and topics, write better articles, and make other improvements that I hope you’ll enjoy.

So which were your favorite projects over the past year? Here in classic Tonight Show style, I count down the top 10 DIY projects of 2020. Most are perennial favorites but their popularity shifted since last year and there’s a newcomer to the list.

#10 How to Sew Cabin Cushion Covers

You don’t have to settle for ugly or uncomfortable upholstery.

Get professional results with your home sewing machine and my tips in this post.

#9 Upgrade to a Bimini Top on a Budget

Cruise under the summer sun more comfortably.

With the tips in this post, you can add a bimini top to your boat that is both affordable and adjustable.

#8 How To Clean Sails At Home

Sails need maintenance too and you might be surprised at how good yours can look after a simple soak and rinse.

You don’t need a barn but it helps!

#7 Five Swing Keel Maintenance Blunders and How to Prevent Them

Swing keel hardware failures are always a top concern among readers.

This post counts down the five most common points of failure and how you can maintain them and stop worrying about them.

#6 How to Completely Rewire Your Sailboat

Electrical problems on boats come in plagues. The only way to eradicate them is by rewiring.

This post shows you how to do a professional-quality job for less and expand your system with modern accessories.

#5 How to Rig a Cruising Spinnaker in 4 Stingy Stages

Spinnakers aren’t just for racers, expert skippers, or rich cruisers.

I show you how to rig your sailboat with an asymmetrical spinnaker in stages that won’t break the bank.

#4 How To Rig a Self-Tacking Jib for Free!

Sailing doesn’t get any easier than with this rigging trick. All you have to do is relax and steer.

If you already have two snatch blocks on board, it costs you nothing.

#3 Turn Scrap Lumber Into An Outboard Motor Stand

Unfortunately, the plans for this stand are no longer available online but if I find them or equivalent plans, I’ll update the link in this article.

#2 How to Step a Mast Single-Handed With or Without Using the Boom as a Gin Pole

Stepping the mast is a fundamental skill of all trailer sailors but the multitude of methods and gear options befuddle many sailboat owners.

I show you two similar methods that you can try depending on your physical ability. Both reuse the main sheet tackle for power and a DIY mast crutch. Add the boom for a gin pole and you can almost do it sitting down. High quality videos show you each step in detail.

#1 Upgrade Your Outboard Motor to Charge Your Battery

Don’t assume that you need a solar panel to charge your battery bank!

If your outboard motor can be upgraded with generator coils (or it has them already) and a rectifier/regulator, you can get less expensive, space saving, and more reliable charging.

Those were the most popular posts last year.

You make it all possible

Many of you took the time to email me and introduce yourselves or to ask questions about projects here or that you read about elsewhere. I enjoyed hearing from you and offering suggestions. I look forward to finding out how your own projects turn out.

Lastly, I want to extend my most humble and heartfelt thanks to those of you who used my links to shop on Amazon. Without paying extra, you helped to keep this site free last year for everyone to enjoy. Please continue to use the links when you can.

What would you like to see here in 2021: projects, maintenance, reviews, videos? I have several new projects in the works already but I mostly want to write about what you want to read about. Let me know in the comments below.

Sail hard, sail well, sail safe!
$tingy

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