Every active skipper takes at least a little pride in their sailboat. That is, if you exclude the owners of those few derelict, abandoned sailboats you can find in any year-round marina. A sailboat is a beautiful, graceful, piece of moving art that almost everyone appreciates.
But what happens when pride goes over the top, into the realm of the absurd, almost to beyond belief? Mine’s Bigger
What a year it’s been here on The $tingy Sailor!
We’ve seen incredible growth in the number of pages viewed every day—up 260% over last year to over 250,000 views to date from 148 countries.
The number of you who subscribed to this blog to receive the Stingy Sailor Spotlight newsletter more than doubled. I sent out 14 editions of the newsletter that let you be the first to know about major upcoming posts. I passed on a lot of gear sales tips to you and your input through the surveys was very valuable to let me know your opinions of some of the major changes to the blog. Continue reading “Top 10 DIY Projects of 2015”
Today we celebrate the Christ who came and lived a perfect life of love and peace among us as an example for all mankind. While hatred and violence still remain, be a gift of love and peace to your family, your friends, … Continue reading Joyeux Noël
This project isn’t strictly for small sailboats or for boats in general. It’s a multi-purpose project that you can use for many jobs.
Do you change your own motor oil, not just in your outboard motor but in all your vehicles and power equipment? Do you still stoop down or lay on your back to remove the drain plug? Pour the used oil from a drain pan through a funnel into a different container for disposal? Clean your hands, drain pan, funnel, and garage floor or driveway when you’re through?
There’s a better way. Do it like a professional mechanic instead.
Continue reading “How to Make an Air Compressor-Powered Oil Extractor”
A reader recently asked me about the pivot pin stuck in his swing keel. Over the years, I’ve read other owners’ calls for help for the same thing in online forums. They assume that the pin has to rotate freely in the hole in the keel.
In my opinion, the pin is better off stuck inside the keel hole either accidentally or intentionally. Mine was that way when I bought Summer Dance and I’ve left it that way, even through a complete refinishing project. It appeared as though the previous owner epoxied it in, which I’ve heard of other owners doing.
Continue reading “Why a Stuck Swing Keel Pivot Pin is a Good Thing”
When it’s time to suck up all the dirt and debris that’s collected inside your sailboat since the last time you cleaned it, what do you do? Haul out a bulky, heavy shop vacuum? Wrestle with its big hoses and extension cords? Put it off because it’s too much of a hassle? Before I got this handy little vacuum, that’s what I did. Continue reading “Product Review: Black & Decker 12V Handheld Vacuum”
It’s Autumn here in North America. Temperatures are sliding down to freezing at night in the northern states and many skippers are pulling their boats out for the winter layover. I can almost hear my Canadian readers shouting, “You’re about a month late, eh!” If you’re done sailing for 2015, I hope you made lots of great memories, sailed to some new destinations, made new friends, and learned a few things here on this blog that you were able to use on your boat.
If you’re not done yet and you don’t mind adding a clothing layer or two to stay warm, if you look forward to the yachties getting out of your way, if you welcome the stronger Fall breezes, if you’re hardcore, then you might be interested in a little cabin heat at dinnertime or to take the chill off in the morning before the coffee’s hot. Continue reading “Product Review: Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Propane Heater”
Back in February when the first mate and I attended the Seattle Boat Show, we really liked the look and feel of these custom fit sea grass mats that some of the boats were showing off, but they are way too expensive for our budget.
Continue reading “Turn Carpet Remnants into Custom Floor Mats”
There’s a television commercial that still plays occasionally in which a very honest-looking woman says “It’s time to get real about what goes on in the bathroom.” I like it because it’s probably the most truthful line in advertising to hit mass media in a decade.
You can ask Mrs. $tingy. Discussions around what goes on in the bathroom are near the bottom of my list of topics to discuss in polite company. Or rude company for that matter. I find them all to be pretty juvenile and worthless. But I’m usually a pretty serious guy, so there you go. Continue reading “Product Review: Dometic 970 Series Portable Toilet”
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