18 Perished in US Sailing Tragedies in 2017
Every year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the United States Coast Guard, and the Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety publish a report of statistics about recreational boating accidents. The 2017 report was just published and there were fewer sailing deaths than last year. Surprisingly, the numbers of general boating deaths, accidents, injuries, and property damage are down slightly. Continue reading “18 Perished in US Sailing Tragedies in 2017”
2018 Stingy Sailor DIY Project Contest Winners
The entries for the 3rd annual Stingy Sailor DIY Project Contest have all been received and scored. I’m very pleased at the size of some of the project entries this year. A big thanks to everyone who entered whether you won a … Continue reading 2018 Stingy Sailor DIY Project Contest Winners
Enter the 2018 Stingy Sailor DIY Project Contest
Did you do a project on your sailboat last year that you’re particularly proud of? Or did you make an ingenious improvement that you’d like to share with other skippers? I’ve received comments and emails from many of you who rolled up your sleeves and took on DIY projects large and small, simple and complex. Now’s your turn to show off some of your hard work for a chance to win prizes and worldwide acclaim!
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Book Review: Sailboat Electrics Simplified
What is the least understood, most dangerous, and pound for pound most expensive system on a sailboat? Electrical systems, without a doubt. Few DIYers understand how to work on them, they are the number one cause of catastrophic fires, and everything about them costs multiple times what the same thing does in an automobile.
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Product Review: MastGates Sail Track Gates
Do you know how to reef your mainsail when the wind gets overpowering? If not, you really should learn how. If you already know, is your sailboat rigged so that you can reef and unreef quickly in high winds while underway? If not, besides a jiffy reefing line like I describe in my single line jiffy reefing article, you’re going to want to install mast gates of some kind.
I won’t get into all the nuances of reefing in this post. There are many other excellent resources for that. For a condensed, illustrated description along with many other sailing techniques, consider reading my review of Royce’s Sailing Illustrated Volume 1: Tall Ship Edition.
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Make This Companionway Hatch Cover In Under a Day
If you leave your sailboat exposed to the elements for long periods of time or if you just want to keep your brightwork bright, it helps to cover the main hatch to reduce damage from UV rays, rain and snow, and bird droppings. Making one isn’t hard and you can do it in less than a day with about a yard of canvas, depending on the size of your hatch.
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Top 10 DIY Projects of 2017
2017 was another year of exciting growth here at The $tingy Sailor!
The number of pages viewed was up from last year 110% to over 410,000 views from 187 countries.
The Miracle
My mother raised me mostly without a father and we moved around a lot. As a young man, I had few friends and was prone to uncontrollable anger. I only cared about myself and my desires, which I indulged at every opportunity. That ended almost forty years ago.
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Product Review: Nikon Aculon A211 Binoculars
Can you get a decent pair of binoculars for under $100? Or will they just be frustrating and fall apart? I believe you can like your binoculars without spending a lot, especially if you get a pair from the Aculon A211 series by Nikon. I’ve had a pair for a couple of years now on my sailboat and I’ve been very pleased by them. Continue reading “Product Review: Nikon Aculon A211 Binoculars”
The $tingy Sailor 