Enter the 2016 Stingy Sailor DIY Project Contest
As I said in Top 10 DIY Projects of 2015, we got a lot of work done on our sailboats last year. 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: Plain Sailing: Learning to See Like a Sailor
What is the most powerful tool aboard your sailboat? What is the one thing that can make it go faster in any conditions? Without it, the boat wouldn’t move—your brain. The most important asset on your sailboat isn’t a piece of gear, it’s your knowledge of how best to set and trim your sails. A good sailor can make a derelict sailboat go faster than an ignorant skipper can sail a fully-equipped and tuned racing yacht.
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Above Galley Storage and a Tamer Stove
This is a guest post by “Barnacle” Bill Holcomb, author of the blog Barnacle Bill Holcomb’s Sailing. He has been sailing for over 50 years on all kinds of boats from daysailers to two-masted cruisers. Bill and his wife Kathy bought their Catalina 25 #4839 … Continue reading Above Galley Storage and a Tamer Stove
From Timber to Tide
This short video by Pixillion is just too good to not share it with you. It was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick recently and has many of the things that I love in it: sailing, woodworking, living simply close to the land, and a soothing acoustic guitar soundtrack. I hope you enjoy it and it inspires you to pursue the things that you love. Continue reading “From Timber to Tide”
Lessons on Spinnaker Repair
This is a guest post by Andrew Evans, author of the book Singlehanded Sailing: Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics. For my review of Andy’s book, see Book Review: Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics for Singlehanded Sailing. The version of Andy’s book that I reviewed was an early version from before it was published under a different title by International Marine. The titles of the two versions are the reverse of each other, it’s not a typo.
Book Review: Mine’s Bigger
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
Top 10 DIY Projects of 2015
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”
Joyeux Noël
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
How to Make an Air Compressor-Powered Oil Extractor
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.
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The $tingy Sailor 