Control Your Mainsail Shape Better With a Boom Vang
A boom vang is a useful control for your mainsail, especially if the mainsail is older and acting its age. That is, if it’s getting baggy and is difficult to flatten, particularly when you’re pointed off the wind. For better performance and safety, you need to be able to pull excess twist out of the mainsail and flatten the leech. The best way to do that is with a boom vang. It has the added benefit of preventing the end of the boom from raising so high during gybes that it can snag the backstay, a potentially dangerous situation if the wind is strong enough.
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How To Install a Tiller Autopilot
I hadn’t seriously considered an autopilot for Summer Dance until I discovered the affordable Raymarine ST1000+ Tiller Pilot and that they could be had for half the cost of new on eBay. When I thought of how convenient it would be for cruising with my wife who has no desire to take the helm, I concluded that it might free me up to attend to the many other responsibilities of single-handed sailing.
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Upgrade Your Rig With a DIY Adjustable Backstay
At some point when you get serious about sail trim, whether for racing or just high performance cruising, you’re going to want an adjustable backstay. Most C-22s and similar daysailers were rigged at the factory with fixed length backstays that are only slightly adjustable with a turnbuckle. They’re not intended for adjusting to different wind conditions. You set it and forget it.
Consequently, you only have one setting for mast bend and headstay tension. That’s fine for casual cruising. Set it for the conditions that you usually sail in and it will usually be close. But an adjustable backstay gives you a range of trim positions to optimize the mainsail and headsail shape for any conditions, which are what you can encounter when racing or when you’re no longer just a fair weather skipper.
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Upgrade To a Bimini Top On a Budget
The first mate and I live at around 48 degrees north latitude, which means that we don’t get a lot of hot weather. We have four distinct seasons and enjoy them all. It will get to around 100 degrees for a couple of weeks in August, but that’s as hot as it gets. The rest of the summer is in the 80’s and 90’s.
How to Sew Cabin Cushion Covers
One of the many things that Catalina Yachts did right in building their sailboats was the upholstery: tough fabrics and bomber construction. You have to forgive the colors and patterns. Fashion is, well, fashion. It comes and goes and comes again.
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Fix Those Leaky Windows!
The most common cause of water leaks into the cabin of first generation C-22 sailboats besides the chain plates, are the aluminum frame windows, also called portlights. The silicone that seals the glass to the frame eventually loses its adhesion and elasticity and separates from the glass. Water accumulates in the vinyl glazing channel, which isn’t watertight. The water works its way into the cabin, adding to condensation and causing stains, mildew, and odors.
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How To Bed Hardware With Butyl Tape
When shopping for a used sailboat, one of the most important things to look for is soft or springy spots in the deck. They’re a sure sign that water has seeped into the wooden core and caused rot that’s difficult and expensive to repair. Water damage is also common around the edges of wooden bulkheads, chain plate bolts, and anywhere else that hardware penetrates the exterior fiberglass. There is no easy fix for water damage but preventing it in the first place is quite simple if you seal all penetrations with butyl tape.
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The 6 Worst Things You Can Do To Your Sails
Crisp, clean sails not only look better than dirty, worn out sails, they also work better and let your sailboat heel less. New sails are expensive so it’s smart to take care of the ones you have so that they will last longer before you need to replace them. Here are some simple things that you can avoid doing and that will help your sails to last longer. I’ll also mention a few things that you should make into habits that can prolong the life of your sails.
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On Generosity
This is my annual Christmas post in which I share a bit about my faith and I don’t apologize for it. I’ll return to posting the usual content in the next post. If reading this post would offend you, then … Continue reading On Generosity
The $tingy Sailor 