My most essential tool for working on my outboard motor is its stand. Without it, maintaining my 80+ pound, 8 HP Yamaha 4-stroke would be like a wrestling match.
Continue reading “Turn Scrap Lumber into an Outboard Motor Stand”
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.
Continue reading “Control Your Mainsail Shape Better With a Boom Vang”
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.
Continue reading “How To Install a Tiller Autopilot”
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.
Continue reading “Upgrade Your Rig With a DIY Adjustable Backstay”
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.
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.
Continue reading “How to Sew Cabin Cushion Covers”
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.
Continue reading “Fix Those Leaky Windows!”
If you’re a music lover, an onboard music system is mandatory. There’s a mysterious connection between the open waters and music. Whether it’s classical, jazz, rock, country, folk, or reggae, there’s a song for every mood when you’re sailing.
A marine music system lets you take your favorite music with you on the waters. We have them in our homes, in our cars, even in our phones, so we need them on our sailboats. A quality system isn’t difficult to install and it doesn’t have to be expensive.
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While removing and rebedding all the deck hardware on Summer Dance with butyl tape, I decided that I would reinforce the stem fitting while I was at it. A popular online Catalina parts retailer’s website says:
Boats built before ’82 had an inherent weakness: The forestay load was forward of the stem fitting’s forward mounting bolts, supported only by the deck, in an area with many holes in a small space, all forward of the marine plywood reinforcement. It is common to see these Catalina 22’s with stem fittings that are being pulled up from the deck.
Deck failure begins by looking like the picture below. Notice the line of cracks just in front of the forward stem fitting bolts.
Continue reading “How to Reinforce Your Stem Fitting”
The $tingy Sailor 