Tag: sailboat

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How to Install a Tiller Lock

$tingy Sailor

When we purchased Summer Dream, the only tiller control accessory she had was a contraption made with two pieces of shock cord joined in the middle with two wooden beads that formed an eye. It had hooks on the ends that could be attached to the pushpit stanchions. When the tiller handle is in the eye, the cords would hold it somewhat centered and you could adjust the tiller position by sliding the beads (and therefore, the eye) to one side or the other. It was simple and clever but the shock cord allowed the rudder to overpower it, so I couldn’t trust it to hold a heading for very long. I decided to replace it with a tiller lock device that would hold the tiller stationary no matter what. After evaluating several products, I chose the popular Davis Tiller Tamer.

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Tips4 Comments

Make Simple Jigs for Varnishing Parts

$tingy Sailor

When it comes time to varnish the wooden panels and trim on your sailboat, doing the job more efficiently will save you time. One way that you can be more efficient is by varnishing all sides of a piece at the same time. You want to varnish all sides of the pieces in order to seal even the backsides of parts from absorbing water that will cause varnish to peel and mildew to grow. Many people omit that step and simply lay the pieces on their work surface to dry. But spending a little more time in preparation can save time by the end of the job and give you better results. You can do this by using simple jigs to hold the pieces suspended while you varnish them.

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Mast10 Comments

Install Oversize Masthead Sheaves for More Halyard Choices

$tingy Sailor

When planning the replacement of my wire/rope halyards with all line halyards so that I could lead them aft to the cockpit, I decided to use all 8mm (.314″) rope. Along with cockpit convenience for single-handing, I wanted easier line handling and less stretch, especially for hardening the luffs since I don’t have halyard winches. The cost is not much more than the standard 1/4″.

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We’re Celebrating Our 1st Anniversary!

$tingy Sailor

image

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since I started this blog. The projects alone have been a lot of work, but building this blog has also been worth the effort. It’s gone from an undiscovered notebook on the fringe of the blogosphere to the fastest growing DIY sailboat improvement blog in the world! Well, I can’t prove its the fastest growing, but the global thing is for real. It gets hundreds of hits from sailors around the globe every week. Many thanks to all my international visitors, especially the many Canadians who come by. What are you guys doing up there, expanding your navy?

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Cockpit/stern4 Comments

DIY Rail Mounts for Your Portable BBQ Grill

$tingy Sailor

It amazes me how expensive boat grills and their accessories are. Of all the boating gear, they are the boat jewelry: glittering polished stainless steel grills, covers, and ridiculously priced mounting hardware for every conceivable configuration. But they don’t make the food taste any better. It must be big money for the manufacturers, knowing how much men love to eat and love their grills to cook on.

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Cockpit/stern1 Comment

How to Replace Worn Tiller Bushings

$tingy Sailor

While I was doing my How To Repair a Rudder project, I noticed that the tiller bushings were worn and loose. At the time, I hoped they would last the season until I figured out how best to replace them. That was wishful thinking. While putting Summer Dance in the water for our last cruise, one of the bushing flanges nearly fell off in my hands. It didn’t keep us from sailing that day, but it meant I was going to have to make the repair sooner rather than later.

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