Adding an awning to your boat is a fabulous way to add shady, rain-proof living space to your boat while you cool the interior. An awning cools your boat by reducing solar gain and can be considered essential equipment in Mexico and similar climates. Even in relatively temperate Hawaii they are a godsend. Luckily an awning […]
Straw, Sticks or Bricks? Best Boat Materials
Steel boats are great. Until they’re not. Seeing rusty drips down the side of a boat? Might make you wonder if steel is a good material for a sailboat. Read about Renovating a Rusting Steel Boat to find out what we did when our 50 year old boat got a bad case of the rusts. Or read […]
Making a Sail Pack: Part 2
In Part 1 we discussed why you might want to make changes to Sailrite’s instructions for Sail Pack steps. In Part 2 we go step by step through those instructions indicating where you would apply those changes. These instruction variations apply to the old Sailrite sail pack instructions. Links to referenced hardware Twist Lock Fasteners […]
Making a Sail Pack: Improve on Sailrite’s Method (Part 1)
A sail pack is an excellent addition to your cruising boat and easy to make with Sailrite’s instructions. However I suggest some changes to make it stronger and to accommodate some common configurations not mentioned in Sailrite’s document. Sailrite now offers an attractive booklet on making a sail pack, along with a rectangular and a […]
Renovating a Rusting Steel Boat: a Cautionary Tale
Steel boats with wood decks will rust. Eventually. And if your steel boat is 49 years old, as our Phoenix is, that “eventually” has come. But if there is enough good about the boat to be worth the work, even a rusting boat is recoverable, if you have the skills and the time. Interested in […]
What’s in a Boat Card? Make Yours Useful & Memorable
Why Have a Boat Card? What’s on a Boat Card? A boat card is a calling card for boaters. They can remind us of who we have met, they can allow us to more easily reconnect when we end up in the same anchorage again. Sometimes stores or marinas like to have them. For me it’s also a handy […]
