Boat Maintenance

Old, decomposing fiberglass boats in Hennebont, next to Lorient, in the Morbihan region of Bretagne, France. (Photo/ Angie Richard)

What Do You Do With Old Fiberglass Boats?

The first second-hand sailboat my husband and I considered as a potential “project boat” was listed for sale on an online classified website in...
Replacement door latch made from an off-cut aluminum angle. The crafty DIY repair was made in the remote archipelago of Saint Pierre et Miquelon, where no hinges were readily available. (Photo/ Brett Campbell)

Boat Repairs for the Technically Illiterate

My wife Amanda often asks fellow cruisers the question: Would you prefer to sail with an experienced mechanic who knew little about sailing, or...
This is the original Yanmar 4JH5E 54hp normally aspirated engine supplied by Beneteau. We've done 6,000 hours over the last 13 years. (Photo/ Brett Campbell)

Boat Maintenance for the Technically Illiterate

My wife Amanda has often asked fellow cruisers the question: Would you prefer to sail with an experienced mechanic who knew little about sailing,...

Whats the Best Way to Restore Clear Plastic Windows?

Preserving a clear view through clear plastic on dodgers or enclosures is one of the most challenging tasks in boat maintenance. Restoring a vinyl...
A V-Guide in use on stainless pulpit railing. V-Guides keep your drill bit from walking off either side of the curved surface. They are a helpful tool in this scenario since stainless requires steady, slow, lubricated pressure to drill properly.

Mastering Precision Drilling: How to Use Drill Guides

Poking a ⅜-in. bit into wood is simple enough. Place the bit on the mark, sight the drill from two directions at 90 degrees...

Giving Bugs the Big Goodbye

We're not naturally bug phobic, but when they eat our food, clothes or boat, something needs to be done. Since we don't like heavy...

Windlass Replacement on an Island Packet 40

At first I thought that standing on the V-head toilet and climbing awkwardly into the chain locker was funny. I tried not to think...

Galley Gadgets for the Cruising Sailor

Historically, the cook has always enjoyed a privileged position on board a boat. And no wonder, since the cook almost always works the hardest,...
Using only what they had available onboard, the cruisers rebuilt a broken clue on their genoa which lasted for thousands of miles of sailing.

Getting a Clue for the Blown-Out Clew

How do you manage major sail repairs in remote locations? By using whatever you have onboard to get you home—or beyond. After an easy three-day...
This is the faulty diesel lift pump, the arrow is pointing to the sluggish primer lever. That is an issue because the fuel lift pump needs to provide the right amount of fuel and fuel pressure to the injector pump. (Photo/ Marc Robic)

Fuel Lift Pump: Easy DIY Diesel Fuel System Diagnostic and Repair

As with all things in life, everything goes well until it doesn’t. It is an inevitable truth that something will go wrong eventually and...

$650,000 Yacht Tour : Hanse 460 – This Luxury Cruising Sailboat...

In the $500,000+ cruising sailboat market, the competition for world traveling sailboats is full of exceptional sailing yachts like the Catalina 445, the Amel...

Latest Sailboat Review

Vancouver 27 Used Boat Review

I was single handed on our Islander Bahama 30 on a spectacular fall afternoon, white caps dancing on the blue waters of Plumper Sound...