Stitching Awl vs. Leather Palm for Sail Repair
Got a small sail or canvas repair? “Get a Speedy Stitcher!” is common advice, though rarely from someone experienced in sail repair.
Sure, it seems...
PS Advisor: Belaying Safety for Mast Climbing
Mast climbing accidents have occurred because the crew member either misunderstood or did not perform their duties attentively and properly. Belaying should be considered...
Damage Control at Sea
For many boaters, damage control means a cell phone call to Sea Tow, Tow Boat US or another marine assistance provider. These are reliable...
Anchor Trip-line Tricks
An anchor trip line is a stout line connected from the after end of the anchor fluke to a marker buoy so that the...
Shock Cord Test Looks at Long Life
We’re sailors and we know our knots. We don’t use bungees to avoid lashings or because we don’t have enough old rope lying about...
Designing a Dump Line for the Multihull Mainsheet
One of the rewards of doing time in a boatyard like Salt Creek Marina, in St. Petersburg, FL where Opal and I have been...
Other Methods to Control Yaw
Yawing is the result of imbalance between windage (you want it aft) and underwater resistance (you want it forward). If the center of windage...
Drogues to Dampen Yaw
A leading cause of anchor dragging is yawing so vigorously that either the soil around the anchor is liquefied, or the anchor simply capsizes....
Testing the DIY Dog Bone Shackle
Soft shackles became the cool thing nearly as soon as they appeared on race boats. Any savvy DIYer could make them using Dyneema single...
Sizing Up Improvements In Low Friction Rings
The first time I brought a handful of low friction rings (LFR) to the boat, I got funny looks from my partner. The plan...