Modern ropes last a long time in general, but all are subject to UV damage and general wear and tear. I live in British Columbia where UV is relatively low, particularly in…
Category: On Deck
Deck hardware and projects to maintain and enhance your boat.
Burgees and flags for lazy people.
This is what happens to a burgee when you leave it up all the time. This one is slightly less than one year old, but has been up in the sun and…
Leaking Windows
Almost every boat will eventually develop leaking windows. My boat Tangleberry is no exception. The first leak started about 5 years ago. It was one of the large aluminum framed windows on…
The Mystery of the Missing Battens
The self-tacking jib on my Hanse 371 has 3 vertical battens which allow it to have some roach, and thereby gain some extra area. The batten openings face down and battens are…
DIY Line Locker Hangers
My boat has line hangers on the aft end of the cabin for the halyards and control lines on the cabin top. They have been there since the boat was new in…
Troubleshooting the Windlass
When I took the anchor and chain off for galvanizing I noticed that the anchor windlass would not power downward, but it would power upward. Today I gathered some tools and went…
Is Re-Galvanizing Worth It?
Is re-galvanizing a rusty anchor and chain worth doing, or should you just buy new? I have seen lots of posts in sailing forums that suggest re-galvanizing costs nearly as much as…
Giving up my Honda 2 HP Outboard
When I bought Tangleberry in 2001 I determined to buy a high quality dinghy/outboard combination. I settled on an Achilles Hypalon dinghy with an air floor. That proved to be an excellent…
Docking Singlehanded
Last week, for the first time, I had trouble getting into my mooring slip. The marina is quite sheltered, but that day a strong inflow wind and a large rising tide combined…
Winchrite ABT Repair
This post describes a DIY Winchrite repair, when my Winchrite electric winch handle suddenly stopped working. What is a Winchrite? The Winchrite ABT (Advanced Brushless Technology) is a rechargeable electric winch handle…