Home > February, 2008
Cracks or chips in a fiberglass boat hull can be very expensive to have professionally repaired. Depending on the damage to the boat, and the owner’s personal fortitude, a do-it-yourselfer can produce professional results without the professional price.
The filler product being used is key to a successful repair. It is important to select a filler that is extremely strong and fast-working. The filler must be flexible. It must not absorb moisture, and it must not shrink. For the do-it-yourselfer, it is best to also choose a filler that does not clog the sandpaper and one that does not require additional polyester coatings.
Once the proper filler has been selected, the next steps are proper preparation and application. Although each filler brand will have specific preparation/application procedures, this article covers the general aspects thereof. Read more »
It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, sailing is a great sport and past time. All you need is some water and you are set to enjoy a part of maritime history. Sailboats come in all shapes and sizes to appeal to almost anyone nowadays. Recreational sailboats vary the most in size and shape. There is everything from a 5 foot wooden Pram to huge yachts that span over 100 feet in length. Smaller boats are designed for more economical reasons. The small price tag and the agile steering make them great for learning on. Bumping and obstacle will do minimal damage to small boats because the are so light. They are also more appropriate for small lakes and rivers.
When boats exceed about 20 feet, they begin to take the shape of the typical single hull sailboat. There is the rudder wheel located near the stern and a cabin that starts halfway and up towards the bow. The deck is where you access all the ropes and winches to control the sails. Most every boat has an alternate form of power in the form of an engine with a propeller. Wind power is not good for every situation and it is not always plentiful. Racing sailboats also vary in size and shape, but the biggest sailboat race in the world sets the standard for the type of boat. Read more »
Australian world No.1 pair Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby have firmed as favourites to take out the Tornado world championship after winning gold at the lead-in regatta, Sail Auckland.
The Australians finished on top at the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) grade one event, continuing a solid run through the summer in the run-up to the world titles next week and the Beijing Olympics in August.
But it wasn’t all plain sailing at the Auckland Olympic classes regatta, with shifty conditions throughout ensuring a testing time for competitors.
“It was really shifty southerlies all week,” Bundock said.
“Races were never really over until you crossed the finish line.
“Even when you had a comfortable lead you never knew where you would finish.” Read more »
There is plenty of advice available on how to buy a sailboat. Unfortunately, much of it is written by those in the sailboat building or sailboat selling business - in other words, someone with a vested interest in steering you one way or another. If you have read those
articles, you will quickly realize that this article is different. The suggestions contained in this article (and subsequent ones) are written from the perspective of a sailboat buyer and are the collective wisdom of someone who has purchased 8-10 sailboats and discussed sailboat purchases with dozens of other sailboat owners. The lessons learned apply to both new and used sailboat purchases. I hope you will learn from all our mistakes!!
There is a multi-step process that involves answering a series of questions. Successfully answering those questions will lead you to choose exactly the best boat for you. In the course of this series, I will discuss all those questions and cover the whole process. This
article covers only the first step in the process because in my view, the first step is by far the most important.
The first - and again, most important step - is to answer the question “How will I use this sailboat?” When I say this, I don’t mean a general answer like “to race” or “daysail” or “to cruise.” If you can only answer the question to this level of detail, you have a very high
probability of making a very large (and probably very expensive) mistake - buying the wrong boat. When I say “How will I use this sailboat?,” I mean in extensive detail. Here are some examples of questions you should be able to answer immediately and without any thought BEFORE you consider buying a sailboat:
* If you intend to cruise, how long will your cruises be? Weekend? Week long? Month long? Extended?
* What waters will you sail? Lake? River? Bay? Ocean? Salt? Fresh?
* How many people will be with you and how often will you be aboard?
* How far away will help be?
* How many spare parts and tools will you need to carry? Read more »