Each spring and fall we embark on our boat DIY projects, brimming with enthusiasm (how hard could it be to rebed a couple of leaky hatches?) only to find ourselves an hour or so later utterly defeated and weeping into a puddle of semi-cured Sikaflex. With winterizing the boat just around the corner, we’ve been
How to careen a sailboat – the low cost haulout
At 24, John Pennington and his wife Kara Potter set out to circumnavigate in their Cape Dory 30. Over the following 4 years they occassionally found themselves in far-flung places where haulouts were either unavailable or prohibitively expensive. In the guest post below, John explains how they beached, cleaned, and painted their boat over two-days
Clean the bottom of your boat like a pro
We’d neglected the bottom of our boat for a month and the warm Mexican waters had transformed our sleek hull into a furry ecosystem teeming with life. My partner, Robin, had begun naming the fish living underneath MonArk, our Dufour 35. Presumably, they’d mistaken us for a benevolent barnacle-encrusted whale, or worse, a coral reef!
Make your own sail repair kit
Keeping a well-stocked sail repair kit on board is important for preventing and minimizing sail damage. We bought a beautiful new set of sails for MonArk only 7 months ago and I have already put my sail repair kit to use on several occasions. With the right tools on hand you’ll be able to catch any damage
Keeping greens fresh without a fridge
When my partner, Robin, wants to get my attention, he’ll come home with a big beautiful bouquet of freshly cut collard greens. If it’s a special occasion, maybe a dozen stems of rainbow chard. I’ve always liked greens and, as anyone who’s lived without refrigeration can attest, nothing says “I love you” like a fistful
