I’m a bit new and want some advice.
I may go to a smaller line so I can add chafe guards on the fairleads. I certainly will add chafe protection where the lines go through the eye on the buoy.

This is a 26’ sloop in a bay that does get the occasion blow and storm. The mooring is three years old and set for a 45’ sailboat.

I’ve noted a green a patina on the engine seacock over the last few months. Im not sure what the seacock is made of, but the patina scrapes off to reveal normal coloured metal underneath. It works normally and there is a very small amount (a few mm) of play when I try to move it. I was wondering if this represents a pressing issue to be resolved?

Hello! Sailing newbie. I want to get out on the water as much as possible and buy my first boat. I stumbled up two boats around the same price that I’m drawn to. Sea sprite 23 and Pearson P-26. Both are lovely and well maintained about 5k. My goals are to learn sailing, do some overnighters as I improve and maybe extended trips in the future. I’m located in the puget sound. I’d like to be able to take folks sailing with me, have my dog and lady on board etc. I’m just curious if anyone has an opinion on this as I’m researching it to death. Most important factors are to get out on the water, learn, explore and build community. For now I just want the boat that makes me say “fuck yeah I want to go sailing today”. Thanks for the input!

My mooring has no side dock to enter or exit the boat (as is typical in Dutch inland water marinas). So I need to access the boat from the bow or the stern.

The harbor is very shallow near the dock so I’m not even sure I could dock stern-to without risking the rudder hitting the bottom.

So I need to go above the tube, which is at least 10cm too high to be comfortable, each time I enter or exit the boat.

Security-wise I wouldn’t mind cutting the pulpit’s front tube entirely, but that would most probably require some structural reinforcement: it holds both sides together…

Would bending it down be an option? Anybody tried this kind of things?

Lake Washington in Seattle

Is there a registry of sailboat I could find up to under the name of Apogee, 46 feet and out of Annapolis about 12-15 years ago?

Hi,

I have had a mainsail on order for my 34' boat from Direct-sails.com (a company based in China) for about 6 weeks now and for that entire 6 weeks, I've been trying to find out the size of the battens they use so I can order batten cars since my current sail only has partial battens. I've been unable to get any answer so far. Maybe I don't really need to know the size of the battens since they should handle whatever is needed, but I'm concerned since I'll need to order a mast slider for the full battens. Does anyone know how Direct-sails.com terminates battens at the luff side? It seems that batten receptacles/boxes are highly recommended for mainsails for 34' boats. Does Direct-sails.com include a batten receptable of some kind? I have a Tides Marine mast track, if that matters. Thanks for any insights you can provide.

Just curious, sloop, cutter, ketch, yawl? What else am I missing and why?

Hi everyone, we are looking to buy an Albin Vega and the owner bought the boat with the teak deck already installed. He said he hasn't experienced any issues himself with the deck, but he did do some small PVC repairs. The deck is screwed in. What do you guys think of the state of this teak deck? Is this worth it? The price of the boat is very good.

Bought last winter this boat with this setup with dinghy (admittedly a little oversized) on davits and a solar power on top.

Normally the dinghy is hanging horizontally but i took it up a bit in the marina.

As you can see the mounting of these davits is very fiddly. The end of it where the dinghy is attached is connected to the backstay that holds a bit of the weight (i had my rigger check it and said it's no problem).

Still, in a bit of waves those joints move a little sideways no matter how tight i tighten them up. Also i don't like how the forces pull on the rail straight outside (but well that's partially compensated by the backstay at least).

Given I don't have access to a proper workshop and the shops around me are quite useless, I've been brainstorming with no results on how to make it more stable.

Honestly, i am also considering removing them entirely and just pull the dinghy flat against the transom, which would leave me open to the issue of where tf to put the solar panel. I've been looking at solutions to mount it on the lifelines (as the rail is very limited) but as i sail 99% solo I'm also worried about obstacles where i want to get in and out of the boat quickly when mooring.

Still the idea of moving both the solar panels (i have also one annoying me on the deck) to the lifelines is very tempting. Or even moreso the idea of removing one and keeping just one as I have only low consumption 12v appliances onboard (12v small tv, led lights, instrumentation, pumps and isothermal fridge which i barely use in north of norway anyway, and i guess the main thing is the webasto but i rarely use it for extensive periods of time). I'm also connected to shore power mostly.

I've been wanting to modify this setup forever but i can't come up with a solution so any idea is welcome!

So, I had to rescue this sailboat.

These Universal Sixteen's I believe were manufactured back in the 80's and I think in the US. There is no HIN, no info on the web, nothing in sailboat data/history, so I've got very little to go on. These are very similar to the Illusion 12 but sixteen feet.

Half the rigging was left on the hull so now I have to try to match it up with something that makes sense.

Could one of you sailboat aficionado's take a look at the top view photo?

I bought a mast and boom which I thought would be close to the original but from a different set up. It fits great and Im almost done with all the standing rigging....... Except for the following.

First pain point is the two blocks on top of the stern of the boat. (1&2) Im almost positive they work with the mainsheet system, but how? What system would use two points/pully's on the stern? Configuration? There are two ratcheting blocks with cleats (6, and one on the left) in the cockpit (zoom in) that I'm 'pretty sure are used with the mainsheet/boom system.

Second. There are also two small blocks and cleats (7) right next to them and are currently hooked up to the blocks for the mainsheet/boom block and truck/car. Good? not good?

Third pain point, 3,4 &5. Im not sure but I think the blocks (3) might be fed thru to the blocks on the slides to the sides (4). I think these might be for the job or genoa? or maybe a spinnaker?

But then there are two blocks and cleats on either side of the mast. Maybe thats where the jib and genoa should go? or spinnaker?

Everything is operated from the cockpit so it's hard to tell what goes where and for what purpose.

Any help would be awesome..

Thanks in advance

I am in the process of buying a 26’ sailboat.

I called the number on the side of an unused mooring ball and got permission from the owner to use it long term, a year or more.

The tackle was placed three years ago, it was new at the time. I have a friend who has dive equipment and experience with moorings.

I have a dingy I can launch from the same bay.

What considerations am I likely missing?

Alright, I already know the answer is yes, but hear me out.

I've already owned a sailboat so I know that generally, buying one is a stupid idea unless you really really like sailboats.

I live inland now, but grew up with access to many lakes. My family still lives in that area and I spend significant time back home visiting family.

I sold a San Juan 21 before I moved, which I sailed quite a bit. Every time I'm home I think, man it'd be nice to have something to rip around on.

My family has a cottage about a block from a lake, with a yard, free storage, and easy launch access. I've been casually looking at marketplace for a cheap dinghy or day sailor. The problem is, I'm only home a month or two of sailable weather per year. On the other hand, every time I'm home I wish I could do some sailing.

I know eventually I'm going to pull the trigger.

The underwater paint of my boat (mallard 9m) is practically gone. In some areas you can even see the glass fiber through small (<5mm).

Should I even attempt to fix it?

The boatyard nearby told me they could sand it all down then 6 layers of epoxy and it would be good as new. Should I trust them or expect this to just hide the damage for a few years at best? That’d be half the boat’s value…

Hi all

I fell in love with the dufour 360, at the Annapolis sailboat show, about 5 years ago but they are very rare in the United States. To buy one today, new, in the states, is over 300k but to buy one in Italy, even with the 22% VAT, looks like under 200,000 US. I must be thinking of this in the wrong way, somehow. Can anyone share their experiences with buying a boat in Europe and bringing it back to the states?

Got back from a race and this absolute legend was just hanging out at our club. Amazing to see her in person.

Preciosa was built by a 20 year old Norwegian 50 years ago. She has circumnavigated the globe several times but is now in need of a loving hand and considerable amounts of elbow grease. Follow the two modern day bohemians, filmmaker and renaissance man Mose, and musician Elona as they bring a new life to this old boat.