The Complete Trailer Sailor: How to Buy, Equip, and Handle Small Cruising Sailboats

Written and Illustrated by Brian Gilbert

International Marine / McGraw-Hill

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How to Buy, Equip, and Handle

Small Cruising Sailboats

Copyright © 2009 by International Marine. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no partof this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without theprior written permission of the publisher.

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iii

3 Evaluating Trailerable Sailboats 29Where to Look 29New Boats 30Used Boats 30Fixer-Uppers 31Surveying a Used Boat 31

4 Trailers 50Matching Vehicle to Trailer and Boat 50Parts of Your Trailer 52Trailer Tongue Weight andControlling Sway 59

PART TWOOUTFITTING AND HANDLINGYOUR SAILBOAT

5 Equipment 62USCG-Required Equipment 62Optional Equipment 69

6 Towing and Rigging Your Boat 86Towing 86Rigging 88Launching Your Boat 98Mast-Raising Systems 99

7 Knots and Lines 104Bowline 104Cleating a Line 105

Acknowledgments v

Introduction: Thinking Smaller 1Affordability 3Simplicity 4Practicality 5

PART ONEFINDING YOUR SAILBOAT

1 Thinking about Your Boat 7How Big? 7What Kind of Sailing Do youWant to Do? 8Can You Move It? 9Can You Store It? 10Can You Afford It? 12Do You Have Time for a Boat? 16

2 Understanding Sailboat Specs 18Boat Length 18Beam 19Draft and Keels 21Displacement 23D/L Ratio 24Ballast 24Sail Area 26Rigging 27

Contents

CONTENTSiv

Coiling and Securing a Line 106Other Knots 110

8 Getting Underwayand Sailing 113Setting Up the Headsail 113Attaching the Headsail Sheets 118Leaving the Dock 118Sailing 125Sail Trim 129Docking 134Picking Up and Droppinga Mooring 135Anchoring Techniques 135Best Practices for the PrudentMariner 138

PART THREEMORE SAILING KNOWLEDGEAND SKILLS

9 Rules of the Road 140Basic Rules 141

10 Weather on the Water 145Altering Course 146Preparing Your Boat and Crew 146Shortening Sail (Reefing) 147Lightning 148Sailing Downwind in StrongWinds 148

11 Navigation and Piloting 150Navigation Tools 150Measuring Time 154Plotting a Fix 154Danger Bearings 156Can We Turn on the GPS Now? 157Sailing at Night 158

12 Emergencies 161Medical Emergencies 161Crew Overboard 162Risks to the Boat 165

PART FOURMAINTAINING ANDMODIFYING YOUR SAILBOAT13 Maintaining Your Sailboat 169

Frequent Washdowns 169Preventing Water andMildew Belowdeck 170Gelcoat Maintenance 172Teak Maintenance 175Dealing with Corrosion 177Maintaining Your ElectricalSystem 182Bottom Issues—Blisters, Barnacles,and Painting 186Running Rigging 187Outboard Maintenance 190Trailer Maintenance 192

14 Modifying Your Sailboat 194Building a Navigation Tool Rack 194Installing a Midships Cleat 196Installing Cockpit-Led Halyards 198

PART FIVECRUISING IN COMFORT15 Personal Comforts On Board 202

Cooking on a Small Boat 202Fresh Water 203Personal Gear 204What about the Bathroom? 205

The Trailer Sailboat Gallery 208Boats Currently in Production 208Used Sailboats 230

Epilogue 243Appendices 245Bibliography 247Internet Resources 249Index 254

v

M any people have helped with the production of this book in various ways—some tangi-ble, others invisible but no less valuable. At the top of the list is my wife Karen. Her help,advice, and support I will always treasure. Tied for second is my young son Kyle, who

has taught me far more through the years than I will ever teach him. I love you both.I am also indebted to friends who, through the years, helped and taught me things about sail-

ing, often just by being there and sharing experiences. My first real “crew,” Mark Kennedy andSuzanne Shurbutt, remain steadfast friends, though we don’t get the opportunity to sail much any-more. My slipmate Larry Lee was always ready to lend a hand or share a tool, and Rick andBarbera Barber became close neighbors after Hurricane Hugo destroyed our marina. I learnedmuch about sailing from these wonderful friends, and remembering time spent together alwaysbrings a smile.

I am also deeply appreciative of the many people I contacted seeking opinions—people likeJohn Bell at ACR Electronics, Bill Goggins and Kathy Weishampel at Harken, experiencedBahamas sailors Matt and Mindy Bouldoc, author John Rousmaniere and the members of theCrew Overboard Symposium committee, photographer Eric Martin, and sailor Bill Klein.

Finally, of course, I am endlessly grateful to the production team at International Marine—specifically my editors Bob Holtzman, Ben McCanna, and Molly Mulhern. While writing a book isa huge undertaking, turning it from a computer file and stack of drawings into the book you’rereading is a difficult task (more so where I’m involved), and this book wouldn’t exist withouttheir hard work and support.

ACKNOWLEDG MENTS

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It is difficult to describe sailing in the pagesof a book. Just what is it anyway? Sport?Hobby? Pastime? Lifestyle? In fact, it’s any

and all of these things, and more. For me, sail-ing can be described as nothing short of a pas-sion. I wanted to sail even before I ever set footon a boat.

It started with my father. Mom and Dadboth worked—a lot—to support a family offour, keeping the bills paid and groceries onthe table. But they still managed to rent a cot-tage at the beach once a year for family vaca-tions. I remember walking on the beach withmy dad one year and stumbling upon an oldSunfish pulled up in the dunes. “Oooh, look,Dad—a sailboat!” “Yeah, sailing’s great,” he’dsay. “You just glide along with the wind—nonoise, just waves splashing against the hull.Using the sails and your wits to get where youwant to go—it’s lots of fun.”

“Let’s BUILD one!” I said with the enthusi-asm that comes naturally to a fifteen year old.Dad had a table saw in the garage, and Ithought he could work miracles in wood. (Hisold saw, which still works, now resides in mybasement. I need to replace it with somethingsafer, but haven’t been able to let it go.)“Maybe someday,” he said. Dad was, after all,a realist, and he was thinking ahead to Mondaymorning at the office.

My father, the realist, died of cancer a fewyears later, when I was seventeen. I decided thatI would do some of the things he never gotaround to. One of those things was to go sailing.

And so I did. My first adventures were onHobie Cats and windsurfers; then after a long

time and lots of saving, I convinced a bank toloan me the money to buy a Catalina 27, whichI would live aboard. The economies of boatownership at age twenty-eight pretty muchkept me in the marina while I worked to payfor the boat. I dreamed of sailing to exoticplaces in a bigger, stronger craft, while in real-ity I took weeklong cruises twice a year andsneaked out for the occasional weekend sail.

I loved my boat, but in truth I was lonely. On aboat that size, there’s not enough room for evenone person to spend much time—and 24/7 ispretty much out of the question. After five years, Isold my boat and used the money to pay forgraduate school. I’m sure you’ve heard the jokeabout the two happiest days in a sailor’s life:when he buys a boat, and when he sells it. Itusually has a ring of truth, but not this time.Selling my Catalina was the smart thing to do—the right thing—but I can’t say it made me happy.I couldn’t afford both the boat and graduateschool. While I was working toward my degree, Ibecame engaged to a wonderful, brilliant woman,and we were married just after I finished school.

So just like my dad, I had returned to theworld of realists. A few years later, we wereblessed with a son, and naturally made ourchild our number one priority. We movedinland to be near cousins, aunts, uncles, andgrandparents. Yet even when we were up toour elbows in diaper pails, onesies, and billsfrom a marginally successful blacksmithingbusiness, I still wanted to sail. But to keep mydream alive, I had to adapt.

I had long ago abandoned the idea of a42-foot ketch anchored in French Polynesia.

1

INTRODUCTION

Thinking Smaller

1

INTRODUCTION2

My first boat was a Catalina 27—hardly trailerable!

My second boat was a ‘72 MacGregor Venture 222, a $500 restoration project. The whole story of thisboat is documented in my first book, Fix It and Sail.

THINKING SMALLER

There had to be a way to fit sailing into therealities of family obligations, a naturally lim-ited income, home ownership—the everyday“stuff” that life tosses you. That’s when Istarted looking at smaller, trailerable sailboats.

How small is “small”? I’ve limited the dis-cussion in this book to fiberglass sailboats of15 to 22 feet, with some sort of cabin for sleep-ing. Some larger boats are deemed trailerableby their manufacturers, but they require suchlarge, powerful vehicles to pull them and canbe so time-consuming to launch that they testthe limits of practicality. Often these big boatsare hauled over the road just twice a year—once in the spring and once in the fall. The restof the time, they are at a mooring somewhere.

Trailerable sailboats have a lot of advan-tages over the larger boats that seem to appealto average folks. But if we focus on the strong-points of trailerables, their shortcomings seemless of a liability. A smaller sailboat can beevery bit as fun to sail as a larger boat, and hav-ing fun is why we’re on the water in the firstplace. Going places in your own sailboat is oneof the greatest travel experiences you can

have. And you don’t need to go all the way toFrench Polynesia to experience the thrill ofdiscovery that sailing offers. Simply exploringsecluded coves in an inland lake can be anadventure that you and your family will neverforget. Before you can share that experience,though, you need a boat. Part 1 is all about get-ting a boat that fits your needs, your abilities,and your pocketbook.

AFFORDABILITYSince we’ve broached the subject of yourpocketbook, let’s talk about one of the bigadvantages of trailer sailers—affordability. Atrailer sailer can be one of the least expensiveways to go sailing in your own boat, in terms ofboth initial cost and upkeep. As we’ll see inthis book, there are very few things that bigboats can do that trailer sailers can’t. Andthere are more than a few areas where trailersailers are better than, say, a 32-foot cruiser-racer.

I’ll be honest—I still dream about owninga big liveaboard cruiser. But there is no wayI can ask my family to make the financial

3

My current trailerable sailboat—a ‘79 Montgomery 17, designed by Lyle Hess.

INTRODUCTION

sacrifices that owning such a large boat wouldrequire. Rather than becoming an armchairsailer, however, I’ve adjusted my dreams a lit-tle, and now I own a well-found boat that iscapable of going just about anywhere I want togo. I’m also being honest when I say that I’mthoroughly satisfied with my little trailer sailer,and plan on keeping her for a while.

I purchased my first trailerable sailboat in2000 for $500. It was a badly neglected 1972MacGregor Venture 222 that had been storedin the woods. When we bought the Mac, we hadvery little money to spare, and attempts to saveenough cash for a new (not used) boat hadfailed—some pressing need always seemed tocome along that outweighed the desire for asailboat. I rebuilt the boat over a three-yearperiod. I replaced all the old parts and workedon the boat $50 or $100 at a time. In the end, Ispent about $4,000 and had a boat that was verynearly new inside and out. The point of thisstory is to demonstrate that you can get atrailer sailer even if money is tight—and it wasreally tight when we rescued that first boat.That experience taught me a lot about trailersailers, and I’ll talk about these lessons ingreater detail in the pages of this book.

I sold my rebuilt boat in 2005 for $3,400,which was about as much as you can get for a’72 MacGregor. Yes, I did lose money on thedeal—I figure I lost about $700. But I gotthree years’ use from the boat, so in effect itcost me $233 a year to own the boat. Thisignores the considerable hours I spent restor-ing the Mac, but I knew that restoring old boatsis a way to go sailing, not a way to make money.

Shortly thereafter I purchased my secondtrailer sailer, a 1979 Montgomery 17 for—coincidentally—$3,400. While this boat was invastly better shape than the MacGregor, it waspriced a bit below the book value because ithad some deferred maintenance issues. Iworked on these issues part-time over the win-ter of 2005–06. A cerain amount of mainte-nance work will almost certainly be requiredshould you buy a boat of similar vintage. If youbuy a new or late-model sailboat, your needs

will be different at first. But eventually everyboatowner has to do some maintenance. Themore maintenance you do, the better you’llprotect your investment, and in many cases,the safer your boat will be.

I talk more about these two boats inupcoming pages, but this book is more aboutyour boat. Remember that all boats are differ-ent. Some elements are common to all, ofcourse, such as masts, rigs, and hulls. But eachdesign has its own peculiar characteristics.Sailing qualities, layout, seakeeping ability,construction details—all these factors varyfrom design to design. Each is a compromise,an attempt to balance different qualities for aboat’s intended use. Part of the purpose of thisbook is to help you spot the differencesamong boats, and find one that suits yourneeds. You’ll learn to evaluate a design so thatyou can select a boat that’s best for your needson balance. There is no “perfect boat,” butsomewhere out there is a vessel that’s moreperfect for you than others.

SIMPLICITYOther writers have put forth the theory thatsailboat satisfaction is inversely proportionalto its complexity. In other words, the largerand more complex a sailboat is, the less satis-fying it is to own. I believe this is true in a gen-eral sense, but this theory eventually breaksdown. Otherwise the most satisfactory boatwould be an 8-foot sailing dinghy—a thor-oughly unsatisfactory craft for a cruise of sev-eral days. But I do think sailboats reach a pointwhere bigger does not always mean better, anda boat loaded with gadgets can often meanhigher costs, more maintenance hours, andfewer sailing hours.

Trailer sailers can be very simple affairs,yet still be extremely effective and practicalboats. There’s not a lot of room for gadgets, sowe are forced to choose carefully. Often wediscover that what seems essential really isn’t.Refrigeration comes to mind—it’s rarely seenon trailerable boats, so owners don’t spenda lot of time fixing refrigerators or the beefed-up

4

THINKING SMALLER 5

Are They Safe?Whether trailer sailers are safe is a legitimate concern. After all, they seem so small compared to big-ger boats. Actually, there’s no reason that a smaller boat should be any less safe than a larger one. Insome cases, they can be made even safer than their larger cruising brethren with the addition of pos-itive foam flotation, which isn’t practical in large boats because of the huge volume of foam required.Whether or not any boat is safe depends more on who is at the helm than anything else.

Choosing a boat appropriate for your expected sailing territory is a key safety factor. Trailerablesailboats are designed to operate within a very specific range of waters. Some very small and/or light-weight boats are recommended for use in sheltered waters only. Others are OK for inshore cruising andbay sailing, where a safe harbor is usually very close at hand. Coastal cruising involves significantlygreater risks, because there’s a greater risk of exposure to severe weather. To my knowledge, there areno trailerable sailboats recommended for offshore sailing. Now, that’s not to say it can’t be done.Trailerables have gone offshore successfully in several cases, and some have made remarkable voyages.(One that I am very familiar with is a 15-foot Montgomery that made the downwind run from Californiato Hawaii. But the manufacturer doesn’t recommend that kind of jaunt as a regular use for that boat.)

The trouble is that sailboats don’t come with manufacturer’s warning labels. (And if they did, youcan bet that corporate lawyers would require such conservative language about a boat’s intended usethat the guidelines would be useless.) It’s up to you to know how strong your boat is and what levelof risk you’re comfortable with.

There are ways to increase the safety of your boat, both by carrying safety equipment and by increas-ing the strength of the boat itself. But the biggest impact on safety is the way you use your boat. Reducingsail at the first sign of a blow, carrying and using extra anchors, having contingency and emergency plansin place, and knowing the capability of your vessel and your crew are of paramount importance.

Learning as much as possible about the design of a particular boat and the voyages of similar vesselscan help you get a feel for a boat’s ability to sail in a given stretch of water. Most sailboats have active usergroups on the Internet. Some groups are quite large, and most are good sources of information. Anothervery informative and sobering source of information is the accident report. BoatU.S. (Boat OwnersAssociation of the U.S.) publishes Seaworthy, a quarterly newsletter that includes selected case studiesfrom its claim files, along with recommendations on how a particular accident or loss might have beenprevented or minimized. U.S. Coast Guard accident reports are less detailed but more numerous.

I talk more about making your boat as safe as possible throughout this book, but as a skipper andboatowner, remember three things:

1. Arm yourself with knowledge.2. Don’t take chances.3. Have a plan in case the worst happens.

electrical systems required to run them. Andthat’s just one example; there are plenty more.

There are, however, a few additional itemsthat can really make time on the water morefun. I talk more about making careful, informedchoices in Part 2, “Outfitting and Handling YourSailboat.” You aren’t required to sail with any ofthis stuff—you can go as minimalist as you

want. Or you can load up your boat with gadgetsand gear. This book will, hopefully, help youunderstand the total cost in real terms.

PRACTICALITYTrailerable sailboats are a practical fit for manypeople who might otherwise spend their timeonly dreaming about sailing. And while dreams

INTRODUCTION

are heartily encouraged, it’s all too easy to beinfluenced by the exotic locales and giganticboats that are showcased in the popular sailingand cruising magazines. You rarely see boatsunder 22 feet in the big publications, and whenyou do, they’re brand-new. Without an alterna-tive viewpoint, one could easily assume that agigantic boat, or at least a brand-new one, is aprerequisite to the world of sailing and cruis-ing. That assumption would be incorrect.

For example, the trailer sailer I currently ownis a good fit for my family. It nudges the upperlimit that my little 4-cylinder Nissan pickup canpull, and while I don’t go anywhere fast whentowing the boat, I do usually get where I’m going.Two people (even three in a pinch) can sleepaboard in relative comfort. Though it’s not likelyI’ll ever undertake an extended cruise, identicalboats have transited the Panama Canal, sailed tothe Bahamas, and cruised the length of the Bajapeninsula. All this in a package that’s only 17 feetlong and draws less than 2 feet of water. Anddon’t forget, I can hook this boat up to my carand drive to some of the best cruising areas in thecountry. Since I still have to work for a living, mycruising time is limited. In a given two-weekperiod, I can drive to the Florida Gulf Coast orthe South Carolina/Georgia low country in a longday. I can make the Chesapeake Bay, PamlicoSound, or Florida Keys in two. That leaves ten totwelve days of cruising time in some prime loca-tions. You just can’t experience all this variety ina limited time on a big boat—by the time you’vesailed to your cruising destination, it’s time tostart sailing for home. (Score another point forthe trailer sailers.)

Maintaining a sailboat is a big part of own-ing one, and it’s another reason a smaller boatis a practical choice. Maintenance is an area

where a trailer sailer shines compared to alarger boat. Since many trailerable sailboatscan be kept in a garage, they can potentiallylast far longer than a large boat that’s exposedto sunshine, hot summers, freezing winters,and rain and snow. Washing and waxing thehull take less time, as do the annual varnishingand bottom painting. It is true that fiberglass isa very low-maintenance material for boats, butit isn’t “no-maintenance,” and owners who neg-lect their boats do so at their peril—in terms ofcost as well as safety. More than one boat hasgone to the bottom because of poor mainte-nance. If this happens while you’re sailing, it’sespecially disconcerting.

I actually enjoy most maintenance jobs.(OK, I’ll admit, scraping the bottom is no fun.)But since trailerable boats are smaller, nearlyevery maintenance chore becomes smallerand more manageable. This is especiallyimportant if you buy a used boat, which obvi-ously requires more care than a new one. Mostmaintenance involves keeping the boat cleanand keeping the rain out. If you add covers tokeep the sun off, then your maintenancerequirements are even further reduced. You’llfind maintenance tips and routines throughoutthis book (especially in Part 4), as well as waysto reduce the time required to keep your boatlooking good and operating safely.

This book attempts to provide a pragmaticlook at the world of trailerable sailboats andcruising in small vessels. Obviously my adviceis filtered through my experience. But it’s mybelief that just about anyone can enjoy the sail-ing lifestyle, and my experience supports thatview. All you need is the desire, some knowl-edge, and a dose of perseverance, and the sail-ing world is yours—welcome aboard.

6

down, the designer used a shallow keel,which doesn’t add much stability. And sincethe keel is so shallow, the ballast is up high,where it doesn’t do nearly as much good.Compare this to a conventional 28-footer,where the draft averages around 4 feet. Thekeels on these conventional boats are com-monly solid—not hollow—chunks of lead oriron. With that much weight so deep in thewater, the nontrailerable boat has a lot of sta-bility compared to the Lancer. The reason forthe Lancer’s wide keel also has nothing to dowith performance—the designer wanted aboat with lots of headroom, so he dropped

7

There are lots of questions to ask yourselfwhen you start to think about buying aboat. Whether you can afford it is cer-

tainly one of the most important, but you mustalso consider how you would move it, whereyou would store it, and whether you truly havethe time to devote to this pastime. But let’s startwith a question that may help you answer someof the others: How big a boat do you need?

HOW BIG?Trailerable sailboats with cabins range from aminimum of about 15 feet to a maximum ofabout 25 feet. The natural tendency for mostfolks is to covet the biggest boat they can get.Not so fast, Popeye—the biggest boat isn’talways the best. To see why, let’s use anextreme example—the Lancer 28.

The Lancer 28 was introduced in 1977,when trailer sailers were quite popular. Thiswas about the most boat that would fit on atrailer. To haul a boat on the highway without aspecial permit, the beam must be no widerthan 8 feet (though some states have increasedthis limit to 8 feet 6 inches). But an 8-foot beamis considered narrow for a boat this size; it wasa compromise the designer made to fit the boaton the trailer.

Another compromise was a fairly shallow,wide keel. In order to keep the loaded height

PART ONE

FINDING YOUR SAILBOAT

CHAPTER ONE

Thinking about Your Boat

The Lancer 28: 28 feet long, 8-foot beam, 2-foot 10-inchdraft; it displaces almost 5,000 pounds.


the cabin sole down into the keel. The resultis sort of a fiberglass trench that you stand in,and the keel is wider than it should be for bestsailing performance. If you stand in the trench,the boat has 6 feet 2 inches of headroom—anunheard-of space on most trailerables. Thisfeature may enhance sales, but it does little toimprove sailing.

But the real drawback to the Lancer 28 isout of the water. Once on the trailer, this boatis a monster. It weighs almost 5,000 pounds.You can forget pulling this rig with anythingless than a large vehicle with a dedicated towpackage. And a panic stop at 55 miles per hourmight turn you into something like a pressedturkey sandwich. I talk more about tow vehi-cles and road safety in Chapter 6, but this illus-trates some of the problems with taking a largeobject like a boat out of its natural element andhauling it over the road.

It must be said that while a Lancer 28 isn’t myparticular cup of tea, many other folks are quitehappy with it. There’s an active owners’ websiteat www.lancerowners.com. If you’ll be sailing inrelatively sheltered conditions, and if you don’tplan on hauling the boat overland very often, theLancer 28 might be a good choice for you.

As I noted at the outset, the Lancer 28 is anextreme example of the trailerable category.

At about 26 feet, trailerable boats stop makingsense. If you really want a large boat, then youwould do well to consider a model that is nottrailerable. But be ready for a significantlylarger commitment of time and money. Boatdesign always involves a series of trade-offsand compromises; if you set your sights a littlesmaller, the trade-offs required to make a boattrailerable become less severe. Nearly all sail-boats around 20 feet long can be launched,transported, and stored on a trailer. Some aredesigned for easy launching and trailering.Others are optimized for sailing ability, and aremore difficult to launch and haul. Most aresomewhere in between.

You can learn to evaluate a trailerable sail-boat design by looking at a few key factors,such as the specifications, the hull outline, andthe sail plan. While you can’t predict everythingfrom such information, it will allow you tomake educated guesses about performance onthe water, ease of launching, ease of hauling,and other factors. It’s not my intention to makeanyone into a naval architect—I’m far from onemyself—but we can infer, for example, that aboat with a tiny swing keel is going to makemore leeway than a boat with a larger keel.And don’t worry if you don’t know that leewaymeans the way that a sailboat gets pushedslightly downwind as she sails; I cover this indetail in upcoming sections.

So if a Lancer 28 is too big, what’s the bestsize for a trailerable sailboat? Of course,there’s no single answer that fits everyone.Instead, consider this question: What kind ofsailing do you want to do, and where do youwant to do it?

WHAT KIND OF SAILINGDO YOU WANT TO DO?The sport of sailing can be generally dividedinto racing or cruising. Some boats are specifi-cally designed for racing only—every featureis built for speed, and all other considerationsare secondary. Other boats are specificallydesigned to be cruisers, where strength andload-carrying capacity are paramount. Many

8

A Lancer 28 on a trailer makes a pretty hefty towingpackage. (Henry Booker)

www.lancerowners.com

THINKING ABOUT YOUR BOAT

are called cruiser-racers, and are marketed todo both well, but in reality that’s a difficult bal-ancing act. Because trailerables are limited bylength, weight, and beam, you won’t find manythat are said to be purely cruising boats.

Presumably you live within a reasonable dis-tance to a body of water that’s big enough to sailin. Even this isn’t an absolute requirement—many sailboat owners live far from their regularsailing grounds. But chances are you live near alake, large river, or, if you’re lucky, the coast. Onaverage, what’s the weather like there? Someplaces, like San Francisco Bay, are known forconsistently strong winds. In that region, heavierboats with shorter masts and smaller sail areasare the norm. On the other hand, the winds atmany inland lakes (like Chickamauga Lake inTennessee, where I often sail) are light and vari-able. Boats with tall masts have the advantage,and large, lightweight sails are almost a necessity.

The prevailing weather where you’ll sailhas a direct correlation to appropriate boatsize—or more accurately, boat displacement.A boat’s displacement is, for our purposes,equal to the weight of the boat and all its gear.(Actually, it’s the weight of the water the boatdisplaces while at rest.) In a nutshell, light-weight boats perform best in light winds, whileheavy boats are better for stronger winds (andthe rougher seas that accompany them). Thisis, of course, a broad generality and not a hard-and-fast rule. My current boat, a Montgomery17, is considered a medium-displacement boat,yet its light-air performance is better than thenumbers would indicate. I discuss displace-ment in more detail in Chapter 2.

Another factor to consider is who will besailing the boat. Let’s assume that you will, sinceyou’re bothering to read this. But is anyone elseplanning on coming along on a regular basis?

While most people are familiar with thecaptain-crew relationship, I like to think ofsailing participation in different terms: solosailing, couples (or partner) sailing, group sail-ing (a captain with two or more crew), and,finally, family sailing. (See the sidebar “SailingRelationships.”)

CAN YOU MOVE IT?The Lancer discussion touches on yet anotherconsideration relating to boat size: can youpull the boat you’re thinking of buying withyour current automobile?

I’ve had quite a struggle with this subjectmyself. Several years ago, before I owned atrailerable sailboat, I bought a used 6-cylindervan, thinking it would be just the ticket fortowing a sailboat. Six cylinders and an auto-matic transmission should provide plenty ofpower, right? Unfortunately, I didn’t check themanual, which said this van shouldn’t pull any-thing over 2,000 pounds. No sweat, I thought—a MacGregor 222 weighs 2,000 pounds. Butadd the weight of the trailer, motor, and basicgear, and we’re looking at something like 2,800pounds. OK, so I’ll talk to a transmission shopabout adding a fluid cooler. Well, I did talk to atransmission specialist, and he informed methat my van was particularly unsuited for tow-ing anything. According to the technician Ispoke with, burned-out transmissions are acommon repair with vans similar to mine.

So, back to the drawing board. The nextvehicle I bought was a Nissan Frontier pickup.My truck is a 4-cylinder, manual transmissionmodel for fuel economy. The manual says thatthis model can tow 3,500 pounds, so my 2,800-pound MacGregor should be no problem,right?

Well—after spending three years of part-time work restoring my Mac (for the wholestory, read Fix It and Sail), I hauled it to thelake. Even though it was a big load for my lit-tle truck, the Nissan towed and launched it OK.The trouble came when I went to haul it homeagain in the fall—my Frontier could barely pullthe loaded boat and trailer up the steep launchramp. I had to slip the clutch to get it out, andthe smell of burning clutch plates remindedme of smoldering hundred-dollar bills. It wasclear that the MacGregor and my current towvehicle were a poor match.

Rather than sell the truck, I decided tosell the boat in favor of a smaller, slightlylighter boat. My Montgomery 17 weighs

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about 1,550 pounds, and the trailer another400. The motor is lighter than the Mac’s, andthe Montgomery, being a good bit smaller,carries less cruising equipment. Even thoughit’s still a sizable towing package, I’m justable to pull this boat up the ramp—it’s a muchbetter fit. (I do wish I had gotten the automatictransmission, though.)

Towing is such an important part of own-ing a trailer sailer that I devote an entire sec-tion to the subject (see Chapter 4). But whenevaluating a boat, pay close attention to yourtow vehicle’s rated capacity. It wouldn’t hurt totalk to your mechanic about what you’re plan-ning to pull, and get some professional adviceabout the best way to haul your boat.

CAN YOU STORE IT?Unless you are fortunate emough to live in anarea with year-round sailing weather, you’llneed a place to keep your boat when not inuse. This is where the smaller sailboat shines,

as it has more affordable storage options thanlarger boats.

The most obvious place is at home, if youhave the space. Winter repairs are just a fewsteps away, and you are immediately aware ofdeveloping problems like leaks or trailer rustand can take quick action, preventing larger andmore costly repairs later. Some boats will evenfit in a standard garage. But do check with yourhomeowner’s coverage to be certain a trailer-stored boat will be covered in case it is damagedin any way. The best setting is on level ground,preferably on a concrete driveway. Some home-owners’ associations won’t allow this, so readcarefully any agreements you may have signed.

Another storage option is a rental facility,where your boat will fit right in with the rowsof camper vans. These can be expensive,though, and it’s hard to maneuver a traileredboat through the other parked vehicles.

Marina storage is another possibility, andit’s where I keep my boat. Keeping the boat at

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Sailing RelationshipsSolo Sailing. This means a sailboat with only one person aboard—you. If you’ve never been sailing alone,this may take some getting used to. It can be a very quiet, contemplative experience. On the other hand, ifthe weather acts up and things start breaking right and left, it can be downright scary. Solo, or single-handed,sailing is common on small recreational sailboats, but taking out a larger boat—like a trailerable—requiresmore careful planning. Most important is safety. I talk about this more in later sections of the book, butclearly a solo sailor who falls overboard is in a very dangerous predicament, especially if the water is coldor the boat is any appreciable distance from shore.

Solo sailing gets back to our discussion on boat size. It stands to reason that a boat that is normally han-dled by one person would be quite small, but as usual, “quite small” is relative. I purchased my current boatfrom an older individual who thought that the Montgomery 17 was too much for him to handle by himself.But then I regularly sailed my Catalina 27 by myself (in settled conditions), and I usually sailed my MacGregorVenture 222 solo. From my perspective, the Montgomery 17 is an excellent boat for the solo sailor. The lim-iting factor isn’t so much boat length but sail area. If the wind pipes up, can you get that big 155 genoa sail inthe bag all by your lonesome? Another consideration—especially for trailer sailors—can you raise and lowerthe mast by yourself at the ramp? In each of these cases, you can alter the equation with mechanical aids,like roller-furling for the headsail, for example, or special mast-raising aids, but often these solutions meanan added level of complexity that some folks would rather do without.

While many boats can work for the experienced single-handed sailor, as a general rule, 15 to 19 feet isa good size for sailing by yourself.


a marina dock is usually the most expensiveoption, but hard to beat in terms of conve-nience. You’ll do a lot more sailing if your boatis easy to use, and there’s nothing easier thanuntying the boat and raising the sails.However, keeping the boat in a slip all yearlong accelerates wear and increases thechance of osmotic blisters, which form whenthe hull is subject to constant moisture.Keeping the boat on a trailer in the wintergives the hull a chance to dry out. Perhapsyour marina offers the option of storing theboat near a boat ramp. Stored on the trailer,but fully rigged, it can be launched in muchless time than it would take to raise and lowerthe mast. These arrangements are often muchcheaper than keeping the boat in a slip.

An important consideration, too, is weath-erproofing and protecting your boat duringstorage. Boats are designed to withstanddirect exposure to the elements and can dothis admirably, but any boat will look better

far longer if it is in some way protected fromthe sun and rain. Sunlight—specifically UVradiation—is probably the single biggestaging factor for boats. If you keep the sun offthe decks, the gelcoat lasts much longer—just look at a gelcoated interior liner for anexample.

Rainwater can also cause problems ifleaks develop, and all boats develop leaks intime. Keeping your boat covered will preventrain damage as well, but of course you’ll dis-cover leaks when they’re least welcome—while you’re using your boat. Whenever yousee evidence of leaks, make proper repairs asquickly as possible, since damage can quicklyelevate from a minor annoyance to a majorrepair.

A portable canvas carport is a fairly inex-pensive way to pamper your boat. Plan on itlasting about three years, unless you buy abudget model. If you keep your boat at home,you can invest in an aluminum version,

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Partners Sailing. This refers to the two-personboat, and it’s a very enjoyable way to spend time withsomeone, whether a spouse, significant other, or justa good friend. It’s really handy to have an extra pair ofhands aboard. One person can handle the tiller whilethe other gathers the headsail or lifts the anchor. Justbe sure that these jobs get shared equally. If you thinkthat being the captain means you get to look spiffy inyour cap, firmly grasping the tiller and puffing yourmeerschaum pipe while your wife wrestles a muddyanchor rode on the foredeck all the time, you willprobably find yourself a solo sailor before you can say,“Aaarrrrgh!” Again, speaking in broad generalities,17 to 23 feet is a good size for two-handed sailing.

Group and Family Sailing. With three or moreadults aboard, the trailer sailer begins to feel like atight fit pretty quickly. Sailing with a group of adults isoften a social affair, with more people aboard meaning less room and perhaps shorter trips. If you have a fam-ily that wants to come along, great! Sailing can be a terrific experience for kids, if it is handled the right way. Ifyou plan on sailing with a group most of the time, you might consider a larger boat, say 22 to 25 feet.

A small boat like a Sunfish is regularly sailed single-handed, but sailing a larger boat is more complicated.The Sunfish is an especially good platform for learningsailing basics. (Vanguard Sailboats)


which is of course more expensive and lessportable but can last far longer. Very smallboats may even be stored in a garage. Theirloaded height on the trailer is often the limit-ing factor, apart from the availability ofgarage space.

A tight-fitting off-season cover is often themost practical solution. A good one is expen-sive, since they are often hand-built and usepricey fabrics. Stock covers are available forpowerboats, but sailboats aren’t often on thelist. Still, it might be possible to modify a stockcover to accommodate an existing mast. Evenif all you do is throw a cheap poly tarp over theboat, it’s better than leaving your investment tofend for itself all winter.

CAN YOU AFFORD IT?I’d love to toss aside this concern with a sales-man’s catchphrase, like, “There’s a sailboat forevery budget!” It’s just not that easy. Sailboatsare discretionary items, plain and simple.Owning one requires that you have enoughincome to pay for it—both the initial purchaseprice and the annual maintenance costs.

How much does it cost? Well, how muchhave you got to spend? My MacGregor cost$500. And then I spent approximately $3,600in parts and equipment to restore the boat tobetter-than-new condition. Oh, and I almostforgot about the three years of part-time workthat I spent restoring it. When I sold the boat, Ihad owned it for approximately five years. Thefinal selling price was $3,400—which, for a1972 MacGregor Venture 222, is pretty good.My boat was in excellent condition, but stillwasn’t perfect.

So it cost me roughly $600 for five years ofuse, not including insurance or taxes. The ini-tial cash outlay was quite small—$500 for a 22-foot boat is about as low as you can get. But Ipaid more in ongoing costs for replacementequipment and upgrades, and I “paid” a lot intime spent working on the boat.

My second trailer sailer, a 1979 Montgomery17, cost $3,400. It was in much better conditionthan my first boat, but it still had plenty of

maintenance issues, and I wanted to makesome upgrades. So far, I’ve owned it for abouttwo years and spent around $1,000 in equip-ment. Montgomery sailboats are high-qualityboats, and used ones rarely come onto themarket. New M-17s cost around $18,000, andI’m fairly confident that I’ll get around $5,000when it comes time to sell. We’ll look moreclosely at sailboat equipment, as well as the“new versus used” argument, in upcomingsections.

Book ValueOne research method for finding a good boatis to look at the book value of boats thatyou’re considering. Two major companiespublish price guides—BUC Internationaland NADA (National Automobile DealersAssociation). Their pricing varies in accu-racy; of the two, NADA is reported to be atouch higher. Remember that these prices donot include motors or trailers, and the data isgathered from asking prices, not actual sell-ing prices.

When you begin your search for the per-fect boat, it helps to look through these books.The BUC book is quite expensive, but youmight be able to find a copy through your locallibrary, and some BUC values are availableonline.

The first thing you’ll notice when youexamine these books is the price range fortrailer sailers. Some will be in your budget,and some won’t. If you’re interested in a usedboat, pick a model year and compare theprices for several boats from that year. You’llnote that some boats are at rock-bottomprices. Several factors affect the market priceof any used boat—how many are on the mar-ket, the number originally built, the originalpurchase price, and so on, but it’s safe to saythat the most desirable boats aren’t going tobe the cheapest. They aren’t necessarily themost expensive, either. My point is, unlesslack of available cash is your number one con-cern, think carefully about considering thebottom of the range.

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Since you will most likely sell your boat atsome point, it makes sense to buy a boat that isin demand. This costs you more initially, butyour investment is preserved when it comestime to sell. Improvements to a well-made boatwill most likely mean a higher selling price,whereas improvements made to an unpopularboat will bring little additional revenue when itcomes time to sell.

You should also look at the rate of depreci-ation of a particular model over the years. Aboat that holds its value can be an indication ofquality, whereas a boat that rapidly declines invalue could mean that problems are common.This is good to know if you’re thinking of buy-ing a new boat as well.

The book value shouldn’t be considered asgospel, but you should be aware of the bookvalue for any boat you’re thinking of buying.You’ll soon discover that the market value of asailboat is often less than the sum of its parts, soa boat well-equipped with extra gear can repre-sent a good value, while a boat with lots of brokenor missing parts can be a fiscally poor choice.

Financing a SailboatShould you want to get a boat loan, your ownbank is the best place to start, since yourbanker knows the most about your currentfinancial situation. Explain that you’d like tobuy a boat, and ask what the best way is to goabout it. He or she will tell you what theoptions are, what the costs and interest ratesmight be, and how much of a down paymentyou’ll need. Since boats are considered luxuryitems, most banks will require 20 percent ofthe total price as a down payment. Don’t pullevery penny out of your account for the down,either—there will be fees and miscellaneouscosts.

A bank is usually far more willing tofinance a new boat than a used one. Somebanks simply refuse to finance used boats atall. This is because two sailboats that lookexactly the same on paper can be worth verydifferent amounts of money. This upsetsbankers—they like things that are easily quan-tifiable, like certificates of deposit or the goldstandard. Generally, banks consider the age of

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Nearly any fiberglass boat can theoretically be restored, even one as bad as this. But it will take aserious investment in time, and the finished vessel will likely cost more than one purchased in good,ready-to-sail condition.


a sailboat of primary importance, and somerefuse to loan money for boats past a certainage. The good news is that trailerable sailboatsgenerally cost less than their marina-boundbrethren, so getting a loan is easier. In somecases, you can buy a boat with a signature loanrather than a boat loan. (A signature loan is aloan that is unsecured by any collateral, suchas real estate. It usually requires a very goodcredit rating.)

But getting a loan from a bank isn’t simple.They’ll take a look at all your liabilities—including your house payment or rent, car pay-ment, and balances on your credit cards—androll those into one lump sum. Then they’ll takea selective look at your assets. For most of us,this usually means your monthly work incomeand the value of your house. If you have signif-icant income from things like stocks, bonds,and real estate, you’re in a different world thanI am. You probably know more about financingthan I can explain in a few pages, so skip thissection. Everybody else, read on.

Many folks have a fairly new car with a bigmonthly payment, four or five hefty credit cardbalances that never seem to get any lower, andvery little money left over at the end of themonth. If this describes you, then may I gentlysuggest that you forget about getting a loan fora nice, shiny new boat. It’s a bad move. Youwon’t be able to enjoy your new boat muchanyway, since you’ll be working overtime topay the bills.

But you can still have a boat. Go to thebank with whatever’s in the change jar on thetop of your dresser and open a savings accountsolely for a sailboat. Raid the clothes dryer andlook under the sofa cushions. Put whateverextra money you can find into the account, butsave that overtime for paying down thosecredit card bills. Minimum payments on creditcards won’t cut it; you’ll be in debt for sixtyyears no matter what your balance is. Whenyou get an income tax refund, split it threeways—one third toward your debt, one thirdfor the boat, and one third to do somethingnice for yourself or someone else. Yes, it takes

a long time to get a boat this way, but if youreally want a sailboat, the balance will grow.Eventually, you can get a small used boat.While you’re saving, you can use that time togain experience—perhaps sailing with a friendor reading books on sailing. Watch out for sail-ing magazines, though—many are full of shinynew boats and tantalizing messages: “You canhave the Ostentatious 42 right now with oureasy financing—you’re worth it!” Just as theSirens tried to send Odysseus on the rocks,avoid those messages, ’cause they can ruinyou. Plug your ears with wax if you have to—it worked for Odysseus.

Let’s suppose your situation isn’t quite sodire. You’re fortunate enough to have a good,secure job and a car that you’ve half paid off.You’re a homeowner and you’ve been in yourhouse long enough to have paid down some ofthe principal, and you’ve got a credit card ortwo with a low balance or, better yet, you paythem off each month. The bank is gonna love

you! They’ll be happy to write you a big loanfor whatever kind of boat you want—becausethey want you to use the equity in your hometo secure the loan.

Plug you ears, sailor! They’re using thesame old song that the credit card companiesuse; it’s just a different tune. If you want to seesomething funny, ask them about a loan thatdoesn’t use your home equity. They won’tbelieve it, because it’s a rare thing when anyoneturns down a pile of their cash. They’ll startstuttering about the tax advantages of usingyour home to finance a luxury item—theymight even question your intelligence. Don’tfall for it. I don’t believe you should ever usethe equity in your home for financing anythingexcept improvements to your home, and eventhen, resist until it’s absolutely necessary toprotect your real estate investment. Rememberthat a sailboat will decline in value over time.Should something terrible happen—your bossturns out to be Ken Lay or Jeffrey Skilling, forexample, and you suddenly find yourselfunemployed and you fall back on some pay-ments, the same people who were questioning

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your intelligence will swoop in and repossessthe boat and the house, sell both at auction,and lose almost nothing other than a few ball-point pens. You and your family could be outon the street.

OK, I’m painting a greatly oversimplifiedand melodramatic picture. I admit, when itcomes to money, I’m very cautious. Banksand credit card companies aren’t the EvilEmpire, but they are in business. They existto make money—not to do people favors ormake friends. It helps to keep that in theback of your mind as you search for boatfinancing.

If you’re considering a new boat, you haveone more possible option: financing from thefactory. Many manufacturers have worked outdeals with lending companies to finance theirboats, and their rates can be attractive—oftenonly 10 percent down. For example, WestWight Potter currently offers financing fortheir 15- and 19-foot trailerables throughPriority One financial services. Loans from$10,000 to $25,000 can be made for up totwelve years, with down payments rangingfrom 0 to 25 percent. Rates and terms varyaccording to credit history and the amountfinanced. The application process can be easyas well, since the main business for these com-panies is financing boats. You still need to dothe same income versus liabilities balancingact, but the overall experience is generally eas-ier than dealing with a bank.

Boat Registration. Once you’ve bought asailboat, the first thing you need to do is get itregistered. All but the very smallest boatsowned in the United States need some form oflegal recognition. Most often they are regis-tered with your state of residence. While boatregistration procedures vary from state tostate, the process is usually straightforward.State registration typically involves filling outa registration form, presenting a bill of sale,and paying the sales taxes and registrationfees. A call to your county tax assessor orcourthouse will get you started in the right

direction. In Tennessee, all we have to do isbring the bill of sale and fill out an applicationat our courthouse. My total bill was based onthe sales tax on the price of my boat plus theannual registration fee. Our state sales tax ishigh, at nearly 10 percent. That’s a one-timetax, though, and the annual boat-licensing feeis only $20. Don’t try to pull a fast one andsave money by falsifying the bill of sale—ifyour tax assessor is like ours, additional formswill be required if the bill of sale is less than80 percent of the book value of the boat. Ifyou’ve bought a fixer-upper for $200, thenexpect some extra paperwork. A few recentphotographs can be very helpful in explainingwhy your yacht was so cheap.

Our courthouse then sends the paperworkto the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.The agency issues hull numbers and registra-tion stickers, which must be correctly dis-played on the bow of the boat. Keep yourcertificate of registration on board; you’ll needit if the Coast Guard inspects you.

In some cases your boat must be registeredin the state where it is primarily used ormoored. This is not often an issue with a trail-erable sailboat, since most people will keep itat home rather than permanently moored along distance away. But sometimes keepingthe boat at a marina is a handy option, espe-cially if you live nearby, and it might requirespecial registration procedures. If this appliesto you, check with the proper registrationdepartments of both states.

The alternative to state registration is fed-eral documentation, where, in a sense, yourvessel is registered to the United States ratherthan your state of residence, and documentedas a U.S.-flagged vessel. However, most trailersailers are too small to be federally docu-mented; documentation is intended for largervessels. The rule of thumb is that sailboatsabove 27 feet can be documented (a vesselmust measure at least 5 net tons).

Some states also require separate trailerregistration—check with your Department ofMotor Vehicles to be sure you’re legal.

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Boat and Towing InsuranceYou’ll also need insurance right away, unlessthe seller is willing to deliver the boat to yourhome and it needs a few months of work. Ifthis is the case, though, and a tree falls on yourpartially restored boat, don’t expect yourhomeowner’s insurance to help you. If youhave to tow the boat with your own vehicle,then you will need insurance immediately.

Before you do anything, make sure you’relegal and insured. Auto insurance won’t beenough—you’ll need special coverage for tow-ing your boat as well. Be sure you understandyour insurance policy carefully. If you get yourboat insurance from an agent, ask whether thecoverage includes towing your boat with yourcar. You will especially want to ask what sortsof things might void the coverage, like towingyour boat with an undersized hitch system.

Not all insurance agents are familiar withthe needs of towing sailboats, so you might getbetter coverage at a lower cost by buying a pol-icy directly. I have insurance with BoatU.S., andhave been pleased overall, though thankfullyI’ve never had a claim.

BoatU.S. also offers supplemental towingcoverage, which might be a good idea foryou. This covers things like over-the-roadproblems—bearing failures, flats, and simi-lar problems. I haul my boat infrequently,usually only once per season, so I don’t carrythe supplemental coverage, but your needsmay be different. Numerous companies offerinsurance for boats, so be sure to do someresearch.

DO YOU HAVE TIME FOR A BOAT?Owning a boat is an investment in time as wellas money, and this is especially true of sail-boats. When you go sailing, it takes you longerto get to your destination than in a powerboat.Maintaining a sailboat, with its complex hard-ware, often takes longer than maintaining apowerboat, and most sailboat owners chooseto do the maintenance themselves. If you work55-hour weeks on a regular basis, you may nothave time for a boat.

Boat ownership (and especially sailboatownership) often requires an adjustment inmind-set with regard to time. Here in theUnited States, we’ve grown accustomed to theidea that “You can have it all” and “You deservethe best.” All you have to do is whip out yourcredit card, rack up a mountain of debt, andspend the rest of your life working to pay it off.

While this makes the corporate communityhappy, it won’t make you happy. The first thingyou’ve got to do (if you’ll permit me to rant fora bit) is turn off your TV—it lies. Its sole pur-pose is not to entertain, but to deliver commer-cial messages into your household. And thesole purpose of those commercials is not toenrich your life or make you feel good aboutyourself—it’s to part you from your incomeusing any means necessary.

So what does this have to do with adjustingyour attitude toward time? Time really doesequal money—and you have to make a con-scious choice about how you spend it. You havea finite number of hours in your life. The exactnumber will vary, but no one escapes death.Sure, we all have to work. But do you have toown a Hummer? If the answer to that questionis yes, then you will spend a lot more hoursworking to pay for it (and the fuel to push itaround).

“But sailboats are expensive,” I hear yousaying. “Some cost more than a Hummer.” Andyou’re right. But the key difference is what wedo with a sailboat. Everyone’s experience isunique, but for me, sailing is like being in a com-pletely different world. It’s as if the real world isfar, far away and, at that moment, surprisinglyunimportant. What is important is the wind inthe sails, the trim of the boat, her distance to thenext mark, and her proximity to shoal water. Ihave enough food and water aboard for a fewmore days, some good books, and the mostbeautiful scenery that God has ever created.There’s still some ice in the cooler, and whenthat runs out I can find a marina and pick upsome more. Perhaps I can take in a little fishingat the next anchorage, or maybe some snorkel-ing or exploring in the dinghy.

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Now compare that experience to drivingyour Hummer to the mall and back. I don’town a Hummer myself, but I feel fairly certainthat the two experiences are radically differ-ent. I’ll take the sailboat, thanks.

It’s difficult to shift from a fast-paced, high-speed lifestyle to “sailing speed.” You may findthat it takes some practice. But remember thaton a sailboat, getting there isn’t half the fun, it’sall the fun. You’ve got just you, the wind, yourboat, and your wits to get you there. And whenyou do arrive at your destination, whether it’sa harbor for the night or the ramp after a fewturns around the buoys, there’s a real sense ofaccomplishment. If you did the same thing ina speedboat, it would be quicker and moreefficient—but it just wouldn’t be the same.

So slow down and make time for sailing.An entirely new way of looking at the worldcan be your reward.

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A small boat gives you a unique perspective onthe world. This is a Montgomery 17 with BillKlein at the helm. (John Butt)

The specifications of any particular boatare important to understand becausethey give you some idea about how that

sailboat might handle. Some specs, like boatlength, are pretty simple to grasp. But to getan idea of a boat’s performance without actu-ally taking it out on the water, you have tolook at several specifications together. Theseare often expressed as ratios, such as the bal-last to displacement ratio. Let’s look at somenumbers first.

Here are the specifications for myMontgomery 17. I found these on the Mont-gomery website; they were originally pub-lished in the M-17 sales brochure.

Length 17 feet 2 inchesL.W.L. 15 feet 10 inchesBeam 7 feet 4 inchesWeight 1,600 poundsBallast 580 poundsDraft 3 feet 6 inches/

1 foot 9 inches(centerboard down/up)

Sail area (100 percent foretriangle)154 square feet

Disp./length ratio 225Ballast/disp. 37.4

BOAT LENGTHThe first specification is usually the length ofthe boat, in this case 17 feet 2 inches. Just toconfuse the goose, this specification is some-times given as LOA (length overall) or LOD(length on deck). The difference is that LOAincludes a bowsprit, if the boat has one. LOD isthe length of the boat alone, not counting any

rigging appendages. A bowsprit, by the way, isa short, strong pole extending forward fromthe boat. It gives the boat a longer effective sailplan than boats with “inboard” rigging. You’llfind bowsprits on older, traditional designs,but not often on trailerables. The only suchmodels I can think of are the old MacGregorVenture 23—it has a fixed bowsprit—and theMontgomery 23, which has both a bowspritand a boomkin. A boomkin is an extension atthe stern, similar to a bowsprit, that alsolengthens the sail plan.

Another expression of boat length is lengthat waterline, or LWL. The LWL is more impor-tant, hydrodynamically speaking, than thelength on deck. In fact, older racing classeswere commonly described by their waterlinelength rather than their overall length. Thefamous New York 32s by Sparkman and

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CHAPTER T WO

Understanding Sailboat Specs

18

bowspritboomkin

Bowsprits and boomkins.

UNDERSTANDING SAILBOAT SPECS

Stephens are actually 45 feet long on deck and32 feet at the waterline. Waterline length isimportant to know for several calculations, ifyou like to crunch boat numbers like navalarchitects do.

Now, you may have heard that longer boatsgo faster. This is true on paper, but it’s not oftena good reason to select a larger trailerable overa smaller one. Here’s why. The maximum theo-retical speed for displacement hulls (that is,nearly all cruising sailboats) can be calculatedusing the following formula:

SQRT (LWL) × 1.34

Plugging in the numbers for the Mont-gomery 17 gives the following result:

SQRT (15.833) × 1.34 = 5.33 knots

The same calculation for the MacGregor22 gives a top theoretical speed of 5.71 knots.That’s only four-tenths of a knot difference—notmuch gain for 5 feet of length on deck. In actualuse, my M-17 is a bit faster than my MacGregorwas—it points higher and isn’t quite as tender (atender boat heels easily in the wind). But hon-estly, I wouldn’t worry much about theoreticalhull speed. The difference between most boatsis small, and is often outweighed by other fac-tors like sail shape, condition of the bottom, andthe amount of toys you’ve loaded aboard. Ifyou’re a racer and are comparing two all-outrace boats, you might want to investigate thisfurther, but for normal recreational sailing, Iwouldn’t sweat it. Of course, the theoretical hullspeed calculation is for monohull displacementsailboats only. Multihull boats like catamarans(two hulls) and trimarans (three hulls) are differ-ent beasts altogether. And a few all-out racingsailboats are designed with planing hulls, mean-ing their broad, flat hulls are designed to skimover the surface of the water rather than plowthrough the water.

BEAMThe beam is the boat’s width measured at itswidest point. The boat and trailer combinedcan be no wider than 8 feet without requiring a

special permit to be transported on the high-way (though some states have increased thislimit to 8 feet 6 inches).

The boat’s beam is important for more rea-sons than just trailerability; it has a lot to dowith how she sails as well. If you look at older,classic boat designs, you’ll notice that theytend to have narrower beam, deeper draft, andheavier overall displacement. The narrowerbeam makes the boat initially tender, but as itheels over and the ballast takes effect, the boatstiffens and (usually) sails nicely. The heelingeffect of the wind is balanced primarily by theballast in the bottom of the hull. (The termheeling means to lean as a result of the wind’sforce on the sails. See the sidebar “Heeling ona Sailboat” in Chapter 8.)

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heavydisplacement—

full keel

moderatedisplacement—

modified keel

light displacement—fin keel

Different types of hulls: Heavy-displacement (top, alsoknown as full keel, this one with a wineglass stern);moderate displacement with a modified keel (middle);and light displacement with a fin keel (bottom).


With the coming of fiberglass, though,designers found a way to reduce the ballastneeded for stability. On more modern boats,the flatter, beamy hull provides resistance toheeling. The whole boat, being lighter, per-forms better in light winds. The only downsideis that in storm conditions, this type of boat iseasier to capsize. And once inverted, it hasmore of a tendency to stay that way. So if youare out in the middle of the ocean in a reallybig storm, you want to be in a narrow, heavy,older type of hull rather than a new, beamy,lightweight hull.

You can visualize this somewhat with acouple of glasses and a pitcher of water. Take

a wineglass and float it in the water. (Some ofthese classic, deep-draft hulls were called“wineglass” hull forms, in fact.) You’ll noticethat it floats in a very stable manner—you canpress on the sides or slosh the water around,and the wineglass won’t wiggle much—youcan sink it only by sloshing water inside theglass.

Now try the same thing with a flat-bottomedtumbler of about the same volume. Pressing onthe sides or sloshing the water will cause thetumbler to move quite a bit more. But the tum-bler, of course, floats in a lot less water, andthat’s an advantage of the more modern hulls—they often have shallower draft.

20

Gentle breeze: 5–12 knots

Storm: 25 knots and up

heavydisplacement

moderatedisplacement

lightdisplacement

Strong wind: 12–25 knots

Displacement and righting moment—comparing different hull types and heeling.


DRAFT AND KEELSDraft is the measurement from the waterlineto the bottom of the boat. Stated another way,it’s the minimum depth the boat will float with-out grounding. Draft includes the keel and thehull combined. A boat’s keel (or keelson) is,technically and correctly, the structural back-bone of the vessel—in wooden boats, it’s thestrongest timber running right down the centerof the boat to which the ribs are attached. Butby this definition, most fiberglass boats don’thave keels, or ribs for that matter. So the termkeel has come to mean the part of the boatbelow the waterline that primarily resists theleeward (or downwind) force of the wind.

When we talk about a fin-keel sailboat,or a full-keel sloop, we may not be techni-cally correct, but that’s the way the term isoften used.

Some boats have what is called a swingkeel (which technically should be called a cen-terboard). This is a heavy iron, lead, or fiber-glass blade that’s attached at the forward endby a bolt. At the after end is a rope or wire pen-dant (pronounced “pennant”) that is used toraise or lower the centerboard, often with theaid of a winch. So in this case, the boat’s draftis adjustable—deep when sailing, then raisedfor trailering or floating through shallow water.Most centerboard boats have a trunk insidethe hull that houses the keel when it’sretracted. This gives the boat a very shallowdraft, and it allows the boat to ride lower onthe trailer, making launching and retrievingeasier. My MacGregor Venture 222 was builtthis way. The first time I tried to haul the boatat the ramp, I floated my boat right over thetrailer bunks and had a slight collision with thewinch post—it required an amazingly thinlayer of water to float the boat.

A few trailerable boats, such as the O’Day22, Cal 20, and J/22, have a fixed keel. A fixedkeel doesn’t adjust—it’s an integral part of thehull. The advantages are strength, simplicity, andreduced cost. The disadvantage is that fixed-keel boats need deeper water for launchingand retrieval, and cranking up the centerboard

to explore shallow waters isn’t an option. It issometimes said that small fixed-keel sailboatsdon’t point as high to windward, but this isn’tuniversally true. If you’re a lake sailer, ground-ing a fixed-keel boat is a bit more of a problemthan in coastal waters, since you don’t have thetide to help float you off. In the summertime orin warm waters, it’s often possible to go over theside and muscle the boat back into deeperwater, since fixed-keel trailerables don’t usuallydraw more than 3 feet or so.

Some boats have a combination of the twosystems. Called a keel-centerboarder, a shal-low, ballasted keel holds a small centerboardthat can be raised or lowered with a keel pen-dant. This system has a number of advantages,like improved upwind performance over fixed-keel trailerables, and no centerboard trunktaking up cabin space. Since the ballast is fixedin the keel and not the centerboard, the center-board is lighter. Wear on the pivot bolt and thependant is reduced. My Montgomery 17 hasthis type of keel. The disadvantages: greaterdepth is required to launch, the boat sitshigher on the trailer, and occasionally rocksand other debris from a grounding can causethe centerboard to jam in the slot.

Another keel system found on some boats(such as the West Wight Potter) is a dagger-board. This type of keel lifts straight up anddown and is housed in a vertical trunk. Likeother keels, this system has its advantages anddisadvantages. A vertically oriented keel is anefficient foil for upwind work and can enhanceperformance. It’s a simple system requiring lit-tle maintenance—you don’t have to inspect orreplace the pivot bolt, for example. But thedownside is that the daggerboard and its trunkcan be damaged in a hard grounding, sincea lot of stress is concentrated in a small area.

Centerboards and daggerboards are themost common, but not the only, keel systemsfound on trailerable sailboats. A very fewboats use a twin-keel system, where two largefins are fixed at the turn of the bilge. Boatssuch as the Pegasus Prelude, Signet 20,Westerly Warwick, Pageant, Spirit, Centaur,

21


Hurley 22, Snapdragon 21, Pandora 21, HunterDuette 23, and the Red Fox 200T were builtwith twin bilge keels. All of these boats arefrom British manufacturers—no U.S. boat-builders manufactured twin-keel yachts in sig-nificant numbers. While twin keels are not aseffective for upwind work, they have the advan-tage of shoal draft, easy trailering, and, whenthe tide goes out, grounding upright rather than

falling over to one side. Occasionally you’ll finda leeboard or twin centerboards, but not on pro-duction sailboats.

Yet another consideration with keels is theloaded height on the trailer. Swing-keel anddaggerboard boats can sit lower on the trailer,whereas fixed-keel and keel-centerboard boatsmust naturally rest higher on the trailer. Sometrailerable race boats have keels so deep that

22

Fixedkeels

Movingkeels

fixed keel Scheel keel wing keel bilge keels

centerboard keel-centerboard daggerboard leeboards

Different types of keels, viewed from the stern.

full keel—Flicka

wing keel—Seaward Fox

Scheel keel—Com-Pac 23

twin keels—Westerly Centaur 22

Different types of fixed keels, viewed from the beam.


the boats can’t be launched from a ramp, butmust use a crane. Boat manufacturers realizethis is a significant liability for a general-purpose sailboat, so nearly all designs allowfor ramp launching. But some boats need bet-ter ramps than others—they may requiretrailer tongue extensions to get the trailer deepenough yet not flood the car. The loaded heighton the trailer can be a problem if you plan on

keeping your boat in a standard garage—itmight be too tall to fit.

DISPLACEMENTA boat’s displacement is a basic measurement.It can be thought of as simply the weight of theboat, but more accurately it’s the weight of thewater that the boat displaces when floating atits designed waterline. Displacement can be

23

centerboard—Hunter 23

daggerboard—MacGregor 26D

keel-centerboard—Tanzer 22

leeboard—Devlin’s Mud Peep

Different types of moving keels, viewed from the beam.

swing centerboardscan pivot over some

shoals with littledamage

while daggerboardsare more likely to

break

Centerboard versus daggerboard in a grounding.

A Cal 20 on a trailer. Consider a boat’s loaded height onthe trailer. Fixed-keel boats require tall trailers, makingstorage and launching more problematic. (Bruce Burton)


expressed as weight in pounds or tons, or as avolume of water in cubic feet. (Remember thatsalt water is slightly heavier than fresh water,so the displacement in cubic feet will be dif-ferent for salt and fresh water. The differencebecomes significant only with really, really bigboats—like tankers.) Knowing a boat’s dis-placement is useful when comparing boats of asimilar or identical length. For instance, if one17-footer displaces 1,100 pounds and anotherdisplaces 1,550 pounds, we can guess that thelighter of the two might have better light windperformance, or that the heavier might do bet-ter in a storm. Plenty of other factors play intothis equation, like sail area, displacement toballast ratio, wetted surface areas, and soforth, but displacement is an important factorin evaluating possible performance. At themost basic level, it affects how easily the boatcan be pulled with the family car—the lighter itis, the easier it is to haul, launch, and retrieve.

D/L RATIODisplacement to length ratio (D/L, or DLR) is anondimensional expression of how heavy aboat is in relation to its waterline length. Theformula looks like this:

D/L = (Disp/2240)/(0.01 × LWL)3

where

Disp = displacement in poundsLWL = length at waterline

So, using my Montgomery 17 as an example:

D/L = (1500/2240)/(0.01 × 15.83)3

D/L = 0.669/3.96−03

D/L = 169

Ths figure is for an empty boat with no oneaboard and no gear. If I add 150 pounds formyself and 250 pounds for the motor, gas, waterin the tanks, and swim noodles, I get a morerealistic figure of about 214. The following chartshows the DLRs calculated for a range of boats.

Light racing multihull 40–50Ultralight ocean racer 60–100Very light ocean racer 100–150

Light cruiser-racer 150–200Light cruiser 200–250Average cruiser 250–300Heavy cruiser 300–up

You won’t find any heavy-displacement trail-erables these days. In fact, they’re pretty rareamong larger boats as well. The trend over thelast forty years or so has been toward lighterboats. Fiberglass is an inherently lighter con-struction material, and hull shapes that origi-nally took a lot of wood have been adapted tofiberglass using less material by weight.

Lighter displacement makes more sense fora trailer sailer, but only up to a point. If a boat istoo light, the stress of regular use will cause it towear out much more quickly. Putting a boat ona trailer often increases the point loading on thehull, where the weight of the boat is concen-trated at fewer places on the hull—specificallythe turn of the bilge, the keel, and the bow. Youwill occasionally see older lightweight boatswith depressions in the hull caused by an ill-fitting trailer or poorly placed chocks.

This is more often a concern when lookingat older racing sailboats, though some low-cost boats suffer from inadequate structuralstrength. It is often said that you buy sailboatsby the pound, with heavier boats naturallycosting more. High-tech racers are the excep-tion, of course.

BALLASTAll sailboats have some form of ballast, whichis any kind of heavy, dense material placed aslow as possible in the hull. It helps provide theboat’s righting moment, which is really a fancyterm for gravity at work—when the wind heelsthe boat, the righting moment resists thewind’s force, keeping the mast as vertical aspossible. Gravity is pulling at the heavy keel,trying its best to bring it to the bottom of thesea. The buoyancy of the hull prevents gravityfrom accomplishing its mission, provided wecan keep the ocean out of the boat. This is amajor tenet of any form of boating. As the boatheels, and the bottom ballast becomes more

24


horizontal, the weight of the keel counteractsthe heeling force of the wind, and the boatreaches a balance point.

Most boats have ballast that is either lead,cast iron, steel or steel punchings, concrete,or, in some newer designs, water. Lead bal-last is most desirable—its high density getsthe weight as low as possible in the hull,where it is most effective—but it’s alsoexpensive. The trouble with steel ballast isthat it can corrode, and rust expands withgreat force. Concrete is cheap and doesn’trust, but its density is comparatively low. Iftwo identical boats were built, one ballastedwith lead and the other with concrete, theconcrete boat would have a greater tendencyto roll.

Cast-iron ballast is often found as a swingkeel. While cast-iron keels can and do rust,cast iron is preferred—here’s why.

I’ve owned two trailer sailers with two dif-ferent types of ballast. The first boat had aswing keel made of three half-inch steel plateswelded together. When the boat was originallybuilt, this very heavy assembly was laid in amold with a few layers of fiberglass and filledwith resin. This keel worked fine for a fewyears, but polyester resin, without much fiber-glass to reinforce it, is fairly brittle. Smallstress cracks appeared, and water found itsway to the steel core. The resulting rustexpanded, pushing the brittle resin/glass cov-ering away from the core. This allowed morewater in, which finally swelled the keel somuch that it jammed tight against the center-board trunk.

I was able to fix it, but the work took sev-eral weeks. I had to strip everything off, sand-blast the core, and relaminate the whole thingwith several layers of glass and epoxy resin. Itwasn’t a lot of fun.

My current trailer sailer has a cast-iron cen-terboard that is housed in an external stubkeel. (This is like a shallow keel with a slot in itfor the centerboard.) While the centerboardprovides some ballast (180 pounds), most ofthe ballast is in the keel, along the sides of the

centerboard slot. This centerboard also gotstuck because of corrosion, but repairing acast-iron centerboard is a much simplerprocess. I removed the centerboard, had itsandblasted, and painted it with primer. I tookthe optional step of filling and smoothing someof the deep pits, then sanded, painted, andreinstalled the board. It was still a pain, it wasa lot easier than rebuilding the keel from thecore up.

Water ballast for trailerable sailboatsisn’t a new idea, but it has recently beenembraced by contemporary boatbuilders.When the boat is on the trailer, we want thelightest boat possible, but when it’s in thewater, we need more weight. Water is prettydarned heavy, but this approach does pre-sent some design challenges. For water to beeffective as ballast, it needs to be above thewaterline. Otherwise it’s neutrally buoyant,and has little effect other than to lower theboat in the water. Water ballast tanks areusually filled by opening a valve when theboat is launched, allowing the tanks to fill.The same valve drains the tanks when theboat is on the trailer. Some racing boats havemore complex arrangements, using pumpsto move the water to the windward tank andincrease its effect. Popular water-ballasteddesigns include the Hunter 240, theMacGregor 26, and the Catalina 250. As theboat heels, water ballast is sometimes liftedabove the waterline, where it becomes moreeffective, but this depends on the design ofthe boat. Water-ballasted boats are some-times reported to be initially tender, and theplumbing/piping systems can be complex.But they can work well—I once sailed in sideby side with a newer water-ballastedMacGregor, which performed admirably. Itwas quite a bit faster, and pointed almostfive degrees higher than my traditionally bal-lasted boat.

Water ballasting does have a drawback,though. In 2002, the Burlington Free Press

ran a story of a water-ballasted sailboat thatcapsized when the operator reportedly

25


overloaded the boat. Seven adults were ondeck, but three children were below. Theywere wearing PFDs, but two of thembecame entangled in gear and drowned.One reason the boat capsized was that theballast tanks were never filled. The opera-tor, who had borrowed the boat and didn’tknow about the necessity of filling the bal-last tanks, was charged with BWI (BoatingWhile Intoxicated) and manslaughter. Themoral of this story isn’t to condemn waterballast, but a warning to know your boatand its systems, and take your responsibil-ity as captain seriously.

SAIL AREAStill another predictor of sailboat performanceis sail area. Published specifications usuallylist the sail area of a boat as a combination ofmainsail and working jib, but of course the sailarea can be adjusted to suit conditions. Manyolder designs (from the mid-1960s) often hadshorter masts and long booms. These are con-sidered low-aspect-ratio mainsails. On newerdesigns, the booms are shorter and the masts

are taller—known as high-aspect-ratio main-sails. These are most often seen on modernracing boats.

One of the reasons modern boats havehigher-aspect rigs is function—some boatsthat are raced and cruised need high perfor-mance upwind. Another reason is style ratherthan function: boats that look fast sell better.But they may also be more expensive, morecomplicated to rig, and trickier to sail well offthe wind.

On a race boat, the high-aspect rig getsmore sail higher up, and it’s a screamerupwind. But off the wind, the sail doesn’t per-form as well—it’s more likely to stall, whichmeans the wind doesn’t flow smoothly acrossthe sail’s surface. A tall mast is also more dif-ficult to raise at the ramp, and often requiresmore stays to give it strength than a shortermast would. My point is that you shouldn’tdismiss an older design as old-fashioned,since a more moderate mainsail might be abetter all-around performer. Remember toothat taller masts need deeper keels to balancethem.

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high-aspect mainsail low-aspect mainsail

The boat on the left, a racer with a fin keel, has a high-aspect mainsail. The older, full-keel cruiser onthe right has a longer boom and a low-aspect mainsail. (Note that the standing rigging has beeneliminated in both illustrations for clarity.)


RIGGINGMost trailer sailers are masthead sloops, and itcan be said that smaller boats have simplerrigs. With each increase in size, riggingbecomes a more complicated, longer task. Onepopular 16-footer, for example, has no spread-ers, a small, light mast, and no backstay. Threewires are all that’s required to hold up themast—a forestay and two shrouds. Setting upa boat like this is pretty fast, and you can oftengo from highway to dockside in about twentyminutes.

Go a little larger and you’ll find sloopsrigged with a forestay, a backstay, two lowershrouds, and two upper shrouds. In addition,there will be spreaders, which can sometimesfoul halyards and other lines when raising sail.This type of mast is taller and heavier. It’s pos-sible to rig a boat like this by yourself, but beprepared for some heavy lifting. If you com-monly rig and launch the boat alone, thensome kind of mast-raising aid is a good idea.Plan on spending thirty minutes to an hour rig-ging this boat.

Really big trailerables sometimes have a setof four lower shrouds, two uppers, a forestay,and a backstay. The mast can be so heavy thatyou cannot raise it alone—two people ormechanical aids are necessary. It can easilytake over an hour to launch a boat like this.

These launch times are approximate, ofcourse, and you can shave them down withpractice. Just watch someone who is fast andhas a lot of experience—it’s like watching astrange amateur version of an Indy pit crew inaction. Some folks on the sailing e-mail listshave proposed adding a “launching division” totheir regular schedule of races.

All sailboats have some form of runningrigging. Where the primary job of the standingrigging is to support the mast, the running rig-ging is normally used to raise and control thesails. The running rigging can range from basicto bewildering, depending on the boat design,the owner, and the type of sailing that is nor-mally done. (See the sidebar “The Differencebetween Ropes and Lines.”) Cruising sailboats

need simplicity, strength, and ease of repair.Racers need light weight, low friction, and highperformance. Being able to fine-tune the sailshape for the conditions can mean the differ-ence between winning and losing, and racingskippers lavish their boats with some amazing“deck jewelry.” Even owners of some nonrac-ing boats upgrade their running rigging toimprove performance, since in general it’smore fun to go fast on a sailboat than slow.

Some running rigging is common to all sail-boats. Halyards are the lines that lift the sails.The halyards go from deck level, through ablock at or near the top of the mast, and backto a cleat at the mast base. Three halyards arecommon—one for the mainsail, one for the

27

masthead

forestay

uppershroud

forwardlower

shroud

spreaders

backstay

aft lowershroudinternal

chainplate

external chainplate

Standing rigging—the wires and line that are stationary—are shown here on a masthead-rigged boat.


number of different forms and pass throughseveral blocks in the process. The headsailsheet (or jibsheet) is usually two lines, one portand one starboard, which often pass throughsheet lead blocks on their way back to the cock-pit. Jibsheets are commonly tensioned usingwinches at the cockpit on trailerable sailboats.

Running rigging can go far beyond thebasics, however. A sailboat may have thefollowing:

A traveler, which is often a rail and car arrange-ment that spans the cockpit. It adjusts theangle of pull on the mainsheet. Older woodenboats used an iron bar through a ring.

A boom vang, which tensions the boom down-ward to give a flatter sail.

A reefing system, such as slab or jiffy reefing,designed to make reducing sail easier.

A barber hauler, which adjusts the jibsheet anglewithout using a track. (See “The BarberHauler” in Chapter 8.)

A roller-furling jib, with corresponding controllines led aft to the cockpit.

This is just a start. There are dozens oftweaks and modifications that can be made torunning rigging. Some might be consideredessential to one sailer, and expensive frivolity toanother. More on running rigging is covered inChapter 8, but the finer points and multitude ofpossibilities could take up an entire book alone.(In fact, one of the better books on the subjectis The Optimum Sailboat: Racing the Cruiser

and Cruising the Racer by Ronald Florence. It’sout of print but available used on the Internet.)

28

jibsheet

forehalyard

boomvang

travelercontrol lines

mainsheet

outhaul

mainhalyard

toppinglift

(halyards arecleated at the

mast base)

The primary function of running rigging—the various lines thatusually move aboard ship—is to lift and/or adjust the sails.

The Difference between Ropes and LinesBelieve it or not, you will find very few ropes on a sailboat. If you’re new to sailing, I can imagine yourdisbelief—“Whaddaya, crazy? There’s millions of ‘em!” But on a sailboat, they aren’t called ropes. Ropeis the raw material that comes on a spool in 600-foot lengths. Once the rope is cut off the spool and givena specific job, it’s called a line. The only two exceptions that I can think of are the bellrope, used to ring theship’s bell, and the boltrope, sewn into the edge of the sail.

Sailboats do have lots of lines, but after a few times out, they won’t seem so confusing. Most boatshave the same lines for the same job, but the major ones to remember are halyards and sheets. Halyards liftthe sails, and sheets control them. If you can remember those two, then you’ll be way ahead. There are a fewothers, such as a lift, which is intuitive—the line that holds the boom up when the mainsail is down is calledthe topping lift.

headsail, and one for either the spinnaker or aspare headsail.

Sheets are lines that pull the sail in. Themainsheet attaches to the boom at one end andthe boat at the other. Mainsheets can take a

Let’s say I’ve convinced you, and you’vedecided to buy a sailboat. What are youroptions? You can:

Buy a new sailboatBuy a used boat in good, ready-to-sail conditionBuy a neglected boat in poor condition and fix

her up

You may have other options as well, likepartnership or multiple-owner situations, sail-ing clubs where the members own the boats,charter lease-to-own arrangements, and so on.However, these creative options are mostoften employed with larger boats, and I haveno direct experience with them. One boat, oneowner is the most common situation, andthat’s what we’ll confine our discussions to forthe purposes of this book.

WHERE TO LOOKThere are plenty of places to look for a boat. Ifyou’re interested in a new boat, a boat showcan be a great place to start—as long as itincludes sailboats, of course. Check the show’swebsite; most have a published list ofexhibitors. If you’ve got your heart set on aparticular design, though, you may have totravel to the factory to see a new one.Fortunately, trailerable sailboats lend them-selves to dealer distribution, and many manu-facturers have dealer arrangements where youcan see and even sail a new boat. (See theGallery at the back of this book for a samplingof many trailerable boats.)

Used boats may be easier to find or harder,depending on where you live. Newspaper clas-sified ads can be a good source, and it’s possi-ble to browse major newspapers for coastalcities at larger libraries. I found my boat bysubscribing to an e-mail list for Montgomerysailboats and asking around. BucNet.com is abrokerage website that lists thousands ofboats, but only those being sold through a bro-kerage. And of course boats are listed on eBay,but this can be risky; there are some veryunscrupulous sellers of sailboats out there. It’simpossible to properly assess the condition orrepairs needed without physically examiningthe boat yourself, and the boat you’ll be inter-ested in will invariably be located a thousandmiles away. Hire a surveyor if you are con-sidering an eBay purchase.

Some of the very best deals are still foundthe old-fashioned way–-simple footwork. Pokearound in the back lots of marinas or storageyards for a “for sale” sign on the bow. Makinga few phone calls ahead of time can put youon the trail of the perfect used boat.

Traditionally, if you were buying a largersailboat with the help of a broker, you wouldfirst look over a few boats in your size/pricerange, and then perhaps make an offer onone. (Your options may be different for asmall, trailerable boat, but it helps to under-stand the typical boat-buying process.) Thefirst offer is usually lower than the askingprice. Your offer is accompanied by somecash, which is held in an escrow account,until the sale is finalized and your offer

29

CHAPTER THREE

Evaluating Trailerable Sailboats

29


accepted. Your offer is usually contingent onthree important things:

1. Suitable financing2. Acceptable survey3. Acceptable sea trial

If any one of these conditions is not satis-fied, the deal can be called off and your depositreturned. At least, that was the case with mybroker. Check the paperwork carefully to makesure of the terms. It might be reasonable for thebroker to keep a percentage of your deposit todiscourage tire-kickers, who will drag a brokerto a dozen different marinas looking at boatswhen they have no intention of actually buyingone. But remember that the broker’s commis-sion comes out of the amount you give to theseller; you don’t pay the broker yourself. (Inother words, the final accepted offer is theprice you pay. You don’t settle on a price, andthen add a broker’s commission on top of that.)As with houses, the broker is working for theseller, not the buyer, although it is obviously ina broker’s best interest to sell boats. Brokerswork best when they keep both sides happy.My point is, don’t expect a broker to pull youaside and say, “Look, pal, don’t buy this boat—the exhaust system is all below the waterlineand hasn’t been maintained in years. She couldsink any minute.” It’s up to you and your sur-veyor to find the boat’s faults and use them tolower the price. Hopefully you’ll catch that cor-roded exhaust before you finalize the deal.

When you buy a smaller, trailerable sailboat,you may not go through all these steps. If you’repaying cash, you don’t need a financing contin-gency. You may or may not want to hire a sur-veyor, and the boat may or may not be availablefor sea trials. But this traditional boat-buyingmodel can still be very useful. If you are buyingyour boat from an individual rather than a bro-ker, then it might help you to structure the dealfollowing the traditional model—make a smalldeposit, agree on a price, then arrange financ-ing, survey, and sea trial. If any of those stepsturns up major shortcomings, you either rene-gotiate the price or cancel the deal.

NEW BOATSBuying a new boat is the easiest way to get onthe water in a nice sailboat. It’s also the mostexpensive.

Buying the boat is only part of the story—you’ve still got to equip it for sailing. Newboats are usually pretty bare sailing plat-forms, and the price doesn’t include much ofthe necessary equipment: anchors, life jack-ets, fire extinguishers, a VHF radio, a depthsounder, and other basic safety equipment(see Chapter 5 for lists of required and optionalsafety equipment). Plus there’s loads of gearthat doesn’t count as safety equipment but isnice to have—a stove for the galley, eatingutensils, a cooler. The list of things that canbe handy to have aboard is almost endless.And don’t forget that a trailer and motorare usually options—that is, they’re pricedseparately—though these can usually befinanced as part of the purchase price. Taxeswill be higher on a new boat, and you’ll losemore to depreciation. The plus side? Yourmaintenance costs will be fairly low for thefirst few years. And, of course, a brand-newboat can be a joy to own. Just make sure youcan handle those monthly payments.

USED BOATSAnother option is to find a used, late-modelboat that has been well maintained and isready to sail. At first glance, this can seem likean expensive way to buy a sailboat. After all,it’s not impossible to find two identical boats—one in great shape, the other a fixer-upper—where the well-maintained sailboat is selling atdouble the price. Many times (but not always)the more expensive boat is the better buy.Here’s why.

Let’s suppose the better boat has a fairlynew motor in good running condition, a fewextra headsails, a working VHF and depthsounder, all the required safety gear, and acouple of anchors. Everything works on thisboat; nothing is broken or worn out to thepoint of needing immediate replacement. Notonly can you immediately start enjoying your

30

EVALUATING TRAILERABLE SAILBOATS

sailboat, you’ll find you have to spend much

less on equipment at the outset. What you dobuy will be more personal in nature, like foul-weather gear rather than equipment for theboat, like a fire extinguisher.

A boat that is better maintained costs lessto own in other areas as well. The simple act ofkeeping the hull and topsides waxed (and cov-ered in the off-season) will keep the fiberglasslooking new, and a conscientious owner ismuch more likely to take this step. This willsave you the labor and expense of a paint jobin later years.

The downside of this approach is eco-nomic, as you’ll need more bucks to take thispath. Financing is sometimes difficult, as itcan be hard to convince a bank that this boatis worth more. You may need to come upwith the difference between asking priceand the book value in cash. And if you’retalking about an older boat in great shape,the bank may refuse the loan on the basis ofthe boat’s age.

FIXER-UPPERSYour third option is to buy cheap and fix it up.I’ve done it, and it can be done, but it’s not mypreferred way to buy a boat. There are advan-tages—you need only a small amount of cash atthe start, a fraction of what’s required for a newboat—but the work and ongoing expenses canseem endless. You need skills, time, and a will-ingness to enjoy boatwork should you take thisroute. With some folks, because of money, thisis the only option available. That was certainlythe case with my first trailer sailer, a 1972MacGregor Venture 222. If this describes yoursituation, then go for it, but arm yourself withknowledge before making your purchase. Readas many books as you can on the subject of sail-boat restoration. (My mother says the bestbook to get is Fix It and Sail, written by BrianGilbert and published by International Marine,but there are a number of other helpful books.)Read all you can, and talk with other boatrestorers out there. (See the Bibliography for alist of resources on sailboat restoration.)

It’s smart to fix up a boat that has a higherresale value or a proven track record of sailingability over an older, relatively unknown design.For example, a Catalina 22 is a very commonboat with an active owners’ association. Thiswould be a better restoration choice than, say, aLuger, which was sold as a kit to be completedby the owner. My own Montgomery 17 would bea better choice than my previous MacGregor 22,even though my Monty cost almost seven timeswhat I paid for the MacGregor. (It was in much

better shape, though.)It can be more economical to restore a

smaller boat rather than a larger one. ASeaward 17 can be brought back in less timeand at lower cost than a Buccaneer 25, ifboth are in relatively the same starting con-dition. You may discover a hidden talent forboatwork and find that you can’t wait tostart on a larger boat. Or you may discoverthat it’s much harder than it looks, and swearthat your next boat will be in better shape tostart with.

There is one undeniable advantage torestoring a trailerable sailboat, and that’s theeducation it provides. Sure, it’s a school ofhard knocks, and the tuition can be prettysteep. But once you’ve completed a restora-tion and brought a junker back to grade-A sea-worthy standard, you’ll know your boat insideand out. If you’re out sailing and somethinggoes wrong, you’ll be much more able toassess the situation quickly and implementrepairs, often without calling for help—whichmay or may not be available. This ability is asafety issue and is thus an important part ofyour responsibility as captain and owner ofyour vessel.

SURVEYING A USED BOAT My three sailboat buying choices—new, good-condition used, and fixer-upper—are arbi-trary conditions. There are a million shades ofgray when it comes to boat condition, and it’sup to you as the buyer to determine the sea-worthiness of the used craft you’re thinkingof purchasing.

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Depending on the boat and the price, itmight be wise to hire a professional surveyor.It is customary with larger boats to hire a sur-veyor to look over a boat and issue a profes-sional written opinion, much like a houseinspection. Some banks require a professionalsurvey before issuing a used-boat loan.Surveys are not cheap—they often start at$300 and can go much higher. Some surveyorsrequire a haulout and unstepping the mast, butthis isn’t nearly so difficult with trailerablesailboats unless the boat is being sold withouta trailer.

For older boats with a lower book valueand selling price, though, the cost of a sur-veyor becomes harder to justify. With a fixer-upper, a surveyor is likely to take one lookand say, “She’s shot, Captain. Find yourselfanother.” You might be able to find a sur-veyor who is sympathetic to your needs andwill help you find a restorable fixer-upperversus a boat that, for all practical purposes,cannot be fixed. It doesn’t hurt to make a fewphone calls. But remember, the surveyor issupposed to work for you. I wouldn’t rely ona survey provided by a seller, especially if thesurvey is a few years old. There have beencases where an unscrupulous broker kicksback part of the commission to a “surveyor”who issues a favorable report. This is rare(it’s also illegal), but it has happened. So findyour own surveyor; don’t rely on a recom-mendation from a broker or a seller. Also,remember that a surveyor’s word is notgospel. A recent letter in Practical Sailor

tells of two surveyors hired by an owner whowas selling his boat. The first surveyor gavethe boat a fair market value of $33,000, say-ing the boat was “a moderately built produc-tion model using poor-quality marinematerials.” The second surveyor valued thesame boat at $45,000 to $50,000, and calledit “an excellent coastal or inland watercruiser/racer.” Surveyors are people, too, andnot without their biases. It’s a good idea toask any surveyor whom you are consideringhiring to provide a sample report or two for

you to look over. It is possible for you to doyour own survey on a low-priced sailboat. It’svery hard to be objective, and a pro will prob-ably do a better job, but it can be done. First,do your homework. Read at least one of thebooks on surveying in the Bibliography. Ifyou’re new to sailing, bone up on basic boatterminology. (See the sidebar “Parts of aTrailer Sailer.”) While I was writing about boatsurveying in Fix It and Sail, I came up with alist of deal killers that can make restoring aboat unfeasible at any price. Here’s my list:

• Structural cracks or holes in the hull• Missing major equipment, like a mast, boom,

standing rigging, or sails• Extensive wood rot• A “partially restored” boat

A boat with these problems earns an auto-matic “no, thanks,” even if the boat is nearlyfree. It often costs more than the boat is worthto put these problems right. In addition, any ofthe following items should rate big discounts:

• Any trailerable sailboat without some kind ofmotor or trailer

• Any sailboat without a fiberglass interior liner• A heavily modified sailboat• Any sailboat with a spongy deck• A filthy boat, especially one with standing

water in the interior• A boat with missing or hopelessly rotten

cushions

A boat with any of these problems, whilenot automatically rejected, must be heavily dis-counted by the seller in order to be considered.Correcting these problems can require a seriouscommitment, and sometimes they can’t be fixedat all. Do not be fooled by the seller’s claims that“all she needs is a good cleaning” or “needs alittle TLC.” Such phrases should be illegal whendescribing boats for sale. These terms are sell-erspeak for “needs more dollars in repairs thanI could ever hope to get for her if she werefixed.” Think about it—if all she really neededwas a good cleaning, then the seller would giveher one and ask more for the boat.

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EVALUATING TRAILERABLE SAILBOATS 33

Never look at a boat without knowing the

book value first! (See “Book Value” in Chapter 1.)If the seller wants a great deal more than thebook value, you should mention that fact to himor her. They’ll feign ignorance, but it’s a fairlysafe bet that the seller has looked up the bookvalue, too. And remember, the bank won’t loanany more than the book value. This works tothe buyer’s advantage with boats in good con-dition, and to the seller’s advantage with boatsin poor condition. Well-maintained boats gen-erally sell quickly, while boats that are dirty orunmaintained can take forever to sell.

So let’s take an imaginary look at a hypo-thetical trailer sailer. Say you’ve got your eyeon a 1978 O’Day 22 that’s down at the localmarina. The asking price is $2,250, not too bad.She comes with an old Evinrude outboard and

a trailer. The BUC value for this boat is $2,500to $2,900, so the asking price is pretty good.And we’re lucky—a profile of this particularboat appears in Practical Sailor’s Practical

Boat Buying, where we learn that this boathas a shallow fixed keel and a fairly basic inte-rior. As an option, some boats were built withcenterboards, and some with deep-draft finkeels, each giving better sailing performanceand pointing ability than the standard shoal-draft fixed-keel model. If this boat has one ofthose two options, that’s a plus, as she’ll sailbetter than the standard model.

Armed with this knowledge beforehand,you’re ready to take a look. Bring along a fewtools when you look at a boat—a clipboardand a pen to take notes, a pocketknife or fineice pick to check for rot, and a small digital

Parts of a Trailer SailerIf you’re new to sailing, it will seem like every little bit of your boat has an arcane and obscure name. Don’tpanic. You’ll find most of these terms will come naturally with use.

(Continued)

rudder

keel

centerboard

bobstay

portlightchainplatecockpit coaming

bowsprit

whiskerstays

foredecktraveler track

footwell

boomkincompanionway hatch

On deck.

FINDING YOUR SAILBOAT34

settee berthgalley

head

cabin sole

motorwell

mizzenmast

companionway

companionwayhatch

main mast

ceiling

overheadbulkhead

centerboardcenterboard pivot

centerboardtrunk

centerboardpendant

rudderpost

Down below.

This is one of those situations where pictures truly are worth a thousand words, so study thedrawings labeled here. The parts of your boat may not look exactly the same as what you seehere, but they will be similar. Many trailerable sailboat manufacturers use the same handful ofhardware suppliers, so you might see the exact same mast step used on a 1976 O’Day 22 and a2004 Precision 18.

As your nautical vocabulary expands, don’t get too hung up on terms, insisting that your crewalways use the correct nautical terms. Or worse, don’t start slinging marine jargon all over theoffice, either. You’re talking about a trailerable sailboat, for heaven’s sake, not the Dorade (OlinStephen’s winner of the 1931 Transatlantic and Fastnet races). It’s more important to be understoodthan correct—it’s better to stop the boat with a rope than to confuse your crew with commands aboutbreast lines, spring lines, and after cleats.

camera. From the outside, she doesn’t look toobad—she’s reasonably clean. The portlightsshow a number of weblike cracks, indicatingthe plastic has weakened somewhat withage. They’ll need replacing, but not imme-diately. There’s a little wood on deck that

definitely needs varnishing, but it’s teak, soyou don’t see any rot. The gelcoat looks chalky,and there are some dings and a little crazing,but this has to be expected in a boat of thisage. Some rubbing compound and wax can dowonders on hulls like this.


InteriorWhile it may seem logical to start on the out-side when examining a boat, one of the firstthings I do is take a quick look inside. This isbecause it’s common to find a used boat thatlooks pretty good from the outside but whoseinterior is a nightmare. It takes but a quickglance (and a sniff) to know whether any bigdiscounter problems lurk belowdeck. If theseller expects to sell a boat for a hundred bucksoff the book value when the boat is a shredded-cotton mildew farm on the inside, then I knowthat to go much further is a waste of time.

If you don’t see the cushions, ask aboutthem. Some conscientious owners take themoff the boat and store them at home during theoff-season, which helps to significantly extendtheir life. But if the seller says, “They kept get-ting wet so we threw them away,” alarmsshould go off in your head. One, there’s anuncorrected leak somewhere in the deck thathas probably rotted the deck core as well asruined the cushions. Two, here’s an owner whodoesn’t care about problems on his boat.Three, replacing a full set of boat cushions willcost at least $400 if you do all the work your-self, and $1,500 or more to have it done by apro. Hopefully the cushions will be there.

A disgustingly filthy, mildewed interior usu-ally earns at least a 50 percent reduction inboat value, possibly more. All that muck usu-ally hides a multitude of problems that youwon’t discover until after two weeks of clean-ing and repair work. Think like a drop ofwater—it’ll usually, but not always, find thelowest point in the boat. Start low and workyour way up, looking for any standing wateror evidence of standing water.

BilgeAll boats of course get a little water in themnow and again–-after all, they live in a prettywet environment. Some trailerable sailboats,especially older, deep-draft boats such as theCape Dory Typhoon or Halman 20, have a bilge,which is a space underneath the floorboardsthat collects water. This bilgewater gets pretty

nasty, with drippings from the engine, dust, andso on. It’s best to keep the bilge pumped dry,but usually it doesn’t hurt much to have a littlewater in the bilge. (It is now illegal to put any-thing in the water that causes an oily sheen toappear, and this includes oily bilgewater. Mostinboards now have a separate engine panunderneath them to catch oily drips.)

A little water in the boat for a short period oftime usually doesn’t hurt anything, but largeamounts of water left for any length of time canlead to problems. How much water is toomuch? Well, if you step below and hear a splash,that’s too much. Water shouldn’t be allowed tocome above the floorboards or saturate any ofthe interior woodwork. It’s the cycling of wet anddry that really accelerates rot in wood.

35

sheer

boltsealantrubrail

inward-facingdeck flange

inward-facingdeck flanges

can sometimesbe “head-crackers”

WL

normal bilge waterkeel bolts—watch

for corrosionexternal lead keel

A heavy-displacement keelboat showing bilge area. A smallamount of water in the bilge is no cause for alarm. Waterthat has leaked down the hull—either from deck hardwareleaks (for instance, around the base of stanchions or cleats)or from the hull-to-deck joint—can collect there.

wood trimsealant

pop rivetrubrail

outward-facingdeck flange

(less expensiveconstruction method)

no room forbilge water

pivot bolts belowwaterline can leak

WL

outward-facingflanges areeasier todamage

centerboard

A light-displacement (shoal-draft) centerboarder without abilge space. If there are leaks from the deck hardware or thehull-to-deck joint, water will accumulate on the cabin f loor.


If the boat has a hatch in the center of thefloor, lift it up to look in the bilge. Clean and dry isbest, but a small puddle shouldn’t hurt. Look forevidence of flooding and rot in any of the lowwood on the boat by poking your ice pick orpocketknife into inconspicuous areas. You’llquickly learn what rotten wood feels like–-the icepick will penetrate the wood with little resistance.

Some boats, on the other hand, don’t havea bilge. Instead, the cabin floor is the lowestpart of the boat. Underneath the fiberglass isnothing but the deep briny blue. The center-board trunk protrudes into the cabin space. MyMacGregor was designed this way.

Boats without a traditional bilge space aremore sensitive to standing water and will bemuch less tolerant of neglect. If there is a woodbulkhead that runs all the way to the floor, thenexamine the bottom of the bulkhead carefullyfor rot. A little water can do a lot of damage here,

and replacing a bulkhead is a big repair job.Ideally the fiberglass liner will extend up fromthe floor about a foot or so, and the bulkheadwill be attached to that, but this isn’t always thecase. (See the sidebar “Fiberglass Boatbuildingfor the Sealorn” for a crash course in boatconstruction.) If you don’t see any standingwater in the boat, that’s good, but now youshould look for a mud line. This is a discoloredarea where standing water has been—like a ringaround the bathtub. You’ll often see mud lines inconcealed areas rather than obvious places.

When I look at the interior of a boat, I openup all the lockers and hatches. Sometimes you’llfind a pocket of standing water that can’t drainto the bilge. Clean and dry is best, dirty is nor-mal, but puddles you can step in are a problem.

If you do find standing water, that meansthere’s a leak somewhere. You’ve got to trackit down and look for damage. Most of the

36

Fiberglass Boatbuilding for the Sealorn Naturally, building a sailboat is a complex process, but most boats have three major parts—the hull, thedeck, and the liner.

The hull is usually created first. Most are solid fiberglass, though some have a core material of balsa ordense foam between two thinner layers of fiberglass. Cored hulls are lighter and stiffer but can delami-nate as the hull ages.

Next comes the interior, often called a liner or hull sock. A complex molding containing most of thecabinets, bunk surfaces, and countertops is glassed inside the hull. Such a boat can be much cheaper tobuild, since it cuts the amount of time and skilled labor necessary to complete the boat. Better boats haveliners glassed to the hull in many places, not just a tab or two here and there. Everything attached to theinside of the hull makes it stiffer and stronger. Wiring and plumbing are often run before the liner isbonded to the hull—easier to construct initially, but harder to repair later. Wooden trim and accentpieces are fitted after the liner is in place, which can greatly enhance the interior appearance.

The advantages of using a liner are obvious for the builder, but for the owner there are pluses andminuses. On the plus side, the boat costs less, and routine maintenance is much easier. The fiberglass linerdoesn’t rot, and since it’s protected from the sun, the gelcoat lasts practically forever. One disadvantageis reduced hull strength, because every piece of furniture bonded to the hull can act as a stiffening mem-ber, and these stiffeners are greatly reduced with a liner. The other big drawback is lack of access to allparts of the hull. If you get a leak in your boat in an area that’s hidden behind an inaccessible area of theliner, your boat can sink and you’ll never know where the water is coming from. On most boats, accessand storage can be improved at the same time by adding hatches, drawers, and doors to the liner.

The deck is attached to the boat only after the interior is complete. Decks are usually cored with ply-wood, balsa, or foam, since uncored fiberglass decks flex and bounce underfoot. But if water is allowedto leak into the deck core, it rots and begins to flex. Repairs are difficult and expensive, so it pays to keepdeck hardware well sealed wherever it attaches to the deck. Really thoughtful designers and buildersdesign deck moldings so that fittings pass through solid fiberglass wherever possible.


time, puddles come from rainwater, so lookup. Any screw or bolt on the deck—used tohold various deck hardware, including stan-chions and cleats—is a potential leak, so lookcarefully for water tracks or dampness. If youfind any, then there’s a good chance that thedeck core is wet, too, and possibly rotten.Depending on the extent of the damage,repairs can be relatively simple or involvemajor work, so look carefully.

Sometimes a leak can result from a problembelow the waterline. Any hole in the hull is apotential leak, and bedding compounds (thestuff used to further seal deck hardware and var-ious other parts to the boat) do fail over time.One place particularly prone to leaks is the cen-terboard pivot bolt, and if the centerboard caseis inside the boat rather than under it, a leak herebecomes a particular nuisance. My MacGregorhad this problem. Despite extensive reinforce-ment and upgrades, the heavy centerboard bentthe pivot bolt a little and resulted in a slow,weeping leak after three seasons in the water.The only fix was to continue increasing the boltsize, which is a big job—I had already increasedthe pivot bolt from 1/2 inch to a 5/8-inch grade8 bolt. So if you can see the centerboard pivotbolt from the cabin, examine it carefully.

If, during your search for rot, you find anyrusty fittings, note them, because they’ll haveto be replaced. All fittings on the boat shouldideally be stainless steel or bronze, and some-times you’ll see some mild steel fittings thathave been added by the current owner.Occasionally these can work well–-I had ahardware-store-variety spring bracket on myCatalina 27 that saw five years of constant live-aboard use, and it worked fine–-but if a fittinglooks rusty, you should probably plan onreplacing it with something more durable, likebronze or stainless. You should also be awarethat certain grades of inexpensive stainlesssteel will rust if conditions are right. Bewarned that rusty stainless can fail very sud-denly, without further warning, so be espe-cially concerned if you see rusty stainless boltsor chainplates.

MildewMildew is a problem common to most boats.(See “Preventing Water and Mildew Belowdeck”in Chapter 13.) In the boats I’ve owned, mildewtakes the form of small black spots on fiberglassor cloth, or a grayish powder that forms onwood surfaces. On hard surfaces, it’s prettyeasy to wipe off using a damp rag with a littlePine-Sol. However, once mildew gets intofabric, like sails or light-colored cushions, it’sreally difficult, sometimes impossible, to remove.This brings out my pet peeve with many manu-facturers of trailerable sailboats, and that’s fab-ric that is permanently bonded to the hull. Apopular interior finishing method with manymanufacturers is to glue something resemblingindoor-outdoor carpet to the hull sides and over-head (the overhead is the interior surface of theboat), which looks great for four years or so. Itinsulates the hull and topsides (topsides isanother term for on deck, meaning outside theboat), preventing condensation and reducingnoise belowdeck. But after the warranty expiresand a good healthy crop of mold sets in, it’snearly impossible to clean. Some builders pro-vide a method for removing and cleaning thesecovers, but this is seldom the case with lessexpensive boats. A boat like this has to be keptdry. A week in the summer with a foot of wateron the floorboards would be disastrous, so if theboat you’re looking at has an interior that resem-bles a sheik’s tent, understand that it’ll requirediligence to keep the insides nice.

Electrical SystemChances are your prospective boat has somekind of electrical system. In its simplest form,an electrical system means a battery, a fewswitches, and some lights, but things are rarelythis simple in the real world. Multiple batter-ies, distribution panels, chargers, radios, andother electronic navigation equipment arecommonplace on trailerable sailboats thesedays. But is all this stuff necessary?

In a word, no. You aren’t required to have anyelectrical equipment on board whatsoever, anda few souls still safely sail without it. Kerosene

37


can be used for lighting, even for navigationlights, and battery-operated equipment is gettingmore efficient every day. But most of us wantsome kind of electrical capability on board.

Most people don’t think much about theirelectrical system until something goes wrong.When it does, even the simplest system canseem maddeningly complicated as you try totrace the source of a problem. When surveying aused boat, try to ascertain whether all the elec-trical components are functioning properly. Theworst kind of electrical problem to correct isone that works only part of the time. The ques-tion then becomes whether to fix just that single

problem or replace the entire system. There areoften sound reasons for replacing rather thanrepairing electrical systems, especially on olderboats. Electrical systems were often optional,and many boats were sold without electrical sys-tems to lower the purchase price. The electricalsystem may have been added later by a less-than-knowledgeable owner. Some factory-installedsystems were very marginal indeed—the wiringon my old MacGregor was just plain terrible. Idon’t know if the lamp cord was installed by thefactory or a previous owner, but it was a tangledmess of bad splices and substandard practice.Lamp cord is cheap wire that you can get at ahardware store, and it should never be usedaboard a boat. In fact, all components of the elec-trical system should be rated for marine use orthey will corrode in the damp environment.Corroded electrical components can easily over-heat and cause a fire. Marine-rated componentsaren’t cheap, and the differences aren’t readilyapparent at a glance, but you should never skimpin this area—you’ll likely regret it later.

No battery should ever be installed aboarda boat without a good, sealed, marine-gradebattery switch. If you ever do have an electri-cal problem, it’s imperative that you be able todisconnect the power source or your day willonly get worse. Good switches are sealed andspark-proof, and they’re rated for continuoushigh-amperage operation without overheating.

38

The electrical “system” I found on my MacGregor 222.

The rewired MacGregor electrical system. Labeling andbundling every wire makes tracing problems far easier.

A heavy-duty battery switch for a single battery.This one does not include an alternator fielddisconnect, and could damage your alternator ifswitched while running your motor, if so equipped.


If the boat doesn’t have a battery switch orneeds a new one, consider getting a two-batteryswitch rather than a simple one-battery, on-offswitch. A two-battery switch costs only a littlemore, and allows you to easily increase yourtotal battery power later by adding a secondbattery. You don’t have to connect battery #2for the switch to work. Be careful of lessexpensive battery switches, because some—like the one on my old Catalina—don’t have analternator field disconnect. When you changethe position of the switch from battery #1 tobattery #2, there is a split second when theswitch is open, with no load on it at all. If yourengine has a charging alternator connected tothe switch, and it goes into a no-load condi-tion, the diodes in the alternator will blow. Analternator field disconnect has a line that effec-tively turns off the alternator when you switchbatteries, saving your diodes from damage. If itsounds like I learned this the hard way, you’reright—I had to replace my alternator after Iswitched batteries while charging.

Plumbing/SeacocksHow many holes does a sailboat have throughits hull? Most reasonable people would saynone, ’cause if it had a hole, it wouldn’t float.While this is technically true, nearly all sail-boats come with several holes already drilledthrough the hull, and any one of them has thepotential to sink the boat if these holes arelocated below the waterline. That’s how I liketo think about the boat’s plumbing.

All the holes in your potential purchase, iflocated near or below the waterline, shouldhave proper seacocks attached. Some builderssave money by connecting hoses directly tothrough-hulls, which are bronze or plasticflanges that screw tightly against the hull. Noshutoff valves of any kind. These installationsshould be upgraded immediately to includeseacocks, and while you’re at it, you might aswell replace the plastic through-hulls withbronze. Even worse are hardware-store gatevalves, with wheels that you turn to screw thevalve closed. These are especially dangerous

and should be replaced. Bronze and stainlessball valves on a bronze through-hull, with aproper plywood backing pad against the insidesurface of the hull, aren’t as good as seacocks,but they are far better than gate valves.

All hoses should be thick, very strong, fiberreinforced, and resistant to chemicals and heat.Clear hose should never be used below thewaterline, and garden hose should be used onlyfor washing down the boat. If you see any bulgesor cracking in the hose, it should be replaced.

Also take a close look at the hose clamps,because the best hose in the world is useless if

39

Seacocks should be double-clamped with all-stainlesshose clamps. This installation shows a marine-relatedball valve attached to a through-hull—not the bestarrangement. True seacocks have a f lange on the basethat is bolted to the surface of the hull.


it slips off the seacock. All hoses should bedouble clamped, and any rusting meansreplacement. Some hose clamps are made withcheaper grades of stainless and are more likelyto rust, especially the screws. Check with amagnet if you have any doubts: in general, asthe grade of stainless gets higher, the magneticattraction gets lower.

So, we’ve pretty much gone over the entireinside. Note any leaks, rot, water damage, andbroken equipment in your notebook. If you’renot scared off at this point, turn your attentionto the deck and the rig.

ExteriorDeckThe first thing I do is use my not-unsubstantialweight to check the deck core. I take off myshoes and walk carefully around all the sur-faces of the deck, taking small, closely spacedsteps, making a note of anyplace the deck feelsspongy. If the boat is an older, less-expensive

model, then more likely than not you’ll find atleast some deck rot. Pay particular attention toareas around the mast, stanchions, fittings, anddeck blocks—anywhere hardware is boltedthrough the deck is a potential source for leaksand core rot. Small areas can often be fixedfairly easily, but large areas—let’s say largerthan about a square foot—can mean a bigrepair job. How big? See “Repairing Deck Rot”in Chapter 13. If deck rot is the only problemon an otherwise great boat, then I might beinclined to buy it with a significant discount,but this is rarely the case. This problem is eas-ily prevented by proper sealing and bedding offittings on the deck, but it’s unfortunately fartoo common a problem on older sailboats.

40

Straight Threads or Tapered?One of the problems with using gate valves or ball valveson your boat is the threads. The plumbing in your houseuses a special thread called NPT (National Pipe Tapered).Tapered threads are designed to screw together for afew turns and jam tightly, making a watertight seal. Butthe through-hull fittings you buy at the chandlery useNPS (National Pipe Straight) thread. These threads willscrew their entire length without jamming.

If you mix threads, the result is a joint that screws inonly partially, engaging just a few threads and making aweak connection that’s more likely to leak.

You want to have all the threads match on any below-the-waterline fittings. Look for the letters NPS or NPTstamped somewhere on any fittings you plan to use.Using all NPS threads is preferable, but if you must, atapered thread can be used as long as both male andfemale surfaces use the same type of thread. Special sea-cock bases are available with straight threads on the out-board end and tapered threads on the inboard, making apseudo-seacock using a standard ball valve.

Look carefully at this stemhead fitting (the fit-ting on the bow where the headstay attaches tothe deck). The hardware is lifting off the deck,no doubt causing a leak down into the interior.If the deck is cored in this area, then the core isrotting. (All boats have some sort of core in thedeck area, either of plywood, balsa, or foam.The best boats have solid fiberglass where fit-tings are mounted, but that level of quality ispretty rare in the trailer-sailer market.)


Note any water stains or puddles on thedeck. A properly designed boat won’t have anyareas that can trap water, but it can and doeshappen. These can be corrected by installingdrains, but hopefully you won’t see any waterstains or puddles.

HullNext, turn your attention to the hull itself.Look for bad repairs, big cracks, or dings.Since gelcoat is harder than the fiberglassunderneath, small accidents and places wherethe hull flexes under stress show up as gelcoatcracks. Some small cracks are inevitable, butextensive large cracking could indicate under-lying laminate that needs to be strengthened.This can be done by reinforcing the boat usingepoxy and glass–-if you can get to the part ofthe hull that needs attention.

But getting the gelcoat cracks filled, with aperfect color match, is a bit more problematic.Gelcoat repair kits are probably the best bet forcolored hulls, but if your hull is white like mineis, you might try Marine Tex. That’s what I’veused for a few small spots, and so far it seemsto be working fine. But then again, the gelcoaton my hull is 26 years old, and a perfect glossy

41

Small gelcoat cracks like this are mainly cosmetic.They can be filled, but may reappear again.

Larger gelcoat cracks such as these were proba-bly the result of f lexing caused by an impact. Ifany large f lakes have popped off, the gelcoatshould be repaired.

A boat this bad needs more than just a little TLC. This will take major work to clean up.


color match isn’t the same priority as it wouldbe on a newer boat. Epoxy compounds oftenyellow (or even fail to bond completely in thecase of clear epoxies) in the sunlight, sinceepoxy is sensitive to both heat and UV rays.

BlistersAn older boat that has been sitting in the waterfor a long time could be blistered on the bottom.Blisters were a mystery when they beganappearing on fiberglass boats because everyonethought fiberglass was completely waterproof.It isn’t. Explaining blisters is complex, buthere’s a simplified version of why they occur.

When a hull sits in the water for years, tinyamounts of water seep into the fiberglass itselfwhere it finds chemicals to bond with. Oncethe water has bonded with these chemicals,the molecules become larger, the resultingfluid (acetic acid) is trapped, and blisters form.Certain types of fiberglass—specifically,vinylester resin—are more blister-resistantthan others, such as polyester resin. Boatswith an outer layer of vinylester resin are sig-nificantly less likely to form blisters than boatsusing plain polyester resin.

Most, but not all, blisters form at the junc-tion between the gelcoat and the hull laminate.Thicker gelcoat slows blister formation butdoesn’t stop it entirely.

A blister or two isn’t much cause for con-cern, but a maze of blisters covering the entirebottom–-called boat pox—is more serious.Repair involves peeling off the outer layer andrelaminating the hull, usually with epoxy. Itrequires a big commitment of time and money,even if you plan to do the work yourself, anddeserves a hefty discount.

Keel and Keel BoltsIf the boat you’re looking at has a fixed keel,you’ll need to check the ballast attachment.Some keels have internal ballast, where thekeel cavity is filled with something heavy. Leadis best, but you’re more likely to find cast-ironweights, concrete, or steel scrap (such asboiler punchings). As long as the ballast stays

dry, it’s fine, but if water gets in and the steelstarts to rust, it swells up and you’ve got bigproblems. Some owners have gone so far as tocut the keel sides, chip out the rusting mess,and replace it with lead shot. A job like thisisn’t for the faint of heart. Look for rust stainsweeping from cracks in the keel exterior as asign of possible problems.

The other major way to install ballast is withan external keel. Here, a carefully shaped andsmoothed keel casting is bolted to the hull. Thissystem works well, but the keel bolts live in atough environment—the bilge. The keel boltsneed to stay well-sealed. Again, look for ruststains weeping from cracks or persistent leaks.If neglected long enough, the keel bolts can cor-rode completely away. Repairing or replacingkeel bolts usually requires help from the pros.

Rigging (Standing and Running)Next, look over the standing rigging and themast. The rigging should be all stainless steel,with no rust stains or darkening of the metal.Also, run a rag over all of the shrouds andstays. You are looking for fishhooks, which aresingle strands of broken wire. They’ll catch on

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Detecting broken strands is often tricky, andbreaks usually occur near areas of higheststress. In the top example, the broken strandsare easy to see at the swaged joint. In the exam-ple below, a strand hasn’t actually broken buthas slipped out of the roller-swaged joint. It’seasier to detect by touch, and the result is acompromised cable that should be replaced.


a rag, immediately notifying you of a problem.Really tough wharf-rat sailors use their barehands, in which case broken strands are called“meathooks.” No matter what you call them,they’re a particular problem with 1 × 19 stain-less steel rigging wire. (It’s called 1 × 19 becauseit’s made of nineteen strands, one wire each.)If one breaks, it’s most likely because thewhole bundle is fatigued, and now the othereighteen strands are under a higher load. You’llget no further warning that a shroud is aboutto break. Rust-stained shrouds or shrouds withfishhooks require immediate replacement, oryou risk losing your rig overboard.

The mast should be fairly straight, with nopronounced kinks or bends. Some racing boatsare set up to bend the mast aft to flatten the sail,and a gentle curve dead aft is OK, but the mastshouldn’t bend to either side at rest, and certainlynot forward. Hopefully the mast or boom isn’tperforated with holes from old fittings. A kinkedor dented mast is especially bad—I wouldn’t buya boat with this problem without consulting aprofessional rigger for a repair estimate.

Now check out the running rigging.Problems here usually take the form of worn-out blocks, dirty lines, or ineffective or cheapsail controls. These kinds of problems are usu-ally fun to fix. New blocks and lines are expen-sive, but they are usually pretty easy to install.New boats rarely come with a traveler, but it’s acommon upgrade, and you’ll often see them onboats that have been around awhile. Replacinga complete traveler is expensive, but it can berebuilt. Winches are expensive, and a boat withhigh-quality, well-functioning winches is a plus.If the winches are in poor shape, plan onreplacement costs of around $100 to $200 eachfor single-speed standard winches, $400 to $500for single-speed self-tailing winches, and $700to $1,300 each for two-speed self-tailers.

Corrosion I touched on the subject of corrosion withregard to the mast and rig, but this subjectdeserves more attention because all sailboatshave some metal aboard, and all metals corrode

in certain conditions. Several types of metal arecommonly used on sailboats. Some, like stain-less steel, are used because they resist corro-sion well. Some are used because they arestrong and light, like aluminum for masts andspars. Some metals for small fittings are usedbecause they are cheap. (You’ll see the termZamak in marine catalogs—it’s mostly zinc, andonly slightly better than pot metal.) All of themetal fittings on your boat should be eitherstainless steel, aluminum, or bronze.

The types of corrosion you’re most apt tosee are rust, crevice corrosion (both of whichaffect steel), and aluminum corrosion. Somecorrosion is inevitable; see “Dealing withCorrosion” in Chapter 13 for tips on treatmentand prevention. But when is corrosion a signifi-cant problem? Here’s what to look for.

Stainless steel comes in myriad varieties,but in boats you’ll most likely find 304, 308,316, 408, or 416. The numbers refer to theamounts of different metals (chromium,molybdenum, and nickel) in each alloy, but, ingeneral, higher numbers indicate more expen-sive steels with greater corrosion resistance.You can check stainless with a magnet–-lowergrades are magnetic and more likely to rust.

Stainless needs good air circulation to pre-vent rusting. You will often see a rust streakcoming from the drain hole of a stanchion.That’s because air doesn’t circulate inside thetube. Usually this is just a cosmetic problem,but some owners are tempted to “fix” it byplugging the drain hole, which is the worstthing to do. The stanchion should be replacedwith a higher grade of tubing.

Any deep crack in stainless steel can trapmoisture and prevent air circulation, causingcrevice corrosion. This is a serious problemwhen it occurs in rigging parts. Any rust stainsthere call for immediate replacement.

When aluminum corrodes, it often takesthe form of pitting over the surface with awhite deposit of aluminum oxide. Treatmentinvolves removing the oxide and sealing with apolish or wax. Painted aluminum will some-times corrode underneath the paint; it then

43


needs to be sanded clean, primed with a spe-cial aluminum primer, and repainted.

Plain steel on boats is usually found in only afew places–-the trailer, which I discuss in amoment–-and, in some older boats, in the swingkeel or centerboard, where its weight forms partof the ballast. As long as it’s kept perfectly sealedfrom water and air, plain steel is OK, but lead is abetter choice. It’s heavier and more expensive,but it doesn’t rust. Some swing centerboards aremade from cast iron. These need to be repaintedand faired every five to ten years or so, depend-ing on the quality of the previous job.

Bent TurnbucklesA very common problem among trailerablesailboats is bent turnbuckles. The shrouds foul

something while the mast is going up, and theturnbuckles are easily damaged. While thisdoesn’t seem like a big deal, very close inspec-tion reveals a problem.

Stainless steel is much stronger than plainsteel but more likely to crack if bent. MyMontgomery had a bent turnbuckle when Ibought it, and I didn’t think too much about itat first. Then I looked at the threads under amicroscope. I found cracks at the bottom ofthe threads. This turnbuckle was compro-mised, and if it had broken, the mast couldhave gone over the side. An event like that canruin your whole day. I replaced all the turn-buckles with new ones, just to be safe.

This problem can be lessened somewhatby adding rigging toggles to the turnbuckles,

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bent turnbuckleshould be replaced

turnbuckle toggle

chainplate

pop-rivetedattachment—should be

replaced with bolts

note failed beddingcompound—probably leaking,possibly rotten underneath

This chainplate and turnbuckle don’t look too bad at first, but close inspection reveals a number ofproblems. The bent T-bolt on the turnbuckle should be replaced, the cheap “pop rivets” drilled outand replaced with stainless machine screws, and the old, dried-out bedding compound cleaned offand renewed. Since this chainplate looks like it’s been neglected for some time, you can expect to findat least some rot underneath that should be addressed as well.


but the main thing to remember is to raise themast slowly, and have a crewmember on handto free up fouled shrouds.

Trailer If you’ve gotten this far, you’ve crossed overthe line of casual looker to serious con-tender. The subject of motor (see the nextsection) and trailer and their effect on thefinal price of a used boat can be tricky, asthese items are not usually included in theBUC value. But these are both big-ticketitems to replace. And besides, what’s a trailersailer with no trailer?

The most important feature of a boattrailer is that it exists. If the trailer is missing, itcan be difficult to find a replacement with theright measurements. Often sellers of old boatswill scrap an old, rusty trailer rather than try topreserve it, and the trailer will rust away tonothing if neglected–-especially near saltwater. This creates a problem for you, thebuyer, because you’ll often need to transportthe boat to a new location. Many boat trans-port companies will be happy to move the boatfor you, but this is rather expensive, especiallywhen you consider that boats with usable trail-ers are readily available. If you have to buy abrand-new trailer, plan on spending at least$1,500, which doesn’t make a lot of sense for aboat with a book value of $2,000.

Hopefully, though, the trailer will be there,and in reasonable condition. Don’t be botheredby some rust, but if parts of the trailer haverusted clear through, I strongly recommendpulling the trailer to a shop to have it lookedover. (Camper and RV dealers often havetrailer shops; check the Yellow Pages.) I’d evengo so far as to make this a condition of the sale.You don’t want to be responsible for an acci-dent caused by trailer failure, and since youdon’t know much about this trailer’s history,you shouldn’t take chances.

Fortunately, most trailers can be repaired.New parts are readily available, and even arusted frame can be rewelded. You can get acompletely new axle assembly, with custom

grease fittings that let you lube the bearingswithout disassembling the hubs, for about$175. If you have access to a welder, then youcan make some pretty quick upgrades in theform of extra safety chains, lifting handles, andattachment points. (See the sidebar “MakingYour Trailer Safer” in Chapter 4.)

Outboard When buying a boat, a functioning outboardin good condition is a big plus. Replacing anold, poorly functioning outboard with a newmotor is an expensive proposition—pricesstart at about $1,400—so don’t turn up yournose if the power plant on your prospectivepurchase looks old. If it runs well, it’s worthkeeping. Quiz the current owner in detailabout his outboard–-how does he like it, whatkind of oil does he use, does he have the man-ual, has the motor ever fallen off the transom,has it ever left him stranded? Start it up andlook at the exhaust–-a little smoke isexpected, but clouds from the muffler canindicate needed repairs.

If you’ve never touched a wrench in yourlife, don’t hesitate to get help from a goodmechanic. That’s the beauty of outboardsversus inboards–-you can take just the motorto the mechanic rather than hauling theentire boat. Call a few shops, tell them thatyou’re thinking of buying a boat, and askwhat they’d charge to look at a small out-board. Rates will vary but shouldn’t be toohigh. (Tips on maintaining outboards can befound in Chapter 13.)

Almost all new outboards these days usefour-stroke powerheads, while most usedmotors for sale will be two-stroke models.The two-stroke models are being phased outbecause of pollution concerns. What’s thedifference between the two? To find out, wehave to talk about engine design on a basiclevel. It may be more than you want toknow, but trust me, this info will come inhandy when your motor conks out in themiddle of the ocean, and all motors conkout eventually.

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Four-Stroke MotorsThe type of engine that you’re probably mostfamiliar with is a four-stroke design. This iswhat you’ve got in your car. Speaking on ahighly simplistic level, each cylinder has anintake valve, an exhaust valve, a piston, and aspark plug. Fuel—gasoline—is mixed with airby the carburetor and travels to the cylinder viathe intake valve. This is stroke number one, theintake stroke. The piston travels downwardduring this stroke, creating the suction thatpulls the fuel and air into the cylinder.

Next, the intake valve closes and the pistontravels upward, squeezing the fuel/air mix.This is stroke number two, the compressionstroke. Both valves are closed during this step.

Now, at just the right time, the spark plugfires. The resulting explosion drives the pistondownward. This is the ignition stroke, some-times called the power or drive stroke.

The last of the four strokes is the exhauststroke. The piston travels upward while theexhaust valve opens, pushing the smoke out ofthe cylinder.

It’s important to note that the piston is pro-ducing power only during the ignition stroke.The rotational force for the other three strokescomes from a flywheel, or, more accurately,the mass of the driveshaft, which acts as a fly-wheel.

Two-Stroke MotorsFor many years, most outboard motors werethe two-stroke variety, mainly because of theirlighter weight and greater power. Older two-stroke outboards are fairly simple machinesand will last a long time if properly cared for.However, two-strokes have several downsides.First, let’s learn how they operate.

The two-stroke design, along with theported cylinder design, was invented by JosephDay in 1889. The ports, which are simply holesin the cylinder wall, are covered and uncoveredby the piston. The ports replace the valves thatthe four-stroke requires, greatly simplifying theengine. Although most modern two-strokes usea reed or rotary valve instead of piston ports,the design is equally simple. Reed valve enginesdeliver power over a greater range of rpm,making them more useful.

The thing to remember about two-strokesis that where a four-stroke needs four motionsof the piston for each power cycle (up, down,up, down), a two-stroke does the same thing intwo motions (up, down). Explaining this is alittle tricky, but bear with me.

Let’s start as the cylinder is starting totravel upward. While fuel is being compressedat the top of the piston, a partial vacuum is cre-ated at the underside of the piston. The fueland air mix is drawn in by the vacuum, filling

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fuel and airin

smokeout

intake compression ignition (“drive”) exhaust

Four-stroke operation.


the back side of the cylinder chamber. As thepiston reaches the top of its stroke, the sparkplug fires, driving the cylinder downward. Atroughly the same time, the reed valve closes.Now, as the cylinder travels downward, com-pression is created at the underside of thecylinder, where the unburned fuel/air mix is.As the piston nears the bottom of its stroke,the exhaust port is first uncovered, allowingsome of the smoke to escape. Then the intakeport is uncovered. This allows the pressurizedfuel/air mix into the upper part of the cylinder,forcing out the rest of the smoke, and the cylin-der begins its upward journey again. So we’vetaken the processes of a four-stroke andaccomplished them in two—pretty clever, eh?

Two-Stoke versus Four-Stroke Trade-offsNow we can examine the specific trade-offs foreach type of engine. Since fuel is swirlingaround both sides of the piston in the two-stroke, lubrication will be a problem. In a four-stroke, the bottom side of the piston isn’t used,so we can give it a luxurious bath of nice, warmoil—just the sort of thing an engine likes. Wecan’t do this with a two-stroke, though, so wehave to mix some lubricating oil into the fuel.Some of this oil lubricates the engine, but someis necessarily burned along with the gas. In gen-eral, this makes two-stroke enginess more pol-luting than their four-stroke cousins, and this iswhy they are being phased out. Many inlandlakes have banned two-stroke outboardsalready, and eventually they will be a thing of

the past. As a rule, two-stroke motors arelighter, simpler, and more powerful, thoughfour-strokes have more low-end torque. Two-strokes are very sensitive to fuel, and if you usethis type of motor, the single most effectivething you can do to make sure that your engineruns well is to always, always mix your oil andfuel in exactly the correct ratio stated in yourmanual. Too much will foul your spark plugs,clog your engine with burned oil deposits, andsmoke like a chimney. Too little oil will starveyour engine of proper lubrication.

Motor MountsMost outboards these days are mounted on thetransom rather than in a motorwell, a water-tight case that was popular on early fiberglassboats. Transom motor mounts can be fixed oradjustable. Adjustable mounts are preferred,as you can raise the motor farther out of thewater, protecting the motor head from follow-ing seas. The advantages are not great enoughto warrant removing a properly installed fixedmount, though. You’ve got a little more latitudewhen installing an adjustable motor mount.

An important thing to check on any motormount is the pad that the motor itself clampsto. These are commonly made of plywood, andthey can rot. I know of one case where an out-board tore away from a rotten pad after it wasshifted into reverse. The owner naturallygrabbed his expensive motor to keep it fromsinking to a watery grave, to the great mirth ofeveryone watching at the crowded launchdock. A running motor that is not attached toa boat might make a great Hollywood comicroutine, but in real life it’s extremely danger-ous. The laughing bystanders quickly changedtheir tune when the wildly spinning propellercleared the water and started swinging theirway. Fortunately, no one was hurt, the motorwas subdued, and the experience damaged lit-tle more than pride—the owner managed toshut the motor off before water entered the airintake.

New motor mounts are built with rot-proofplastic pads, and an old one could easily be

47

compressionand ignition

intake andexhaust

fuel andair in

smokeout

Two-stroke operation.


Two views of an adjustable motor mount for an outboard. With this type of mounting bracket it ispossible to tilt the motor up, to further reduce the time the propeller sits in the water when not in use.

A fixed transom motor mount.


upgraded with StarBoard or a similar plasticbuilding material. Knowledgeable ownerscheck the motor mount screws before startingan outboard, and attach a safety leash to themotor and a strong eye somewhere on thetransom.

Outboard motors come in short- and long-shaft varieties. For a sailboat, you want thelong shaft. Typical lengths are 15 and 20inches. Short-shaft outboards are designed fordinghies and sportfishing boats, which havesmaller transoms than sailboats. Even with along shaft, it is sometimes a challenge to getthe propeller deep enough. Occasionally youwill see an extra-long-shaft outboard offered,and the venerable British Seagull outboards,which were designed for sailboats, came with28-inch shafts.

DinghyDinghies are less common among trailerablesailboats than larger boats—after all, some ofthe boats we’re cruising in aren’t a whole lotlarger than many dinghies. Storage is a prob-lem, and with rigid dinghies, towing is oftenthe only option. Inflatable dinghies, even whenrolled up, still take up a lot of space.

But dinghies can be a lot of fun, especiallyfor the sailing family. Piloting a dinghy is agreat way for a young sailor to develop skillsand learn responsibility. Also, a dinghy may be

the only way to get close to shore, and it’s greatfor exploring inshore areas, checking thedepth of unknown channels, or hauling out akedge anchor to pull yourself off a sandbar.

If your prospective purchase includes adinghy, look it over for obvious damage.Inflatables can last a long time, though the suneventually rots the fabric. Replacing an inflat-able is expensive, starting at around $1,000, soI’d try several patches before giving up on thewhole thing.

Any dinghy you buy should probably bethe smallest one you can get your hands on.A Walker Bay 8 is a good commercially avail-able model, and West Marine has a 7-foot 10-inch inflatable made by Zodiac. Both are goodchoices, though if your goal is serious long-term cruising, a larger model might be better.

Rigid dinghies can be rowed or sailed,whereas most inflatable dinghies can berowed only for a short distance in calm condi-tions. All dinghies should include basic safetyequipment, such as oars, life jackets, daytimedistress signals, flares, and an anchor. Morethan one sailor has died when a dinghy motormalfunctioned late at night and he was sweptout to sea. A nice safety improvement is a lineof small fenders attached to the gunwale—thismakes most dinghies unsinkable and more sta-ble, and they won’t bump the boat in the mid-dle of the night.

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Boat trailers come in a few differenttypes, with plenty of minor variations.These are the four basic models:

Skid-type trailersRoller-supporting trailersFloat-on trailersScrew-pad trailers

The skid type of trailer is probably themost familiar. These have long, carpet-covered“bunks” running the length of the trailer thatsupport the bottom of the boat. This is the typeof trailer you’ll find under most 15-foot motor-boats. They’re designed for boats with a rela-tively flat bottom; the boat slides along theskids until it’s in place.

The second type of trailer has supportingrollers instead of carpet-covered bunks. Therollers make it easier to position the boat whilelaunching or retrieving. A variation is the tilttrailer, which has a hinge mechanism some-where along the trailer tongue. In some casesthe tilting mechanism does make things gomore smoothly, but this depends on the boat.Many owners of tilt trailers report that whilethe tilting mechanism itself doesn’t help much,the rollers have less friction than carpet-covered bunks and thus make launching andretrieval easier. However, the boat can alsoshift during transport. Extra support straps,tie-downs, and safety chains are importantwith this type of trailer.

The third type of trailer is similar to theskid type, with long, carpet-covered bunks, butis designed to be completely immersed in thewater while the boat is floated on or off the

trailer. You’ll find float-on trailers under largerboats (about 20 feet or more) or sailboats withcurvy displacement hulls.

A fourth type of trailer specifically usedwith sailboats is the screw-pad design. Thehull is supported not by long bunks but by indi-vidual pads adjusted by screws. Depending onthe type of boat and depth of the keel, thesetrailers can be used at the ramp as a float-ontrailer, but some require a crane to lift the boaton and off the trailer.

MATCHING VEHICLE TO TRAILERAND BOAT An important part of the trailerable sailboatpackage is the vehicle used to pull the boat.Lots of cars and trucks can pull at least somekind of sailboat safely, but don’t make the mis-take I did of assuming that vehicle size or num-ber of cylinders equals towing ability. Itdoesn’t. Get the straight story directly fromyour owner’s manual. Another place toresearch tow ratings is on the Internet, atwww.trailerboats.com/towrating/. (For aninteresting comparison of towing capacity andgas mileage, see the sidebar “Tow Ratingsversus Gas Mileage.”)

Lots of variables affect a car’s towing abil-ity, like engine size, transmission type, vehicleweight, and so on. In general, bigger, heaviercars make better tow vehicles, but it takesmore gas to move them around. You’ll want anautomatic transmission, and you’ll want thefactory-installed towing package, which usu-ally consists of a transmission fluid cooler andmaybe a larger engine oil reservoir. (A manual

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CHAPTER FOUR

Trailers

50

www.trailerboats.com/towrating/

TRAILERS 51

Tow Ratings Versus Gas MileageAn interesting comparison that is not readily available is towing capacity versus fuel economy. As a vehi-cle’s ability to pull a heavy load goes up, the mileage naturally goes down, but it’s important to note thatwe pull a boat for a very small percentage of the time we use a car or truck. Still, there are some big diffsin the fuel economy of various cars and trucks.

Here is a look at a few selected models.

3,500-pound towing rangeBrand Model Towing Range EPA Mileage (HWY/CTY)Volvo S60 5-cyl sedan 3,300 20/27Saab 9-5 4-cyl sedan 3,500 19/28Nissan Quest 6-cyl minivan 3,500 19/26Toyota Sienna 6-cyl minivan 3,500 19/26Chevrolet Equinox 6-cyl SUV 3,500 19/25Saturn Vue 6-cyl SUV 3,500 19/25Dodge Caravan/GC 4/6-cyl minivan 3,800 18/25Audi A8 8-cyl sedan 3,500 18/24Chevrolet Uplander 6-cyl SUV 3,500 18/24Lexus RX330 6-cyl SUV 3,500 18/24Mercury Mariner 4/6-cyl SUV 3,500 18/23Ford Escape 6-cyl SUV 3,500 18/22Mazda Tribute 6-cyl SUV 3,500 18/22Accura MDX 6-cyl SUV 3,500 17/23Honda Pilot 6-cyl SUV 3,500 17/22Infiniti FX 6/8-cyl SUV 3,500 16/22Kia Sedona 6-cyl minivan 3,500 16/22Ford Explorer 6/8-cyl SUV 3,500 14/20

5,000-pound towing rangeBrand Model Towing Range EPA Mileage (HWY/CTY)BMW X5 8-cyl SUV 5,000 16/21Honda Ridgeline 6-cyl pickup 5,000 16/21Isuzu Ascender 6/8-cyl SUV 5,500 16/21Nissan Xterra 6-cyl SUV 5,000 16/21Chevrolet Trailblazer 6/8-cyl SUV 5,300 15/21Volvo XC90 5/6/8-cyl SUV 5,000 15/20Mercedes-Benz M-Class 6/8-cyl SUV 5,000 15/18

7,500-pound-plus towing rangeBrand Model Towing Range EPA Mileage (HWY/CTY)Volkswagen Touareg 6/8-cyl SUV 7,700 16/21Chev Silverado/GMC Sierra 6/8-cyl pickup 7,500 15/18Chevrolet Avalanche 8-cyl pickup 8,100 14/18Chev Suburban/GMC Yukon XL 8-cyl SUV 8,500 14/18

(Continued)


transmission can work—it’s what I have in myFrontier—but pulling a boat up a steep rampwith a manual transmission can be a realclutch-burner.) The fluid cooler and oil reser-voir help keep the engine and transmissionfrom overheating under the extra load ofpulling a boat, and they can save you the costof replacing your transmission. Many automanufacturers do not recommend towing any-thing without their factory-installed towingpackage. If you don’t have it installed and thendamage your engine or transmission, you’llprobably find the damage is not covered underwarranty or insurance. Often a tow vehicle willrequire heavier brakes or a heavier suspensionto properly handle the additional load of atrailer. Follow the factory recommendationsfor your particular car or truck.

If you’ve never done a lot of towing, haul-ing a sailboat can be a bit daunting. In fact, Ican never really relax when I’m towing myboat—it always makes me a little nervous, asI’m constantly on the lookout for what might

happen. While this attitude might be unneces-sary, I have been lucky enough not to haveexperienced any accidents when towing myboat (knock on lots of wood), and I like tothink this is partly the result of diligence andconservative driving practices. Of course, partof the equation is just plain luck, but by beingcareful, you can stack the cards in your favor. Ihave heard that the top four causes of trailering

accidents are driver error, failure to matchspeed with weather and road conditions,trailer sway caused by incorrect loading, andfailure to perform routine maintenance. Anaccident can happen to anyone at anytime, butbeing careful rarely makes them worse.

PARTS OF YOUR TRAILERYou’ve figured out what sort of trailer is appro-priate for your vehicle, so you’re ready to go,right? Not quite—your trailer is a system withseveral components, and a number of vari-ables should be considered in order to towyour investment safely.

Trailer Hitches Before you hook up your trailer, there are afew things you need to take care of beyondhaving the factory towing package installed onyour car or truck. The first priority is having ahitch installed if it isn’t included in the factorytowing package.

There are several hitch systems availablethese days, but in order to select the right one,you need to know the total weight of the loadyou’re going to pull. The weight of the boat,trailer, fuel and water, and all your personal gearmakes up the gross trailer weight, and this num-ber is used to select the hitch system for yourcar. The weight of your gear adds up quickly. Forinstance, I installed a big, brand-new, deep-cyclebattery so I have an extra reserve of electrical

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7,500-pound plus towing range (continued)Brand Model Towing Range EPA Mileage (HWY/CTY)Ford F150 6/8-cyl pickup 8,200 14/18Land Rover LR3 8-cyl SUV 7,700 14/18Nissan Titan 8-cyl pickup 9,400 14/18Dodge Durango 6/8-cyl SUV 8,700 13/18Infiniti QX56 8-cyl SUV 8,900 13/18Nissan Armada 8-cyl SUV 9,100 13/18Cadallac Escalade 8-cyl SUV 7,800 13/17Ford Expedition 8-cyl SUV 8,700 13/17Lincoln Navigator 8-cyl SUV 8,700 11/16

Data from Consumer Reports 2006, www.fueleconomy.gov. Actual results will vary; data is for comparisonpurposes only.

www.fueleconomy.gov

TRAILERS 53

power aboard my boat. It weighs close to 70pounds, and the weight of the batteries isn’t usu-ally included in the boat manufacturer’s dis-placement figure. Electrical systems are oftenoptional (even though the Coast Guard mayrequire navigation lights on board—see “USCG-Required Equipment” in Chapter 5).

Hitch systems are divided into specificclasses:

Class 1—Maximum capacity 2,000 pounds grosstrailer weight and 200 pounds tongue weight.

Class 2—Maximum capacity 3,500 pounds grosstrailer weight and 300–350 pounds tongueweight.

Class 3—Maximum capacity 5,000 pounds grosstrailer weight and 500 pounds tongueweight. Sometimes used to refer to a hitchwith any 2-inch receiver, regardless of rating.

Class 4—Maximum capacity 10,000 poundsgross trailer weight and 1,000–1,200 poundstongue weight. Often any hitch with a capac-ity greater than 5,000 pounds gross weight isreferred to as a Class 4.

safety chain mounting point

hitch receiver

receiver tube

receiver tube

safety chainattachment point

A Class 2 3,500-pound hitch receiver, adequate for many trailer sailers.


Each of the hitch systems in these classesis made up of several parts. The receiver is aspecially fitted part that bolts directly to theframe of the tow vehicle. The drawbar slidesinto the receiver and is where the hitch ball ismounted. Some trucks, like my Frontier, havea tow bumper, which is designed to have ahitch ball mounted directly to the bumper.These are usually for fairly small loads—mineis rated up to 2,000 pounds. This was too smallfor my MacGregor, which displaces 1,950pounds for the boat alone, not including theweight of the trailer or gear. My Monty comes alittle closer, as it displaces only 1,600 pounds,but with the trailer weight and gear probablyexceeds the capacity of my bumper hitch, so Ihave a receiver mounted to my truck as well.The coupler is a part of the trailer that fits andlocks over the hitch ball.

It goes without saying that all these partsmust be matched. You should never try to put aClass 2 drawbar into a Class 4 receiver andexpect to pull a 6,000-pound boat. Whilematching a drawbar and receiver is fairlystraightforward, properly fitting the hitch balland coupler is harder. It’s imperative that thehitch ball and coupler match.

It’s also crucial that your safety chains bein good condition. They should never drag onthe ground, which will quickly grind the linksaway, nor should they be so tight that they bind

when turning. They should be securelyattached to the frame of the car, and theyshould cross under the tongue in order tocatch it if it should separate from the tow vehi-cle. This is required by law in some states.Safety chains commonly come with special-ized S-hooks to attach the chains to the vehicleframe, but I prefer to use quick links, whichare threaded to close. Quick links are weakerthan S-hooks, so you should use a larger size.The big advantage to quick links is that thesafety chain length can be more easily adjustedthan with S-hooks. If you have S-hooks on yourtrailer, know that there is a correct way to con-nect the safety chains to your car frame—theopening of the S-hook should face forward. Aquick wrap with duct tape or wire can secureS-hooks so they can’t bounce off the car frame.

There are other types of specialized hitchsystems for high loads, like load-equalizerhitches, which use spring bars to distribute theweight of the trailer tongue over all of the towvehicle’s wheels. This sort of system canincrease the load capacity of the tow vehicleand offers improved braking and sway control,though it’s more complex and expensive than aregular receiver. Note that some of these sys-tems are incompatible with each other–-a load-equalizer hitch can interfere with surge brakeoperation, for example. Check with yourequipment manufacturer before towing.

mast securedat three points

center mastsupport

trailer winch

coupler

trailerbunks

sidelights“bearingbuddies”

risers

transomstrap

A standard “float-on” sailboat trailer.

TRAILERS 55

I’m a firm believer in redundant safety sys-tems for trailers. (See the sidebar “MakingYour Trailer Safer.”) Take transom straps, forexample. These are wide straps that go acrossthe back of the boat near the transom and keepthe back end of the boat from shifting as she

bounces down the highway. Transom strapsare especially important if your trailer isequipped with roller bunks; with no transomstrap, if the tiny trailer winch pawl fails, youmay launch your boat right in the middle of theinterstate. Neither of my trailerable sailboats

Making Your Trailer SaferThere are several simple things you can do tomake your trailer safer. First, if you don’t have atransom strap, add one. These can be bought atmost hardware stores as “ratcheting tie-downstraps” for about twelve bucks. They are prone torusting, so give them a squirt of WD-40 every nowand again. The tie-down points need to bestrongly welded to the frame, but this is a quick jobfor a welding shop. (Welding eyes to the trailerframe is far better than drilling a hole and boltingsomething in, which can weaken the frame.) If youdo all the preparation, such as sanding away thepaint in the area of the weld and bending a3/8-inch piece of round stock into a U-shape, thecost for the welding should be minimal.

These small U-shaped bits of steel can be use-ful in other areas as well. Welded to the upright,near the winch, they make the perfect anchor fora safety cable for the bow eye. Should the pawl inthe trailer winch fail, the safety cable keeps theboat and the trailer together.

Second, upgrade your safety chains; it’s easy. You’ll often see trailers with safety chains that are eitherundersized or so long they drag on the pavement. If a safety chain is too long and a loop is allowed todrag, is will quickly get ground away. The strength of a dragged chain will be a fraction of what it shouldbe—the safety chains on my MacGregor were little more than wire slivers in some places.

You’ll need a bolt cutter to cut off the old chain. New chains can be installed using threaded links.I like to use threaded links at both ends of the chain rather than the standard S-hooks, which cantheoretically be rattled off. These are weaker than S-hooks, so you should use the largest size thatwill fit your chain. The threads should be lubricated with grease or they’ll quickly seize up tight fromcorrosion.

Third, always carry a spare tire for your trailer. Even a used tire, if it holds air, is better than nothing andmight get you to a service station. Most trailer suppliers sell large U-bolts that you can use to mount aspare to your trailer.

Finally, it isn’t a bad idea to put together a dedicated tool kit for your trailer. Things to include mightbe a properly sized lug wrench, a can of spray lubricant, a pair of spare bearing sets, extra chain and links,extra bulbs, and maybe a can of touch-up paint. I once thought it would be clever to mount a tool boxto the trailer, but then remembered my trailer would be mostly underwater during launching andhaulout, so I decided it’s better to keep these tools in the trunk of my car.

A safety cable on the bow eye.


had transom straps when I bought them, and itappears that the trailers never had them fromday one–-I’ve had to add the straps and weldon the attachment points to both of my trail-ers. Now, it may be argued that you don’t reallyneed transom straps, as both boats went fornearly thirty years without them. But why takethe chance? They’re cheap and take but amoment to set up. Accidents do happen, but Ilike to think I’ve done everything possible toprevent them.

Trailer WinchesTrailer winches come in two basic types—man-ual and electric. Unless your trailer has rollers,the winch won’t be used to drag the boat uponto the trailer; rather, it will guide the boatinto the proper position. Most trailerable sail-boats are too big and bulky to respond to bruteforce, so electric winches aren’t often seen onsailboat trailers. Trailer winches are simpleaffairs, consisting of a gear-operated drum witha pawl to prevent the drum from unwinding.Two-speed trailer winches are available, and

these can be handy. The winch should besolidly mounted on a strong pillar, and shoulduse either a heavy belt or galvanized steelcable. An extra safety chain for the bow eye is agood idea, since winch pawls aren’t tremen-dously strong–-even tying the bow eye off witha short length of stout line would help.

Maintaining the trailer winch is a simplematter of keeping it clean and lubricated. If itlooks suspect, don’t trust it; replace it with anew one.

Trailer Lights and WiringFederal regulations require that all trailers beequipped with tail lights, brake lights, sidemarker lights, turn signals, and side and rearreflectors. Since your trailer is regularly dunkedin water, its wiring is particularly vulnerable,and failures are common. One recent develop-ment is LED lights for trailers, which, sincethey are sealed systems, are less susceptible towater-induced failures. You can extend thereliability of more common incandescentsystems by giving all electrical contacts a dab

My Montgomery 17 on the day I purchased it. This trailer is a small f loat-on type, with PVC guidepoles along the sides to help position the boat correctly when retrieving. Note that there’s no transomstrap in place, so I tied on a length of stout line for the trip and added attachment points later.

TRAILERS 57

of dielectric grease, a squirt of silicone lubri-cant, WD-40, or wire dryer, available at mostauto parts stores.

Mounting trailer lights on a removable boardthat can be securely mounted to the boat’s tran-som is a good idea for two reasons–-it elevatesthe lights to other drivers’ eye level, and it keepsthe lights out of the water when launching. Eventrailer lights that are supposedly waterproof willfail if repeatedly dunked in water.

A frequent point of failure with trailersystems is the ground wire. It’s common prac-tice to ground the trailer wiring to the frame,and trailer electrical problems can often betraced to bad grounds. When you rewire atrailer—a pretty easy job, and new trailer taillights usually include new wiring as well—consider taking the extra step of adding adedicated ground wire for each of the lights. Iuse a green THWN stranded wire (not solid),available at hardware stores. Then solder allelectrical connections, dab them with a littlepolyurethane caulk, and cover them withheat-shrink tubing. Secure all of the wiring tothe frame every 18 inches, just as you shouldwith the wiring on the boat. Never use wirenuts on trailer wires, even if they are suppliedwith new lights–-save them for your house.I don’t like using electrical tape, either.

Although it can be unwrapped for inspection,the glue gets all over the wires in short order,leaving a sticky mess. Heat-shrink tubing iscleaner, stronger, and more permanent.

The trailer wiring connector takes a lot ofabuse because it’s usually located under thecar, where it’s commonly splashed with dirt,rocks, and road mud. Don’t let it drag along theroad, as I did once, or the road will grind mostof it away after a few miles. This is a goodplace for some dielectric grease—keepingboth connectors lubricated will protect themfrom corrosion and extend the life of thesometimes-submerged connector.

Trailer Tires and BearingsTake a close look at your trailer’s tires. If theylook old or cracked or are bulging in strangeplaces, you may want to replace them beforeyou go flying down the highway. It would be agood thing to have a spare already mounted ona rim, but this isn’t always possible. You shouldbe aware that trailer tires are different fromregular automobile tires. Car tires are designedfor maximum traction, and they accomplishthis with flexible sidewalls. On a trailer, how-ever, flexible sidewall tires tend to sway, whichis just what we don’t want. Instead, trailer tiresare made with thicker, stiffer sidewalls to

What’s Dielectric Grease? Dielectric grease is useful in a lot of applications, but just what is the stuff, anyway? It turns out there’snothing special about dielectric grease. It isn’t conductive, as you might assume—in fact, “dielectric”means a nonconductor of electricity. Its job is mainly to seal electrical contacts from oxygen, which pre-vents corrosion. It lubricates as well. Commercial dielectric grease compounds are usually silicone based.Just about any grease can work in a pinch, like wheel bearing grease or petroleum jelly, but petroleumjelly doesn’t hold up when it gets hot, and wheel bearing grease is a little messier.

Now, in my area of the country at least, dielectric grease isn’t that easy to find, and it seems thatword dielectric on the packaging is worth several dollars. A cheaper alternative is faucet and valve grease,available in the plumbing department. This often silicone-based grease is waterproof, withstands highertemperatures, and is a whole lot cheaper. I paid $1.29 for a 1-ounce tube, whereas dielectric grease was$8 at an auto parts store.

Whichever you use, this type of grease is good to have in your toolbox, and regular use on electri-cal contacts can prevent all sorts of problems.


resist sway. They are also designed for higherpressure to increase the load-carrying capac-ity. Trailer tires aren’t available at every small-town service station, and it seems that tiredealers are always out of the one size or typeof tire you need when you have a blowout.“Oh, we can order a tire for you, we’ll have itin next week” might mean the end of yourcruise that could be salvaged if you bring aspare. Your trailer may have an unusual rimsize or smaller lug nuts. Check these detailsbefore you tow your boat anywhere, especiallyif you have a long road trip to your sailingdestination.

You’ll have to rely on the seller to tell youwhen the bearings were last serviced. A newbearing set isn’t too expensive, usually $12 to$25 per hub. If you want a trailer shop to do thework, however, plan on spending a good bitmore. It’s worth learning how to replace trailerbearings. Your first bearing job might take anhour or two, but you’ll learn how to shave thattime down with a little practice. Bearing fail-ures caused by neglect are far too common,and the effects resulting from a failed bearingcan include a tire parting company with theaxle at interstate speeds, which is not some-thing you want to see in your rearview mirror.

So, check your bearings carefully. In fact,you should double- and triple-check them,because you don’t want them to fail. Each timeyou set out with your trailer, drive a half mileor so and then pull over, get out of the car, andfeel the bearings with your hand. Warm is OK,but hot is not good. If they are hot, you need toeither do a roadside bearing replacement orcall for help. This repair is doable if you havethe tools and parts with you, but first moveyour boat–-very slowly–-to someplace safe(not the side of the highway unless your bear-ings have already burned out and your wheel isfalling off).

There are different kinds of bearing caps.First is a plain steel bearing cap, indicating astandard bearing set that needs to be disas-sembled for lubrication. Second is a dia-phragm cap. This cap is a little larger and has a

58

grease fitting in the middle. The idea is to fillthe spring-loaded cap with grease, whichkeeps the grease in the bearing under a littlebit of pressure. This pressure prevents waterfrom entering the bearing when the trailer isimmersed. A common brand is Bearing Buddy,but generic brands are also available. Thesework fairly well and do a good job of keepingthe bearings lubricated, but reliance on themusually means bearings get less attention.Wheel bearings with either system should betaken apart, cleaned, and visually inspected atleast once a year.

A third type of bearing cap–-a bearing sys-tem, actually–-looks like an ordinary cap, butwhen it’s removed, you’ll find a grease fittingunder the cap, in the center of the axle. This isa spindle-lube system, and it’s far superior tothe first two. The axle has been drilled withsmall holes down the center and out to theback side of the inner bearing. When you pumpgrease into the grease fitting (you’ll need agrease gun, of course), old grease gets forcedout under pressure and new grease gets forcedin, starting with the back bearing and workingits way to the front. This kind of axle is avail-able as a retrofit upgrade for many sailboattrailers, and will cost you around $150.

Yet another type of bearing system hasbecome available for recreational trailers—theoil bath bearing. These use a liquid oil ratherthan grease for lubrication. The advantage isthat the oil flows through and around the bear-ing surfaces, increasing lubrication and dissi-pating heat. The disadvantage is that they needcareful installation and regular care to main-tain the seals. If the seals fail and the oil flowsout–-well, imagine smoke, flames, and/orwheels flying off at highway speeds.

BrakesMany states require a separate braking systemfor trailers with a loaded weight over 1,500pounds. These are either electrically con-trolled brakes, which can be automatically ormanually activated, or surge brakes, which areactivated by a master cylinder at the coupler.

TRAILERS

Electrical systems are vulnerable to waterintrusion, so hydraulic surge brakes are morepopular. The hydraulic system of the tow vehi-cle should never be directly connected to thehydraulic system on the trailer–-they shouldalways be independent. Trailer brakes oftensuffer from corrosion, since they get hot in useand are then dipped in water when the boat islaunched. Trailer brakes are usually bestinstalled and maintained with the help of a pro-fessional mechanic, though he or she can cer-tainly give you advice about maintaining them.One thing your mechanic will tell you is to waita few minutes at the ramp before you launchyour boat so the brakes can cool off. Sometrailers include flush kits that allow you to rinsethe brake assemblies with fresh water. Ifyour trailer has one, use it regularly. Otherwise,rinse the wheels and brakes with fresh waterusing a garden hose, especially after everylaunching in salt water. But be advised—wetbrakes don’t stop very well and should beallowed to dry out before you hit the highway.

Optional Equipment Some optional equipment for sailboat trailersis extremely useful. One item is a couplingextension. This can be built into the trailer,using a sliding tube, or may be a separateassembly that connects to the trailer’s cou-pling. There’s also a bolt-on hitch extensionthat will fit a standard trailer. Either way, theresult is the same—the trailer will be fartheraway from the launch vehicle. With somedeep-draft boats and shallow ramps, it’s theonly way to get a boat off the trailer.

Another handy add-on is a keel guide. Theseare often nothing more than extra carpet-covered boards that channel the keel into posi-tion on the center of the trailer. Some ownerssay that keel guides are essential features andthey wouldn’t have a trailer without them.

A good trailer will come with a trailertongue jack. This can be used to raise or lowerthe trailer tongue, and is essential for hitchingor unhitching the trailer by yourself. If the boatis loaded with the proper tongue weight, it’s the

59

only way to safely raise the tongue. Some jackshave wheels, and they may be fixed or pivoting.The pivoting types are handy, as they won’tdecouple the trailer if they hit a rise in the ramp,but the fixed types are generally stronger.

Side-view mirrors are a handy safety fea-ture that is often overlooked. A sailboat on atrailer is so wide and high that it’s pretty muchimpossible to see what’s behind you using thefactory mirrors on your car. Some side-viewtypes clip onto your existing side-view mirrorsand cost less than $20. You can see a great dealbetter with extended-view mirrors, and theymay be required by some states.

TRAILER TONGUE WEIGHTAND CONTROLLING SWAYOne of the most basic trailering problems isinsufficient trailer tongue weight. Measured atthe coupler, the trailer tongue should weighabout 10 percent of the total trailer weight.When I bought my MacGregor, the sellerproudly told me how the boat and trailer werebalanced so that you could easily lift thetongue with one hand. I didn’t realize then that

trailertonguehandle raises,

lowers jack

pivot lock

A pivoting trailer tongue jack. Trailer jacks can be fixedor pivoting, with or without wheels. This one pivots outof the way when not needed.


this was an extremely dangerous, underloadedcondition. I’m sure glad he was the one doingthe towing! Lack of tongue weight causes a sig-nificant increase in sway, which is a rhythmicside-to-side motion of the trailer behind thetow vehicle. It also increases the chance thatthe trailer will bounce off the hitch ball. Oneeasy way to increase tongue weight is toremove the motor from the stern bracket andstow it inside the boat, as far forward as possi-ble. (WARNING: Drain all gas from the motor’sfuel lines and carburetor first.) The motormount and transom aren’t designed for trailer-ing with the motor attached, and you can easilydamage both. You’ll also make your expensivemotor less accessible to rest-stop thieves, butbe sure to wedge the motor in securely. Youdon’t want the heavy motor to shift while driving.A better solution is to build a simple motormount on the trailer’s winch post, and tosecure it with a lock.

Having said this, it’s important to note thatincreasing tongue weight isn’t a cure-all. Too

much tongue weight can lead to a dangerouscondition called trailer dive. During a panicstop, inertia causes the trailer to press downheavily on the hitch. Heavy downward pres-sure at the rear of the vehicle causes the tow-ing vehicle’s front wheels to lift, and if theweight is sufficient, you lose much of yourbraking power as well as your steering—hardly what you want in a panic stop. Heavyloads that are carried high—for instance, afixed-keel sailboat—increase trailer dive. Theonly remedy is a lighter load or a weight-distributing hitch.

Controlling trailer sway is extremely impor-tant. A trailer that sways back and forth is verydangerous, the third most common cause oftrailering accidents. If your trailer sways,reduce the speed gradually. Don’t slam on thebrakes. Avoid sudden steering changes—youcan’t steer out of a sway situation. Incorrectweight distribution is a primary cause of sway,though there are other causes, like incorrecttires or tire pressures. Your tongue weight

A Simple Forward Motor Mount An easy trailer modification is to add a forward motor mount. This is nothing more than a sizable pieceof angle steel (an L-shaped steel commonly sold by steel suppliers; it comes in 20-foot lengths but canbe cut by the supplier for a small fee) bolted or welded to the trailer’s winch post with some plywoodclamping pads. You might want to include a chain or cable to lock your motor while trailering. I wouldn’tstore the motor here permanently, however. Move it to the garage or basement once you get homefrom your cruise.

heavy plywoodbolted to trailer,

or plate steelwelded

always lockyour motorwhen on the

trailer

padded plywoodrest for motor

foot

A simple forward motor mount.

TRAILERS 61

should be 10 to 15 percent of the total grosstrailer weight; with nearly all trailerable sail-boats, that means it’s too heavy to pick up thetongue and move the boat around by hand. Ifthis is the way you normally move your boataround the driveway, then either you’re anincredibly strong person with back problems inyour future, or your trailer is incorrectly loaded.Seek advice from a trailer repair shop. They

should have scales to determine the exactweight of your trailer and what your tongueweight should be, and they can be an invaluablesource of advice. Some axles can be adjustedslightly, and the shop folks will know the correctprocedure. They’ll also tell you if critical partslook weak and need to be replaced. Even brand-new trailers need adjusting sometimes, and youcan benefit by having a shop look over your rig.

Trailer dive is caused by too much weight on the trailer’s tongue.

Just what equipment should be aboard atrailer sailer? Like so many things in life,that’s a simple question with a complexanswer. You can be as minimalist or as

gadget-oriented as you like; most people fallsomewhere in between. One sailor may find aparticular accessory an essential part of sailingand can’t imagine leaving the dock without it.Another sailor may find the same gadget anexpensive waste of very limited space. Stillanother may find it useful but feel that itsweight slows his boat speed. All these pointsof view are valid. My purpose, for this discus-sion, is to give you a framework for makingyour own decisions.

Of course, I’ve got my own biases and opin-ions, and I’ll mention if I’ve found a particularthing useful in my travels. But there’s lots ofequipment I haven’t tried yet, especially thecostlier items. I’ve never sailed on a boat withan electric windlass, for example, and theground tackle on most trailer sailers is lightenough that this piece of equipment is unnec-essary. But if you are cruising a larger trailersailer—in the 25-foot range, for example—in

an area with lots of coral heads, and you use anall-chain anchor rode, then an electric wind-lass might not be such a superfluous expense.

I lean toward the minimalist/traditionalside of things, within reason. My boat has ahouse electrical system and a motor, thoughsome sailors go without these things and arequite happy. I admire these people, and I lovesailing with them. I often learn alternativeways to do things from the way they keep theirboats. But I like the extra security of having amotor and a depth sounder. Yes, this equip-ment can and does break down and requiresmaintenance, which takes time away from sail-ing. But having these things aboard has madesailing more enjoyable for me, and that’s usu-ally the best test of whether a piece of optionalequipment stays or goes.

USCG-REQUIRED EQUIPMENTWe start with the U.S. Coast Guard–requiredequipment, which must be aboard your vesselfor it to be legal. (The equipment that is legallyrequired aboard recreational boats is subjectto change. I have relied on the publication

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PART TWO

OUTFITTINGAND HANDLINGYOUR SAILBOAT

CHAPTER F IVE

Equipment

6262

EQUIPMENT

“Federal Requirements and Safety Tips forRecreational Boaters” for the information in thissection. An electronic version of this publicationcan be found online at www.uscgboating.org/safety/fedreqs/landing.htm.) This is a basic,bare-bones list of safety equipment, and mostboatowners are encouraged to go beyond thisminimum.

The U.S. Coast Guard sets standards forthis equipment; to be fully within the law, theequipment must be marked “Coast Guard–Approved Equipment.” Ski belts are a goodexample–-some people think that these arepersonal flotation devices, or PFDs, since theydo help people stay afloat, but they are notCoast Guard–approved PFDs. If this is all youhave aboard, expect to be fined if inspected bythe Coast Guard, or (heaven forbid) sued if apassenger on your vessel drowns.

Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)PFDs—also known as life jackets—are themost basic, commonsense items to have aboardany boat. The Coast Guard lists five approvedtypes of PFDs: four wearable types (Type I, II,III, or V) and one throwable type (Type IV).There must be at least one wearable PFD foreach person on board. PFDs must be CoastGuard approved, in good, serviceable condition,and appropriately sized for the intended user.This is especially important if you have youngchildren aboard—adult-sized PFDs won’t workfor them. In addition, you must have at least onethrowable PFD on board.

PFDs must be readily accessible. They’reof little help if you have to dig through a pile ofinflatable toys and fishing gear to get to them.You must be able to put them on quickly in anemergency. They should not be stowed in plas-tic bags or in locked or closed compartments.Throwable devices must be available forimmediate use in order for them to beaccepted as legal equipment.

Though not specifically required in allcases, it’s best if a PFD is worn at all timeswhen the vessel is under way. A PFD can saveyour life, but only if you wear it. Try several

63

Coast Guard Life Jacket ClassificationsExactly what are the different types of PFDs? Here are theCoast Guard classifications:

Type I is an “Off-Shore Life Preserver,” designed to turnan unconscious wearer to a face-up position. Anadult Type I PFD has at least 22 pounds of buoyancy.

Type II is a “Near-Shore Buoyancy Aid.” This type will alsoturn an unconscious person face-up, but its turningforce isn’t as great. It’s designed for calm inlandwaters where there’s a good chance of a rapid rescue.Adult Type II PFDs have 15.5 pounds of buoyancy.

Type III is a “Flotation Aid.” These can be the most com-fortable, and are often tailored to the wearer’s activ-ity, like fishing, kayaking, or waterskiing. Thedownside of this comfort is that there is often noturning ability, and the device may not keep thewearer’s face clear in rough water. It has 15.5 poundsof buoyancy and is designed for inland water use.

Type IV is a “Throwable,” designed to be held by theuser until rescued. Typically, it’s what you toss to aperson who has fallen overboard. Floating seat cush-ions are very common throwables, but horseshoebuoys or the Lifesling would be a good choice tohave on board in addition to floating cushions.

Type I PFD Type II PFD

Type I (left) and II (right) PFDs. Type I offshore vests arebulkier but have much more buoyancy.

(Continued)

www.uscgboating.org/safety/fedreqs/landing.htm

www.uscgboating.org/safety/fedreqs/landing.htm

OUTFITTING AND HANDLING YOUR SAILBOAT

different types and buy a properly fitting PFDfor each crewmember.

While the Coast Guard requirements forPFDs can be satisfied easily and cheaply, yourrequirements might be quite different, espe-cially if you’ve just fallen overboard in a stormand your boat and crew are sailing away at ablistering pace. A dark head bobbing in thewater is a mighty small target to see. Somesimple and inexpensive additions includepatches of reflective tape sewn to the PFD,along with a few Velcro pockets. These couldhold a flare or two, a whistle or mini air horn, aplastic distress flag, and a flashlight or per-sonal strobe. More expensive items include apersonal EPIRB (see the sidebar “What’s anEPIRB?”), now available for about $250. A lit-tle expensive, maybe, but what’s a life worththese days? At the very least, all your PFDsshould have reflective patches and whistles.

Visual Distress SignalsVisual distress signals (VDS) are required formost boats, with a few exceptions. If you oper-ate your vessel in U.S. coastal waters (that is,within 12 nautical miles of the U.S. coastline),the Great Lakes, or the U.S. territorial seas,visual distress signals must be on board. If yousail only in small lakes and rivers, then youmight be able to get away with not carryingday signals—check the Coast Guard regula-tions. Some exceptions to the day signal

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Type V is a “Special Use Device.” This category caninclude manually inflatable paddlesports vests or“float jackets,” where a PFD is integrated with a rainjacket. You need to check the label carefully withType Vs, though—in some cases, a Type V must beworn by the user to satisfy the PFD regulation.

A Type III special-purpose PFD, a ski vest.

A Type IV throwable PFD cushion.

A Type III PFD is easily upgraded by addingreflective patches and a whistle.

EQUIPMENT

requirement include small boats (under16 feet), boats participating in organizedevents like regattas, and open sailboats with-out motors. All vessels are required to carrynight signals when operating at night.

Several different types of visual distresssignals will keep you USCG compliant. In anutshell, they are divided into day signals andnight signals, pyrotechnic and nonpyrotechnic.Pyrotechnic means flares and smoke signals.Three red meteor flares that have not expired(flares are dated just like a gallon of milk—they are usually good for about three years)and are rated for day and night use will makeyou legal, though you might want more waysto call for help if your engine conks out andyou’re being swept out to sea by the current.

Nonpyrotechnic options include a distress flag,which is a large (at least 3 feet square) orangeflag with a black circle and a square. Naturally,this is only a daytime signal. A nonpyrotechnicnighttime signal would be an electric distresslight, but in order to fulfill the VDS require-ment, this light must automatically flash theinternational SOS distress signal(. . . — . . .) and must be marked “Night VisualDistress Signal for Boats. Complies with U.S.Coast Guard Requirements in 46 CFR 161.013.For Emergency Use Only.” (Note that underthe inland rules, a rapidly flashing light, suchas a strobe, can be used to indicate a vessel indistress, but curiously these types of strobesare not considered distress signals under theVDS requirement.)

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What’s an EPIRB? EPIRB stands for emergency position-indicating radio beacon. An EPIRB is a sailor’s last best chance forrescue, only to be activated if you’re in the water and the boat is sailing away under autopilot, or the boathas gone down or is about to do so—all extremely unpleasant thoughts. Activating an EPIRB starts aninternational chain of events using satellites, monitoring stations, a mission control center, and localsearch and rescue agencies or the Coast Guard. The system allows rescue operators to locate you quickly,without having to conduct a wide area search that can easily be futile. A person in a life raft or in the wateris often invisible from a helicopter.

The EPIRB system has been in place since the 1970s, but the older Class A and Class B VHF units willnot be monitored after February 2009, so be sure to look for the newer, more accurate 406 MHz EPIRBs.These units are able to locate within a 2-nautical-mile radius. The 406 EPIRBs broadcast a unique identifi-cation code that allows the mission control center to determine your name, phone number, vessel type,and emergency contact information, which enables them to verify your itinerary before scrambling thetroops. This greatly reduces the number of very expensive false alarms. EPIRBs can be combined with abuilt-in GPS to transmit your exact position along with the locator radio signal.

A new class of EPIRB is called a personal locator beacon, or PLB. These smaller, less expensiveEPIRBs work nearly as well as the larger units. While the large 406 EPIRBs are marine only, PLBs can beused anywhere. Weighing under a pound, they are small enough to be worn with a life jacket.Electronically, PLBs are very similar to the large 406 EPIRBs, but the battery lasts half as long, they don’thave a strobe, and they aren’t required to float (though most sold for the boating market do).

Both 406 EPIRBs and PLBs must be registered with NOAA/SARSAT, but this is easy. Register onlineat http://www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov/. Prices currently run from about $500 for a PLB with GPS toabout $1,200 for a fully automatic auto-release 406 EPIRB.

Do you need an EPIRB on a trailer sailer? Like everything else, it depends on where you’re going.Daysailing within sight of land? Probably not. Heading offshore for a long trip? Can’t hurt, especiallyone of the smaller PLB types. If you take only one long trip per year and daysail the rest of the time, checkout the BoatU.S. EPIRB rental program.

http://www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov/


Fire ExtinguishersHopefully you’ll never need to use one ofthese, but any fire aboard a boat is serious. TheCoast Guard requirements are very specificand contain provisions for inboard-poweredboats and larger boats, but for the size we’retalking about here—under 26 feet—the rulescan be summarized by saying you must have atleast one Type B-I (5-BC or higher rating)portable fire extinguisher. A typical Type B-Ifire extinguisher contains 2 pounds of drychemical, such as sodium bicarbonate (bakingsoda), and can be purchased for less than $20.It’s not a bad idea to carry more than one fireextinguisher—one for the cockpit, near theengine and gasoline, and one near the galley.

Type B-II fire extinguishers hold twice as muchdry chemical and aren’t much more expensivethan B-I. Of course, you can spend more on afire extinguisher if you want—Kiddie Halotron1 Portables are USCG approved and leave noresidue whatsoever, whereas dry chemical fireextinguishers are messy (though not as messyas a hull that’s burned to the waterline). Expectto pay around $185 for a 5-BC type Halotron 1extinguisher. Remember that grease fires cansometimes be extinguished by the quick appli-cation of a lid, and some fires are made worseby adding water.

Replace your fire extinguisher(s) once everyfew years, but don’t throw the old ones away—use them to practice. In a safe area onshore,start a small fire and put it out with your old fireextinguisher. What you learn may surprise you.

Ventilation On a trailerable sailboat, a forced-air ventila-tion system or a bilge blower is required forgasoline inboard engines with electricalstarters. Outboard motors get plenty of ventila-tion when mounted on a bracket. The big con-cern is fuel storage—where do you keep yourfuel tanks? If you keep them stored in a locker,then that locker must be ventilated with a nat-ural, or passive, system with at least two venti-lator ducts fitted with cowls. This usuallymeans both a forward-facing and an aft-facingcowl. (A cowl is a device designed to direct air-flow into or out of a duct.)

Sound-Producing DevicesOn a trailerable sailboat, this means a horn.Usually a small compressed-air horn is best.We used to call them Freon horns, but nowthey use an ozone-safe gas. Unless they’restainless steel, you’ll want to renew theseevery few years—exposure to sunlight canmake the plastic weak and brittle, and the cansget rusty. Some horns are quite small andwould be really nice to have attached to a lifejacket if you were to fall overboard while youroff-watch crew was sleeping below. I don’tmean to make light of this situation—I once

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Why Aren’t Strobe Lights Legal?Strobe lights have a lot going for them as distress signals.They are very bright, effective attention-getters, and theylast a long time under low battery power. Small water-proof strobes are available for use on life jackets and cangreatly increase the chances of finding a crew lost over-board, even in daylight. A permanently mounted mast-head strobe has prevented more than one collisionbetween sailboats and large commercial ships at sea.

So why aren’t strobe lights accepted as legal visualdistress signals by the Coast Guard? The reason probablyhas to do with COLREGS, the International Regulations forAvoiding Collisions at Sea. These are sometimes called theInternational Rules of the Road. Under COLREGS rule 36,“Any light to attract the attention of another vessel shall besuch that it cannot be mistaken for any aid to navigation.For the purpose of this Rule the use of high-intensity inter-mittent or revolving lights, such as strobe lights, shall beavoided.”

The U.S. Inland Rules are different. In Annex IV,Distress Signals, subpart 87.1, Need of Assistance, “The fol-lowing signals indicate distress and need of assistance: Ahigh-intensity white light flashing at regular intervals from50 to 70 times per minute.” So while strobe lights aren’tspecifically legal for use in international waters, I person-ally wouldn’t hesitate to use one if my vessel were in anysort of danger, and I have one on board my trailer sailer. Ikeep flares to meet the nighttime VDS requirement.

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read a nightmare tale of a woman who wascruising offshore with her husband. She wokeup from a nap and came on deck. The boat wassailing nicely along under autopilot. Her hus-band was gone, presumably fallen overboard,and was never found.

Navigation LightsIf you operate your boat after sunset, you arerequired to display navigation lights. Therequirements for sailboats can be tricky,since they are considered powerboats whenthe engine is running and must display one setof lights, but if they are under sail alone, theymust display a different set of lights. For mosttrailerable sailboats, we can summarize thenavigation light requirements by saying youneed red and green bow lights, a white sternlight, and a white all-around masthead anchorlight. You’ll need a separate switch for thestern light and the anchor light, because sail-boats under 39.4 feet may display:

A bicolor bow light and white all-around mast-head light (anchor light) when under power(no stern light)

A bicolor bow light and white 135-degree sternlight when under sail (no masthead light)

While you’re anchored, you need to displaya 360-degree white light “where it can best be

seen.” Usually, the best place for this is at themasthead, but you can suspend an anchor lightfrom the rigging. This is possibly a better loca-tion than the masthead, because if you areanchored and another vessel approaches on adark night, your boat is more noticeable whenits anchor light is closer to the hull.

If your boat is under 23 feet, the rules statethat you should display lights as above, but as anoption you can carry only a flashlight to show insufficient time to prevent a collision. I certainlywouldn’t want to depend on a flashlight to keepme from being run over, however. The rule isintended for a smaller boat—a Sunfish, say, or aship’s tender—that gets caught out after dark. Aflashlight may satisfy the rules, but this isn’t thesafest situation.

For small boats like dinghies, you can nowget really neat self-contained LED navigationlights. They use significantly less energy thanincandescent bulbs and look similar to a flash-light. There are several different mountingstyles, including suction cup, clamp-on, andinflatable mounts.

Pollution RegulationsNew laws aimed at controlling water pollutionhave affected recreational sailors, but the reg-ulations affect only boats that are 26 feet andlarger. While you are not legally required to

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Keep Your Horn ReadyI once had the unfortunate experience of being aboard my boat during a hurricane. Hugo didn’t changecourse as the navy’s internal weather reports expected it to, and I was anchored 20 miles upriver alongwith several other boats. During the night, one of the anchor lines on a large powerboat upwind of meparted. The captain was attempting to hold his position by powering into the storm. After six hours ofthis, he was getting tired and not keeping a good lookout astern—where I was. Late that night, I noticedhim getting closer and closer. When he didn’t gun his engines and power away as usual, I started think-ing, “Maybe I should use my horn about now.” In a panic, I threw open my seat locker and started dig-ging through lines, winch handles, and sailing gloves trying to get to my horn. When I finally got it in myhands and blew a long blast, he was about 25 feet away. When he gunned his engines and pulled away,I could smell his exhaust—not that remarkable, except the wind was blowing in excess of 140 knots.

Ever since then, I’ve kept my horn in a little dedicated pocket on deck, mounted on the side of thecockpit. When you need your horn, you’re going to need it fast, so keep it in a place where you can findit in seconds.


display Discharge of Oil Prohibited orDischarge of Garbage Prohibited placards ifyou sail a vessel under 26 feet, you are stillrequired to know and abide by these laws. Ifyou’ve got the space, it doesn’t hurt to screwthese placards to a bulkhead. The Discharge ofOil Prohibited placard reads:

DISCHARGE OF OIL PROHIBITEDThe Federal Water Pollution Control Act

prohibits the discharge of oil or oily waste

upon or into any navigable waters of

the U.S. The prohibition includes any dis-

charge which causes a film or discoloration

of the surface of the water or causes a sludge

or emulsion beneath the surface of the water.

Violators are subject to substantial civil

and/or criminal sanctions including fines

and imprisonment.

Although the placard is optional on mosttrailerables, spill cleanup materials are requiredif your boat has a motor that uses gas or oil. TheUSCG Federal Regulations website says:

On recreational vessels, a bucket, oilabsorbent pads and heavy duty plastic bag,bailer or portable pump are some suitablemeans that meet the requirement for reten-tion on board until transferring the oilymixture to a reception facility. No personmay intentionally drain oil or oily wastefrom any source into the bilge of any vessel.You must immediately notify the U.S. CoastGuard if your vessel discharges oil or haz-ardous substances in the water. Call toll-free 800-424-8802 (in Washington, D.C.(202) 267-3675).

You can put these materials together your-self for minimal cost. Sealed in a plastic bag,they should last indefinitely if kept dry. A com-pany called Dawg sells an economy spill kit for$33. Most kits contain bilge socks and specialoil-only pads that will absorb oil, not water.Bilge socks are made of a similar oil-absorbentmaterial and are shaped like a tube. Thesematerials are also readily available at mostboat chandleries.

One thing you don’t want to do is disperse aspill by adding detergent. This breaks the sur-face tension of the water, allowing the pollutantto sink, where it’s more difficult to clean. It con-tinues to damage the ecosystem on the bottom,and it will bring you a hefty fine. You can learnmore about ecologically sound boating with the“Help Stop the Drops” program from BoatU.S.;for more information, go to www.boatus.com/foundation/cleanwater/drops.

Garbage discharge laws require a similarplacard on boats over 26 feet. Again, thoughmost trailer sailers are legally exempt from dis-playing the placard (but not exempt from therules), posting the notice is a good idea. Theplacard reads:

The Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships(MARPOL ANNEX V) places limitations onthe discharge of garbage from vessels. It isillegal to dump plastic trash anywhere in theocean or navigable waters of the UnitedStates. It is also illegal to discharge garbage inthe navigable waters of the United States,including inland waters as well as anywhere inthe Great Lakes. The discharge of other typesof garbage is permitted outside of specific dis-tances offshore as determined by the natureof that garbage.

Garbage Type

Plastics, including synthetic ropes, fishingnets, and plastic bags—Prohibited in all

areas.

Floating dunnage, lining and packing materi-als—Prohibited less than 25 miles from

nearest land.

Food waste, paper, rags, glass, metal, bottles,crockery and similar refuse—Prohibited less

than 12 miles from nearest land.

Comminuted or ground food waste, paper,rags, glass, etc.—Prohibited less than 3

miles from nearest land.

United States vessels of 26 feet or longermust display in a prominent location, adurable placard at least 4 by 9 inches notify-ing the crew and passengers of the dischargerestrictions.

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www.boatus.com/foundation/cleanwater/drops

www.boatus.com/foundation/cleanwater/drops

EQUIPMENT

When I lived on board my first boat back in1992, this law hadn’t been passed. But we(meaning the liveaboard community at themarina) knew how deadly plastic was tomarine life. I can clearly remember my goodfriend and slipmate Larry Lee cutting the ringsof plastic bottle carriers before throwing themin the trash, just in case they found their wayto a garbage barge that was dumped offshore.(I still cut these up before I throw them away.)We would, however, sink empty glass bottles,thinking that these were fairly inert andwouldn’t harm the environment. But theMARPOL regulation brings a “pack it in, packit out” requirement to coastal sailing and cruis-ing, and that’s a good thing. You can’t sink abottle anymore unless you’re 12 miles off-shore. This may seem like an environmentalregulation that goes a little too far, but it’simportant. If these rules are enforced and fol-lowed, our impact on the sea that we all lovewill be reduced to almost nil, and our childrenwill be able to enjoy the same beauty that wedo. Now, if we could just solve the problem ofglobal warming and rising sea temperatureswith a placard . . .

You’ll notice that I haven’t addressedanother “trash” issue that no one likes to talkabout but everyone has to deal with, and that’sthe problem of human waste. There are severaloptions, and I discuss those in depth inChapter 15, but for now it’s important to knowthat there’s one place this stuff can’t go, andthat’s overboard. The days of cedar buckets asan effective solution are gone forever.

MSDsThe Coast Guard regulations regarding humanwaste appear in a section on marine sanitationdevices, or MSDs, and apply only to perma-nently installed heads. Most trailer sailers havesome kind of portable toilet (see Chapter 15).However, some larger trailer sailers have a per-manently installed head. Basically the regula-tions simply require that the head beconnected to a holding tank that can be emp-tied at a pumpout station. (It was common

practice on older boats to pipe the head outletdirectly overboard, an installation that is nowillegal.) Pumpouts are usually located at mari-nas and some state-run facilities and are muchmore common than they once were.

MSD regulations can be a thorny subjectand are apt to change. There are certain cruis-ing areas where any provision to pump wasteoverboard–-even if it is a locked Y-valve instal-lation (where one hose connects to a deckpumpout fitting and the other to a through-hullfor overboard discharge)—has been declaredillegal. It’s best to check with the Coast Guardbefore making any changes to your MSD sys-tem to make sure the regulations haven’tchanged.

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT If you are buying a brand-new, empty boat, thelist of USCG-required equipment may seempretty extensive, but it is far from complete.There are several items that aren’t specificallyrequired but you’ll certainly need for yourboat. Other pieces of equipment aren’t somuch needed as nice to have.

AnchorsIt is almost unbelievable that anchors are notrequired equipment on boats. In 2005, twoteenage boys from Charleston, South Carolina,set out for a little fishing in a small boat—aJY15 with no mast or sails (they were using itas a rowboat). They hadn’t heard about thesmall craft advisory for that day. They wereaiming for a sandbar that was perhaps 50 yardsout in a protected inlet, but between the shoreand the sandbar was a strong rip current. Theyrealized almost immediately that they were introuble but couldn’t row or swim the boat backto shore. Six days later they were found by afishing boat off Cape Fear, North Carolina,nearly 111 miles from where they started. Theywere alive—barely.

While an anchor might not have prevented

this very close call, it probably would haveslowed them down enough that they mighthave been rescued sooner. Over a hundred

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Coast Guard personnel were involved in anextensive search, but their drift rate was fasterthan computer models suggested and theywere quickly swept out of the search area.(Then again, their boat had no safety equip-ment on board whatsoever, and just about any-thing would have helped. But as all teenagersknow, they are immortal and tend to stay outof trouble.)

Of course, every boat should always carryanchors (along with life jackets, distress sig-nals, and other emergency equipment). Whenthe weather begins to sour, sailboats, beingnaturally slower vessels, cannot run for coveras quickly as a planing powerboat, so goodground tackle becomes very important.

Different types of anchors have their ownsets of strengths and weaknesses, and no onetype of anchor is best for all bottom condi-tions. What you carry on board will depend onyour local conditions, the space available, andyour experience. Some people think I’m nutsfor carrying three anchors, but I’ve seen con-ditions when all three were needed. Seek theadvice of others about anchors, especiallythose with local knowledge. Here’s a very briefsummary of anchor types to get you started.

Danforth AnchorsThese popular lightweight anchors have pivot-ing flukes. They are usually a good all-aroundchoice and are best in hard sand or mud.

Fortress aluminum anchors are Danforth typesand are often carried aboard trailerables as asecond anchor because of their very lightweight.

Plow, CQR, and Delta AnchorsThese anchors look similar to an old-time sin-gle turning plow that was pulled by a mule.The shaft can be either pivoting, as in the CQR,or fixed, as in the Delta. Best in sand, weeds,grass, and rocky bottoms.

Bruce or “Claw” AnchorsA Bruce anchor performs much like a plowbut with a lighter weight; reportedly resetsquickly if the boat pivots and the anchorbreaks out.

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A Danforth anchor.

A plow anchor.

A Delta and a Spade anchor on a double roller.Some anchor shapes make them difficult to stow.

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Yachtsman or Herreshoff AnchorsThis more traditional type of anchor is reminis-cent of something you’d see tattooed onPopeye’s forearm. It’s not normally usedamong recreational boats but has beenreported to hold when nothing else would.

Mushroom Anchors and “Hookers”Mushroom “anchors” are usually seen in dis-count stores as little vinyl-covered things. I’mnot quite sure who buys them or what they’reused for. They certainly aren’t used as anchors,though giant versions work as moorings.

“Hookers”—they really are called that, anunfortunate name if you’re trying to researchthem online—are inexpensive anchors with along U-shaped rod shaft and a ring. You’llfind these at flea markets and used boatplaces, mainly because, although they make

fine decorations, they don’t work that well asanchors. A 1994 anchor test in San Franciscoby U.S. Sailing showed this anchor “had nointerest in sticking to anything” and had a pullof about 60 pounds as it dragged along the bot-tom. Even when the flukes were forced in byhand, the anchor popped out at 95 pounds.They’d make good garden decorations orsomething to drag behind the car of a newlymarried couple.

Some new types of anchors (such as theBarnacle, Bullwagga, Spade, and SuperMax)have been developed that may prove useful inthe future, but they haven’t yet seen widespreaduse. These might work for you if they’re offeredin small sizes. Practical Sailor has done severalvery good anchor test articles over the years;check their results before spending a lot ofmoney on an unfamiliar type.

I carry three anchors aboard my currentboat Tiny Dancer—one small Danforth, onelarge Danforth, and a Delta plow-type. I firmlybelieve that anchors are not an area for econ-omy. When I was a liveaboard I had twoanchors—one was a genuine Danforth, but thelarger storm anchor was a low-cost Danforthcopy that was rated for a boat three times bigger

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A SuperMax anchor.

A Bruce anchor.

My anchor collection: a small Danforth with 12 feet ofchain and 100 feet of nylon rode (left); a Delta plow with15 feet of chain and 150 feet of nylon rode (center);another older, larger Danforth from a previous boat withabout 15 feet of chain and 75 feet of rode (right).


than my boat. After a particularly bad storm(Hurricane Hugo), my smaller genuine Danforthwas undamaged, but the half-inch shaft on thebig storm anchor was bent over 45 degrees. Eversince then, I’ve believed in spending the moneyto buy good, name-brand anchors.

Size isn’t everything when it comes toanchors. Small, lightweight anchors some-times set better than large anchors, and theyare certainly easier to store and handle. I keepthe small anchor at the bow, ready to go overat a moment’s notice. Its light weight doesn’timpact the boat’s sailing ability as much as aheavier anchor would. It is generally better tokeep heavy stuff off the very ends of the boat,and since trailer sailers are by nature lightercraft, it pays to keep this in mind. My otheranchors live in the cockpit locker and arebrought out when anchoring for the night.

How Heavy Should Your Anchors Be?Actually, this is a pretty tricky question. Thereis a standard answer—the usual tables pub-lished for a 20-foot sailboat show that the“lunch hook” should hold to about 90 pounds,the working anchor needs to hold to 360pounds, and the storm anchor should be ableto hold to 720 pounds before breaking out. Ifyou were using three standard Danforthanchors, this translates to a 3.5-pound lunchhook (with 160 pounds of holding power), a5-pound working anchor (with 300 pounds ofholding power), and a 14-pound storm anchor(with 920 pounds of holding power). Otheranchor types list recommended boat sizesrather than holding power. For example, an11-pound Simpson-Lawrence claw is recom-mended for 17- to 22-foot boats.

Going with the manufacturer’s recommen-dations is probably your best bet, though a3.5-pound Danforth is pretty tiny. I think I’d goup to a 5-pounder, because handling eitheranchor is pretty easy. Some recent work sug-gests that the long-published and acceptedestimates of wind loading don’t reflect real-world conditions. A lightweight boat with a finkeel tends to yaw during a high wind or sail

around the anchor, first to port, then to star-board. As she does this, the wind loading on theboat increases as she shows more of her broad-side to the wind. I’ve experienced this firsthand:in a very high wind, my Catalina 27 would yawat anchor until she had the wind on the beam,bringing huge loads on her anchors and rodes.

In a really heavy storm, everything shouldbe increased a size or two—anchor, rode,chain, and shackle. But, conversely, I’ve cometo believe that a light, small anchor has value,too. A smaller anchor will bite in and set withless power, while a larger anchor may not bitevery far under power. If it isn’t set well, youmight not discover this until the wind startsblowing, which isn’t a good time to get badnews about your anchor set. And the windnever blows while you’re setting the anchor—it seems to always start about 3 a.m. I used tothink bigger was always better when it came toanchors, but I’ve changed my thinking. Most ofthe time I use a small (but high-quality)Danforth Deepset for anchoring, and it seemsto be working quite well. I use my Delta forovernights.

Anchor Rodes All of the gear that attaches the anchor to theboat is called the rode. On nearly all trailersailers, the rode consists of a line and a lengthof chain.

The most commonly used anchor line isthree-strand or braided nylon. It’s strong, doesn’trot, and, most important, it’s stretchy—it canstretch 15 to 25 percent under a load. Thishelps absorb shock loads as the boat surges atanchor. (In fact, I keep a length of small nylonthree-strand to use as a shock absorber. Oneend is tied to the anchor line; the other end isled to the sheet winches. In a storm, it acts likea giant bungee cord, stretching and distribut-ing shock loads to several points on the boat.)

Much less desirable but more common ischeap polypropylene rope, which has poorknot strength, rapidly degrades in sunlight,and floats, which tends to foul other boats’props.

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EQUIPMENT

Most anchors should have some chainattached to them. The weight of the chain helpshold the anchor shaft parallel to the bottom,and few anchors will set properly without somechain before the rode. Although heavy chain iscumbersome, that weight is essential. Cruisingsailors recommend using all-chain rodes, butthis isn’t practical for most trailer sailers. All-chain rodes usually require a windlass to haulaboard, and the weight of the rode would betough for a small, light boat to cope with.

Remember that the entire rode is a “chain”in terms of the weakest link. Ten feet of chainbefore the anchor is good, but longer is better.Anchor shackles are metal clips that connectthe chain to the anchor and line (see photo).They are weaker than the chain in the samesize and should be rated for a similar breakingstrength. Shackles often seize up tight. A com-mon practice is to screw the pin in all the way,then back it out a quarter turn. You can coatthe threads with Desitin, Never-Seez, or dielec-tric grease. It’s imperative to secure theshackle pin so that it doesn’t work loose.Stainless or Monel wire works, but I’ve foundthat electric fence wire costs very little andresists corrosion well. Be sure to dress sharpwire ends so they don’t cut your hands.Another noncorroding option is nylon cableties (often called zip ties). The black onesresist UV radiation better than white. The lineshould have a thimble—a teardrop-shapedinsert—to resist chafe. Special nylon thimblesare good to prevent the thimble from workingloose as the eye splice stretches, and seizingsaround stainless steel thimbles will keep themsecure. Other types of connectors are avail-able, though questions have been raised abouttheir strength and the materials used. Swivelsshould generally be avoided because ofstrength issues. The big advantage of patentedanchor connectors is that they won’t foul ananchor windlass. Since most trailer sailorswon’t need a windlass, you shouldn’t need any-thing more than a standard shackle.

Mark your anchor line so you have someidea how much rode is out. You can buy premade

plastic tags, but a few turns of dark thread ortape works just as well. Something that can beidentified by feel yet won’t snag as it passesthrough a fairlead is ideal. Wrap a single bandof thread at 25 feet, two bands at 50 feet, threebands at 75 feet, and a wrap of tape at 100 feet.Then you continue the sequence: a band oftape plus a single band of thread is 125 feet,and so on. With my rode marked this way, Inever have to guess how much of it is in thewater.

Lifelines, Harnesses, Tethers,and JacklinesWe all want to keep ourselves and our crewfrom falling off the boat. Double lifelinesrigged with strong stanchions are a good idea.I know they add windage, tend to snag shroudsas you’re raising the mast, and generally com-plicate things. Nevertheless, I’m extremelynervous working a deck with no lifelines, andI tend to hug the fiberglass like a leech. Anyonewho has ever sailed with children aboard willtell you that a boat with lifelines is safer thanone without. They can get in the way ofdeck-sweeping headsails, but they can alsohelp keep sails out of the water as they arebeing lowered. Netting between the lifelines

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chain

shackle

shank

Anchor shackle and chain properly secured.


increases this ability, as well as preventingsmall children (and bigger sailors) from beingswept under the lines.

But lifelines aren’t accident-proof. A stan-chion with a 150-pound crewmember fallingagainst it is likely to break. Additional measuresare sometimes necessary to keep your crew onboard, besides the obvious grabrails runningthe full length of the cabintop. On most boatsthe grabrails are installed by the builder, thoughin a few cases they aren’t as long as they shouldbe. They should be through-bolted, with largebacking plates on the underside.

Jacklines, tethers, and safety harnesses allhelp ensure that your sailing companions staysafely on board. A jackline is a strong line,cable, or flat webbing that runs fore and aftalong the deck, secured to strong pad eyes. Acrew clips one end of a tether to the jackline,and the other end to a harness that is connectedto the sailor’s PFD. The tether should be longenough so the crew can work the deck withouthindrance, yet short enough to keep the crewfrom falling overboard. There is one chillingaccount of a sailor who was swept overboard.He was wearing a safety harness, but the tether

was too long. His wife, who was not strongenough to haul him back aboard and didn’tknow how to stop the boat, watched her hus-band drown in the quarter wave. Some tethershave double ends, a short and a long–-that way,you’re always connected to something whenyou’re on deck. You should never clip a tether tothe lifelines—they aren’t strong enough for this.If you don’t have a jackline, clip the tether to thewindward side of something strong, like a stan-chion base or mooring cleat. (This is one reasonwhy larger metal mooring cleats with openbases are better than smaller nylon ones.)

Docklines and Towlines You need at least four strong docklines. (See“Docking” in Chapter 8 for tips on technique.)Stretchy nylon is good for preventing shockloads to your mooring cleats, and remember,small-diameter nylon stretches more thanlarge-diameter lines. It’s also easier to securesmaller lines to cleats. In addition to docklines,you’ll want two longer spring lines. You’ll needto inspect docklines for chafe, though—linessmaller than 1/2 inch tend to wear out quickly.Some books say that all docklines should be at

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Double lifelines on a small sailboat.

EQUIPMENT

least 1/2 inch, but since trailer sailers aresmaller and lighter overall, a smaller line mightbe easier to handle.

A long towline is good to have aboard to helpother vessels. Although it’s expensive, the besttowline is double-braid nylon. It’s still shockabsorbing, but not so much as three-strand nylon.A towline should be a little stretchy, but not toomuch. If a deck fitting rips off under a towing load,it can shoot toward the towing boat with deadlyforce, potentially causing a serious accident.

CompassA compass is not required on a boat, but itshould be if only for tradition’s sake. My firsttrailer sailer had no compass aboard andtechnically didn’t need one. The boat neversailed any farther than Lake Chickamauga inTennessee, where you’re never very far fromland and nearly all navigation is by eye. But agood marine-grade compass was one of thefirst things I bought for that boat, and I neversailed it without my hand bearing compass aswell. It is a captain’s responsibility to know theboat’s position and heading at all times, andyou can’t do that without a compass. No self-respecting captain should put to sea—even ifthat sea is a lake—without one.

A compass inside the cabin is an even bet-ter idea. A long time ago, compass makersdeveloped a special model called a telltale com-pass. These are designed to be read from thebottom, and are mounted to the overheadabove the captain’s berth. While you’re sleepingat anchor, all you have to do is open one eye to

see if the boat has shifted in the night. If not, fine,you go back to sleep. But if the boat has shifted,and the breeze has gotten up a bit, you had bet-ter take a look around the deck, just to makesure the anchor is still set and you’re not blow-ing onto a dangerous lee shore. Or worse, youmight find the other boat in the anchorage thatwas safely downwind has shifted and is nowdragging anchor straight toward your boat whilethe captain is down below sleeping like a baby.I’ll bet he’s never heard of a telltale compass!

You can still buy telltale compasses, butthey are expensive. I found one listed at $360.

A hand bearing compass is extremely use-ful to have in addition to your mounted com-pass. Davis still makes its old hand bearingmodel, which is a large ball-type compassmounted on a handle with plastic pointers. It

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bow lineforward spring

breastline

aft spring

stern line

Five types of docklines.

Hand bearing compasses: left, the classic (and rela-tively inexpensive) Davis, and right, a hockey-pucktype by Plastimo. Either type will get the job done.


floats. I’ve also used one of the more expensivehockey-puck types of hand bearing compass,and it was a nice piece of gear. At about $100,it’s roughly double the price of the old Davismodel, but if my Davis ever gets lost overboard(not likely, since it floats), I’ll treat myself to anPlastimo Iris 50.

There are two other types of hand bearingcompass to consider—the Plastimo Iris 100and the Silva 70UN. Both of these include amounting bracket. This way they can dodouble-duty as the ship’s compass and thehand bearing compass, plus they’re easy totake home, reducing the risk of theft.

Bilge PumpsBilge pumps are a good idea, but on certainboats they’re apt to be used rarely. If your boathas no bilge, then you won’t have a hugeamount of use—or room—for a large bilgepump. My first trailerable sailboat had no bilgespace, and no place to put a pump that wouldn’tbe continually tripped over, so I didn’t installone. I got plenty of water inside my boat, usuallyfollowing a large rainstorm or from splashescoming from the keel pendant opening duringrowdy sails. (The keel pendant is a line orcable attached to the keel to lift it up; it passesthrough a small hole in the centerboard trunk.On many boats, water can splash up throughthis hole when sailing.) However, these weremostly small nuisance puddles that were bet-ter addressed with a sponge. Bilge pumpsalways leave a little water that needs to besponged out anyway, especially if your bilge isthe cabin sole.

If you’re sinking, however, a bilge pumpmay be your only line of defense. You’ll want abig, clog-resistant, diaphragm-type pump. Abucket will move more water faster, but youcan’t operate a bucket and steer the boat at thesame time. Plunger-type pumps can be handy,but they’re not much help if you’re sinking.

Electric bilge pumps are another story.When equipped with a float switch, they canpump out your boat while you’re having dinnerat a restaurant (try that with a bucket). They

do add a level of complexity to the electricalsystem, and only large, expensive pumps canhandle large amounts of water. Even a smallhole below the waterline can admit stunningamounts of water into your vessel—I once hadto clean out a speed impeller that was fouledon my just-purchased Catalina 27. It had ascrew mount and a cap so that you could dothis from inside the boat. All I had to do wasunscrew the impeller with one hand and capthe hole with the other—simple. I got every-thing ready and unscrewed. The impeller shotinto my hand with the force from the water,and what seemed to be a giant fountain of sea-water sprang up from the impeller’s mountinghole. I screwed the cap on quickly—it was allover in three or four seconds—and looked atthe water that had come in from a 11/2-inchhole. Maybe 4 or 5 gallons! I remember gettinga distinctive case of the new-boatowner shakesfor a few minutes after that. That experienceforever diminished my faith in bilge pumpsand their ability to cope with anything but atrickle below the waterline. You’d need a pumpalmost as big as my Atomic Four inboardmotor to cope with the water entering from anunobstructed 1-inch hole.

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A diaphram-type bilge pump mounted on theside of the cockpit that can be operated fromthe helm while underway.

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To summarize, bilge pumps can be useful,important items to have aboard, but only ifthey’re strong, high-quality, high-capacity instal-lations. Don’t rely on an undersized, cheappump to save you if you’re taking on water.

First-Aid KitA first-aid kit isn’t a USCG-required item, butno prudent mariner should leave the dockwithout one. Accidents happen, and, depend-ing on your type of sailing, help could be hoursor even days away. If your radio doesn’t have alot of coverage or you’re out of cell phonerange, minor problems can easily escalate intoserious situations, so be prepared.

The complexity of your first-aid kit canvary with the type of sailing you’ll do. If you’reprimarily daysailing, you can get by with a rel-atively small, prepackaged first-aid kit. Ifyou’re heading toward more distant horizons,though, you’ll want to create a more completemedical kit. However, medical equipment mustbe accompanied by the knowledge to use it

properly. The first thing to buy for any first-aidkit is a good first-aid manual. A manual writtenspecifically for small-boat mariners is best.One highly recommended guide is Advanced

First Aid Afloat, by Peter Eastman, but thereare others.

Be sure to examine the contents of yourfirst-aid kit annually. The often hot, humidenvironment of a sailboat seems to acceleratedeterioration of medications and adhesives, socheck expiration dates carefully and replacesupplies as needed. I like to keep my first-aidkit in a fishing tackle box. While this is a littlebulky, it helps to keep things organized, andyou don’t want to waste time hunting for sup-plies in an emergency.

Carbon Monoxide DetectorIf your boat has any form of heater, you shouldconsider adding a carbon monoxide detector.Some preventable deaths have been caused bythe accumulation of carbon monoxide in theconfines of a small cabin. In one case, a faulty

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A basic first-aid kit.


hot water heater was to blame. Any open flamehas the potential to use up available oxygen, ofcourse, but this is less of a problem in warmweather. Adequate ventilation is important forlots of reasons—not the least being the com-fort of the crew—but carbon monoxidebuildup is an often forgotten factor in sailboatdesign. If you sail in cold weather, it’s espe-cially important.

A Spares Kit Putting together a spare parts kit for your boatis a fairly simple matter. Get a small tackle box,and every time you lose a little pin overboard,buy three or four. Put the extras in the sparesbox. A tackle box is good for another reason—it helps keep things organized. A spare part isuseless if you can’t find it when you need it.Label the box spaces too, if that’s helpful.

While it’s impossible to anticipate every-thing you’ll need in a spares kit, here’s a list forstarters:

RIGGING• Clevis pins—sized correctly for your boat• Stainless-steel cotter pins• Split rings (sometimes called ring-dings)• Rigging tape• Bulldog clamps (for temporary rigging repairs

only)

ELECTRICAL• Fuses• Lightbulbs• Dielectric grease

MOTOR• Propeller shear pins• Fuel filter• Hose clamps• Spark plugs

TRAILER• Extra bearing set• Extra lug nuts or bolts• Trailer bulbs

MISCELLANEOUS• 3-In-One Oil• WD-40• Matches

Tools AboardIn addition to spares, having a small, basic toolkit on board is essential while sailing. It’s nouse having a spare spark plug for your motor ifyou don’t have a wrench with you to install it.It’s impossible to anticipate every eventuality,but there are a few tools that can be adapted toa wide range of jobs.

Tools on board needn’t be all stainlesssteel, but I’ve learned that inexpensive toolsare far more likely to rust than more expen-sive, professional-grade tools. Good tools gen-erally work better as well. Chinese-made toolsseem to be especially prone to rusting, oftenbeing made from the cheapest raw materials.Brands like Snap-on, SK, and older Craftsman(which were made in the United States; checkthe packaging) are often wise investments, aslong as you don’t drop them overboard. Asmall lump of charcoal, wrapped in a loosecloth and replaced once per season, is an old-time rust prevention strategy. I give my tools ayearly spray of lubricant like WD-40 orBoeshield T-9. A rag in the toolbox is alsoessential to wipe away the excess, as slipperytools tend to bang knuckles and find theirwatery resting place more frequently.

Below is a basic list to get you started. You’llwant to add more tools as the need arises.

Knife—a small, locking folder. A Wegner/Victorinox Swiss Army type, or even aninexpensive stainless kitchen paring blade,can be useful.

Vise-Grips pliers, with wire cutters.Needle-nose pliers.Screwdrivers, slotted and Phillips, one large and

one small of each.Cable cutters—capable of cutting your largest

rigging cable in an emergency.Sewing needles, sailmaker’s palm, and strong

polyester thread.Spark plug wrench.Quality multi-tool by Leatherman, Gerber, or

Kershaw.Duct tape—can be used for all sorts of emergency

repairs, but watch out: the adhesive on duct

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tape can become a sticky, gooey mess after itwarms up in the sun. And after it bakes for afew weeks, it’s nearly impossible to remove.

ChartsIt’s hard to believe, but you are not required tocarry nautical charts aboard. I never sail any-where but the smallest of lakes on the smallestof boats without some kind of paper chart.Even if I had the money for a full electronicchartplotting system, I’d still want papercharts too–-electronics can get wet, and theydon’t like to work that way. A chart can tell youa great deal about where you are and how toget where you’re going safely. They need to bekept current and updated through the Noticeto Mariners bulletin (www.navcen.uscg.gov).See “Nautical Charts” in Chapter 11 for moreinformation about acquiring and using charts.

ElectronicsElectronics constitutes a huge category ofoptional equipment that you can add to yourboat. Some items can significantly increase thesafety of your vessel, while others are just niceto have. Some electronic gadgets are seriousoverkill for most trailerable boats—radarcomes to mind. Mariners have been sailing foreons with nothing more than lead, log, and look-out. Then again, mariners have also spent a lotof time lost in the fog or unable to call for help.

Remember that size and power require-ments will limit what you can put on board. Donot go crazy with gadgets. Flipping through themarine catalogs will present you with a bewil-dering selection of high-tech solutions to prob-lems you never knew you had. Resist thetemptation to turn your cockpit into a nauticalversion of the Starship Enterprise, especiallybefore you’ve had several cruises under yourbelt. Here is a rundown of the most commonadditions to an electronic arsenal.

Depth Sounder/Lead LineI used to think that a depth sounder wasn’tneeded aboard smaller boats like trailersailers—after all, good sailors have been

navigating for millennia without them—butexperience has changed my thinking.

My Catalina came with a working, high-quality depth sounder. Whenever I sailed, I left iton, and discovered that I was constantly glanc-ing at it. I quickly learned to use it as a navigationtool, and I followed the bottom contours on thechart. It seldom let me down, and knowing I hadsome water under my keel helped me to relax.

I never got around to installing a depthsounder on my first trailer sailer. Groundingsare much less of an issue with a swing keel,right? And you can always jump overboard andpush a trailerable boat off a shoal. Well, it didn’talways work out that way. The lake where Isail has a lot of gravelly shoals in unexpectedplaces, and I ran aground a few times. I nevergot stuck, but I did do a little damage to myrudder because I couldn’t see the bottomshoaling due to the muddy water. I constantlywanted to know how much water I had, andour lake charts are much less detailed thanNOAA charts. (NOAA stands for NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration, theU.S. agency that produces charts.)

So the first improvement I made to Tiny

Dancer, my Montgomery 17, was a brand-newdigital depth sounder for the cockpit, and Ilove having that information available again. Anew depth sounder costs about a hundredbucks, and for me it’s money well spent.

As neat as they are, electronic depth soundersaren’t infallible. You should have aboard a leadline, which is nothing more than a light, measuredline with a weight on the end. Before the days ofelectronics, the ship’s lead was a large specializedweight with a hollow space in the bottom. A littledab of beef tallow—or Crisco—in the hollow per-mitted the lead to bring up a small sample of thebottom, which helped select the proper anchorand anchoring technique. The line itself wasmeasured in fathoms, with markers that could beidentified by feel, so that a light wasn’t necessaryto read the depth.

A small-boat version of a lead line can bemade with a large fishing sinker and some1/8-inch line. You might want to devise your

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www.navcen.uscg.gov


own system of marking—perhaps mark thefirst 5 or 10 feet with knots, then larger incre-ments with various materials, like this:

2.5 feet one knot5 feet two knots7.5 feet three knots10 feet leather strip sewn to the line15 feet yarn20 feet leather with two corners25 feet two pieces of yarn30 feet leather with three corners35 feet three pieces of yarn40 feet leather with four corners50 feet cloth

Or you could come up with your own sys-tem. Some have suggested using nylon zip ties,which would be quick and permanent but hardon the hands. Those little printed tags sold atchandleries seem like a waste of money, butsome sailors like them.

Lead lines are accurate and never need bat-teries, but they can be cumbersome and diffi-cult to use in bad weather or higher speeds.You really need a crew to heave the line—it’stricky to take soundings with the lead if you’resailing solo. But they’re great for checking the

depth around your anchored boat, or to seehow accurate your depth sounder is.

Communications—VHF, FRS, Cell Phones,and OthersIt’s not a bad idea to have some means of com-munication aboard your sailboat. Ideally, thisshould be a way to communicate with shorestations as well as other vessels. The bestoption for most recreational vessels has tradi-tionally been the VHF radio.

VHF RADIO VHF—which stands for very highfrequency, and is technically called VHF/FM—is primarily a short-range, line-of-sight commu-nications medium. It’s the legally preferredmedium for radio communication betweenships and from ship to shore.

If you’ve never used one, a VHF radiomight take a little getting used to. Early ver-sions had few channels, and the channels wereselected with crystals that plugged into theradio. Modern radios use synthesizers forchannel selection, and have all channels avail-able for use. But many channels are restrictedand should be used only for specific purposes—you can’t just flip a switch and start yakking

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Cold-Forging a Sounding LeadTo fashion your own sounding lead, you can use a large (2 to 3 ounces or so—heavier is better) surf-fishing sinker tied to a light calibrated line—I used one for years aboard my boat. But should you have ayearning for the traditional, or want to pull a sample of the bottom, you can cold-forge a small version ofa traditional ship’s lead rather easily.

All you need is a fishing sinker, a hammer, and a heavy, relatively flat surface to use as an anvil. Leadis one of a few metals that can be shaped to some degree without heating. You’ll want to wear gloves,though, as a precaution.

First, flatten the bottom of the sinker a little. You can hold the lead in a vise if you wrap the sinker witha rag, or you can drive the sinker into firm ground upside down, like a tent stake. Once the bottom is flat-tened, make a slight depression in it. You can do this with a large drill, or you can forge a depression witha blunt piece of steel.

All that remains is to taper the sides a little to form a slight teardrop shape. Hammer the sides square,making a gentle angle between the hammer and anvil surface. Getting the sides even may take a littlepractice; fortunately, sinkers aren’t too expensive.

Once you’ve shaped the sides, make the surface octagonal by hammering the corners (you alwaysforge a taper square first, then make it octagonal, and then, should you desire, round). After you’re done,spray-paint it with a little enamel to seal the lead.

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away. Channel 16 is the mandatory distress,safety, and calling channel. If you have a VHFon board, you are required to monitorChannel 16 for distress calls. If Channel 16 isclear and you want to talk to another vessel,ask them to switch to 71, 72, or 78, whicheveris not being used. If these channels are busy,you can use 68 or 69, but Channel 70 isreserved for radios equipped with DigitalSelective Calling (DSC). Following are thestandard reserved channels:

VHF CHANNEL USEChannel 16: Distress, urgent messages, safety

messages, and calling other stations.Channel 6: Intership safety. The Coast Guard

may ask you to use this channel if you havean emergency.

Channel 9: Boater calling channel, often used bymarinas and yacht clubs.

Channel 13: Navigation; the working channel formost locks and drawbridges.

Channel 17: Maritime control, used by state andlocal governments.

Channels 21A, 22A: Coast Guard workingchannels.

Channels 24–28, 84–86: Ship-to-shore telephonechannels formerly operated by MariTEL,now operated by SeaSmart by subscriptiononly.

Channels 1, 5, 11, 12, 14, 20, 63, 66, 72, 74, 77:Port operations.

Channel 70: Digital Selective Distress andCalling only.

Channel WX1–3: Weather reports.Channel 87: Automatic Identification System

(AIS) Repeater.

Rules and regulations for VHF use aboardboats are very specific. You no longer need anFCC license to operate a VHF radio unless youare cruising in waters controlled by anothercountry. The licensing fee is rather high,around $200, but it’s good for ten years (it’s nottransferable from boat to boat, even if youremove and reinstall the same radio).

Don’t use CB language on a VHF—there areno “good buddies” on the water. The CoastGuard does not provide “radio checks” to see ifyour radio is transmitting. Instead, use a localcalling channel on low power. Listen first tomake sure a calling channel is not busy, then callfor a specific vessel or station and include thephrase “request radio check” in your initial call.“Over and out” is contradictory and used only inthe movies. Over means “I’m finished transmit-ting and am waiting for your response”; out

means “This is the end of my transmission anddo not expect a response.” Your use of Channel16 should be kept to the bare minimum.

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What Is DSC?It is hoped that DSC, short for Digital Selective Calling, will revolutionize the way rescue operations arehandled. DSC uses a digital signal to transmit specific information, such as:

The caller’s unique ID number (called a MMSI, for Marine Mobile Service Number, it’s similar to a tele-phone number)

The ID number of the unit being called—for example, all Coast Guard stationsThe caller’s location and the time of dayThe requested working frequencyThe priority and type of call (distress, emergency, safety, routine, priority, fire, taking on water, etc.)

Ideally, DSC will eliminate much of the human factor in monitoring radio frequencies for distress calls.However, there are still plenty of bugs in the system. For example, the Coast Guard is plagued with largenumbers of relayed DSC distress signals, 99 percent of which are accidental transmissions. It remains tobe seen whether DSC will mature into a vastly improved communications system as promised.

The BoatU.S. foundation has recently launched a website (www.BoatUS.com/MMSI) devoted to DSCradios, understanding your MMSI, and the Coast Guard’s Rescue 21 program.

www.BoatUS.com/MMSI


Larger vessels typically use a permanentlymounted VHF as their main radio, and con-sider a handheld for dinghy use only. SinceVHFs are line-of-sight radios, the masthead istypically the place to mount the separateantenna required. But since masts on trailersailers are regularly raised and lowered, theyneed to be kept as uncluttered and snag-free aspossible, and a masthead antenna is particu-larly vulnerable to damage when the mast islowered. You could use a larger deck-mountedwhip antenna—that’s what I had on my firsttrailer sailer. However, it was always in theway, and it didn’t have significantly betterrange than a handheld would.

So when I purchased my second boat, Iopted for a handheld instead. It cost roughly$100 and, for me, has been a better solution,even though it has lower power (handheldstypically have a maximum transmit powerof about 5 watts, whereas permanentlymounted units have 25 watts). It’s easier todrop and break or steal, but it is fully sub-mersible. Battery life has been good, and Ican run it off the ship’s battery with anadapter if need be.

CELL PHONES In the early days of cell phones,having one aboard was pretty much uselessbecause cell tower coverage was so spotty.While this is still true in remote cruising areas,you may find that your cell phone works in sur-prising places, especially as you approachmajor metropolitan areas.

A cell phone is a convenient and economi-cal way to call home, if you can get a signal.Similarly, if there’s an emergency at home,your family can try your cell phone numberbefore going to more expensive options. It alsoallows you to contact a marina to reserve aberth for the night before you’re in VHF range.

It’s possible to increase the range of a cellphone by using an external antenna mounted atthe masthead. Additionally, you can boost yourcell phone’s output power with an externalamplifier. In some areas, you can reach the CoastGuard by dialing *CG. In fact, the Coast Guardsometimes prefers cell phone communicationsin rescue operations because they are far lesssusceptible to interference from other stations.

However, relying on a cell phone as yoursole means of radio communication aboard asailboat is folly. They are still one-point,person-to-person communication. If I’m takingon water, I want everybody to know about it—not just whoever’s in my speed-dial. For every-day ship-to-ship or ship-to-drawbridge com-munications, a VHF is unsurpassed. That’swhy, in some countries, VHF is required equip-ment. Cell phones are certainly convenient anduseful, but they shouldn’t be your only option.

FRS AND GMRS FRS stands for Family RadioService. It’s a relatively new, low-power hand-held radio system that’s better than walkie-talkies but not as good as VHF. FRS doesn’trequire a license (though some radios alsohave GMRS—General Mobile Radio Service—channels). Power is limited to 0.5 watt, and therange is usually 2 miles or less. GMRS can beconsidered an expanded type of FRS. GMRShas higher allowable power at 5 watts. Youmust have an FCC license to transmit onGMRS channels.

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What Is AIS?AIS stands for Automatic Identification System. It’s a digitalradio-based system that’s required by the InternationalMaritime Organization for all vessels over 300 tons, andit’s expected that the U.S. Coast Guard will follow suit. Withthe AIS system, data from large vessels is continuallybroadcast digitally, and any vessel that can receive AIS datacan instantly find out things like the ship’s name, position,speed, course, and destination.

While the large transmission systems on the ships areexpensive, smaller, receive-only units are less expensive.Currently they are designed to integrate with electronicnavigation systems such as chartplotters and onboard nav-igation computers, but AIS has reportedly “revolutionizedmarine traffic communications” in the eighteen monthssince it was first introduced. Just as GPS units have becomesmaller and more practical for the trailer sailor, look forsmaller and more capable AIS receivers in the near future.

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Both these systems are designed for two-way voice communications for family use.They can be useful aboard ship, primarily tokeep up with your teenager in the dinghy. Theyare small, inexpensive, and lightweight, andsome models can even survive a minor dunk-ing. But if the budget allows, a pair of handheldVHF radios is probably a better choice, unlessyou routinely have several family membersgoing in different directions at the same time.

VentilationAs noted in the USCG-mandated equipmentsection, a ventilation system is required on atrailer sailer only if you store fuel in lockers orhave an inboard engine. Nevertheless, ade-quate ventilation is important for cabin com-fort, mildew prevention, and safety. It’s anespecially good idea if you use a heater orcook with propane. (Remember, propane isheavier than air, and explosive fumes from aleaky canister can collect in the bilge.)

So, if ventilation is a good thing, what’s thebest way to provide it? Ventilators can bebroadly classified into two groups: active andpassive. Active vents use power and have mov-ing parts; passive vents don’t and are usuallyoperated by the wind.

Active Ventilation DevicesActive ventilation most commonly takes twoforms—bilge blowers and powered deck vents.Forced-air bilge blowers use a 12-volt in-linefan to pull air from the bilge to the outside ofthe boat. They are important safety devices, butthey don’t do much to increase cabin comfort.For that, you need an active deck vent, and themost popular of these are Solar Vents. Theseself-contained units include a motor, a solarcell, and, in some models, a battery. When thesun shines, the motor operates, drawing freshair through the ventilator. The battery-operatedunits can ventilate the cabin at night as well,which makes sleeping aboard more pleasant.The vents themselves are small, low-profileunits that won’t foul sheets on deck. Theyrequire a pretty big hole through the deck—3 to

4 inches—and they don’t like to be stepped on.But they are especially effective at keeping theboat fresh while it is unattended.

Other active ventilation devices includefans to circulate air in the cabin. However, theycan put a significant drain on the batteries ifleft on overnight. Some fans last longer thanothers—Practical Sailor has tested manycabin fans, and Hella is a brand that has consis-tently performed well.

Another option that may be worth investi-gating is the use of surplus 12-volt computer“muffin” fans. These are widely available andinexpensive, and often feature a low currentdraw. Some boatowners have found creativeways to use them, positioning them over berths,in bulkheads and lockers, and inside passive ven-tilation devices, making them active ventilators.

Passive Ventilation DevicesPassive ventilators are basically wind-powereddevices. If it’s dead calm, you don’t get muchair circulation. But since there’s usually somekind of breeze on the water, passive vents canhelp a great deal.

Clamshell vents are often seen on inboardboats to vent the bilge. As with most ventila-tors, they are best installed with one vent fac-ing forward and one facing aft. One of theirbest qualities is their location aft, well out ofthe way. The best clamshell vents are deep,with a raised edge around the hole to keep outwater that runs along the deck.

Mushroom vents are smaller, low-profile,deck-mounted vents that resemble the cap of amushroom. They don’t have a lot of cross-sectional area exposed to the wind, so theydon’t bring vast quantities of air down below,but they are omnidirectional—performance isthe same no matter what direction the wind iscoming from. They are available in stainless orplastic, and some look like unpowered ver-sions of Solar Vents. Like Solar Vents, their lowprofile helps them keep from snagging sheets.

Remember that in good weather, your for-ward hatch can bring a lot of air below—evenmore if you rig a wind catcher or other type of

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fabric cover to help funnel air below. Somedesigns allow you to keep your forward hatchopen in the rain, which can be a great help.Most of these can’t be left open while undersail, and those that can would most likely bein the way. There are two basic designs of fab-ric ventilating sails: directional (or forwardfacing) and nondirectional. The nondirectionaltype rises straight above the hatch with a fab-ric X-shaped divider in the center. Commercialofferings include the original Windscoop, WestMarine’s Down-the-Hatch, and the self-supporting Breeze Booster. Expect to paybetween $40 and $90 for these systems.

On larger boats, there’s often room to fit asmall opening hatch over the head area; theseare great for bringing light and fresh air whereit’s often most appreciated. High-qualityaluminum-framed plexiglass hatches are madeby companies like Bomar and Forespar.Expect to pay around $150 for this upgrade.

Most boats these days come equipped withfixed ports or “deadlights.” This keeps the pricedown, as they’re quick, easy to attach, andmuch less likely to leak. Real opening ports aresometimes offered as an option, but the high

cost means few are fitted this way at the factory.And the cost can be staggering—even small,aluminum-framed opening portlights can go for$200 to $400 depending on the size; bronze-framed cost $200 to $650. Plastic portlights area good bit less, around $130 each, but UV radia-tion will eventually take its toll. Plastic will dete-riorate with age, whereas bronze will not.

Retrofitting a deadlight with an openingport would improve ventilation, but on manyboats it’s not that simple. Most deadlights arewedge shaped to give the cabin a racy look,and few portlights will bolt directly in theirplace. During the mid-1980s, some new boatsbegan to appear with an unusual arrange-ment—an opening port was fitted in the mid-dle of the deadlight. This seemed a pretty oddarrangement at first, but, depending on thestyle of the boat and the size of the deadlight, itdoesn’t look too bad. If your boat is a similartype, it might be possible to retrofit new dead-lights with an opening port mounted within.

It is possible to fiberglass an opening for adeadlight and install opening ports, but it’svery tricky. The work needs to be perfect andthe gelcoat match has to be precise; otherwise,

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Opening plastic ports are factory installed in existing deadlights for improved ventilation. This blackport in a smoked plexiglass deadlight is on a Precision 21.

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you could easily spoil the looks of your boatand spend a bunch of money in the process.

It’s possible to put an opening port in anunusual place, like the inside of the cockpitfootwell. This allows light and air to enter theboat in a normally dark and airless place—thefoot of the quarter berth or the sail locker. Amuch less expensive option would be a snap-inor screw-in deck plate with a clear cover. Theseare only $17 each, and you could add four to thefootwell for less than the cost of the cheapestopening port. Although they are made with heavyrubber O-rings for “a watertight fit,” they couldpossibly leak in this sort of application, sincethey weren’t designed for vertical mounting.

Good ventilation usually requires the useof several different types of vents. It’s almostimpossible to overventilate your boat—no onehas ever complained of a boat being too freshand airy belowdeck.

Foul-Weather GearSince you don’t usually have the option of run-ning for cover when rough weather approaches,you’ll have to be ready for some less-than-optimal conditions. You might experience rain,

waves, spray, or all three while sailing. Whenthis happens, having quality rain gear aboard isa big plus.

Buying foul-weather gear can present youwith a bewildering array of choices, but for atrailer sailor we can narrow things down a bit.You aren’t likely to need all the features foundon a $600 set of offshore bibs and jacket unlessyou plan on making long passages. On theother hand, a $10 poncho from Sprawl-Martisn’t going to cut it either. A good choice mightbe a set of house-brand foulies from one of thelarge chandleries. These are often made byname-brand manufacturers and are a goodvalue with nearly all the features but not thelabel. A nylon outer shell is better than solidPVC, though I’ve been using a set of PVC raingear since Hurricane Hugo and it’s still goingstrong. (PVC is a form of vinyl fabric with asmooth outer covering—the kind you proba-bly had when you were a kid.) An inner linermakes rain gear more comfortable. A hat ver-sus a hood is largely a matter of personal pref-erence. Boots are needed for cooler weather,but deck shoes designed to get wet are anoption that many sailors prefer.

85

A plastic portlight used in the side of the footwell for ventilation and light. A clear inspection portworks well, too.

Here’s the scenario—you’ve saved formonths and, finally, she’s yours–-yourfirst sailboat. All those daydreams and

fantasies are becoming a reality. This step is amajor accomplishment, something that hastaken vision, hard work, and even a littlecourage, so take a moment to appreciate whatyou’ve done. Close your eyes and take a nice,deep breath.

When you open your eyes, you may findyourself thinking, “Man, this thing surelooks big.”

On a trailer, most sailboats look huge. Evenmy little Montgomery 17, by comparison apretty small trailerable, seems to dwarf mypickup truck. How are you going to get thisbeast in the water?

Don’t panic. People tow sailboats safely allthe time, and you can, too. Here are some tips.

TOWINGTowing a sailboat safely does not have to bedifficult or overly stressful. It should be a littlestressful—that’s a sign that you’re takingthings seriously. But if it feels overwhelming atfirst, don’t worry. You can reduce that feelingwith the knowledge that you’ve taken everyprecaution to be safe. One way to help keep upwith the details is to make a towing checklistfor your particular boat and tow vehicle.(For example, if your tow vehicle has a man-ual transmission, you don’t need to check theautomatic transmission fluid level.) See thesidebar “A Towing Checklist” to give you astart. You might also review Chapter 4,“Trailers.”

OK, you’ve made a list and checked ittwice. You’re ready to roll. Here are some tipsto get you to the water safely. First, slow down!Don’t be in a hurry when towing a trailer. It’s acommon sight to see people flying down theinterstate, exceeding the speed limit whiletowing a huge boat behind them. At highspeeds, a trailer is much more likely to sway,and air pressure currents from large trucks aremore of a problem. If it’s raining, slow downa lot. You’ve already got limited maneuveringand stopping ability when towing a trailer. If it’sraining, you can add reduced visibility, a muchlonger stopping distance, and a tendency toslide to your list of worries. You can also dou-ble your expected travel time. It’s better to takeforever to get there than not arrive at all.

Second, back off from the car in front ofyou, especially in wet weather. You will beamazed at how long it takes to come to a panicstop, especially with a trailer that doesn’t havebrakes. I know—the minute you leave enoughroom to stop, some bonehead pulls in front ofyou with about 6 inches to spare. There isn’tmuch you can do in that event, other than tapea big sign on the back of your boat that reads,“This boat weighs over a ton and takes a hun-dred yards to come to a stop.”

The third tip I can offer is for backing up.Backing up with a trailer for the first time isreally tricky, but it becomes much easier withpractice. Put your hand on the bottom of thesteering wheel. To go left, move your hand to theleft, and vice versa. You’ll want to use slightmovements of the wheel—exaggerated move-ment will cause the trailer to go all over the

86

CHAPTER S IX

Towing and Rigging Your Boat

86

TOWING AND RIGGING YOUR BOAT 87

A Towing ChecklistIn the driveway, BEFORE TOWINGBe certain the ball and coupler are the correct size.Lubricate the coupler and the latch.Be sure the coupler is locked and secured with a safety clip or padlock. Test to make sure the coupler is

securely fastened to the hitch ball.Check the safety chains. Make sure they’re solidly attached to the frame, facing forward if using open

hooks, and crossed under the coupling. Don’t let the chains drag on the pavement.If your trailer has brakes, inspect the trailer brake wiring and harness. Clean if necessary.Inspect and/or clean the lighting plug and receptacle. Test all exterior lighting, brake lights, and turn signals.If a trailer license plate is required, make sure it’s current and hasn’t fallen off.Inspect all hitch components, leaf springs, clamps, axle components, and so on, for cracking or broken

welds.If your trailer is equipped with brakes, test the breakaway switch.Check tire pressures and inspect each tire for rot, cracking, or wear.Check the wheel nut torque.Make sure the tongue jack is raised as far as possible.Remove the dolly wheel (if appropriate).Make sure the boat motor is off the transom and secured in the tow vehicle or on a mounting bar.

If necessary, tighten and padlock the mounting screws.Remove the rudder and store it in the cabin. Do not tow the boat with the boom or the rudder lying in

the cockpit.Make sure the transom strap and bow chain are secure and tight.

Store all loose items on the boat belowdeck. Hatches should have positive latches to prevent themfrom being blown open, and all should be secured. Items in the cabin, particularly breakables, should bestowed low and securely. Lock the companionway to prevent it from vibrating open.

Make sure the mast is well supported at a minimum of three points and securely tied to the hull.Check that the hull is correctly positioned on the trailer and supported by the bunks and at the bot-

tom of the keel. If the bunks are causing dents in the hull, reposition the boat until it is correctly sup-ported—the trailer should never cause any deformation of the hull.

On the road, BEFORE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDSTest the bearings. After driving a few blocks, pull over and feel the bearings with the back of your hand.If they are hot, stop. The bearings must be replaced before you continue. Do nothing until they cooldown, then very slowly find a place where you can safely work on the hubs, away from traffic. Don’t drivemore than a few blocks, and don’t exceed 15 miles per hour, as your tire has a very real chance of com-ing off the axle. Call for roadside assistance, if available.

If your trailer sways, stop. Try to determine what is causing the trailer to sway, and correct it. Do notdrive at highway speeds if your trailer sways.

At the launch ramp, BEFORE RAISING THE MASTAlways look up! Make sure there are no power lines of any kind between you and the ramp. Your mast doesnot have to make contact with a high-power line to conduct a deadly electric surge—very high voltages canjump through the air if your mast gets close enough. Make sure no branches or trees obstruct your launch area.

If possible, point the boat downhill to make raising the mast a little easier.

(Continued)


place. It often helps to have another personout of the car directing you with hand signals.Don’t be in a hurry, take your time, and prac-tice. A summer Saturday at a busy boat rampis not a good time to back your boat for thefirst time.

You can find other towing tips from the gov-ernment and in trailer-oriented magazines, likeTrailer Boats, Trailer Life magazine, andRVLiving, or on the web at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/Equipment/towing/. If you type“towing a trailer” into a web search engine,you’ll get dozens of hits with good informationand tips about towing your sailboat.

RIGGINGOnce you get to the ramp, you have to do a littlemagic. You’ve got to transform your boat fromsomething that is more like an RV to a small,seaworthy vessel. And you have to do this in aparking lot. Then you have to launch the wholeassembly. A fringe benefit to taking a little timefor rigging is that it gives the trailer wheelbearings a chance to cool off. (Dipping hotbearings in cool water shocks the steel andpulls water into the bearings, increasing thepossibility of failure.)

Some sailboat manufacturers like to tell youhow simple rigging is. It’s simple only in theory.

88

If you have to disconnect the trailer from the car, be sure to block the aft corner of the trailer to pre-vent it from rolling before you step on the boat.

Make sure all your shrouds and halyards are connected and free of deck obstructions. Check themasthead to be sure the halyards are in their proper sleeves, and tighten the halyards on the mast so theydon’t foul as you raise the mast.

If you have babystays to limit sideways movement, connect them.Loosen the headstay turnbuckle. Be sure the correct size clevis pins are ready to secure the forestay.If you can, get some help lifting the mast.

Safety Tip: Raise Your Tongue JackAll the Way! Here’s an important safety tip. Most boats, espe-cially larger ones, have a crank-down tonguejack to raise the tongue for connecting and dis-connecting the trailer. For a 2,000-pound boat,the proper tongue weight is at least 200pounds—too heavy to lift by hand. Tongue jacksmake it easy to lift the tongue. Some jacks pivotto swing out of the way, but some, like mine,are fixed in the vertical position. It’s very impor-tant, especially with fixed jacks, to raise them upas far as possible before towing a trailer.Otherwise, a sharp rise in the road—most com-monly the top of a steep ramp—can hit the jackand force the coupling off the ball.

pop!

bang!

gurgle...

www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/Equipment/towing/

www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/Equipment/towing/


In real life, rigging a boat at the ramp is a bigjob. But with practice, it gets much easier. Ihave seen some truly amazing, virtuoso per-formances by sailboat owners who havegotten the setup and rigging of their boat downto a fine science. One sailor I knew had aMacGregor 25 launched within twenty minutesof arrival at the ramp. His wife accompaniedhim, and it was obvious that these two hadlaunched many times in order to reach suchimpressive rig times.

In general, larger boats with more complexrigs take longer to rig and launch, but this isn’ta universal truth. Each sailboat has its ownquirks and characteristics—different hard-ware and different mast steps. The mast step iswhere the base of the mast connects with theboat. On trailerables, it’s often a stainlessbracket with a bolt through it; other times it’s ahinged plate mounted firmly to the deck. Mosttrailerables have deck-stepped masts, though afew might have carbon masts that are keelstepped. The carbon mast passes through a

Use Wheel Chocks at the RampMy good friend Mark Kennedy used to live in a house with a deck that overlooked a public boat ramp.He had great entertainment simply relaxing on the deck and watching people’s various hijinks as theyattempted to launch and recover their boats. One afternoon we saw one hapless fellow launch his boatand his pickup truck. (This scenario is really funny—unless it happens to you. And it’s more common thanyou’d think.) If I remember it correctly, the water nearly made it past his windows as his truck slowly rolledbackward while he putzed around on his boat. Just in the nick of time, he raced to the cab and got thetruck out of the water before drowning the engine, but I’ll bet the saltwater-soaked interior had that spe-cial low-tide, dead-fish smell for a long time. I’ve seen photos on the Internet where car owners weren’tquite as speedy, and the tow vehicles were submerged completely.

The lesson: Your parking brakes are often less effective than they should be, and they’re quick towear out. If you depend on your parking brakes at the ramp, you may launch your tow vehicle uninten-tionally. A simple solution is a pair of wheel chocks. You can buy these at an auto parts store; a shortchunk of wood would also work. A small firewood-sized piece of log split in half and drilled with a holewould be ideal. Here’s a tip—tie the wheel chocks to your bumper (on a pickup) or the inside of yourtrunk (on a car) with a short piece of light line. When you are on the ramp, set your brakes, then put thechocks in place behind the rear wheels first thing. They are especially helpful when recovering your boat,because when you release the brakes, the car doesn’t roll backward. This was helpful when I pulled theboat with my standard-transmission Frontier—it gave me a second to let the clutch out a little and rev theengine. When you go up the ramp, the line drags the chocks along with you—no need to run back andpick them up before the next person uses the ramp.

mast

mast pivotbolt

mast riser

mast step

A common bolt-in mast step seen on many trailerablesailboats.

OUTFITTING AND HANDLING YOUR SAILBOAT90

hole on the deck and fits in a shallow socket inthe keel. Some catboats with unstayed mastswork this way.

Before you do any rigging, look up. Do thisevery time you approach a boat ramp, famil-iar or not. The most dangerous overheadproblem is a power line. Some power linescarry so much current they don’t need directcontact to conduct electricity through yourmast and boat. Your aluminum mast becomesa very effective lightning rod, and the resultscan be deadly. Not many launch ramps havethese kinds of high-voltage lines strung about,but you can’t be too sure. Be careful—peoplehave died because they raised a mast into anoverhead power line, and this kind of tragedyis preventable if only you take a moment tolook up!

Rigging your boat will be somewhat differ-ent than described here, as this is an overviewof the process. The exact procedure is outlinedin your owner’s manual. If you don’t have a

manual, try to get one. Even if the builder ofyour boat has been out of business for thirtyyears, you still have a pretty good chance offinding a manual on the Internet. Most boatshave a user’s group somewhere online, andthose members can be invaluable resourcesfor information about your boat—and not justfor old manuals, either. Sources for obsoleteparts, procedures, aftermarket suppliers, flotil-las, group cruises, races, and crewing opportu-nities can all be found by being a part of auser’s group, so join the community!

Here’s how rigging a typical trailerable sail-boat might go at a ramp. After checking foroverhead power lines and branches, find aspot where you can park your car and boat.Hopefully you can rig the boat away from theramp. Where I sail, sailboats are pretty rare, soI get some odd looks and questions. Usuallythese come at difficult moments—like whenmy mast is halfway up. I try to get as far awayfrom spectators as I can. If you have a choice,park the boat heading downhill or on levelground. Don’t disconnect the boat from the carto rig it, as you’ll be walking around the deckand you could unbalance the trailer, sendingthe tongue skyward and possibly moving thetrailer! Be careful as you get ready to raise themast, since you’ll be a good distance fromthe pavement. Falling off the deck could easilyruin your next three months.

First, untie the mast and free the halyardsand stays. Most folks use a few bungee cordsto hold the halyards, stays, and spreaderssecurely around the mast for transport. Undothese and stow them where you can find themagain when you next haul the boat. Tie theends of the halyards tightly to the cleats at thebase of the mast, but let the shrouds and stayshang loose for a moment. Check the mast-head—make sure the forestay is facing up, thebackstay is down, and all the halyards areclear, with no twists or kinks.

Next, bolt the mast to the mast step. Themast goes toward the stern, and when it’sbolted into the step, you can’t reach anythingpast the spreaders. Make sure the upper

mast

maststep

mast pivotbolt

A hinge-type mast step from a Tanzer 22, a slightly betterarrangement.

TOWING AND RIGGING YOUR BOAT

shrouds, halyards, forestay, and backstay areclear and don’t have any kinks in them. Mostboats need something in the area of the cock-pit to support the mast before it is raised. Myboat has a teak mast crutch that fits into therudder pintles—it supports the mast while onthe highway. Your boat may have somethingsimilar. Make sure there’s some kind of sup-port in place, ready to receive the mast as youshift it aft. If everything looks OK, shift themast to the rear and bolt it in the step. Themast is large and ungainly, but usually not tooheavy. Sometimes it helps to pad the compan-ionway with an old life jacket to prevent fric-tion from the mast as you raise it, which cancrack the gelcoat.

When the mast is bolted in place, attach theafter shrouds and backstay. Some boats, likemy old MacGregor, use vernier adjusters onthe backstay and the shrouds, and a singleturnbuckle at the headstay. Vernier adjustersare simple affairs commonly seen on HobieCats. They are simply two pieces of metal—one flat, the other U-shaped—with a series ofholes drilled in them. The spacing of the holesis slightly different, so you can adjust shroudtension in small increments, depending onwhere you locate the clevis pin. (A clevis pin isa small stainless-steel pin with a head at oneend and a hole in the other—see the sidebar“Clevis Pins” for more detail.)

If your boat uses vernier adjusters, attachthe shrouds to the verniers loosely, using thelower holes. This ensures you’ve got enoughslack at the headstay to insert the clevis pin. Asyou gain some experience rigging your boat,you can mark the verniers where they nor-mally go and save some adjustment time later.If you have turnbuckles, just pin them in—you’ll adjust them later. Always secure clevispins with split rings.

On most boats, you’ll have five staysattached to the hull at this point: the starboardupper and lower shrouds, the port upper andlower shrouds, and the backstay. (These termscan get a little confusing. Generally, stays areanything that “stays” the mast, or keeps it in

91

position. Shrouds are stays that go to thesides of the boat. So you usually have a head-stay, a backstay, and a number of shrouds.But please don’t call them “sidestays,” whichis incorrect.) These all seem to have an unnat-ural ability to hook themselves under some-thing as you raise the mast, and the problemis always worse if you’re launching alone.When this happens, there’s not much you cando besides lower the mast back down andfree the snag. Be especially careful to watchfor kinks in the stays and shrouds as you’reraising the mast.

If you have any kind of mast-raising sys-tem, now is the time to hook it up and use it.(More about mast-raising systems in amoment—see below.) Otherwise, you’ll just

clevispin

splitring

chainplate

stainlessthimble

Nicopresssleeve

(swage)

lowershroud

uppershroud

A vernier adjuster on a MacGregor 22. The adjustersare the two pieces of stainless steel with holes in them.The top half of the adjuster is permanently attached tothe shroud with double Nicropress swages. At the bot-tom, the adjuster is fastened to the chainplate with aclevis pin.


Clevis PinsClevis pins are tiny, simple things, but they’revery important. If you don’t believe me, just asksomeone who has experienced a clevis pinfailure—the results are catastrophic.

Clevis pins are used at various points all overyour rigging, and they are a link in your riggingchain. Break a clevis, and you’ll likely lose theentire rig. This is why you should use only realstainless steel clevis pins. Never, ever use a bolt inplace of a clevis pin. The threads on a bolt makethem much weaker in shear strength—meaningforces perpendicular to the axis of the bolt—andthat’s exactly how a fitting acts on a clevis.

For such little things, clevis pins are horriblyexpensive. You can sometimes find cheaper gal-vanized clevis pins at the hardware store. Neveruse these! They aren’t as strong as the stainlessones that you get from a boating chandlery.

Clevis pins are so small and round that they seem to have suicidal tendencies aboard a sailboat.Thousands have leapt from the pitching deck of a sailboat to a watery death, never to be seen again.Whenever you buy clevis pins, buy more than you need in case you get a jumper, and always carry sev-eral spares.

Clevis pins can be secured with cotter pins or split rings. Cotter pins can be fine on larger boats withrarely removed standing rigging, but not usually for a trailerable. They can’t be reused, and their sharplittle legs can cut fingers or sails, so they have to be taped over. A slightly better choice is the split ring,also known by various names such as “ring-ding,” “Old Fingernail-Breaker,” and “You Little $#@%$!”These tiny things also love to roll off the deck, hiding themselves in some inaccessible little crack or jump-ing into the water. I think the clevis pins talk them into it. Keep spares aboard.

Clevis pins must be exactly matched to the hole in the fitting. A clevis that’s too big obviously can’t beused, but one that’s a size too small might be tempting. Don’t do it! What you get is point-loading of thepin and fitting, where all of the rig’s stress is concentrated at a small area. This can either break the clevis

or crack the fitting. If the loads are small andnothing breaks, it can wear a little notch at thetop of the fitting, which will weaken it greatly.Inspect all your fittings for these little notchesand cracks at the top.

Trailer sailer owners are always on thelookout for ways to speed rigging. You maybe tempted to use fastpins, which are pinswith a split ring on one end and a tiny spring-loaded ball on the other. I wouldn’t use thesefor the rigging or anything critical. If they aresolid (not tubular) and properly sized, they’dprobably be strong enough. But there’s alwaysa possibility that a loose line can snag the ring

a correctly sizedclevis pin distributes

rigging loadsover alarge

surface

an undersized pinconcentrates rigging loads

onto a very msallarea. . . . either the

pin will break,or the chainplate

will wear astress-raising

notch

right very wrong!

Clevis sizing problems.

My clevis pin spares kit.


have to muscle the mast up. Having a secondperson around is a big help when launching ingeneral, but especially when raising the mast.On my boat, I have to hoist the mast from thecabintop. I can’t start lifting in the cockpit andstep onto the cabintop—the mast is too heavyand the cockpit too deep. I have to muscle it upwhile standing next to the mast step, and theleverage point is very short. When I raise themast by myself, it’s very difficult to lift. A sec-ond person, standing in the cockpit and liftingas high as possible, is a big help.

A better choice might be to lift the mastfrom the bow end and work toward the stern,but this technique is problematic on mostboats. The port and starboard shrouds attachto the hull just slightly aft, so you can’t attachboth to the hull if you raise the mast from thebow. You’ll be able to attach only one shroud,either the port or the starboard one. Once youget the mast up, you have to get the other

and jerk it out of the fitting, and the mast goesover the side.

There is one possible alternative to tradi-tional clevis pins, and that’s a ball-lock quick-release pin. These pins are expensive littlebuggers at about $20 each. They have a little ballon the end, just like fastpins, but the ball isn’tspring-loaded. You have to push a button on theend to get the pin out. Quick-release pins arequite secure, but they can come out accidentally.A very experienced racer I know was racing asmall boat rigged with quick-pins, and noticedthe downwind shroud dangling—the quick-pinhad fallen out of the chainplate! He recommendstaping them if you use them. Several trailer sail-ers use them for their headstay fitting, wherespeed in securing that pin is an advantage.However, quick-release pins are tubular, notsolid, though the tube does have a solid pinpassing through the center. They aren’t as strong as plain clevis pins. Other sailors do use them and likethem very much, but I don’t recommend them because of concerns regarding strength and the possibil-ity of their working loose.

A ball-lock quick-pin—not to be used with standing rig-ging, but they can work well on a headsail track.

stepping from the cockpitseats to the cabintop isoften impossible with a heavy mast...

... but the short foredeck on manytrailer sailers doesn't allowenough leverage to lift the mast

Raising the mast from the stern (top) versus from the bow.


shroud attached somehow. And until you do,the mast will be quite unstable—a moment’sloss of pressure on the mast could result in itcrashing down, which we’d really like to avoid.Doing this by yourself is very risky, and it’schancy even with help, so I can’t recommendthis method for a typically rigged trailer sailerwith single, aft-swept lowers. (A few boatshave double lowers, and these can be raisedfrom the bow in relative safety.)

For now, let’s say that you’ve got a secondperson to help, and you’re going to raise themast from the stern. Before lifting, loosen theheadstay turnbuckle by several turns. Thisgives you enough slack in the rig to positionthe headstay clevis pin. Find the clevis pin andsplit ring that goes in the stemhead fitting, andhave them ready. If everything still looks OK atthe masthead and all the shrouds look fair,start lifting. Yes, it’s heavy. Be careful—don’tlet the mast get sideways! The most risky partis when the mast is about 45 degrees from ver-tical. Once you get that far, keep going up—ifyou stop at 45 degrees, then the mast will prob-ably start drifting around. If the mast starts tomake a circular motion to the side, it’ll be hardto stop and you can lose control of it. Don’thesitate; get it up quickly—the shrouds andbackstay will hold it upright. Once it’s up, holdit there—do not take your hands off the mast

for a second!When you get the mast up, take another

look aloft. Make sure none of the stays aretwisted or kinked, and you didn’t hoist aloft astray line. Bending turnbuckles is a commonproblem when raising a mast, so be careful—Ihad to replace my turnbuckles after I discov-ered microscopic cracking along the threads.As the shrouds tighten on the way up, thespreaders will go from their folded position totheir normal sailing position. (The spreadersare the short tubes that hold the upper shroudsaway from the mast. You’ll find them on all butthe smallest boats.) Sometimes the spreaderbrackets jam and don’t unfold properly. Whenthis happens, the mast usually stops short ofvertical. There’s nothing much you can do

94

except utter a few of those salty sailing exple-tives, bring the mast back down, get thespreaders in the proper position, and try again.Make sure you haven’t kinked or bent yourshrouds when the spreaders jam. (When themast is down, I usually put a shot of lubricantin the spreader brackets once per season toencourage them to operate properly.)

Now you have to install the headstay. Don’trelax until you get that stemhead clevis pin in.If the bow is pointing downhill, gravity willhelp hold the mast upright, but I certainlywouldn’t count on it—a good breeze couldblow the mast down. Have a crewmate pushthe mast forward until you get a clevis pin inand secure it with a split ring. Only until you dothat can you take a break and breathe freely.

Raising the mast is the biggest job whenyou launch. The rest is small potatoes, compar-atively. Once the mast is up, tighten the stand-ing rigging. Usually you start by getting theforestay and the backstay approximately ten-sioned, then work on the shrouds. (See thesidebar “Determining the Correct ShroudTension.”)

If your boat uses vernier adjusters, getthem as tight as possible by hand, then com-plete the tightening while under way. If youhave turnbuckles, screw them down by handuntil the rig is evenly tensioned. To check if therig is even, lay your head along the mast andlook up. If there’s a curve to one side, tightenthe shroud on the convex side to bring themast straight. Check the mast for straightnessagain when launched, as some sailboats flex alittle when they are in the water compared toon the trailer. Don’t use tools to get more lever-age on your turnbuckles just yet, and never useChannellock pliers or Vise-Grips on turnbuck-les—you’ll chew them to bits. You can do yourfinal tuning once you’re under way.

If you want to do a quick, basic setup ofyour rig tension and you can’t find a manual,try this. Tighten everything evenly, make surethe mast is straight, and give each stay a pluckwith your thumb, as if you were playing a giantguitar. If the stay can sound a note, then your


Determining the Correct Shroud Tension Correct shroud adjustment is something that perplexes many sailors, new and experienced alike. Somemanuals seem vague about the subject, with ambiguous phrases like “moderate tension.” Your moderateand my moderate might be very different! Other manuals have very specific instructions for setting the ten-sion, which should be followed exactly. Too little or too much tension could potentially damage your rig.

Most nonracing sailboats require a straight mast. Racers often flatten the mainsail by bending themast slightly while under way. This is done with an adjustable backstay. Tension can be increased ordecreased with blocks or even hydraulics. Overuse can result in a mast with a permanent bend aft. (If youhave to sail with a bent mast, a slight aft bend is what you want. Side-to-side bends are bad, but a mastthat curves forward is worse.)

There is a wire tension gauge on the market called a Loos gauge. It is specifically designed for testingthe tension on sailboat sides and stays by measuring the amount of deflection with a spring. It is quiteaccurate, and costs around $65. The old Model A Loos gauge had a leaf spring that can stretch out withage, so if you’re looking for a used Loos on eBay, get the more recent PT-1 model. Also note that onceyou’re under way, a Loos gauge doesn’t work—the stresses and strains of a boat in a seaway make thereadings go all over the place.

Some racers use a “gaugeless” method to adjust their shroud tension. (This was described in an arti-cle by Greg Fisher, “Thoughts on J/22 Tuning: Lose that Tension Gauge,” www.northsailsod.com/articles.)First, tighten your rig as tight as you can get it by hand at the dock, and make sure the mast is straight.Then, go out and sail upwind. The leeward upper shroud will probably have a lot of “slop” in it. If it does,tighten the shroud a half turn. Tack the boat and tighten the other shroud the exact same amount.

Now put the boat back on the original heading and check the shroud again. If it’s still flopping around(on its own; you don’t have to touch the shroud), repeat the process. Continue this routine until theshroud shows a slight movement on its own, perhaps a deflection of about 1/2 inch. A large deflectionof, say, 4 inches is a “floppy” shroud and should be tightened. While Greg didn’t mention the subject oflower shroud tension, I believe that you can use similar parameters to adjust them as well. The lowershrouds are shorter and will stretch less in normal use, so if the leeward shrouds are flopping around,they need to be tightened as well. When checked with a gauge, it is common for lower shrouds to beadjusted with less tension than the upper shrouds.

An indicator of a rig that’s too loose is a “pumping” motion of the mast in waves or chop. You mayneed to increase the overall rig tension to dampen the effects of rough water.

Just as important, this can tell you if your shrouds are too tight. If the leeward upper shroud is rock-steady when sailing upwind, then it is too tight and should be loosened. When you complete the adjust-ment, sight up the mast and check for bends. A small amount of bend to leeward at the spreaders, say a1/2 inch or so, is normal, but if you see any significant bending of the mast, then something is wrong andshould be corrected. Of course, this procedure assumes your rig is undamaged and in good shape—nobroken strands of wire on any of the shrouds or stays, no cracks anywhere, no bent turnbuckles, noloose chainplates, and so forth.

You’ll notice that, when using this method, your shrouds will be adjusted tighter when you havehigher winds. This is just as it should be—higher winds call for a tighter overall rig tension.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t help you much when setting your forestay and backstay. Racers use theiradjustable backstays to tighten the headstay as well, tweaking the sag in the jib luff for various conditions.If you’re just out for a pleasant afternoon sail, you can hand-tighten the headstay and backstay, thentighten the shrouds, and then give the mast a little bit of bend aft by tightening the backstay a little more.

www.northsailsod.com/articles


tension should be OK. Don’t overdo it,though—the note you want is just above a thud,not an F sharp. More rigs get damaged throughovertightening than undertightening.

Once the turnbuckles are tensioned, makesure they’re seized with wire, a cotter pin, orsmall line so they can’t adjust themselves. Ifthey’re seized with wire, be sure the ends arecarefully trimmed and turned in so they cannottear your sails.

The boom often attaches to the mast at thegooseneck fitting, usually with some kind ofclevis pin. Some goosenecks are fixed, othersare adjustable. Adjustable goosenecks areoften better than fixed, since they make ten-sioning the mainsail easier. Attach the toppinglift at the aft end of the boom. On most trailersailers, the topping lift is a just a short piece ofline tied to the backstay with a clip.

Rig the mainsheet according to your manualor the previous owner’s instructions. There arelots of different ways to rig a mainsheet on a sail-boat. On most trailerable sailboats, the main-sheet is a compound system—meaning two ormore blocks. The mainsheet on my boat has ablock that attaches to a bail on the boom via aclip. The lower end of the mainsheet attaches tothe traveler in the middle of the cockpit.

A traveler is a rail mounted across thecockpit from port to starboard that has a trav-eler car—a ball bearing slider that attaches tothe mainsheet—that travels back and forth,controlled by—you guessed it—traveler con-trol lines. Not all boats have travelers.Travelers allow fine adjustments to the main-sail shape by altering the position of the main-sheet. In light winds when a full sail with agood bit of curve is optimal, pull the travelerall the way to windward. This allows the boomto lift a little, adding curve to the sail. In heavywinds when a flatter mainsail is desirable,sheet the traveler all the way to leeward. Thispulls the boom in a downward direction, flat-tening the sail. Travelers are usually more ofinterest to racers. They are fun to play with,but in all honesty, half the time I sheet mine inthe cockpit and leave it there. You can easily

96

spend $300 adding a traveler to your boat, andon most trailer sailers, it’s in the way.

A less fancy way to rig the mainsheet on atrailer sailer is to use boom-end sheeting. Thismethod uses two swivel blocks at the aft cor-ner of the cockpit and a block at the end of theboom. While this lacks the fine-tuning capabil-ity of a traveler, it’s much less expensive andsimpler, and has the advantage of keeping themainsheet above the tiller. The cockpit is muchless crowded this way, and you can still get alot of adjustment in the sail.

But rerigging the mainsheet is somethingyou can do after you’ve had a few sails. Fornow, we’ve still got a hypothetical boat tolaunch, and we’re nearly ready.

Get the rudder and put it in place in the pin-tles. (The rudder pintles look like pins, andthey fit in the gudgeons, which are usuallystrongly bolted to the transom. The gudgeonshave the holes.) Make sure your rudder kick-up mechanism (if your rudder is so equipped)is in good working order. Many kick-up rud-ders rely on a bungee cord to provide tension.This cord should be renewed at the beginningof every season. While you’re at the stern, putthe motor onto its mount and clamp it downtightly. (You do have some kind of backup linefor the outboard, just in case the motor mountfails, right? The easiest solution is a shortlength of line with a clip snapped onto themotor, attached to the boat at the other end ata ring bolt. Or just tie a short length of linefrom the motor to someplace strong on thetransom, like the backstay chainplate.) Thenconnect the fuel line and tank, and make surethe kill switch is in the correct position. Openthe tank vent and valve on the motor andprime the fuel line before you get it in thewater, so you won’t have a fuel spill. If the sys-tem leaks, take corrective action—it’s mucheasier to fix now than when your boat is drift-ing out to sea with the tide.

Bend on the sails. (For some reason, we“bend” the sails onto the mast and boom. It’san archaic term meaning to fasten or attach, asin a sheet bend.) You’ll most often start at the


mainsail’s tack, which is the lower forwardcorner of the sail. Feed the boom first, whichmeans sliding the sail’s boltrope into thegroove that runs along the top of the boom.(A boltrope is a length of rope that’s sewn intothe edge of a sail. This is one of the few “ropes”found on board. Everything else is called aline.) Tie off the other end of the sail (calledthe clew) to the aft end of the boom with a

short length of line, stretching the foot of thesail just enough to get the wrinkles out. Next,attach the forward edge of the sail (called theluff). Oftentimes the luff attaches by feedingsail slides into a track that runs up the mast.Feed in these slides, and tie the headsail to themain halyard. Don’t get the halyards mixed up.As soon as you hoist the main, it will be imme-diately obvious if you get it wrong.

single block withcam and becket

boomtoppinglift

boombail

doubleblock

must belocated forward

of tiller

stand-up doubleblock with cam boom

bails

jam cleatorcam cleat—main can be cleated on eitherside of cockpit

boom-endsheeting

swivelblock

jam cleator

cam cleat

traveler—tiller goes underneath

ring

tang

wirebridle single

block

boom-end cap

tangsingle blockwith becket

deckpadeye

Four common mainsheet rigging methods are shown here, but there are dozens of ways to rig a main-sheet, using winches, traveler systems, double-ended or cabintop sheeting, and so on. Look at racingboats for some clever (but often expensive) ideas. (Tillers and rudders not shown for clarity.)


If you have plain rope halyards, the bestknot to use for attaching them is by far a bow-line, because it’s easy to untie after being ten-sioned. Try to make this knot as short andcompact as possible. For many years, largerboats used wire halyards with screw pinshackles or snap shackles, because these havelower stretch. The wire halyards had rope tailsso they could be cleated off at the mast base.Newer high-tech fiber lines, such as Sta-Set Xor Vectran V-12, have very low stretch,approaching that of wire. These must be care-fully spliced or their strength suffers, sothey’re normally fitted with shackles and eyesplices made by a professional rigger.

Usually I wait to bend on the headsail untilwe’re under way rather than put it on at theramp. This way the foredeck stays clear–-oftenyou need that space to maneuver the boatonce you get it in the water. More than once,having the mainsail ready to hoist has allowedme to sail out of a tight spot when my engine

sputtered and died. Engines seem to do thatwhen you need them most.

LAUNCHING YOUR BOATThe remaining jobs are to put out fendersalong the side of the boat and to tie dockinglines onto their cleats. There’s often (thoughnot always) some kind of dock at a launchramp, so determine the side you’ll approachfrom and position your fenders accordingly.The same thing goes for the docking lines.Make sure they’re long enough to maneuverthe boat on the trailer. When I launch the boatby myself, I use two long lines, one at the bowand one somewhere near the middle of theboat. If a line can be secured amidships, thenthe boat can be brought slowly to the dockusing the line alone. I’ll try this only when theweather’s calm, though. Usually, I’ll havesomeone along to help, and I’ll use a singlelong bow line. Before you launch, take amoment to clear things up on the boat. Makesure all the docking lines are coiled neatly andready to toss, and be certain that no stray linesare dangling over the side. Now is a good timeto load those last few items onto the boat.Remove the transom strap, but keep the boweye connected to the trailer winch.

Now you’ve got to back the boat down theramp. (You have been practicing in an emptyparking lot, right?) If this is your first launch, tryto avoid Memorial Day weekend. In our area,any Saturday in the summer is like a bass boatmosh pit. Sometimes it calms down aroundlunchtime, but I avoid launching on a Saturday.If it is crowded, just wait your turn. When itcomes, don’t let people pressure you into hurry-ing. The ski boat folks can get a boat on and offa trailer in a flash—those 110-horsepowerengines can get a boat onto a trailer while it’s sit-ting in the parking lot, it seems. They hardlytake their SUVs out of gear when they launch,so the ten minutes you’ll be taking on the rampwill seem like years to them. Don’t worry aboutit. Most people can see that a sailboat is a dif-ferent animal altogether, and they understandthat launching will take a little more time.

leech

batten

roach

backstay

topping lift

clewouthaul

head head boardmain halyard

foot

reef points

slides

reef cringle

cunninghamtackgooseneck

boom

boom vangmast step

headstay

luff

Parts of the mainsail.

TOWING AND RIGGING YOUR BOAT

At the launch ramp, you won’t need to backthe boat fast, but it’s helpful to make it gowhere you want without having to make toomany corrections. Backing a trailer straighttakes practice, so if you start to wander off toone side and you can’t correct, stop and pullforward a few feet to straighten things out, andtry again. It’ll get easier each time you do it. Youwant the trailer straight when you enter thewater. It’s tougher to make corrections whenyou can’t see the wheels in your mirrors, andyou don’t want to roll off the side of the ramp.

You need to get your trailer to a certain depthbefore your boat will float off. The goal is to haveit deep enough that you can push the boat off, butnot so deep that the boat floats away on its own.Some ramps are very shallow, and you’ll have topractically launch your tow vehicle as well as theboat in order to get the boat to float off. It maybe impossible to launch your boat from a shallowramp, especially if there’s a drop-off at the end—you don’t want your tires to go over a drop-off,because then you’ll need a tow truck to get thetrailer out. (This is more likely when trying tolaunch a deep fixed-keel boat that sits high on atrailer.) You can estimate how much water you’llneed at the ramp by measuring the height of thewaterline near the wheels (while the boat is onthe trailer, of course). Some trailers, especiallythose with fixed-keel sailboats, have an exten-sion that allows you to get the trailer deeper, butwatch out for that drop-off. It’s a good idea toask for advice at a new ramp; if no one isaround, put on a bathing suit and walk out tocheck the length, depth, and condition of theramp. Wear something on your feet—mostramps are slippery.

If the stern starts to float, then you’re gettingclose to the correct depth. When the angle of theboat changes in your rearview mirror, stop thecar. If you have an automatic transmission, put itin park; a manual transmission, leave it in reversegear and turn it off. You don’t want to launchyour car, just the boat. Your emergency brakewill engage only the rear wheels on most cars, soyou’ll want to chock the wheels with something.Real wheel chocks from the auto store are best,

99

though I must admit I usually use a short chunkof wood. (See the sidebar “Use Wheel Chocks atthe Ramp” on page 89.) Unhook the bow eye andshove. Hopefully the boat will float off, thoughsometimes it needs a little more shoving andgrunting. If you need to get the trailer deeper,don’t forget to pull the wheel chock. Once youfigure out your boat and trailer’s perfect launch-ing depth, notice how deep the trailer wheels areso that you can repeat this positioning next timeyou launch the boat.

Once the boat floats free, hand the bowline to your crewmate and park the car andtrailer. Either walk the boat to the dock orhave your crew toss the line to you, and tie upat the dock while you get the boat ready.

That’s sailboat launching in a nutshell. It’sobviously a fictional account, since nothingwent wrong. It never seems to go that waywhen I launch—something always seems togoof up, and it’s usually my own fault. When ithappens to you, don’t sweat it. Just take yourtime, be safe, and fix problems as they comeup. Hopefully they’ll be minor irritations andnothing that’ll cancel your trip.

MAST-RAISING SYSTEMSThere are some alternatives to muscling themast up (or down) with brute force and swear-ing like a sailor. Mast-raising systems can rangefrom very helpful back-savers to fiddly time-wasters. It depends on the system, the boat, andthe owner. I haven’t used mast-raising systemson my boats because the masts have been fairlymanageable, the boats small, and my strengthadequate to the task. Your situation may bedifferent.

I know of three basic kinds of mast-raisingsystems that seem like they’d work. They alluse angles to reduce the effort required to raisethe mast. Like most everything sailboat related,they all have advantages and disadvantages.

Single Gin Pole and BabystaysThe ideal mast-raising system would consist ofparts normally found on the boat already, likethe boom and the mainsheet. There’s a way to


use the boom as a short mast of sorts, holdingup a cable that is used to lift the mast. A boomused this way is called a gin pole. A spinnakerpole might work if it were strong, though Iwouldn’t want to use my expensive spinnakerpole for this kind of job. A push-button ortwist-lock whisker pole would not work,because there is a lot of compression on thepole when raising the mast this way.

The downside of using a single gin pole isthat it needs a bunch of additional hardware toprevent it, or the mast, from flopping over tothe side. This is accomplished with babystays,short pieces of low-stretch rope or wiremounted to a solid point on the deck. Butthe babystays must be anchored along thesame axis as the pivot point of the mast.Otherwise, the babystays will either loosen or

tighten as the mast goes up. The chainplateswould be perfect, except that they are almostnever in the correct spot. Some sailboat designscan be improved by adding a permanentlyattached stainless U-bolt to the deck, as shown inthe drawing, but make it strong and caulk it well.If your boat has a double set of lower shrouds (ason a Catalina 20), you can use a short bridle con-nected to the chainplates to create a pivot pointat the correct spot. Flush-deck designs like theCal 20 often have the perfect platform for attach-ing babystay hardware. Unfortunately, very fewtrailer sailers have flush decks. The venerableCatalina 22, as well as a few others, has doublelowers, but single lowers and uppers, located afew feet aft of the mast step, seems to be a morecommon method of rigging a trailerable sailboat.You may also need a longer mainsheet or secondblock and tackle to lower the mast.

Most trailerable sailboats have a raisedcabin with a single set of lower shrouds thatare swept aft. This is a light, strong, easilyrigged, and cost-effective configuration, andthat’s why it’s most often used. In order to use

boom usedas gin pole

bridle

babystayattaches tomast tangs

gin polestays

mainsheet orextra tackle

Lowering the mast with a gin pole and babystays.

What’s the Difference between SpinnakerPoles and Whisker Poles?These two pieces of gear have similar jobs, though the jobrequirements differ. Spinnaker poles are long poles, usu-ally made of aluminum, with special locking hooks at eachend. Spinnaker poles are solid—not adjustable—and theyare used only with spinnakers (though they could be usedto “pole out” other headsails when sailing downwind).Rigging a spinnaker requires a host of special gear: a top-ping lift, a downhaul, a mast ring on a track, and three linesfor each corner of the spinnaker itself—a spinnaker hal-yard, a spinnaker sheet, and a spinnaker guy. Racing sail-boats usually have plenty of experienced hands aboard.They set spinnakers all the time, no problem. Cruisersdon’t usually set spinnaker gear unless they’ve got a longdownwind distance to cover in settled weather. Theexception is asymmetrical “cruising spinnakers,” which areeasier to control and require less hardware.

Cruisers routinely use whisker poles rather than spin-nakers for downwind sailing. Whisker poles look much likespinnaker poles, but they’re usually smaller and lighter.They’re often adjustable, using a push-button or twist-lockmechanism. Whisker poles are used to hold the clew of thegenoa out when you are running downwind. They reducethe tendency of the headsail to repeatedly fill and collapse,which is hard on the boat. The length of the whisker poleshould be the same as the foot of your largest headsail.


fixed-bail snap shackles

attach to mast tang lower orupper shrouds

attach toaft chainplate

attach toboom bail

attach toforward chainplate

7 x 19 stainless cable (orlow-stretch line)

Nicropressswages

stainless O-ring—when attached, should be level with mast step

fixed-bailshackles

A mast-raising “system” you can make yourself. Fixed-bail snap shackles are strong yet reasonablypriced, but make sure your chainplate and tang holes are large enough to fit them. If not, regular shack-les with quick-pins can be used. A stainless-steel O-ring forms the center pivot point. For boats with sin-gle lower shrouds, you would need to add forward and aft attachment points for the lower bridle.

a Cal 20 (flush deck) requiresmoving the shroud forward for lowering and addinga strong U-bolt here

a Catalina 20, with doublelower shrouds,can use a “bridle ” toraise the pivot point of the babystays

a Potter 19, withsingle lowers plus raised cabin,needs a strongU-bolt on thecabintop

chainplates

Different rigs adapted for easier lowering.


a babystay and gin pole system on this type ofboat, you need to add a strong attachmentpoint—like a second chainplate or U-bolt—forward at the outside rail or at the cabintop, ifthe cabin is wide and doesn’t have too muchcrown. Either way, the anchor point for thebabystays should be strongly attached to the

deck or hull side, with a large backing plateand plenty of bedding compound.

SheerlegsThe gin pole/babystay method works, but itmeans adding a lot of hardware to the boat.There is another alternative that is somewhat

headstayor forestay

(terms are usedinterchangeably)

headstay madefast here

eye boltsjibsheet made fast here

secure the endsof the sheerlegswith line

strong plywoodbracing, assemblewith wing nuts

tied downto deck here—you don't wantlegs to slipforward or aft(on this boat, chainplatesare on cabintopfarther aft)

From Stern

pads

eye bolts

From Side

sheerleg

Raising the mast with sheerlegs. They must be stoutly built of at least 2 x 2 wood or metal. Do not useelectrical conduit tube or PVC; they are not strong enough. Pad the feet well, or you risk scratches orgelcoat cracks. If the sheerlegs are assembled with large wing nuts, they can be disassembled and leftwith the trailer.


simpler, but it requires some long poles thataren’t normally found aboard the typical boat.Suppose that, instead of a single gin pole, weused two poles, fastened together at the topand spread out at the bottom, like a giant A-frame. This method is used by steel boat-builders to move heavy plates without a crane.They’re called sheerlegs, and the principle ispretty simple. Two long, reasonably strongpoles are through-bolted near the top. The bot-toms of the poles are well padded, and theyinclude a short length of line for securing thesheerlegs to the chainplates, and another lineto prevent the legs from spreading too far. Theforestay attaches to the top of the sheerlegs,and the sheerlegs are pulled to the deck withthe mainsheet. This system requires a pair ofbabystays for the mast, but the sheerlegs areself-supporting. If you have a second person tohelp with the mast raising, he or she can takethe place of the babystays, following alongbeside (never under) the mast to make sure itdoesn’t fall off to one side. Never attempt to

raise the mast alone without babystays. As themast rises higher, the shrouds exert more andmore control until the mast is fully raised andthe shrouds are tight. Once the mast is up andsecured, you’ve got to find a place to store thesheerlegs, which can be a bit of a disadvantage.In practice, sheerlegs are usually left with thetrailer on a rack. They must be well secured forhighway travel and locked to prevent theft.

Trailer Winch ExtensionAnother intriguing method for raising the mastis to use a trailer winch extension. This methoduses a long 2 × 6 board or metal pole thatextends about 5 feet or more above the deck.The board has a roller on the top, similar to thebow roller. The trailer strap is unhooked fromthe bow eye, passes over the roller, and is con-nected to the forestay. Tightening the trailerwinch lifts the mast up while a secondcrewmember guides the mast to prevent it fromfalling sideways. If you don’t have a secondcrewmember, you’ll have to use babystays.

forestay or jib halyard

connectionto forestay

shortextension

line turningblock—needs to be large enough topass connectionto halyard

2 x 4 boardor metal pole

trailerstrap

the opposite end of the halyardmust be tied off securely

to the mast

A trailer winch extension. A large, strong pole is used as a crane to haul the mast upright. You need atleast two lines to the mast for this to work. The jib halyard could be used to lift the mast and hold it inplace while the forestay is connected, or you could raise the mast with the forestay, secure the mastwith a jib or spinnaker halyard, then disconnect the forestay from the trailer strap and attach it to thestemhead fitting. Either way, the other end of the halyard must be tied securely to the mast with abowline. If it were cleated and it slipped off, the results could be disastrous.

You can use dozens of different knots onyour boat, and there are books full ofdetailed instructions for various bends,

hitches, and macramé. If you like the subjectof knots and ropework, I encourage you to getone of those excellent volumes and start tyingaway. The ability to correctly tie the right knotfor a particular job is very seamanlike.

However, you don’t have to know all thatstuff in order to safely sail your boat. You do

need to learn one essential knot, and that’s thebowline. No way around it, no substitutionsallowed; you must learn to tie this knot properly.

The other thing you must know is how toproperly cleat a line and secure a coil. Eventhough you can get by with piling a huge knotof rope on a cleat (many people do; just look atany popular dock and you’ll see plenty ofcleats with big blobs of line that are holdingOK), it looks very lubberly. Besides, cleating aline is very simple to learn; you have to learn itbecause I said so. Same thing with coiling aline—it keeps the boat neater and the line fromtangling, which is safer overall. Simple tolearn.

BOWLINEThe bowline is the knot you’ll use 80 percent ofthe time. What makes this knot so useful is thatit can be untied after being put under greatstrain. This is true for many proper knots. Thebowline can be used all over the boat—tying onsheets and halyards, or anytime you need toput a loop in the end of a line. (The sheet bendis similar to the bowline, only it’s used to attachtwo lines together.) There are two methods for

104

CHAPTER SEVEN

Knots and Lines

104

Tying a bowline with the Killer Rabbit ofCaerbannog. First, we make a cave for therabbit next to a tree.

The rabbit comes out of the cave—

2

1

KNOTS AND LINES

tying a bowline; I’m going to show you onlyone. The other methods confuse me, andthey’ll confuse you, too. I’ll show you thesimple, non-Cub-Scout-approved, killer-rabbit-in-the-hole method.

That’s all there is to the bowline. (But don’tget too cocky—some folks can tie this knotone-handed, though that’s mostly for cocktailparties.) The only disadvantage to this knot isthat it can occasionally be shaken out if tied ina stiff line. Initially you might have difficultytying this knot because the loop that we arecalling a “cave” has to be formed in a particularway. Compare the photos.

CLEATING A LINEProperly cleating a line is important becausesometimes you need to get a line off a cleat ina hurry. If you’ve improperly cleated a pile ofline on a cleat and the line comes under a lot oftension, the only way to quickly remove it iswith a sharp knife.

Although this is the method shown inmany books, I have come across one writerwho argues that the loop is unnecessary, andcould be impossible to remove if the line isbrought under strain. He claimed that a turn

105

—goes around the tree, taking out a few knightsin the process—

—and goes back into the cave.

Tighten everything down, and don’t leave a tailthat’s too short or the knot may come undone.

An incorrect setup for tying a bowline, also knownas a bad cave. Notice the way the loop is formed.If it’s incorrect, the knot falls apart. The “tree”should come from underneath the loop, and whenthe rabbit comes out of the cave, he should gobehind the tree. Try again, making sure the loop isformed correctly, as in the previous photos.

3

4

5


around the base of the cleat, followed by twoor three unsecured turns over the top, is justas secure yet always removable. He makes agood argument, but I still cleat my lines asshown in the photos. Not securing the endwith a loop might be OK for a few minutes atthe fuel dock, but I wouldn’t leave my boatunattended without securing the turns witha final loop.

COILING AND SECURING A LINEThere’s more to coiling a line than you mightexpect. One thing you shouldn’t do is just wrapthe line over your thumb and elbow. Moreoften than not, that creates a tight, kinky coilthat is very prone to tangle. A line often has atwist in it, and it will be far easier to create aneat coil if you find out which way the twistgoes.

To see what I mean, grab a piece of three-strand rope and, with your hands about 2 feet

106

First, take a turn around the base—

—take one turn over the top—

—then make a loop, with the tail passing under.

Slip the loop over the horn and tighten.2

3

4

51

Cleating a line.

KNOTS AND LINES

apart, hold it firmly in both hands. Then, withoutletting it slip, bring your hands closer together.More often than not, the rope will begin toform a spiral. That’s the direction in which youwant to coil it.

To coil the line, reach out and grab aboutan arm’s length of line with one hand and bringit to your other hand, which is busy gatheringthe line.

Sometimes there won’t be an obvious twistto the line, so to help the line coil neatly you canadd a little twist of your own. You’ll often needto do this when coiling double-braided line. Allyou have to do is rotate your wrist a little, andthe line will twist into a more natural coil.

Don’t let go of the coil in your right handjust yet—you need to secure this nice coil ofline you’ve just created. There are severalmethods for securing a line. The accompanyingphoto sequence describes one such method.

107

Checking a line for twist. Hold the line firmly—

—bring your hands together—

—then follow that twist for the rest of the coil.

Coiling a line. Hold the line fixed in your right hand.Reach back a comfortable distance with your left hand—

—grasp the line with your palm up and bring it forward—

1

2

3

1

2

(Continued)


—and then rotate your wrist a little, so that your palm isnow up.

Grasp the loop with your right hand, reach back the samedistance, and repeat the motion. If you’re left-handed, ofcourse, you may want to reverse these directions.

Securing a coil. Leave a few extra feet loose when coiling.

Take three or four turns around the entire bundle.

Pass the loose end through the bottom loop—

—and then pass the middle of the remainingend through the top loop.

3

4

1

2

3

4

5

KNOTS AND LINES 109

Drop the small loop over the bundled loop andpull it snug.

A coil of line secured this way is ready tostow, and will stay in place until needed.

Securing a coiled halyard is similar, but youdon’t take three or four turns around the entirebundle. Simply coil the line, then, with theloose end, take a turn or two around the coiland loop the end over the cleat.

Securing a halyard on a cleat. Leave the coil open; don’ttake any turns around the entire bundle. Grab the middleof the loose end—

—pass it through the center of the coil—

6

7

8

1

2

(Continued)


If this seems like too much trouble, there isanother option. I saw this in Lin and LarryPardey’s The Cost Conscious Cruiser (thePardeys are among my favorite authors), whoin turn learned it from Hal Roth, aboard

Whisper. It’s nothing more than a short lengthof light line tied to the hollow base of a halyardcleat. When the halyard is coiled up, use thelight line to secure the coil—no knots required.Each coil of line needs its own little leash,though, or you’ll get a tangle.

OTHER KNOTSThere are a few other important knots, thoughI use only one on a regular basis. This is thefigure-eight, or stopper knot, shaped like a fig-ure eight. It’s easily untied. What you don’twant on your boat is an overhand knot, which

110

—then twist and drop the loop over the top ofthe cleat.

A pair of halyard leashes made from a shortlength of bungee cord, though regular line worksfine, too. The large example was made by seizingthe ends with thread; the smaller one was madein about two minutes using bulldog clips, whichare normally used in commercial bungee hooks.

Securing the halyard leash to an open-base cleat.These work with closed-base cleats, too, if you cansize one of the loops to fit the base of the cleat.Stretch it over the base, and you’re ready to go.

3 1

KNOTS AND LINES

is difficult to untie after coming under a strain.If the line is wet, forget it—you’ll never get anoverhand knot untied. Stopper knots are usedin the ends of the headsail sheets after you’verigged them through the sheet lead blocks;they prevent the sheets from being pulled over-board when they dip in the water.

The sheet bend is handy when you need totie two lines together. It is tied like the bow-line. One line is the cave and the tree, the otherline is the rabbit. This knot can be made moresecure by letting the rabbit go twice aroundthe tree, making a double sheet bend.

If you need to tie your boat to a piling,you’ll need to know how to tie a clove hitch.It’s a very simple knot: make one turn aroundthe piling, angle the end of the line down,make a second turn, and tuck the end underthe middle.

The last knot that’s handy to know is thesquare knot or reef knot, used when reefingsails. The most important thing to know about

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A halyard leash in use. The second loop fits overthe upper horn of the cleat, and gravity doesthe rest.

A stopper, or figure-eight, knot (left) and anoverhand knot (right). Leave the overhandknots ashore.

A sheet bend (left) and a double sheet bend(right).

2


square knots is that a subtle mistake turnsthem into granny knots. Often your handsseem to naturally tie granny knots becausethey use a repeated hand motion, but grannyknots are not secure—they either slip or jam.Check your square knots carefully after youtie them. When tied correctly, they look liketwo loops locked together. The ends of theloop stay together. In a granny knot, the endsare apart.

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Another way of tying the clove hitch. Start withtwo loops, just as you would coil a line.

Bring the two loops together, one on top of theother, but notice a small detail—the bottom loop(on the left side of the photo) gets pulled abovethe top loop (on the right).

Continue bringing the loops together—

—and throw both loops over the top of a piling.Snug the ends tight, and you’ve tied a clove hitch.

An undesirable granny knot on the left, and aproper reef knot on the right. Leave Grannyashore!

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Enough already, let’s go sailing! Gather upall your stuff and climb aboard. Beforeyou shove off, stow all your gear in its

proper place down below. Remember, yourboat will be heeling (leaning over) from theforce of the wind, so use lockers or netting tokeep things secure. Small bungee cords arehandy if you’ve got some attachment pointswhere they can be fastened. (Small stainless orbronze eye straps for attaching bungees are easyto add, but go sailing a time or two before youinstall them. You’ll often discover the perfectlocation after a little on-the-water experience.)

Something that’s easy to forget is loweringthe centerboard. You’ll be reminded as soon asyou cast off. Most trailerable boats handle verydifferently with the centerboard up, and someshallow-draft boats seem to like going side-ways better than forward with the board up.Another helpful detail—on many trailerableboats, the keel cable and winch are locatedinside the cabin. The exit point for the cable isa small hole or tube where the cable enters theboat and leads to the winch. A little water oftensloshes up through this tube while motoring orsailing. Not much water, but enough to get yourshoes wet if you’re not expecting it. I wrap asmall rag around the cable and stuff a littledown in the hole. It saves time sponging up thecabin later. Remember to hang the damp ragoutside to dry at the end of your sailing day, orit’ll get pretty stinky.

SETTING UP THE HEADSAILIf you followed the procedures in Chapter 6,you’ve already raised the mast and rigged the

mainsail. Now it’s time to bend on the headsail.Find your headsail and attach it to the forestay.If you have more than one headsail, use thestandard jib for your first sail. (See the sidebar“Headsail Sizes” for more about the differentsizes and names of headsails.) Initially, you maybe a little confused about which corner is thehead, which corner is the tack, and which cor-ner is the clew. The head is the sharpest pointof the sail. You can leave a sheet tied to theclew. All that’s left is the tack, which getsattached to the deck at the stemhead fitting. Oryou can take a pencil and write the names onthe corners, which will help you remember theproper terms. By the time the graphite fades,you should have the names down pat.

The luff hanks are usually little plastic orbronze clips that snap onto the forestay.Remember, the hanks always face the samedirection when you’re putting them on theforestay. Of course, if you have roller furling,you won’t have to worry about any of this stuff.(See the sidebar “Roller Furling for the TrailerSailer.”) But you’ll pay for the convenience atlaunch time, since roller-furling headsails areoften more complicated and time-consumingto set up initially.

Start at the bow and attach the tack of thejib to the stemhead fitting on the foredeck. Myboat uses a pin for this; yours may use ashackle. Then, starting at the bottom, clip thejib hanks onto the forestay, starting with thelowest one and working your way up. Thenattach the halyard to the head of the sail.Usually a shackle attached to the jib halyard isused here.

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CHAPTER E IGHT

Getting Underway and Sailing

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Headsail Sizes Most trailerable sailboats are rigged as sloops (sloops are single-masted rigs featuring a triangular main-sail and headsail). These usually have a single mainsail that can be reduced in size by reefing. But the head-sail, being much easier to put on and take off, is changed to suit conditions. Large sails of lightweight clothare rigged for light winds, while heavier, smaller sails are used when the wind pipes up. These sails canhave different names, depending on their size and intended use. Cruising boats can have anywherefrom one headsail to several, depending on the desires of the owner. Most racing boats will have manyheadsails in order to stay competitive.

There is no standard size for headsails—it varies from boat to boat. Half of the key to a particular sail-boat’s headsail size is the sail’s LP measurement, which stands for luff perpendicular. To find the LP, mea-sure the distance from the clew of the sail to the luff while holding the tape at a 90-degree angle to theluff. The other half of the key is the J measurement. The J is the distance between the forestay and themast, measured at the deck.

Headsails are often referred to by number rather than by name. A 100 percent jib is a sail where theLP is equal to the J. You can correctly call this sail a 100 percent jib or, more simply, a “100.” This is the eas-

iest way to refer to sails. It’s a lot simplerto say, “Let’s put on the 120” rather than“Let’s put on the #2 genoa.” Both referto the same sail, more or less, but thepercentage number is more intuitive.Larger percentage numbers equal big-ger sails, but the #2 genoa is smallerthan the #1 genoa.

Here are the more common head-sails found in the average cruisers’inventory:

The jib is the most basic headsail. Ifsails are included with the boat (not allare), most manufacturers supply a mainand a jib. A working jib is usuallyaround 100 percent. You won’t seemany jibs smaller than 80 percent.

Probably the first sail you’ll add toyour boat’s inventory is a genoa, foruse in lighter air. These are commonlyaround 150 percent. Technically,genoas overlap the main, so anythingover 100 percent could be called agenoa. (Just to confuse the goose, any-thing that overlaps the mast is alsocalled a lapper.) But there’s very littledifference between a 100 and a 110,and not all books agree on the names.

A really small, tough jib is called astorm jib. If you’re a long-distance voy-ager, you might want one, but trailer

drifter

170 genoa

135 genoa

working jib

storm jib

Headsails can range in size from the very small and heavily builtstorm jib to a thin drifter used only in the lightest of conditions.

GETTING UNDERWAY AND SAILING 115

sailers aren’t exactly open-ocean greyhounds. My boat came with a storm jib. As near as I can tell, it’snever been used.

For really light air, there’s the drifter or reacher. These sails are big, at about 170 percent or larger, andnormally are for downwind work. Several fancy terms are also used for very large downwind sails, likebig boy, blooper, ghoster, or, my personal favorite, the gollywobbler. While there are subtle differencesin these sails, they are rarely seen aboard trailerables, since storage space for specialized sails is limited.(I’d like to get a small one, though, just so I can say “gollywobbler” all the time.)

Spinnakers are a different beast altogether. They are made of very light, stretchy nylon and aredesigned to trap air, while other sails are designed to change the way air flows. Spinnakers are tricky tofly, requiring a spinnaker pole to hold them out so they can properly fill, along with a lift and a downhaulfor the pole. Spinnakers are symmetrical—they have a head and two identical clews. When you jibe aspinnaker (jibing is turning the boat so the wind crosses the stern; see page 126), you swap the lower cor-ners. Since both sides of the sail are identical, you switch the inboard end for the outboard end, and viceversa. You can’t do this with any other sail.

The cruising spinnaker is primarily for use when the wind is on the beam or behind. Cruising spinnakersare asymmetrical, whereas true spinnakers are symmetrical. There are no luff hanks, and the luff isn’t attachedto the forestay, as it is with a conventional jib. Instead, the sail flies from its three corners only. You can use apole on a cruising spinnaker, but you don’t have to. A particular type of cruising spinnaker is called a codezero. While it sounds like something from a James Bond movie, it’s just a cruising spinnaker cut so it can beflown closer to the wind, at angles of 45 degrees to 100 degrees, in winds of 3 to 6 knots. It’s a little smallerthan a regular asymmetrical spinnaker and it’s a free-flying sail—it isn’t attached to the headstay. A code zerocould be a useful sail for a trailer sailer, but it isn’t a common part of the average trailer sailer’s inventory. Infact, many race rules impose a penalty for using a code zero sail in the smaller-class boats.

Roller Furling for the Trailer SailerIf you’ve spent any time on the water, then you’veprobably seen roller-furling headsails in action. There’sa small drum at the base of the forestay with a linearound it. To get the headsail down, all one has to do ispull a line and the sail wraps itself neatly around theswiveling forestay. It’s a very handy and efficient systemthat makes taming a large foresail relatively easy.

But roller-furlers do have their drawbacks. They areprimarily designed for larger boats and are usually per-manent installations—most roller-furlers require modifi-cations to the headstay and the sails. They aren’tparticularly well suited for boats whose masts are raisedand lowered all the time, like trailer sailers, and thedrums complicate the forestay connection.

With roller-furlers, the headsail isn’t changed fre-quently, since the luff of the sail slides into a slotted foilaround the stay. Feeding the sail into the foil is more dif-ficult than simply hanking it to the forestay, and youmay wish for a bigger sail on those light-winded days. Harken’s small-boat furlers.

(Continued)


This isn’t universally true, though. I had an older freestanding roller-furling unit on my Catalina 27. The furlerwas permanently attached to the 170 headsail, and the whole assembly—rolled-up sail and furling drum—wasstored in a sailbag. The sail’s head had a swivel attached, and it had its own luff cable. You raised the rolled-upsail with the halyard and deployed the sail by pulling on the clew. As the sail unrolled, the furling line coiledup the drum (you had to keep a little tension on the furling line or the line would foul).

Once deployed, the big sail could be easilycontrolled with the furler, though it was impossibleto get a very straight luff. The halyard tension was amere fraction of the normal headstay tension, nomatter how tightly the halyard was winched. Theluff sagging off to leeward hurt the boat’s pointingability. Even so, it was great off the wind. Thesetypes of furlers are still available from Harken andSchaefer as small-boat furling kits, and they’respecifically made for trailerable sailboats. Othersmall-boat furlers are available from Colligo andFachor.

Two furling systems that reportedly work wellwith trailerables are the CDI Flexible Furler and theSchaefer Snapfurl 500s. These are “around-the-stay” systems, using a headstay foil that is more

Typical roller-furling units small enough for useon a trailer sailer; left is a Schaefer unit; above isfrom CDI.

A Colligo furling unit.


flexible than an aluminum foil. The CDI requires some rigging modification, which increases your cost abit, while the Schaefer unit attaches to your existing rig without the need to change anything.(Remember, with either type, you’ll still need your sail modified for roller furling.)

A Roller-Furling AlternativeThere is an alternative to roller furling—a jib downhaul. This is a much lower-tech way to control the sailfrom the cockpit. You’ll need cockpit-led halyards for this to work, though.

A jib downhaul is simply a light line that’s attached to the head of the jib. The other end of the line runsthrough a block at the bow and back to the cockpit. To use it, all you do is release the halyard and pull on thedownhaul, and the jib is pulled down to the deck. You’ll still need to go forward to unhank and stow thejib, but a downhaul can be put to good use when approaching a dock or an anchorage under sail if you needto depower the boat quickly. California boatbuilder Jerry Montgomery, builder of the Lyle Hess–designedMontgomery 17, told me that he considered a jib downhaul an essential piece of gear—so much so that heconsidered raising the price of his boats to make it standard equipment.

A jib downhaul, a simpler and less expensive alternative to roller-furling headsails.

downhaul touppermost jibhank

downhaul turningblock

release jibhalyard here

and pull jibdownhaul hereto furl jibwithout leavingthe cockpit


ATTACHING THE HEADSAIL SHEETSTwo sheets attach to your headsail. Remember—halyards lift sails, sheets pull sails in. Mostheadsails are rigged with two sheets, one on portand one on starboard. These can form onecontinous line (see the sidebar “Alternative Waysto Attach Headsail Sheets”), passing throughsheet lead blocks and then aft to the cockpit.Only one sheet is used at a time, the downwindor the leeward sheet. The other sheet will beslacked off, and then it’s called the lazy sheet. If itgets too slack, it may dip in the water and trailalongside. (Use the stopper knot you just learnedto prevent the sheets from coming out of theirblocks. Always check for trailing sheets beforeyou start a motor. They’ll wrap around the propshaft in the blink of an eye, and you’ll be withoutmaneuverability until you get the mainsail up—if the wind is blowing.)

The sheet lead blocks are usually mountedon tracks outboard, on port and starboard,about one third of the way aft, and are spring-loaded to stand upright. The position of thesheet lead blocks can be adjusted dependingon the sail you’re using and the strength of thewind. Since I’m more of a cruiser, I adjust thesheet lead blocks forward for smaller sails,and slide them back for larger sails. I deter-mine the exact position once I get the sails upand the boat moving.

Used boats sometimes have a shackle forconnecting the sheet to the clew of the sail.This allows for nice, quick changes of theheadsail without rerigging another sheet. Italso allows you to get your teeth knocked outwhen the wind gets up and the sail luffs madlyas you try to get the headsail down. If yourboat has any sort of shackle or metal clipattached to the headsail sheet, remove it. If theclip can’t be untied, cut it off and buy yourselfsome nice new headsail sheets. Tie the sheetsto the headsail clew using bowlines.

Run the sheet through the sheet lead blocks,toss the line in the cockpit, and tie a figure-eightknot in the very end. I always rig both sails—headsail and mainsail—and have them ready togo before I cast off from a dock or mooring. Mysails are my backup plan. If something happens tomy motor, then at least I have an option. This hap-pened once when my good friends and crewMark and Suzanne were with me. We were almostback to the marina, right in the middle of ElliotCut near Charleston, South Carolina, when theengine quit. Elliot Cut is narrow—the tidal cur-rent flows really quickly through it—and it oftengets a lot of barge traffic and large powerboats.Since the sails were ready to go, we got the mainup and drawing before our forward momentumcompletely died away, and we had enough move-ment through the water for the rudder to work. (Ifyour sailboat ever becomes dead still relative tothe water around it, your rudder no longer works.Water has to flow across the blade for it to steerthe boat. You’ve lost steerageway, which is theminimum speed needed to steer the boat. You canstill be moving with the tide, as we were—at agood 3 to 4 knots, if I remember correctly—head-ing straight for some tricky bends in the cut.)Mark got the mainsail up, Suz got the anchorready, and we were able to find a spot out of theway so I could make engine repairs.

Once your sails are rigged and ready tohoist, you can cast off.

LEAVING THE DOCKMost of the time, leaving the dock is prettysimple. You start the outboard motor and

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Two separate headsail sheets attached with apair of bowlines.


Alternative Ways to Attach HeadsailSheets There are a few alternative methods for attach-ing headsail sheets that you can try if you wantto experiment, and if the idea of learninganother knot or two doesn’t make you want topull your hair out.

For example, some folks—myself included—like to use a single length of line for both sheets,tied in the middle. One advantage is that theknot at the clew can be smaller. (A pair of bow-lines, although unlikely to knock you out cold ifthey whack you when the sail is flogging, will stillhurt like hell.) If you don’t mind threading a newsheet every time you bend on a new headsail,you can leave it tied to the sail and stored in thebag. A handy knot for this is a bowline on abight. A bight in a line is any part between thetwo ends, but especially a line bent back on itselfto form a loop.

But being able to change the headsail with-out rerigging the sheets would be handy. Aren’tthere any ways to do this without using some-thing metal?

Yes, there are. I learned a couple of neattricks from an article by Geoffrey Toye in GoodOld Boat magazine. A method called a Dutchshackle uses a short length of spliced lineattached to a loop spliced into the headsheet. Touse a Dutch shackle, you pull the loop throughthe clew, pass the short line through the loop,and secure it with a stopper knot at the end ofthe short line. Modifications are certainlyallowed, so feel free to experiment.

Geoffrey’s preferred method is a short tail ofline spliced to the headsail. This is tied to the mid-dle of the sheet (or the bight, if you prefer) usinga double sheet bend.

A bowline on a bight tied to a headsail.

The Dutch shackle is really nothing more than a shortlength of line with an eye splice at one end. Here’show it’s used to attach to attach headsail sheets.

First, pass the middle of the sheet through the eyesplice. It helps if the eye splice is sized for a snug fit.

check that it’s operating normally. This meansmaking sure there’s a stream of cooling watercoming from the motor head. Check this every

time you can; don’t just start the motor, checkit once, then forget it. Hopefully your coolingwater intake will never get clogged. While

(Continued)

1

2


you’re still securely tied up and the motor is atidle speed, put the motor in gear and run upthe rpms a little bit. More than one motor hasdied the moment it was put into gear.

If everything checks out OK, untie thespring lines and stow them, then untie the bowline and toss it aboard. Next I untie the sternline, but I’ll hold the stern against the dock fora moment. This is a good time to glance downat the water to be certain that no lines thatmight foul the propeller have strayed over-board. Usually, the bow will slowly start todrift away from the dock. When the boat is

pointing in the direction I want to go, I releasethe line and hop aboard with one little shoveoff the dock. Only after the stern dockline issafely aboard do I put the motor in gear.

This simple little routine can be dangerousif your dockline handlers are careless or inex-perienced. You should never allow any part ofyour body to come between the dock and theboat. Videos of people falling in the water withone leg on a boat and one on the dock are hys-terical, but if the boat is at all large and it startsto drift back toward the swimmer—well, justwatch what your boat does to a single fender

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Next, pass the sheet through the clew of the headsail.

To finish, pass the tail of the eye splice through theloop formed by the middle of the jibsheet, and tie astopper knot on the other side. To release theshackle, simply push enough of the sheet throughthe clew until there’s room to pull the stopper knotthrough.

eye splice

taildouble

sheet bend

Another method of attaching sheets uses a tailof line permanently attached to the sail clewwith an eye splice.

This method is more time-consuming to untieand is less likely to shake out. It’s also lighter inweight—one line is at the clew instead of two—sothe sails will set better in very light winds. Andthe knot that will whack you if the sail is f loggingis smaller and farther away from the clew.

3

4

GETTING UNDERWAY AND SAILING

on a windy day and you can see what mighthappen to a human body.

Pull in your fenders as soon as you leavethe dock unless you’re headed directly foranother dock. Don’t leave the fenders lying ondeck. Never hang dirty or limp, half-deflatedfenders. Stow your docking lines, but keepthem in a place that’s accessible—you mayneed to get to them quickly.

Sometimes, if the conditions are right, youcan leave the dock under sail, without starting

the motor. Check the current and wind direc-tion before you try this, and make sure you’vegot plenty of room. Sailboats do have the right-of-way over powerboats, but not in a restrictedchannel or in places where the other vesselsare constrained by draft (see “Rules of theRoad” in Chapter 9). You shouldn’t expectother boats to rush out of your way becauseyou want to try a fancy sailing maneuver at abusy boat ramp. However, if things are calmand the way is clear, by all means give it a try. A

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Safe Procedures for Gasoline Outboard MotorsOn larger cruising sailboats, diesel motors are greatly preferred because they are inherently safer. Dieselfumes won’t ignite unless compressed, though they will make you seasick. You don’t get the chance to beseasick from gasoline vapors, because you’d likely blow up long before you’d hurl. Gasoline vapors explode,and a nearly empty fuel container can explode like a bomb. If your bilge collects enough gasoline vapors, allyou need is a spark from a less-than-perfect electrical connection to put an end to your on-the-water career.

This is why the Coast Guard has formulated very specific rules for fueling boats, carrying gasoline onboard, storing gasoline, and venting compartments. These rules should be followed to the letter—evenexceeded if possible. The guidelines given here are not a complete or up-to-date representation of allUSCG requirements. For a complete look at the USCG rules, go to http://www.uscgboating.org/. If youwant to go straight to the source, look up the Code of Federal Regulations, the final word on U.S. maritimelaw. Go to www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html and search for “recreational vessels.” You’ll get more infor-mation than you want. A more readable version of the rules can be found in a general seamanship man-ual, such as Chapman’s Piloting, Seamanship, and Small-Boat Handling.

In a nutshell, be very careful when handling gasoline aboard your boat; don’t become cavalier as youbecome experienced. Here are some basic guidelines.

Secure on-deck tanks so they can’t move about, and of course store fuel in approved containers only. Ikeep extra fuel for my two-stroke outboard premixed in a 1-gallon fuel tank. The tank is small enough that itdoesn’t get in the way, and I can keep it on deck so that fumes don’t collect inside the boat. Not only does thisreduce the risk of fire, it also keeps the inside of the boat from smelling like a gas station. Unless you’re motor-ing down the Mississippi, it’s usually better to carry smaller amounts of fuel rather than huge tanks.

When fueling your boat, close all hatches and ports to prevent fumes from entering below. After fueling, openup the hatches and give the boat a chance to air out before starting the engine. If you have portable tanks of5 gallons or less, it’s often safer and less expensive to fill them off the boat, at a gas station rather than the marina.

Do not let any fuel get into the water. (Oil spills of any type are illegal, in fact.) Place something aroundyour fuel intake and your vent to catch drips. Fuel-absorbent pads that won’t absorb water are very handyand readily available. Remember, spill-control equipment such as paper towels, rags, and oil-absorbent padsor bilge socks are now required on recreational vessels. (If you do cause any type of fuel spill, you must reportit to the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802 or the U.S. Coast Guard on VHF Channel 16.)

Keep a fire extinguisher close to your outboard and fuel tank. If you ever need one, you’ll need it reallyquickly. Buried in the bottom of a locker won’t help. You can now buy fire extinguishers that are not much big-ger than a can of spray paint. Although some of these are not USCG approved (so you should also have a pri-mary fire extinguisher), they are perfect for a seat locker. See “USCG-Required Equipment” in Chapter 5.

http://www.uscgboating.org/

www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html


trailer sailer is the perfect boat to practiceleaving (and even approaching) a dock undersail. Since it’s smaller and lighter than mostboats, you’ll be less likely to cause damage ifyou misjudge something. But many small sail-boats react as a big boat would, so you canlearn a great deal. If you’re brand new to sail-ing, I advise taking the boat out several timesin various conditions to get a feel for leeway,drift, and so on, before trying anything fancy.

In some situations the boat will do some-thing unexpected when you untie it from thedock. For example, the wind might be blowingyou against the dock and the bow will staysnugly against it even when untied. Just tomake things interesting, let’s suppose you’realso at a busy fuel dock with boats in front ofand behind you. In this case, you’ll have tomotor out. You could probably tie an extrafender at the aft corner of the hull and haveyour crew push the bow out until you getenough clearance to put the motor in forward

gear and power out. But be careful—if thewind is strong, it’s going to push you sideways,and you may scrape the boat ahead of you asyou power away. If possible, point the bowdirectly into the wind before powering out.

Stern SwingThe first time you take command of a sailboat,you’ll notice something that will take a littlegetting used to. When you turn a boat, it doesn’ttrack the same way a car does. A car pivotsaround its front wheels—all you have to do isturn the wheel and the rest of the car usuallyfollows. But a boat is completely different. Itspivot point is somewhere just aft of the mast.When you turn the rudder, the boat rotatesaround this pivot point. The bow swings intothe direction of your turn, and the stern swingsout. If you are maneuvering slowly and makingsharper turns, this effect is more pronounced.

Many new sailors are painfully reminded toallow for stern swing when leaving the dock for

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Teach Your Crew about Safety Do everything you can to instruct your crew about the possibility of injury while sailing a boat. The risksof getting hurt are remote—far fewer people are injured on sailboats than on other types of watercraft.But still, accidents can and do happen, and the captain is in charge.

I mention risks that I know of, but don’t count on this book to tell you all the risks involved, as thereare certainly ways to hurt yourself that I can’t predict. You can learn a great deal about boating safety byreading accident reports. These are kept by the U.S. Coast Guard and are available online.

For example, in 2004, there were 676 deaths involving recreational boats. Of these, only 16 hap-pened in either a sailing auxiliary—meaning a boat with a motor, like a trailerable sailboat—or a small sail-boat without a motor. Of these 16 deaths, 13 were drownings, and 3 were from other causes. So we candeduce that the biggest risk on board is falling overboard and drowning, and we can reduce that risk withlifelines, safety harnesses, life jackets, personal strobes, locator beacons, and so on.

Some insurance agencies publish boating accident data that we can learn from. One of the best isBoatU.S., which publishes the quarterly magazine Seaworthy. It’s filled with stories and reports of dam-age and accidents from their claim files, and it’s very informative.

If those don’t make you cautious, read this lovely little quote I found on a lawyer’s website: “Ifyou’ve been hurt on a boat or a ferry, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the boat or ferry operatorand collect compensation for your pain and suffering—No Fee Until We Win!”

I don’t believe you need to go so far as to have your crew sign a waiver, but you should carefullyinstruct them about the potential danger of using a foot as a fender. If your boat is large, even getting afinger caught between a cleat and a line can be serious. Be specific about risk when instructing your crew.Have fun, but be safe!


the first time, as a sharp turn brings their sterncrashing into a piling or, worse, another boat. Asluck has it, it’s usually a shiny new one ownedby a trial lawyer. Be sure to allow plenty ofroom for stern swing when entering or leaving adock, and go very slowly until you get a goodfeel for how your vessel handles under power.

Most trailer sailers have an advantage, andthat’s their outboard motor. Often there’s

enough clearance to turn the motor quite a bit,and you can use this to fight the force of thewind. You may be able to back out of the dock.

Your boat behaves differently in reversethan it does in forward. Inboard boats (boatswith engines mounted below) especially wantto go sideways in reverse. On a trailer sailer, youcounteract this by aiming the outboard whereyou want to go, but the boat will still do some

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wind

starting position at dock

loop the stern line around thedock cleat and reverse slowly

when the bow points into the wind, shift to forwardand slip the stern line

keep the lineaway from the

prop, and watchout for

“stern swing”

Powering out of a crowded dock in a crosswind.


odd things. My Montgomery doesn’t like to go inreverse at all, even though the motor canspin 360 degrees on its mount. Try poweringin reverse when you’re out in the bay and can’trun into anything, just to see how your boatbehaves. It’ll help if you have a piling or markerbuoy nearby so you can see exactly whereyou’re going and how straight your course is.

Some boats—inboards, especially—cannotback into a beam wind like an outboard can. Inthat case, you might have to swing the sterninto the wind with the engine in forward gear,using a spring line. Be careful, though—thismethod requires strong cleats and lines, andprecision timing once the stern faces the wind.

Sometimes things at the dock can getreally tricky, such as when a tide or current

flows one way and the breeze blows another.Conditions can get so difficult that you can’tpower out of the dock without hitting some-thing. I lived at a marina on a tidal river for anumber of years. When the tide was outgo-ing, the current would flow into and acrossmy slip at 4 knots. After several very closecalls when docking, I finally learned to waituntil the tide turned before bringing the boatinto the slip; I’d wait at the end of the dock ifthere was space, or anchor out for a fewhours. If you absolutely have to get out of aslip against the tide and wind, the onlychoices might be to get a tow from a largervessel or to row out an anchor with yourdinghy (trailing the anchor rode behind you),toss it overboard, and pull yourself out usingyour winches. Having flexible plans hasalways been a necessary part of the sailinglifestyle.

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1 starting position—loop thebow line around the dock

and remove others

2 reverse the motor andpoint it as close to the

wind as possible

3 ease out the bow lineand allow plenty of turning room beforepointing the bow to

windward

Backing out of the dock with an outboard.

2

1

cast off all but the after springline with the engine in forward;

the stern will slowly swinginto the wind

3 as the stern swings, easeup on the throttle

and shift into reverse

Swinging the stern to the wind with an inboard.


SAILINGYou’ve cleared the dock and are out in thechannel. The chart shows plenty of deptharound you—you wouldn’t sail without a chart,right? There’s a nice steady breeze. Time tohaul up the sails. I usually hoist the main first.Head into the wind and haul away on the mainhalyard. Raise the sail as far as it will go. Youmay have a winch on the mast to increase thetension. If you do, take a few turns around itand see if you can get the sail stretched tight.The halyard should be tensioned just enough toget the wrinkles out of the sail. A halyard thatisn’t under enough tension usually shows as lit-tle wrinkles radiating out from each of the sailslides. If you’ve hauled the main up as far aspossible and you still have wrinkles at the luff,then try lowering the boom a little. (You mayhave a fixed gooseneck bolted to the mast. Ifso, you’ll have to get the wrinkles out with thehalyard alone. If you have a sliding gooseneck,tighten the downhaul until the wrinkles smoothout. The downhaul is a short line at the mastend of the boom that holds the boom down andcleats to the base of the mast.)

Sometimes you can’t get the wrinkles to goaway, even though the halyard is tight. Thiscould be a sign of a shrunken boltrope (someshrink with age), or it might mean that your sailis ready for retirement. A sailmaker can tell youwhether the boltrope can be restitched or thesail should be replaced. Cruising sailors arenotorious for using sails far past their expira-tion date, while racing sailors are notorious forbuying a new sail every season. Occasionally,you can find a race class with the same spardimensions as yours and try a retired racingsail. Sometimes they’ll work great, but oftenthey’re made with high-tech materials thatrequire special care (such as careful rollinginstead of folding), so they don’t always standup well to the demands of cruising.

Raise the jib next. Haul on the jib halyard asfar as it can go, again stretching the luff until thewrinkles smooth out. Turn your boat to eitherside about 45 degrees from the wind. Pull in thesheets and shut off the motor—you’re sailing.

Points of SailIf you’re sailing about 45 degrees to the wind,with the wind blowing over the port (left) sideof the boat, you’re said to be sailing upwind.To get even more specific, you’re sailing close-hauled, on a port tack. (This port tack busi-ness will be important later, when we discussthe rules of the road.) For now, just try toremember that port or starboard tack refers towhere the wind is coming from. If it helps,drop the tack and tell yourself you’re sailingon port. Just to confuse you, this is also calledbeating to windward.

A few maneuvers will help to illustrate thepoints of sail. Turn the boat a little more tostarboard (to the right). When the wind is com-ing at an angle of about 60 degrees, you’re sail-ing on a close reach. You’re still sailing upwind,

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wind

can't sailhere—luffing

45°

60°

90°

135°

180°

closehauled

closereach

beamreach

broadreach

run

Note: all these examples show a boat on port tack.

UPWIND

DOWNWIND

The points of sail.


and you’re still on a port tack. A close reach isone of the fastest points of sail.

If you continue turning to starboard, even-tually the wind will come directly on the beam,or at an angle of about 90 degrees. This is abeam reach. You’re still on port, but you’re sail-ing neither upwind nor downwind. As you turnaway from the wind, let your sails out a little—known as easing the sheets. (I’ll talk moreabout sail trim in a moment.)

Turn a little more and you will start headingdownwind. If you turn to starboard until thewind is coming about 45 degrees from the stern,you’re heading downwind on a broad reach. Aslong as the boom is on the starboard side of the

boat, you’re on a port tack. Now it is time tostart paying attention to the boom, which couldswing across the cockpit unexpectedly. Staylow, and keep letting those sheets out.

Jibing The last point of sail is a downwind run, wherethe wind is coming directly from behind, over thestern. When you’re going dead downwind,the position of the boom determines what tackyou’re on. If the boom is on the starboard sideof the boat, you’re still on a port tack. You canchange that by performing a jibe. Before youturn any farther, say to your crew, “Ready tojibe.” The crew should stand by the jibsheet.(That’s “stand by” in the figurative, not literal,sense, since the boom is about to sweep thecockpit clean of anyone foolish enough to bestanding.) The crew replies, “Ready.” Tightenthe mainsheet all the way, bringing the boomnearly to the center of the boat. As you turn thehelm to port, say, “Jibe-ho!” Continue to turnuntil the wind catches the after edge of the sail(the leech) and the boom switches to the otherside of the boat. The crew will cast off the jib-sheet and take up the slack on the other side,which is now the downwind sheet. Since yourboom has crossed over to the port side of theboat, you’re now on a starboard tack. You’ve justjibed the boat, which means, in effect, makingthe wind cross the stern of the boat by turning.

TackingYou can continue turning to port, goingthrough all the points of sail on the starboardtack, until you’re close-hauled again. Now let’stack the boat. Tacking means to make the windcross the bow of the boat by turning. Tackingwon’t always work if you don’t have enoughmomentum, so, if necessary, fall off the wind alittle (turn a little bit downwind) to get yourspeed up. Warn the crew by saying, “Readyabout.” Again the crew stands by the jibsheetand says, “Ready.” As you begin your turn, thehelmsman always says, “Helm’s a-lee,” mean-ing the helm has been put to leeward. As youturn the tiller, make your movement nice and

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Accidental JibeWhenever you’re sailing downwind, there’s a risk of anaccidental jibe. This happens when you’re going down-wind with the boom out, and then either the wind shiftsor the boat turns a little and the boom suddenly swingsover to the other side of the boat. If someone is unluckyor inattentive enough to be standing up in the cockpit atthe time, the results can vary from an embarrassing knoton the head in very light winds to a serious injury in mod-erate to strong winds. Sailors have been knocked over-board and drowned this way. Here are some safety stepsto take when sailing downwind:1. Keep your crew, and yourself, seated in the cockpit

when sailing downwind, especially when running. Ifsomeone needs to go forward to tend the jib, theyshould keep all body parts below the level of theboom. If that isn’t possible, sheet the boom in beforethey go forward, then let it back out once they reachthe foredeck.

2. Use a preventer or a boom brake. A preventer is aline that connects the boom to a reinforced point onthe rail. Often the boom vang can make a good pre-venter. A boom brake is a commercial device thatuses a drum with a few loose turns of line to slow thespeed of the boom down to something a little safer.

3. Watch out for the signs of an accidental jibe. Theboom will lift (if it isn’t tightened down by a vang orthe traveler) and the mainsail leech will start to flutterjust before an accidental jibe occurs.


steady. If you shove the helm all the way to lee-ward in a quick movement, you’ll separate thewater flow over the rudder blade, and it’ll actlike a brake. If everything goes correctly, theboat will turn through the wind and begin tofall off on its new heading.

As the boat passes through the eye of thewind, I uncleat the main and jib and let those

sails luff, or flutter in the wind like a flag. As theboat continues to turn, don’t sheet in instantly—let the boat continue to turn a little bit past theclose-hauled point, and then sheet in the sails. Ifyou keep the sails sheeted in tightly, there’s apossibility that the boat might weathercock, orpoint directly into the wind and stay there, muchas an old-fashioned weather vane would.

Pointing Ability of Sailboats When we began our discussion of the points ofsail, we started off close-hauled with the windblowing about 45 degrees from the bow of theboat. Most sailboats can sail at 45 degrees tothe wind. Some boats can lie closer to the wind,meaning they can sail at a sharper angle, someas close as 30 to 40 degrees. A boat that can sailcloser to the wind is said to have better point-ing ability, or it can point higher than otherboats.

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In IronsIf you don’t have enough momentum for tacking, theboat will point directly into the wind and stop. Since nowater is flowing across the rudder, trying to turn it has noeffect—the boat just sits there, sails f luttering in thebreeze. You are locked in irons. Some boats have a biggerproblem with this than others. If you’re sailing under themainsail alone, and/or if your mainsail is old, baggy, andworn out, the boat will get in irons much more readily.

This fluttering or flaglike behavior of the sails is calledluffing. Try to minimize the amount of time your sails luff.It’s hard on the fabric, it shocks the rigging, and it createsan overall feeling of havoc. Some luffing is inevitable,though, and it’s certainly no big deal in a light breeze.

Being locked in irons is usually a bigger problem in alight breeze than in a heavy wind, but the first time it hap-pens to you (and it will happen, I promise) can be a littleperplexing. The size of trailerables makes it fairly easy toget out of irons. Remember the pushmi-pullyu from theDr. Doolittle story? That’s what you do. First, push me,meaning you push the boom and the tiller away fromyou. The boat will start to drift backward and the stern willswing into the wind. Then, pull you, meaning pull yourboom and tiller back in, and the boat will be sailing again.

wind

lockedin irons

tacking

sailingclose-hauled

jibing

2

1

3

4

Tacking, jibing, and locked in irons: (1) sailing close-hauled on a port tack at a nice rate of speed; (2) anice, even turn to port—the boom has crossed overto the port side, and we’re sailing along on a star-board tack; (3) what happens if we try this maneu-ver without enough speed, or if we slam the rudderover too hard. The boat drifts into the eye of thewind and stays there, like a giant, expensive weathervane. She’ll come to a stop and start to drift back-ward. (4) We should jibe if the wind is really lightand we don’t have enough speed to tack. By turn-ing the helm to starboard and letting out the sails,we can slowly come around until the boom crossesover—we’ve jibed onto a starboard tack.


Being able to point high is a desirable fea-ture for a sailboat, and some racing designs canoutpoint the typical trailerable sailboat. Butthat ability comes at a price. Often, high point-ing ability requires a deep, high-aspect-ratiokeel. Like sails, keels can be high aspect or lowaspect. A high-aspect keel will be deep, with aleading edge that is more perpendicular to thewaterline, with a lot of weight down low—kindof like an underwater airplane wing. A low-aspect keel is long and shallow, often runningthe entire length of the boat. In general (but notalways), boats with more keel area will pointhigher than boats with less keel area. Hopefullyyou did your homework when you first wentshopping for a boat. A manufacturer will neversay, “Sails like a slug to windward, but just lookat all that space below!” It’s up to you to deter-mine how a boat will point, either by examining

plans, reading the recommendations of othersailors, or test-sailing the boat.

Pointing ability is often described as theboat’s tacking angle. You can find your boat’stacking angle with a test. Sheet the sails in hardand sail as close to the wind as possible. Notethe heading on the compass, then tack the boatand sail on the opposite tack, again as close tothe wind as she’ll go. Note the compass headingagain. The angle described by the two headingsis the boat’s tacking angle. It varies dependingon the wind—a boat can point higher in a goodbreeze than in a slight zephyr—and a host ofother factors. The pointing angle is half the tack-ing angle.

Many factors affect your boat’s pointingability. Many are built into the boat and noteasily changed, such as your hull shape or thedepth of your keel. But the adjustment of your

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wind

Tacking Angle

Pointing Angle

US -49, 12Meter (65°)

Ideal 18 (80°)

Potter 19 (90°)

O'Day 22 (100°)

Tahiti Ketch (120°)

No sailboat can sailinside this triangle

without using its motor.

Tacking and pointing angles.


sails and the tension of your rig can also be afactor. A common problem is a blown-outmainsail. As the cloth ages, it becomes softerand baggy, especially in the center, so you can’tget a good angle to the wind, even when every-thing is tightened correctly. In this case, buyinga new sail is about all you can do.

Heaving ToThis technique slows the boat without takingdown the sails. It’s great if you’ve got to duckbelow for a quick cup of coffee or even fix a littlelunch. (You are legally required to keep a lookouton deck, however.) You still have the steadyingpressure of the breeze in the sails, though theboat will make very little headway. Here’s how itworks, as steps 1 to 3 in the drawing illustrate.

Sail as close to the wind as possible (close-hauled). Sheet the main and jib in tight. Tackwithout touching either of the sheets. The boatshould balance, with the backwinded jib cancel-ing out the forward drive of the mainsail. You’llprobably need to trim to get the boat to balance,though, and some boats just plain don’t like tolie this way. I never could get my old MacGregor222 to heave to—it wouldn’t balance, butwanted to sail on, backwinded jib and all! I

might have gotten it to work with some experi-mentation. If your boat has a centerboard, tryraising or lowering it a little or lashing the rud-der a certain way. If you can get it to work onyour boat, this can be a handy maneuver.

SAIL TRIMYou can use a huge variety of lines and makeinfinite adjustments to your sails, all of whichhave various effects on performance. To behonest, on most trailer sailers, these effectsare pretty slight. They are all cumulative, andcan add up to a noticeable loss of speed—per-haps even as much as 10 to 20 percent.Learning all of the components for optimal sailtrim will take many hours of dedicated studyas well as time on the water as you apply thesetechniques to your particular vessel.

Or not.If you’re a new sailor and you just want to

make the darned thing go, simply rememberthis three-step procedure for basic sail trim.

1. When sailing upwind, let the sails out until theyluff.

2. Pull them in until they stop luffing.3. If you’re going downwind, make the sails as

perpendicular as you can to the breeze.

That’s it. I’m assuming that you know enoughto raise the sails before you try this, and you aren’ttrying to point directly into the wind. If your boatis lying at least 45 degrees to the wind, this shouldwork unless you have an anchor out. The only sit-uation I can think of where it won’t work is ifyou’re locked in irons, and you can’t pull the sailsin—they’re in all the way and they’re still luffing.If that’s the case, remember the pushmi-pullyutechnique—swing the stern out, let the sails luff,then pull ’em in till they stop.

Now, there are plenty of other things we cantalk about if you want to sail faster, but none ofthem will do you a lick of good until you masterthe basic steps above. While letting sails luff andpulling them in works on most upwind points ofsail, it’s actually best when close-hauled tobeam reaching. If you’re sailing downwind,present as much sail area to the wind as you

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1 start out close-hauled

2 tack, but do not releasethe headsail

3 on the new headingsheet in the main andtie the tiller to leeward

wind

Heaving to is a handy maneuver to slow the boat.


can. You have to pull the mainsail in a little, untilthe boom and sail aren’t touching the shrouds.The constant rubbing will wear a hole in thesailcloth and chew up the boom. Another poten-tial danger is an accidental jibe. If the boom isresting on the shrouds and you get an acciden-tal jibe, your rig can be severely damaged whenthe boom crashes into the shrouds.

The “let them out, pull them in” strategyworks because nearly all new sailors have atendency to oversheet their sails, or pull themin too far. This causes all sorts of problemsthat aren’t easily deciphered. The sails willoften look nice and full when they’re over-sheeted, but you won’t be going very fast. Thereason has to do with flow. Sails don’t trap airunless they’re going downwind. They workupwind because the air flows over them.

The precise mechanics of why this is so canbe demonstrated with a few chapters of theory,including airplane wings, high pressure versuslow pressure, the Bernoulli principle, slot veloc-ity, vector diagrams with arrows, dashes, anddots, and so on. You don’t have to know all thetheory in order to sail a boat, and many folks—myself included—get bogged down by too muchof it. If you’re interested in sail theory, see theBibliography for some excellent books on thesubject. (And if you really want to learn how totrim sails, here’s a simple way: volunteer to be apart of a race crew. There is often an empty spotor two on race day, and if you explain to the cap-tain that you want to learn as much as you canabout trim, you’ll often get more informationthan you can digest. You’ll need to develop athick skin, though—there’s a reason CaptainBligh always needed people to help run his ship,and things often get intense during a race.)

From a more practical standpoint, justremember that the wind has to flow over the sailsin order to generate the lift needed to go upwind.Good sail trim involves keeping that flow movingas smoothly as possible. If you pull the sails intoo tightly, the flow is impeded and your speeddrops. If you really pull them in, the sail stalls—the flow is completely stopped on the back sideof the sail, replaced instead by swirls and eddies

of wind. The sail still looks good, but it’s trappingair instead of redirecting it.

You can do a few more things to improveflow. One is when you’re setting the sail. A sailwithout many wrinkles is going to flow air bet-ter than one that has wrinkles all over the sur-face. That’s why, when you set the sails, you tryto stretch the luff until the wrinkles along thejib hanks and sail slides are pulled out, and thesail sets smoothly. On the boom, the clew ofthe mainsail is pulled outward by the outhaul.Just like halyards, if you don’t have enoughouthaul tension on your mainsail, you may seewrinkles along the foot of the sail. If you can,pull the outhaul until you get the foot of themainsail as smooth as possible.

In fact, this idea of flow is so important thatsails have little bits of yarn sewn into themcalled telltales. These bits of yarn or tapeshow the airflow over your sails. There’s oneon each side of the sail—a windward telltaleand a leeward telltale. Using your telltales tojudge sail trim is much more accurate than thelet-them-out, pull-them-in method, but it’s alittle more complex as well. If you feel like youcan’t remember all the details, don’t worryabout it—just let the sails out until they luff,and pull them in until they stop. As you gainsailing experience, reading the telltalesbecomes easier. If your sails don’t have any tell-tales, install them. You can buy them or makeyour own. Any strip of lightweight cloth or rib-bon will work, though black shows up best; 16to 20 inches long and a half inch wide will befine. Even a strip of recording tape from a deadcassette will do, though it won’t last as long asfabric. Sew the ribbon into the sail with a sail-maker’s needle, and tie a knot on either side ofthe cloth. (You’ll need a real sailmaker’sneedle—the sailcloth is amazingly tough.) Onthe jib, the telltales should be about a foot aft ofthe luff. Sew in three—one near the head, onenear the foot, and one in between the two. A fewtelltales along the leech are also a good idea.

The telltales on the mainsail should be rightat the leech—one at each batten pocket—orsew in three, one in the middle of the leech, one

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a quarter of the way up, and one a quarter of theway down. Install another set of two in the mid-dle of the mainsail, about half and three-quartersof the way up.

Interpreting the telltales is a bit tougherthan installing them. Ideally, all the telltalesshould be streaming aft, but you’ll often getconflicting signals. Some of the telltales will bestreaming aft like they’re supposed to, whileothers will be fluttering in circles or pointingstraight up. Different combinations can meandifferent things.

For example, on the jib, if the lower telltalesflutter but the top telltales stream correctly,then the jibsheet lead block is too far forward.Try adjusting it aft on the track. Conversely, ifthe top telltales flutter while the lower onesstream correctly, the sheet lead is too far aft. Ifyou can’t figure out what the heck they’re doingand you suspect the jibsheet lead is out of posi-tion, you can try another method. Watch theupper telltales on the windward side of the jib

as you slowly turn into the wind. At some point,one of the telltales will “break,” meaning it’llstop streaming aft and start to lift and flutter.See which one breaks first—if it’s the lower tell-tale, move the jibsheet lead block aft. If theupper one breaks first, move the sheet leadblock forward. If they break at the same time,the sheet lead block is in the correct spot.

When you are sailing upwind, both thewindward and leeward jib telltales close to theluff should stream aft. If the leeward telltalesare fluttering but the windward telltales are allflowing smoothly, your jib is overtrimmed(trimmed in too tightly). Either let the sail outa little or turn into the wind a little. In the oppo-site case, all the windward telltales are flutter-ing but the leeward telltales are streaming; thejibsheet is eased out too far. Sheet in a touch, orfall off, meaning turn downwind a little. Always

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Telltale locations on the main and jib. Place tell-tales on both sides of the sail.

when the jibsheet leadis correctly positioned,all three telltales willstream aft whensailing upwind

moving the jibsheetlead forward makesthe sail fuller...betterfor light winds

moving the jibsheetlead aft flattensthe sail...better forstronger breezes

Adjusting the jibsheet lead blocks. If the lower windwardjib telltale breaks (f lutters) first (before the upper telltales)as you turn upwind, move the jibsheet block aft. If theupper telltale f lutters first, slide the jibsheet block for-ward on its track. Playing with these adjustments invarious winds will help you become a better sailor.


turn away from, or trim toward, a flutteringtelltale. (See the sidebar “The Barber Hauler”and the drawing for a nifty way to adjust sheet-ing angle.) If you are sailing downwind, tell-tales won’t help you too much.

Mainsail TelltalesThe telltales on the main are a bit differentthan those on the jib, but the theory is thesame. Again, telltales are most helpful whensailing upwind for maintaining proper airflowacross the sail surface.

The telltales on the main can help you adjustfor the proper sail shape. Watch the top telltale;if it sneaks around behind the sail, that’s an indi-cation that there’s not enough twist in the mainand you need to ease the mainsheet a little. Ifyou have a boom vang and/or a traveler, thosemay need adjustment as well. Ease the vang,and if that’s not enough, pull the traveler more

to windward to increase the twist and reducethe downward pull on the boom.

The telltales below are there to give you anoverall indication of the sail’s shape. If the mid-dle telltales are not streaming aft (assuming awind of about 5 knots and an upwind point ofsail), then your mainsail is shaped too full. Ifyour sails are old or have seen a lot of sailinghours, there’s a good chance that the fabric hasbeen stretched out of shape. All your telltalereadings will be a bit screwy. Try a little ten-sion on the cunningham. Racers will add a lit-tle mast bend by increasing their backstaytension, but I prefer to keep the mast straight.My boat’s mast has a permanent curve aft fromoverzealous backstay tension, probably tocompensate for a blown-out mainsail. Anotherpossible cause of fluttering lower mainsail tell-tales is an overtrimmed jib. Try easing the jib-sheet to see if that helps.

There are lots of subtleties to telltale read-ings that vary with different boat types, windstrengths, and points of sail, and even vary withsome conflicting advice. (Some captains liketelltales near the luff of the main, for example,while others say that leech telltales are the onlyones that should be installed.) Again, racingskippers are the experts here, and observingsome of their comments online, in books, or inperson can be helpful if you want to get thebest possible speed from the wind.

Up to now, we’ve been talking about sailtrim mainly as it relates to the position of thesails in relation to the wind. Getting the angle ofthe sail right is a big part of boat speed. Butanother factor of sail trim relates to the shape ofthe sails themselves. When you start adjustingthe actual shape of the sails, you’re getting intosome pretty fancy stuff, because there are lotsof variations that can have different effects onhow well the boat sails. If the sail shape iswrong, it can result in more heeling force on theboat (see the sidebar “Heeling on a Sailboat”).

Sail shape can be summarized as follows:

High winds need flatter sails

Light winds need fuller sails

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The Barber HaulerAccording to Carl Eichenlaub (winner of the LightningInternationals, Star, and Snipe championships), the bestsailors on Mission Bay in the 1960s were the Barber twins,Manning and Merrit. Merrit invented a neat way to adjustthe sheeting angle of jibs without a track. It’s still com-monly used on racing boats. The advantage is that it’s asimple system that can be adjusted from the cockpit, andit’s easily adapted to boats with a jib track.

tensioning barberhauler here changes

jibsheet angleand sail shape

jibsheet

The barber hauler is a way to adjust jibsheet anglesif you don’t have a track-mounted jibsheet block.


The jib is flattened primarily by adjust-ing the jibsheet lead—farther back for highwinds, farther forward for light winds.A second way to flatten the jib is by increas-ing the headstay tension, but this is possi-ble (while underway) only on boats withadjustable backstays. If you don’t havethem, you might tighten your rigging a littleif you’re setting the boat up on a windy day,but don’t overdo it.

The mainsail can be flattened for highwinds in several ways. Increasing the outhaultension will flatten the lower third of the sail,and bending the mast aft (again, on boats withadjustable backstays) will flatten the upper two-thirds of the sail. Some boats have a boom vang,which is a pair of blocks on a line connectingthe mast base with the boom. It’s used to pullthe boom down, reducing the amount of twistin the mainsail. The boom vang can be used alongwith the telltales to get just the right amount oftwist for your heading and, with the right vangtension, get all your telltales streaming aft.

Another way to flatten the mainsail is byusing a cunningham. You may notice an extragrommet near the tack of the mainsail but alittle farther from the edge of the sail. That’sthe cunningham. It’s usually adjusted with aline running through it and back down to thedeck. It can be thought of as a sail flattener,though it really alters the draft of the sail bymoving it forward.

So, what is the draft of a sail? The draft isthe curve that the sail forms as the wind blowsacross the surface. Just as hulls are designedfor different sea conditions, so are sails. A sailwith more draft—a full sail—gives the boatmore power to help it drive through choppywater, but this type of sail loses efficiency asthe wind speed increases. A sail with lessdraft—a flat sail—will point higher and sailfaster and is more efficient in higher winds.

The traveler, if your boat has one, can beused to adjust the angle of the sail while keep-ing its shape. By letting out the traveler carinstead of the mainsheet, you can keep the cor-rect tension on the leech of the sail and make

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Heeling on a SailboatThe term heeling describes the way a sailboat leans as a resultof the wind on the sails. All sailboats heel, but how much theyheel can vary a great deal, depending on the type of boat,draft, ballast, sail shape, and other factors. A catamaran willheel very little at first, because the wide base of her two hullsprovides a lot of stability. As the wind gets stronger, a catama-ran will lift one of her hulls clear out of the water. At this point,a catamaran will fly like a spooked greyhound—it absolutelysmokes across the water since its water resistance has beenessentially cut in half. But it’s about as stable as a spookedgreyhound as well, and the skipper has to be very carefulwith the mainsheet and tiller or she’ll capsize the boat.Catamarans like the famous Hobie are an adrenaline rush tosail, but they’re not great for cruising or relaxing.

Let’s compare this to a monohull, like our trailer sailer.Initially, when the wind blows, most monohulls lean rightover. Some boats do this very easily in a light wind—they’re termed “tender.” Often, tender boats have a rela-tively narrow hull with plenty of ballast.

A “stiff” boat will resist heeling at first. Two main fac-tors determine stiffness—hull shape and keel type. Awide, beamy hull with a reasonably flat bottom makes astiff boat without a lot of additional weight, which is goodfor a trailer sailer. A deep keel with a lot of lead in it alsomakes a boat stiff, but heavy.

The trade-off between hull shape and keel weightcomes as the wind increases. Many heavy-displacementsailboats are very tender initially but quickly settle into anangle of heel and become rock-solid. The more the windblows, the greater they resist further heeling.

Newer wide-body lightweight designs are super inlight air, but as the wind kicks up, their ability to resist heel-ing decreases and they are easier to knock down. Addsome really big waves and a complete rollover is possible.

Trailerable sailboats are usually more like the latterexample—they don’t have a huge amount of ballast (sothey can be pulled with an average car or truck), and theyhave a retractable keel that can be lifted into the hull fortrailering. This is one reason why most trailerable sailboatsdon’t make good long-distance cruisers. They can bepoor choices for storm sailing. There are a few exceptions,of course—a Cal 20 has sailed to Hawaii, and Montgomery17s to Mexico and through the Panama Canal, but neitherof these designs was intended for that kind of sailing.


small corrections for course or changes inwind direction.

The Leech LineMost mainsails (and some headsails) have asmall line sewn into the fold of the leech that issecured by a small cleat or buttons on the sail.This is the leech line. You use it to tension theleech to prevent the leech from fluttering. If it’stoo tight, though, the leech will hook to wind-ward and you’ll have more heeling force andless forward drive. To adjust the leech, give itjust enough tension to stop fluttering but notenough to cause a hook.

DOCKINGReturning to the dock or a slip after a day ofsailing can be a little tense the first few times,but it gets easier with practice. You can dockunder sail, though it’s especially tricky if you’realone, since you’ll need to be in several placesat once. Most folks approach the dock underpower. Here’s how it should go.

If at all possible, approach a dock fromdownwind. If there’s room and no other boatsare around, a practice run isn’t a bad idea.Pull up near the dock, but keep about a boatlength or two away. Allow more distance ifconditions are tricky. Shift the motor intoneutral, noting the speed and the effects ofwind and current on your boat. Some boatswill glide for a long time before they stop, andit’s good to know what to expect. Notice theboat’s drift, her response to the helm, andhow these combine with the current and thewind. When you’ve got a good feel for theconditions, place the motor in gear, looparound, and try again.

Place your fenders near the widest pointof your hull, tying them to cleats or stanchionbases. Don’t let any lines trail in the water. Fordocking, you’ll need a bow line, a stern line,and two spring lines. (See “Docklines andTowlines” in Chapter 5 for a rundown of thisequipment.) Station a crewmember on thebow with a long line secured to the bow cleat.This will be the bow line. Remember that it will

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The traveler on my boat, while it is a handy and f lexiblesail adjustment, was expensive and is often tripped overwhen I’m going down below.

An adjustable backstay on an older boat. Theyare powerful blocks that can exert a lot of forceon a rig. This particular one is a bad design—the onlything keeping the mast on the boat is that little camcleat. If it were released accidentally on a run in abreeze, the entire rig could go overboard.


need to run underneath the lifelines. If you’reby yourself, run the line from the bow cleat,outside the lifelines and stanchions, and backto the cockpit so that you can throw the linefrom the stern.

(Quick tip—if you regularly come along-side pilings that seem to evade your fenders,you might try a long swim noodle. Get the fat-test one you can find, run a light line throughthe center, and hang it horizontally along thewidest part of your hull. It won’t replace yourfenders, but it could add a little extra protec-tion against bumps and scratches.)

Approach the dock slowly. Outboardmotors commonly die when they’re neededmost, and if you’re depending on yours todeliver a quick burst of reverse, then that’sthe time it’ll run out of fuel or foul a line. Toomany people think it’s impressive to powerinto the dock, slam the boat into reverse atthe last minute, and stop on a dime. It isimpressive when everything works, but itcauses impressive amounts of damage, andpossibly even injuries, when things don’t goas expected.

Remember that a sailboat’s turning axis isaround the center of the boat. As you turn, thebow swings into the turn and the stern swingsout. Ideally, you want to turn just at the rightmoment, so the bow doesn’t crash into the dockbut the midsection of the boat gets as close aspossible. If you get it right, you’ll coast into thedock with a gentle bump of the fenders.

Step off the boat with the bow line and godirectly to a cleat. Loop the line over the cleatand let it slip until the boat is where you wantit, then stop the boat by pulling upward againstthe cleat. Don’t try to stop the boat by tuggingon the line. That works fine for wranglingcalves, but try that with a large boat and it’lljust pull you in the water. Again, never put anypart of yourself between the boat and thedock. (See “Leaving the Dock” earlier in thischapter.)

If the boat is moving forward and the bowline is stopped, the stern will swing out. Thisis especially a problem when coming into a

slip, since you’ve got to stop and you don’twant to crash sideways into the boat next toyou. Placing a fender on the opposite side ofthe boat and on the stern corner can save theday. If the finger pier on the slip is longenough, you can stop the boat with the sternline, or if your crew is experienced they cango ashore with two lines, one for the bow andone for the stern.

PICKING UP AND DROPPINGA MOORINGPicking up a mooring, like docking, is fairlyeasy with a little practice. Approach slowly andhave a crewmember at the bow ready with theboathook. There should be a pickup floatattached to the buoy or to a chain beneath it;snag the float with the boathook and bring itaboard. Make the line fast to your bow cleat.Some skippers will toss out a stern anchor tocontrol the swing, or tie off to a second moor-ing astern.

Probably the biggest hazard to watch outfor is fouling a line with the prop. Keep a sharplookout for stray lines from other moorings orboats as you approach and leave a mooring. Ifconditions are settled and it’s not crowded, tryit under sail!

ANCHORING TECHNIQUESAnchoring techniques are the same for asmall vessel as they are for a large one. Youcan use smaller anchors, naturally, which aremuch easier to handle and more affordable.(See “Optional Equipment” in Chapter 5 for adescription of the different types of anchorsand the conditions for which each isdesigned.)

First, you’ve got to pick a good spot to anchorfor the night. A good anchorage will have protec-tion from the wind and waves on several sides, bedeep enough for your boat, and have a good-holding bottom so the anchor can bite. Your chartis probably your best bet for finding a good spot,though a place that appears ideal on the chart canturn out to be a bit of a dog. After all, the chartdoesn’t list a factory that’s particularly smelly,

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and there’s no chart symbol for mosquitoes.A local cruising guide can be a big help in guidingyou—and sometimes lots of other people—to aparticular anchorage. If there’s a cruising guidefor your area, bring it along and add your ownnotes. You might even wish to try writing yourown someday!

Any anchorage needs depth and swingingroom. You’ll want to remain floating duringyour stay unless you want to scrub your bot-tom. Make sure you can get out when the tidegoes down, too. How much swinging room youneed refers to the amount of anchor rode youhave out, which in turn depends on the depth.Your anchor scope is the length of rode out at agiven time, usually expressed as a ratio. For arope and chain rode, a 7:1 scope is generallyconsidered the minimum you should have out,meaning if the water is 10 feet deep at high tide,you should have 70 feet of rode out. In a blow,12:1 isn’t too much, and 15:1 provides about themaximum benefit. For an average trailerable, a3/8-inch-diameter rode with 20 feet of 1/4-inch orlarger chain is a pretty good combination.Some say that you should have half the lengthof the boat in anchor chain; others say thechain should equal the length of the boat.

It’s the weight of the chain in front of theanchor that helps the anchor hold. An anchor sen-tinel or kellet is a heavy weight that slides downthe middle of the rode and lowers the angle of therode closer to the bottom, giving a better grip. Therode must be protected from chafe.

Another idea is an anchor buoy. It holds thebow of the boat up, allowing it to ride over thewaves rather than pulling it downward.

A nice plus for an anchorage is two land-marks that are visible in the dark so youcan check whether you’re dragging duringthe night.

You’ve settled on where to anchor; nowhow do you do it? The basic method is to bringyour bow to the precise spot you want youranchor to lie and then stop your forwardprogress by putting the motor in reverse. As theboat starts to go backward, slowly lower theanchor over the bow until it touches the bottom,

crown first, then slowly pay out the line untilyou have the proper scope. Oh, by the way—you did tie the bitter end of the anchor rode offto something before you tossed it overboard,didn’t you? Plenty of anchors have been lost bynot doing this. And I don’t need to warn you tokeep your feet clear of the rode as it pays out,do I? It sounds like a funny situation, but theforces on the rode can be pretty strong. Whenyou have enough scope out, quickly take a turnaround a mooring cleat and snub it up tight toset the anchor. Hopefully the anchor will biteand stop the boat. The anchor should be able totake full reverse power without moving. Checkthe set of the anchor by sighting a landmarkacross some part of the boat. You can alsocheck the rode with your hand to feel for anyvibration from the dragging anchor. If the boatshows any indication of moving, haul up thedragging anchor and try resetting it.

Sometimes you’ll want to lie at two anchorsfrom the bow. This is called a Bahamian moor,and it works well for anchoring in a tidal stream.The two rodes sometimes twist together andmake a monstrous snarl, though. The only wayto prevent it is to check the rodes at each changeof the tide and re-cleat them if necessary.

In storm conditions, two anchors on a singlerode will often hold better than the same twoanchors on their own rodes. Perhaps the extra

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tide

A Bahamian moor.


weight of the forward anchor acts as a kellet.But it’s easy enough to try, and it’s a good way touse a smaller anchor in a storm.

Keeping your small lunch hook ready to go atthe stern can be a real lifesaver. If you secure thecoil of line with rubber bands and keep the bitterend attached to a cleat somewhere, you can tossthe whole assembly overboard. The anchor’sweight breaks the rubber bands, deploying theline and stopping the boat without having toleave the helm. A stern anchor might be the onlyway to approach a dock in a strong tailwind.

One nifty trick has worked well for me in astorm: you can buy rubber snubbers for theanchor rode that act as shock absorbers,dampening some of the shock loading causedwhen the boat pitches in the waves. Or you canuse light nylon line, about 1/4 inch, to do thesame job. Tie the line to the rode 20 to 30 feetbefore the end of the rode, then lead it to thesheet winches. Tie it on using a rolling hitch.Crank on a few turns until the main rode has alittle slack in it. The nylon is very stretchy andacts like a giant rubber band. You can makeadjustments with the winch as the night goeson, tightening or loosening as necessary. Youneed to watch carefully for chafe, though, ifyou lead the line through the bow cleat.

When you anchor for the night in normalconditions, take a few bearings of some promi-nent landmarks before you go to bed. You’llwant to check your position a few times duringthe night to make sure you’re not dragging, espe-cially after a tide change or if the wind picks up.If the anchorage is completely featureless, thena small float tied to the anchor on a separate linecan show whether you’re dragging.

If you’re sailing with friends, you may wantto anchor together. It’s easy if you take a fewprecautions—see the sidebar “Rafting Up.”

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shackle a second anchorwell forward, with plenty of

chain ahead of both

Two anchors on a single rode.

1 tie a rolling hitch

2 lead the light line back to thesheet winch and adjust thetension...watch for chafe

anchor

lightweightnylon 3-strand

Snubbing an anchor using a light line.


BEST PRACTICES FORTHE PRUDENT MARINERAll captains, with time and experience,develop their own boating methods, proce-dures, and rules to live by. The following guide-lines are by nature highly opinionated and

personal, but they work. Consider them withan open mind.

A good captain rarely yells unless he orshe needs to be heard above the wind. In somecases, like raising or lowering the anchor, theforedeck can communicate with the helmwith prearranged hand signals. If, however,your crew is not taking a safety situation seri-ously, by all means yell to keep them out ofharm’s way.

“Swearing like a sailor” generally referredto the lower deck. Good captains rarelyrequired crude language for the usual opera-tion of the ship.

Never frighten a child (or anyone) who mightbecome a sailor. Long before I knew her, my wifewent sailing as an eighteen year old with a hot-shot Hobie sailor. Eager to show off his manlyprowess, he insisted on flying one of the hulls. Itwasn’t long before they capsized, throwing mywife into the rigging and inflicting a long andpainful gash in her leg, which still bears the scar.She has never really enjoyed sailing since.

If the work of sailing your boat is segre-gated into men’s jobs and women’s jobs, itwon’t take long before they all become your

jobs. Sailing a boat should be gender-neutral.Unless you like sailing alone, rotate the jobs ofhelmsman, sheet trimmer, anchor hauler,cook, galley cleanup, and so on. A good cap-tain involves her crew in decision makingwhenever she can, yet is always ready to takecommand instantly if the situation requires it.

Never embarrass any member of your crewin front of others.

When you start out for the day, always sailupwind first. If you’re sailing in tidal waters,know the times for high and low tide beforeyou set out so you can take advantage of favor-able tidal currents.

All of your lines should be whipped, with-out unraveled ends or fluffy tails. A properwhipping, with thread, is better (and slightlysafer) than ends with a turn of masking tapeand a big blob of melted line on the end. (See“Ropes and Lines” in Chapter 13 for more onwhipping.)

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Rafting UpRafting up or tying your boat alongside another can belots of fun. It’s best to keep the total number of boats tiedtogether low, say three or four, though people will raft upmore. The procedure is fairly easy. One boat—thelargest—serves as the host and places its largest anchoroff the bow, making certain it’s well set. Then the otherboats, with plenty of fenders out, slowly come along-side and pass bow and stern lines to the host. The hostboat is the only anchored vessel; the others just hang onfor the ride. Naturally you need settled weather, plenty ofswinging room, and good holding ground. As you tie upto the host boat, look up. You don’t want your spreadersto tangle, so use the lines to bring your boat forward oraft as necessary. Make certain that if the wind kicks up,you can get clear quickly and have an alternative anchor-age nearby. Keep your ground tackle ready to go whileyou’re rafting. When it’s time to turn in for the night,break up the raft and lie at your own anchor.

largest boat withheaviest ground tackle

smaller boats raftup aft...don't letspreaders tangle

Rafting up.


Tension your halyards appropriately.Besides looking sloppy, a sail with a scallopedluff is inefficient.

Learn to dress your halyard tails correctly.This is as much a matter of safety as keepingyour decks neat. Sometimes you will need toget your sails down in a hurry. A Gordian knotof a halyard, dangling halfway up the mast, hasto be experienced in a blow to be fully appreci-ated. The consequences can range from comi-cal to downright dangerous.

Don’t run a loud generator or crank up thetunes when sharing an anchorage with others.Respect their privacy and do not anchor tooclosely. If another boat is first at an anchorageand lays out excessive scope, there’s little youcan do besides anchor in another location.

If you must fly flags or ensigns, learn how tofly them correctly. Flags aren’t decorative—they

have specific purposes and meanings, even ifmisunderstood by most people. Don’t fly a flagthat’s dirty or worn out.

Always operate your boat in a safe, conser-vative manner. Ask yourself, What if this

maneuver doesn’t go as planned? Always lookfor options and alternative plans of action.

Always be polite and respectful of dock-side personnel. Never try to impress anyonewith the size of your boat or the size of yourpurse—there’s always going to be a bigger one.How well you treat others is the only impres-sion worth leaving.

Remember the three rules of sailing:

1. Keep the water out of the boat.2. Keep the people out of the water.3. Keep the boat on the water.

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The first few times out on your boatshould be eventful experiences as youlearn about your boat and how it

behaves. Surely some unexpected things willhappen, but hopefully you won’t need theCoast Guard.

After you’ve figured out the basics, you’llwant to bone up on the Coast Guard’sNavigation Rules (also called the Rules of theRoad) that are essential for any captain toknow. This section won’t make you a licensedcaptain, but hopefully it will help you handlesome of the more common situations that youmight encounter.

First, though, an important disclaimer: Therules contained here summarize only a smallpart of the basic Navigation Rules for which aboat operator is responsible. Think of this sec-tion as advice only; it is by no means every-

thing you need to know!

Get a copy of the Coast Guard’s NavigationRules and study it. The book is availablethrough the U.S. Government Printing Officeor on the Internet at www.uscgboating.org/

regulations/nav_rules.htm. The legalese can behard to interpret, but fortunately there are lotsof resources to help you understand the mean-ing and intent of the rules, if not the actualrules themselves. The U.S. Coast Guard’sOffice of Boating Safety website at www.uscgboating.org/ has lots of help in plainEnglish. The U.S. Power Squadron, a nonprofiteducational organization dedicated to boatingsafety, offers classes (both classroom and web-based), vessel safety checks, and other materi-als at reasonable prices—their computer-basedAmerica’s Boating Course is $35. BoatSafe.comoffers a free course called Basic Boating Safetyand their Coastal Navigation course for $78.There are other resources as well, includingbooks, of course, such as Chapman’s Piloting

and Seamanship. (It does help to get a currentedition—my new copy of Chapman’s includesinformation on new restrictions involving theDepartment of Homeland Security, pollutionregulations, and updated radio licensingrequirements that won’t be found in an oldcopy.)

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CHAPTER NINE

Rules of the Road

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PART THREE

MORE SAILING KNOWLEDGEAND SKILLS

www.uscgboating.org/regulations/nav_rules.htm

www.uscgboating.org/regulations/nav_rules.htm

www.uscgboating.org/

www.uscgboating.org/

RULES OF THE ROAD 141

BASIC RULES A busy harbor on a nice, sunny Saturday canlook a bit like a free-for-all. There are boats ofall shapes and sizes going in all directions atonce. There are no roads to stay on and no lanesto follow. How all these boats keep from runninginto one another is, at first glance, a mystery.

But the more you understand about theCoast Guard Navigation Rules, the more youbegin to see that there is a defined system inplace, and it does make sense—most of the timeanyway. In some instances, there are “lanes”(called Traffic Separation Zones) and evensomething like “roads” (navigation channelsdefined by buoys).

Learning all of the rules is a tall order, espe-cially when you consider that there are two dif-ferent sets of rules, and they don’t alwaysagree. The International Rules, sometimescalled COLREGS, are generally used in theopen ocean. The Inland Rules apply to mostareas where you’ll be taking a trailerable sail-boat, so I’d concentrate on them, but checkyour chart. If you see a COLREGS DemarcationLine, that’s where the rules change. These arethe federal rules, and they don’t include statelaws or local regulations. For example, a no-wake zone or requirement to stay a hundredyards away from a swimming beach would becovered under state law.

You can take comfort in the fact that inmany parts of the country, if you learn only afew of the rules, you’ll be ahead of the majorityof the recreational boaters on the water.Unfortunately, far too many captains learn littlemore than where the throttle is. The NavigationRules are federal law, and while you don’t haveto memorize them unless you’re taking the cap-tain’s test, a working knowledge is essential.

There are a few important overall rules—rules about the rules, if you will.

First, the Navigation Rules can be over-looked to avoid immediate danger. Do what-ever it takes to avoid a collision. If you’reabout to get run over, don’t worry about sound-ing three short blasts on you horn before youput her in reverse.

Everyone shares the responsibility forgood seamanship. If there’s an accident, every-one is at fault. Never assume that the operatorof the other boat has ever heard of theNavigation Rules. Some haven’t.

Another important principle: the closeryou get to another vessel, the more impor-tant the rules become. If you can sail in anarea where you can avoid other vessels, youwon’t have to worry much about the variousrights-of-way. Now, there are very few placesin the world that meet this description, andyou will be forced to sail close to other ves-sels at some point. But you can often make asimple course correction as soon as you seea boat approaching in the distance, andavoid a situation where you will need toknow the rules. I always do this when a com-mercial vessel is in the area, especially shipsor a fishing vessel with nets out. Both ofthese vessels have the right-of-way over arecreational sailboat.

The Navigation Rules establish a certainpecking order among vessels, giving some theright-of-way over others. Some people believethat sailboats have the right-of-way overpowerboats, regardless of size. This is occa-sionally true, but not always. Here’s a list of theright-of-way for boats, starting with the mostprivileged (termed the stand-on vessel).

1. A vessel not under command—for example,one with a broken engine or rudder

2. A vessel restricted in ability to maneuver3. A vessel engaged in fishing4. Sailing vessels5. Power-driven vessels

In many cases, a powerboat in a narrowchannel is restricted in its ability to maneuverbecause it is constrained by draft. Likewise, acommercial vessel or vessel engaged in towingis restricted in its ability to maneuver. Whilethe rules don’t say anything specifically aboutferryboats, the courts have repeatedly ruledthat ferries have the right-of-way. In general,give commercial vessels a wide berth when-ever possible.

MORE SAILING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS142

Additionally, the rules have provisions forthe meeting of two sailboats:

1. When both boats are on opposite tacks, theboat on a starboard tack (the wind comingfrom its starboard side) is the stand-on vessel.The vessel on a port tack is the give-way vessel.

2. When both vessels have the wind on the sameside, the vessel to windward (or upwind) isthe give-way vessel; the vessel to leeward(or downwind) is the stand-on vessel.

3. If a vessel on a port tack sees another to wind-ward, and cannot tell what tack the other boatis on, then it must keep clear of that vessel.

Take a look at these three photos and try toimagine the correct course of action (theanswers are on page 143).

Note that if your sailboat’s motor is runningand in gear, you are considered a power-drivenvessel even if your sails are up.

Keeping a Lookout, Maintaining SafeSpeed, and Determining Risk ofCollisionThe rules require that you keep a lookouton your boat at all times. They define alookout as a person with no other dutiesbesides watching out for other boats. On atrailer sailer, this usually means the helmsman,but you can’t always see too well around abig deck-sweeping genoa. If you have extrapeople aboard, let them help you watch forother boats, or let them take a turn at thehelm while you do the lookout duty. There’snothing in the rules that prohibits single-handed or short-handed sailing, but whileyou’re underway, you have to keep watchfor other boats.

Let’s suppose you’re on lookout duty andyou see another boat heading your way. Howcan you tell if you’re on a collision course? Themost common method is to take a relativebearing on the vessel and watch for a change.If the angle of a boat in the distance seems tochange as it gets closer, then you are mostlikely not on a collision course. You can useyour own boat to help determine this—for

This Ericson 25 is approaching on a constantbearing (that is, my angle to it stays the same).What would you do in a situation like this?

What if things looked like this?

Here’s another situation—quick, what shouldyou do?

1

2

3

example, you first notice the boat off yourbow. From where you’re sitting, she appearsright in line with, say, the leeward grabrail.You look two minutes later, and she appearslarger but in line with the mast. The other ves-sel’s relative bearing has moved forward, andyou probably aren’t on a collision course. If

RULES OF THE ROAD 143

her bearing changes only slightly, then apotential for collision exists.

Be especially watchful of large vessels andships. While the Navigation Rules treat all ves-sels equally, it’s only common sense that a con-flict between a fiberglass pleasurecraft and alarge steel ship will leave the smaller boat with

In photo 3, I’m sailing on a beam reach while theother boat (on a port tack) is approaching fromupwind. I have the right-of-way, and I have tomaintain course and speed.

But here it looks like the captain doesn’t knowthe fine points of right-of-way and he’s gettingtoo close without changing course. The rules saythat I should do whatever it takes to avoid colli-sion. In this case, tacking or luffing is the bestcourse of action.

Keeping a close lookout is especially importantaboard sailboats with headsails, as they cancause a blind spot forward. This sail has a highclew, which helps with visibility. Some sails havesmall plastic windows sewn into them, whichalso help. Shift your position frequently to besure the way is clear, or assign a crewmemberto be your forward lookout.

In photo 1, both boats are on a similar point ofsail but different tacks. Since I’m the boat on aport tack, the other boat has the right-of-way. Ihave to keep clear.

In photo 2, we’re both on the same tack, but I’mdownwind of the other boat. The rules requirethat I maintain course and speed.

1

2

3


all the damage. Avoid getting close to any largeship that you see, and be wary of its speed. Atanker might be traveling four to six times asfast as the average trailerable sailboat, so thespeck on the horizon can become very large ina surprisingly short time.

Usually, sailboats easily comply withrules for safe speed because they go prettyslowly—relatively speaking. The rules state

specific factors that determine safe speed,including visibility, traffic density, sea state,and your draft and maneuverability. Usuallya sailboat’s displacement hull is self-limiting,but there are times when even 5 knots istoo fast. Beam-reaching through a crowdedanchorage on a windy day could easily beconsidered operating a boat at an unsafespeed.

The Danger Zone for PowerboatsThe Navigation Rules imply (although they don’t actuallyspell out) a concept for powering called the dangerzone. It extends from dead ahead to 22.5 degrees aft ofthe starboard beam. A powerboat approaching fromthis side has the right-of-way. Coincidentally, this is thesame area covered by your green sidelight. At night, theapproaching boat sees a green light—and in this case,green means go. Usually, the preferred course of actionis to alter your course to starboard, slow down, or stop.The give-way vessel should not turn to port for a vesselforward of the beam, but by turning to starboard you’ll“show him your red” or, in other words, alter course tostarboard and pass port to port. You can’t always do thisif you’re in a channel or near shoals or if the approachingvessel is far on your starboard side. But if you’re meetingnearly head-on and there’s still plenty of time, the pre-ferred action is to alter course to starboard and pass portside to port side.

The danger zone principle doesn’t work in all cases,like in the Great Lakes or Western Rivers, and it wouldn’twork for boats under sail (such as a starboard-tack cross-ing versus a port-tack crossing, for example). But it’s a general rule that’s good to know.

red bow light

greenbow light

dangerzone(under power)

225° whitestern light

22.5°

The danger zone for powering.

145

Weather is important to all mariners,but especially for sailors. The com-paratively slower speed of most

sailboats means we are less able to run forcover when the water gets rough. Moreover,because the average trailer sailer is smallerand lighter than most other vessels, we feel theeffects of stormy weather more acutely. Butalthough we’re more uncomfortable in badweather than our larger siblings, at least wehave the advantage of smaller, easier-to-handlesails and gear.

Your exposure to heavy weather willdepend on how far out you go. Generallyspeaking, you won’t have the same concernsas a vessel crossing the open ocean. But youcould have to deal with some short-termrough weather if you sail more than an hour orso away from a safe anchorage, and a realduster on the water can be a scary—and evendangerous—experience.

The best way to deal with unpleasantweather is to avoid it if at all possible. An accu-rate, detailed weather forecast is essentialbefore you head out for anything more ambi-tious than a quick day sail in the harbor.Weather reports from television news, whilevaluable, shouldn’t be your only source ofinformation. Up-to-date weather summariesare available through the Internet, VHFweather channels, and dedicated weatherradios. Most marine VHF radios include a num-ber of channels that receive NOAA weatherradio broadcasts. If not, you can buy a dedi-cated weather radio receiver. These broad-casts are automated brief summaries of local

weather conditions, and they are useful tomonitor before a day of sailing. Conditions canchange fast, especially in the summertime, socheck the weather channels frequently.

Of course, a weather forecast can be a farcry from what you actually experience on agiven day, so you’ll need to develop your ownmeteorological sense. Local knowledge ofsummertime weather patterns is gainedthrough experience, observation, and talkingwith other mariners. Commercial fishermenand professional mariners (tow vessel captainsand pilots, for example) spend more time onlocal waters than anyone, and are vast sourcesof knowledge—if you can find them and getthem to talk. Recreational fishermen and othersailors can also be helpful and are easier to find.(Books about weather written specifically forsailors can greatly increase your knowledge; itwill help to read one or two of those as well.)

Some signs that the weather is about tochange are obvious: heavier cloud cover on thehorizon, a sudden shift in wind direction, or adrop in temperature. Other signs are more sub-tle: you hear a lot of static on an AM radio, oryou suddenly notice you’re the only small ves-sel still out sailing while everyone else hasheaded for the dock. Sometimes these changesamount to nothing, but other times they warnof a heavy line squall coming your way.

If you notice signs that the weather isabout to change, what should you do? Prepareyour boat and crew, shorten sail, and consideraltering course for home or sheltered waters ifpossible. What to do first will depend on yoursituation.

CHAPTER TEN

Weather on the Water


ALTERING COURSEIf you’re just out for a day sail and you notice aline of dark clouds on the horizon, considerturning for home, but only if you can make it.Try to imagine what you will do if a big windhits you right in the middle of a tricky dockingor mooring situation, and have plan B readyjust in case. If your marina is tight or yourmooring crowded, it may be better to stand offand wait the weather out, but make sure youhave plenty of room in all directions. Manyboats have come to grief when the wind sud-denly shifted and the slackened anchor rodewrapped around the propeller. If you’re cruis-ing far from home, check the chart for a safespot, preferably with a good anchor-grabbingmud bottom and shelter from the wind and

waves. It’s often difficult to predict whichdirection the wind will come from, so be readyif it changes.

PREPARING YOUR BOAT AND CREWIf it looks like you won’t be able to outrun astorm, you need to make preparations. Talkthings over with your crew, discussing your planof action and your options. Calmly go over theprocedures for “man overboard” and “abandonship.” Don’t overdo it—a panicked crew won’tbe able to help you—but don’t be too casualabout it either. Put on life jackets and harnesses,and go over the rules for use. For example, noone can be on the foredeck without a harnessclipped to a jackline or a solid base. (Never clipa harness to the outer lifelines.) Pump the bilge

Don’t Play Around with Summer StormsOnce I had a boatload of friends on my Catalina, and we were heading for the harbor for an afternoon ofdaysailing. Several had never been on a sailboat before and couldn’t wait to go sailing. The forecast was fora typical Charleston summer day—clear skies and an afternoon sea breeze. With so many friends aboard,finding room to stow everyone’s coolers and food got a little crazy, and I forgot to turn on the VHF to geta last-minute weather update. We’d just cleared the dock when I noticed the clouds building on the hori-zon. I wasn’t immediately concerned, but commented that “we needed to keep an eye on those clouds.”

Within fifteen minutes, it was obvious that rough weather was heading our way, and fast. I broke thebad news that we’d better head back. Everyone was disappointed; a few even questioned whether itreally looked all that bad. But no, I said, I’d rather not take the chance. We put the cover back on the main(which we never even raised) and wheeled around to head toward the marina. Just as a precaution, I casu-ally passed out life jackets and said, “You probably won’t need these, but I would like anyone on deck orin the cockpit to wear one.”

The return trip was faster thanks to a 3-knot tide, but we were clearly being chased. The clouds builtwith amazing speed, and I was presented with a dilemma—should I stand off and wait the storm out ortry to get the boat back into the slip before the storm hit? I decided that since I had two experienced andtrusted line handlers with me, we could try to get the boat into the slip. I talked over the docking plan withthem. We would try it, but turn and run for open water if conditions deteriorated. Heavy, fat drops of rainwere just starting to fall.

We managed to get the boat into the slip and tied up quickly without any mishaps. Everyone wasgathering up their things in the cabin and getting ready for a dash to the parking lot when the real stormhit. The wind went instantly from 15 to perhaps 40 knots, and visibility dropped to about 50 yards. Theboats in the marina were heeling 20 degrees. I remember feeling the mast shake and shudder from thewind. Everyone’s eyes got as big as pancakes. I smiled and said, “I told you so.”

You really don’t want to play around with storms on the water. Be conservative and don’t take unnec-essary risks.

WEATHER ON THE WATER

dry, so you can see if you’re taking on waterlater. Secure all hatches and stow any looseitems below. If you have any young childrenaboard, make sure someone is in firm charge ofthem. Allowing them to help with appropriatejobs can help ease fears, and allowing them ondeck to watch—if things are under control—can be a great learning experience for them.Double-check your position, and give yourselfplenty of sea room if you can.

SHORTENING SAIL (REEFING)Headsails are usually reduced by changing to asmaller one; you can also bring in the headsailaltogether and sail under the mainsail alone ifyour boat will do that. Some boats reportedlyrefuse to sail to windward without some formof headsail. Some boats have a very heavilybuilt jib called a storm jib, though it’s debat-able whether a trailerable sailboat will see con-ditions that warrant its use. A storm jib wasincluded when I bought my boat. It has neverbeen used, as far as I can tell, and I honestlyhope it stays that way!

On most boats, the mainsail can’t bechanged to a storm sail. (On some boats, smallsails called storm trysails can be hoisted in placeof the main, but they are rare aboard trailer sail-ers.) Rather, the lower portion of the sail is gath-ered at the boom and secured there, leaving theupper part of the sail standing. This process ofreducing the exposed area of the main is calledreefing. Although there are other methods, themost common system you will find on trailera-ble sailboats is called slab or jiffy reefing. Linesled through reinforced eyes (called cringles)sewn into the leech and luff are tensioned,pulling the new tack and clew down to the boom(after you’ve eased the halyard, of course). Theremainder of the sail is gathered using shortlines through reef points sewn into the middle ofthe sail. A mainsail can have any number of reefpoints. Two or three are common, though it mayhave more or none at all. You can have a sail-maker add reef points or add them yourself.Sailrite sells a reef-point kit, but you’ll need apowerful sewing machine to install it.

When the wind picks up, reefing the main-sail can make a big difference in the way theboat handles, but the key is to reef before thewind gets too strong. If you wait until a stormhits, it’s much harder to reef the mainsail. Ifyou’re heeling more than 25 degrees, it’s timeto reef. The usual process goes somethinglike this:

1. Ease the main halyard but don’t lower it com-pletely. Marking the halyards with a few turnsof contrasting thread at the correct reefingposition can help determine how much tolower it.

2. Pull down the luff cringle (a metal ring sewninto the sail close to the mast) and secure itwith either a line and cleat or a reefing hook—an upside down hook mounted near the goose-neck at the boom.

3. Pull down the leech cringle and secure it. Thisis usually done with a line that’s secured to theboom at one end, passes up through the leechcringle, then back to a cheek block in the boomwhere the line is led forward and secured. Thecheek block should be a little aft of the leechcringle so the foot of the sail will be properlytensioned.

4. Gather the rest of the sail using short linesthrough the reef points and secure them alongthe boom. (Remember how to tie a reef knot?)There should be relatively little stress on thereef points; most of the load is carried by theleech and luff cringles.

There is no reason why a headsail can’t bereefed in a similar fashion, with reef points andextra cringles, but this is usually done by cruis-ing sailors who don’t have room to carrydozens of bags of sails. It’s an option, though,and reef points are usually cheaper than a sec-ond headsail.

If you’ve waited too long to reef and thewind is blowing strong, reefing is more diffi-cult, but it will be somewhat easier if youheave to before you reef. The mainsail willbe somewhat blanketed by the jib, and theboat will be a little steadier than if she wereunderway.

147


LIGHTNINGBeing struck by lightning is rare, but it is a realrisk to a sailboat. If you are caught in an elec-trical storm, avoid the shrouds and stays—lightning sometimes runs down them to get tothe water.

There is no clear consensus about lightningprotection. The American Boat and YachtCouncil (ABYC) has updated its lightning pro-tection standards. It’s been said that poorlydone lightning protection systems can actuallyincrease a boat’s chances of being hit. Providinga good, straight-line path from the mast to thewater is the basis of most lightning protectionsystems. You need at least a square foot of metalbelow the water to ground lightning. If you havean external metal keel, a #4 cable wired to thenearest keel bolt provides a ground path, andextra protection can be provided by adding #6cables from the chainplate to the metal keel. Apointed copper lightning rod at the masthead isrecommended. More information on lightningprotection can be found on the Internet and inthe books listed in the Bibliography.

SAILING DOWNWINDIN STRONG WINDSIf you are heading downwind in a storm, bevery careful of an accidental jibe. The windcan shift at any moment, and when it’s strong,it can bring the boom around in the blink of aneye and with great force. (See the sidebar“Accidental Jibe” in Chapter 8 for safety tips.)Running downwind before large waves can bedangerous because of broaching. In a broach,the stern is lifted by the following seas and thebow goes down. The boat’s balance shifts asmore of the forward part of the hull isimmersed in the water. The boat suddenlywants to turn upwind, and you’ll feel a largeincrease in weather helm. The boat will try toturn sideways, presenting the beam to thewaves, which could knock down or even cap-size the boat. Anticipate this tendency andhead off slightly as the stern lifts; try to slowthe boat down by reducing sail or draggingsomething off the stern. A broach, an accidental

Sailing with the TidesIf you live near the ocean, you’ll quickly become familiarwith the tides and the tidal current. In most areas they havea big impact on sailing and how long it takes to get frompoint to point. In the areas around Charleston, SouthCarolina, where I used to live, the tidal range was around6 feet—enough to cause a hefty current to run through therivers and sounds twice a day. If I neglected to check thetides before planning a sailing trip, and the tidal current wasagainst us (called a foul tide), the result was about an extrahour of motoring against the current to get to the harbor.

General tide predictions can be found in the news-paper, but tides vary locally. Detailed tide tables are avail-able on the Internet at http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/,and NOAA printed tide tables are still available for around$14. Also, Nobeltec publishes tide-prediction software forU.S. and worldwide regions.

The times of high and low tide are only part of thestory. A tidal current chart can tell you the direction andspeed of the tidal current. The speed of the current cantypically run around 4 to 5 knots, and since the top speedof a trailerable sailboat might be around 6 knots, theimportance is obvious. Ignore the tides and you mightbecome the captain of the proverbial slow boat to China.

The tides also affect the charted depth of the water,of course, but most importantly, what happens after-ward. Running aground on a rising tide is less dire a situ-ation than doing so on a falling tide. Should you be sounfortunate as to run aground at the peak of the springtide, when the moon and sun are aligned—both influenc-ing the height of the tide—you might be stuck there formonths. When I sail a fixed-keel boat during a falling tide,I’m very watchful of the depth sounder, and I check thechart frequently.

Tides can also have a big impact at the ramp. A strongcrosscurrent can make launching and retrieving your boatdifficult if not impossible at certain times of the day, thoughmost ramps are located in areas with minimal tidal influence.Local knowledge helps; if possible, stop by the rampwithout your boat to check the conditions. (You cansometimes find clues in the parking lot. If one ramp has anempty lot, another only a few powerboat trailers, andyet another is filled with trailers for sailboats and power-boats, that third ramp just might have better conditions.Or there might be a fishing tournament or race going on.)

http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/

WEATHER ON THE WATER

jibe, and a knockdown all at once could dam-age or sink a boat, so be careful.

Two old mariner’s sayings I found in JohnRousmaniere’s Annapolis Book of Seamanship

bear repeating:

When the wind before the rain, let your topsailsdraw again (the blow may be fierce, but

short-lived)

When the rain before the wind, topsail sheetsand halyards mind (the rain is the result of

an approaching front, and the blow may

last a few days)

And this one:

The sharper the blastThe sooner it’s past.

149

People sailed for a very long time usingmore or less the same techniques to fig-ure out where they were going. Then

things went modern, first with the Chinese andtheir newfangled compass in 1117. When JohnHarrison developed the H4 chronometer in1761, and sailors could finally determine theirlongitude aboard ships, we entered a veritableage of reason in the sailing world.

The idea that you can now switch on aGPS, push a button, and see your position plot-ted on a chart is almost unbelievable. Not toomany years ago, this trick would have gottenyou burned as a witch.

GPS is a wonderful tool, but you can stillget burned if you rely on it too much. More onthat in a moment. First, though, let’s considersome of the techniques that have been used forthe two millennia or so before push-buttonfixes.

NAVIGATION TOOLSThe fact is that the basic old techniques work.Navigating a boat with a compass, chart, youreyes, a watch, the boat’s log, and a pencil isn’tthat difficult or tricky. (The logbook is the offi-cial written record of the boat’s daily progress,which traditionally contains all the importanthappenings onboard: weather, navigation data,watch keepers’ names, sightings, and otherinformation deemed important to the master.)You can get a pretty good idea of where you areon the water using just your eyes, though thistakes practice. And as long as you have a chart(and can read it), you can get a good idea ofwhere you don’t want to be. There’s a saying

that goes something like this: “A superior skip-per is best defined as one who uses superiorknowledge and judgment to keep out of situa-tions requiring superior skills.”

Nautical ChartsThe first navigational tool that all sailors shouldbuy is a chart of the area they’ll be sailing. Achart that’s printed on paper, that is. Electronicversions of charts are widely available now, butthey aren’t the same. You can print out yourown charts at home for some areas, but they’llbe very small, and, if printed on an inkjetprinter, the ink will run if they get wet, so it’sbest to use a laser printer for this job. MostNOAA-approved chart agencies print currentcharts using a special chart-on-demand service.Charts are printed as required by the customeron water-resistant paper. Plan on paying about$20 each. One big advantage of these newcharts is that they can be printed withoutLORAN (long-range navigation) grids, whichare rarely used anymore.

A good deal of the information on a chart isself-explanatory; for the rest, refer to NOAA’sChart No. 1, which defines all the terms, col-ors, and symbols used. The bound version isabout $10, and a CD version (together with allnine Coast Pilots) can be purchased for $5.

One of the problems with marine charts istheir size. Storing them flat is best, of course,but that works only for something the size of anavy ship—no trailer sailer will have the spaceto store full-size printed charts flat. Probablythe best solution is to fold the charts into quar-ters, and unfold them as needed. You can do

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CHAPTER ELEVEN

Navigation and Piloting

150

NAVIGATION AND PILOTING

your navigating at the dinette table, if you haveone. My boat is too small even for this, so mysolution is an inexpensive, oversized clipboard(available from art stores in several sizes).

Of particular interest on the chart is thecompass rose, usually located in the corners ofthe chart. The outer ring shows true north, andthe inner ring shows the variation calculatedfor magnetic north. The variation changes overthe years, so if you’re using an old chart (notrecommended, but better than nothing), youmight check the inner ring of the compass roseto see how close it is. (A magnetic variationcalculator is available at www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/geomag/declination.shtml.) If the amountof variation calculated versus the amountshown on your chart is slight, you can proba-bly use the printed magnetic compass rose.

It’s difficult to take a bearing from the deckof a moving, pitching sailboat without at leasta degree or two of error. In fact, it’s a goodhabit to consider all your “fixes” as approxi-mate. Look for danger spots near your fix, likerocks or shoals. There shouldn’t be any.Always leave plenty of room for mistakes andmisjudgments when navigating and pilotingyour boat.

Print ResourcesBesides charts, there are other resources pub-lished by the U.S. Coast Guard that are essentialfor safe navigation of your boat. These includethe Coast Pilots, Local Notices to Mariners,Light Lists, and tide tables. Government-printedversions were traditionally available for salethrough NOAA chart agents like Bluewater

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A sketch board used to hold a navigational chart.

www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/geomag/declination.shtml

www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/geomag/declination.shtml

MORE SAILING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Books and Charts and Landfall Navigation, butthe U.S. government has ceased printing mostof these publications.

For the trailer sailor, it turns out that this isa good thing, as long as you have access to theInternet and a printer. Free versions of theLocal Notice to Mariners, Light List, Coast

Pilot, and other government publications areavailable for download to your PC. You canthen print out only the sections that cover theareas that you sail, saving money, weight, andtrees. But what are these publications, andwhy should you have them on board?

The Coast Pilot is a publication contain-ing up-to-date details about navigating thewaters in a given area. It contains details thataren’t easily gleaned from a chart, such assailing routes, tide ranges, areas of difficultnavigation, harbor entrances (some with pho-tographs), repair facilities, and marina loca-tions. Some of the information is geared towardcommercial vessels, so you can skip thosepages, but it’s all useful to the small-boatmariner.

The national Notice to Mariners and theregional Local Notice to Mariners containimportant corrections and changes to the infor-mation found on the chart since it was pub-lished. This includes chart discrepancies likeextinguished lights, missing buoys, and shiftingsandbars. Issues of the Local Notice to Marinerswere formerly available by subscription in themail, but now they are published only in digitalform and delivered via the Internet.

The Light List is a written description of allaids to navigation—not just lights but buoys,daymarks, radio beacons, and so forth. The listsupplements the printed chart and givesremarks about an aid’s characteristics, such asvisibility, height, and range.

Print resources such as these are useful tothe trailer sailor because, when it comes tonavigation, forewarned is forearmed. Printresources still work when the batteries godead or a connection gets damp. And havingthese resources aboard and using them showsthat you are taking your responsibility as cap-tain seriously.

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The compass rose shows true north and the magnetic variation for the chart’s printed area.


Binoculars A compass is useful for determining your ves-sel’s heading, of course, and that’s about all youcan expect of it if you’re out of sight of land ormarks. A pair of binoculars can increase yourrange of vision dramatically, allowing you toidentify marks that would otherwise be invisi-ble. A good pair of binoculars is an importantnavigational tool.

But how good do the binoculars need to be?It depends on your sailing area and the type ofsailing you do, as well as your own preferenceand finances. If you go onto eBay and type in“marine binoculars,” you’ll find dozens. Andmarine catalogs show everything from basiccompact binoculars to models with a built-incompass, digital image stabilizer, nightscope,and even a laser range finder/speed detector!Prices range from around $75 to $1,300.

Any pair of binoculars is better than noth-ing. Usually, more expensive pairs work betterthan cheap ones. For boat use, waterproof,nitrogen-filled binoculars are nice because theywon’t cloud up from humidity and condensa-tion, though I’ve had a pair of inexpensivenonwaterproof binoculars on the boat for a

while now and they haven’t clouded up. Bewareof buying used binoculars, since you cannotknow if they have been dropped—somethingbinoculars do not like. If the prisms getknocked out of alignment, the binoculars mustbe sent back to the factory for repair. If youwant to buy a used pair online, be sure to askthe seller if they’ve ever been dropped. The lenscoating should look intact, the image shouldfocus 100 percent sharp, and the binocularsshould show no indication of rough treatment.

With binoculars, higher price doesn’talways equal higher performance. Binocularsare rated with two numbers—for example,8 × 24. The first number means magnification;the second number means lens diameter.Often, the second number is most importantwhen deciding between two similarly pricedbinoculars. A larger number means more light-gathering ability, which can equal a brighterimage, but other factors such as the type ofglass and the lens coatings play a big role aswell. I recommend trying a cheap discount pairfor your first few sails, and then upgrading to abetter pair. Hopefully you can find a chandlerywith several display models that you can lookthrough before buying them. A pair of binocu-lars with a built-in compass is extremely handyfor sighting bearings, and I’ve heard goodthings about West Marine’s compass models.

Chartplotting ToolsA few other low-tech devices are useful whennavigating with a chart and compass. A pair ofdividers with two points is handy for takingmeasurements and walking off distances.Dividers are easy to find at office supply stores.(These rarely wear out; I still use a fine pair thatmy father owned—patent date 1903.) With a setof parallel rules, you can walk a bearing linefrom the compass rose to your observed markand draw a line of position (LOP) on your chart.(If the rules are at all wiggly, though, don’t usethem, since the error can magnify itself witheach step that it is walked across the chart.) Anew type of parallel rule called a GPS plotterexpands and contracts in a perpendicular line.

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A pair of binoculars. This is a very low-end pairof 7 x 21s that will cause no heartache if they’redropped overboard, broken, or stolen.


It’s expensive, but some navigators swear by it.You can get other nifty devices, such as rollingplotters and protractors. Some sailors likethem; others find them unnecessary. Generally,the farther you sail, the more you’ll find themuseful. Consider the type of sailing you dobefore you buy a host of navigation tools.

MEASURING TIMESome way of accurately measuring time isimportant for correct speed and distance cal-culations. For celestial navigation, accuratetime is critical. Until recently, this required achronometer that could compensate for errors

such as drift, and a shortwave radio to getaccurate time broadcasts from radio stationWWV. But nowadays most digital watches areinexpensive and quite accurate. My TimexChronograph is waterproof, includes a stop-watch, and cost $45 on sale. It’s fine for basicspeed and distance work, though the tiny dialsare sometimes hard to read. A digital chrono-graph would be a fine choice. A stopwatch isnice for measuring time from point to point.

PLOTTING A FIXIn a nutshell, navigating your boat is a simpleprocess. You note your starting point on thechart, with a starting time, and lightly draw aline noting your compass direction and speed.Some sailors use tracing paper over their chartto avoid marking it. Then at regular intervalsyou update your position on the chart. If yourspeed is 2 knots and you’re sailing the samecourse (no tacking), after an hour you measure2 nautical miles along your course line andnote your estimated position along that line,along with the time. Then you correct that esti-mate using whatever data is available.

The best data will probably be fixed land-marks, if you can see any. A radio tower, anisland in the distance, or a headland that youcan identify are ideal. Take a bearing with yourhand bearing compass and draw it on the chart.Two or three bearings are better than one.

When you draw these bearings, the usualresult is a triangle. Your “fix” is somewherewithin the triangle. If your angles are good andyour observations accurate, the triangle will besmall. One thing I can almost guarantee is thatyour course line will not go through the centerof your triangle. All sailboats make leeway.Remember, leeway is a sideways motion as thesailboat is pushed by the wind. Current, seastate, and variations in speed will push yourboat off your original course line. It is a goodidea to take bearings often, especially if you areapproaching any sort of shoal water or hazard.

Bearing lines shot from a buoy are alwayssuspect. Buoys are often moved, renumbered,and subject to drift. Some can be pulled nearly

154

A pair of dividers, left, and a draftsman’s com-pass, right. Many of the better drafting setshave interchangeable points, so a compass canbe used as a divider. The compass in this photois an inexpensive find that didn’t come withextra points. On a boat, you want a dedicated,full-time divider rather than having to switch outthe points. A compass is handy, but, if forced tochoose, I’d opt for the dividers.

NAVIGATION AND PILOTING 155

A Logarithmic Scale for Speed/Distance/TimeAt the margin of most large-scale harbor charts, you’ll find a logarithmic scale that can be used to calculatespeed, distance, and time relationships. The instructions on the chart are pretty simple—for example, todetermine your speed, simply place one point of your dividers on the distance run, and the other point onthe time it took to run it. Then move the divider point to 60, and the other point will line up with your speedin knots. For example, let’s say you’ve gone 2 nautical miles in 25 minutes. Moving the dividers (withoutchanging the spread, of course) to 60 shows that you’re going pretty fast, about 4.8 knots.

You can also work the other way to estimate your distance traveled if you know your speed. Here’san example: suppose you’re traveling at a steady 4 knots. To set your divider, place one point on 60 andthe other on 4. Now you can move the divider to the time, and the other point will show the distanceyou’ll go. Placing one point on 15, you’ll notice the other point lines up with 1. So in the next 15 minutes,you’ll cover 1 nautical mile.

A logarithmic scale that appears on nautical charts.

If you don’t have a chart, you can try use this scale to determine your speed using your dividers.You can copy this and place it in your logbook.


under the surface by a strong current. Changesin buoy position are published in the LocalNotice to Mariners, and you should update yourchart when you read of a buoy change. (You canread the Local Notice to Mariners on the web atwww.navcen.uscg.gov/LNM/default.htm.) Douse buoys, but don’t treat their position asgospel.

But what if you are out to sea with no fixedlandmarks—nothing to take a compass bear-ing on? Nothing but lots and lots of water?Well, you do basically the same thing. Noteyour course, time, and speed. If you know thedirection and speed of the current, you canincrease your accuracy by correcting your esti-mated position for current. Current data ispublished in the Coast Pilot for nine differentregions. Print versions are for sale at mostchart agents; the downloads are free.

What you’re doing is making an educatedguess about your position. Called deadreckoning, or DR, it’s your best guess aboutwhere you are on the water. You can never reallyknow where you are until you can make a mini-mum of two observations of fixed landmarks. Ifyou sail past a buoy, you can note that as a proba-ble fix. Even a navigation mark that’s poundedinto the bottom of the channel could be moved,though they’re moved less frequently than buoys.Oh, by the way, it isn’t called “dead” reckoningbecause most of the navigators who practice itmeet a watery end. The dead or, more correctly,ded, stands for “deduced.” It’s still a guess, thoughif you’re careful it can be a pretty good guess.

DANGER BEARINGSAnother useful idea for the navigator is the con-cept of danger bearings. Very often your sailing

156

N

NMT 055°

NLT 120°

danger bearing

danger bearing

105° (bearing ok)

065° (bearing ok)

radio tower

fishing pier

Danger bearings. Rather than telling you where you are, danger bearings tell you where you don’twant to be. In this hypothetical example, we avoid submerged shoals if our bearing between theradio tower and the offshore rocks is no more than 055 degrees, and our bearing between the samerocks and the fishing pier is no less than 120 degrees.

www.navcen.uscg.gov/LNM/default.htm


area will consist of a good-sized body of reason-ably deep water, but there are always a few prob-lem spots—a sandbar, for example, or a shoalbank that extends out in the water. Depending onwhere you sail, the worst offenders might bemarked with a buoy or channel marker, but notall hazards can be marked. Naturally, these arespots you want to stay away from. You can usedanger bearings to do just that.

First, identify the limit of safe water on thechart. Then find a prominent landmark nearbyand draw a line. On one side of this line liesthe danger—shoal, rocks, whatever—and onthe other side lies safe water. This line islabeled danger bearing—in our example at left,NMT (no more than) 55 degrees M (magnetic)or NLT (no less than) 120 degrees M, depending,of course, on which side the danger lies.

CAN WE TURN ON THE GPS NOW?All this discussion about dead reckoning,bearings, and fixes begs the question, why notjust turn on the GPS and know where you are.Yes, you should use a GPS, but only after youcan navigate the hard way. As mentionedbefore, don’t rely on GPS as your only meansof navigating your boat. This should beobvious—the story of the sailor who goes outwith his push-button wonder, finds the batteryhas expired, gets hopelessly lost, and has tocall the Coast Guard to rescue him is the stuffof urban legend.

There are many accounts of good, experi-enced sailors who damaged or lost their boatsbecause of overreliance on GPS. Anything canhappen. Batteries can die, and electronicsdon’t like water. A lightning strike can wipe outall of your electronics—remember that bigmetal mast sticking out of the middle of theboat? It happened to one boat, and they werecarrying no paper backups for charts. Manycharts have not been verified or corrected withGPS coordinates; electronic charts can beincorrect; hazards can be out of position com-pared to GPS; some marine television anten-nas can screw up your reception—a wholehost of problems can exist.

Because GPS units are so incredibly accu-rate most of the time, people have come torely on them all of the time, and that’s a dan-gerous mistake. They are just another tool—areally good one, but not so good that youshould toss all your other tools overboard.People have tried to enter unfamiliar ports atnight (which should never be attempted inthe first place) using only GPS coordinatesand lost their boats. They ignored the cardinalrule—never enter an unfamiliar port at

night. Another notable example occurred inthe Bahamas, when a large powerboat hadprogrammed a waypoint for the NorthwestChannel into a GPS. The skipper turned theboat over to the mate and took a nap. Theboat ran directly into the channel light, whichcrashed onto the deck along with some of thetower. They took the whole thing with themon to Nassau.

Cautionary tales aside, there is no doubtthat, on the whole, GPS units have made boatnavigation safer. In the 1970s Jimmy Cornell,author of several books for sailors, includingWorld Cruising Routes, did a casual survey ofcruising sailors about losses and came up withfifty lost boats, which were mostly attributableto errors in navigation. In 2004, he did thesame survey and came up with less than aquarter of that number.

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Although this older Garmin eTrex GPS has lots of func-tions and abilities, including basic maps, more expensiveunits can show your position on an electronic marinechart. GPS units seem to get more capable and a littleless expensive every year.


difficult to judge and lights become confusing.Nighttime sailing is best done in the openocean, clear of hazards and shipping. Your DRplot becomes critical, as fixes are few and farbetween. Having others on board to relievethe on-deck watch after three to four hours isa great asset.

Nighttime is not the trailer sailer’s best ele-ment. These boats are generally small anddon’t have room for a large crew. Most of theseboats aren’t designed for open-ocean passage-making, though in some situations they couldmanage. For example, a large, well-found trail-erable might want to set out for the BahamasBank around midnight in settled weather, mak-ing landfall during daylight hours.

If you’re going to sail at night, you have tolearn the various navigation light combinationsand what they mean. There are free programsyou can download to learn these, and otherstudy aids like flash cards might help. Weems &Plath makes a nifty little slide rule type ofdevice called a LIGHTrule, which shows lightcombinations from both sides along with theirdefinitions. It would be really useful if it hadbuilt-in LED lighting so you could use it in adark cockpit. If you can’t remember anythingabout the various light combinations, remem-ber this: stay away from anything with a wholebunch of navigation lights. Bigger boats, boatswith nets out, barges, and towboats will usuallyshow more lights than a simple red or green atthe bow, white at the stern, and a white steam-ing light. Stay clear of ferry channels and com-mercial shipping lanes at night.

A few tricks are helpful for night sailing incertain situations. If the night is clear andyou’re sailing a parallel course along a reason-ably straight beach, you can use basic observa-tion to judge your distance offshore. From thedeck of a typical small sailboat, the beach willbe under your horizon at a distance of about41/2 miles. If you can just make out the beach,then you should be 31/2 to 4 miles out. If youcan make out the light from individual win-dows in houses, then you’re about 2 miles out.Again, this is assuming good visibility, and

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What Is GPS?By now, most folks are familiar with GPS, which stands forGlobal Positioning System. The system consists oftwenty-one satellites (with three spares) that transmitradio signals to dedicated receivers. GPS receivers aresmall handheld computers that calculate the distance tothe satellites. By comparing the distances to three satel-lites, it can derive position information. Usually, five satel-lites are in range at any given time, so the system workswith amazing accuracy. Differential GPS (DGPS) systemsinclude additional radio information from fixed, land-based radio towers. By referencing this extra signal, thesystem can be even more accurate.

A basic handheld GPS like the Garmin eTrex can befound for as low as $100, and there are several modelsunder $300. If you add fancy features like built-in digitalcharting, the price goes up quickly, and it’s easy to spend$1,000 or more. But while these more expensive systemsare certainly powerful navigation tools, they aren’t anymore accurate at finding a position than the basic units are.

A GPS that includes mapping features, on the otherhand, is extremely useful. I purchased a Garmin eTrex forunder $100, a black-and-white-display unit that was dis-continued (all the new GPS units have color displays). TheeTrex can give me a fix with the push of a button, as wellas speed over the ground, actual distance traveled, andlots of other data. But the mapping feature is crude. If Iwere to do any serious cruising, a unit that includes chartswould be worth having. Being able to see your locationsuperimposed over an electronic chart would be a bigadvantage—especially on a trailer sailer, where the roomto spread out a chart is hard to find.

It’s difficult to fight the allure of simple, push-buttonnavigation, and a working GPS does make your shipsafer. But don’t forget to use your eyes, ears, and all theinformation at your disposal. Use the GPS to confirmyour position, but don’t let flipping a switch be your onlynavigational skill.

SAILING AT NIGHTNighttime sailing is an entirely different world.More risk is involved than in daytime sailing.Even the most familiar sailing groundsbecome disorienting at night. Distances are


you’ve kept your annual appointment withyour optometrist.

Navigation lights can sometimes be tough topick out amid a confusion of rampant beach-front overdevelopment, but the distance fromwhich you can see a navigation light usuallydepends on two factors: visibility and height offthe water. (And whether or not the light is actu-ally working—that makes three factors.) Lightsin the United States are more reliable than in,say, the Bahamas, but they can go out anytime.Problem lights are listed in the Notice toMariners. In good visibility, you can usually see alighted buoy 1 to 2 miles out, though if you lookon your chart, you’ll see a description like this:Hen and Chickens Fl R 2.5sec 35ft 5M 40. (Seethe accompanying chart.) Fl R means a flashingred light. “Flashing” means the light is on briefly,then goes dark—in this case for 2.5 seconds. Thenext number means the light’s height above thewater in feet. If you want to use a range finder todetermine how far off you are, don’t forget thetide—the light’s height is listed at mean highwater, which means the average of all high tides.The 5M means the light’s nominal range is5 miles in good visibility. The “40” is the number

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Hens and Chickens on the chart.

Hens and Chickens light tower. (Eric S. Martin)


depth-sounder data to check your positionusing bottom contours; if your estimated posi-tion lies in 30 feet of water and the depthsounder shows 60 feet, something’s wrong. If itshows 12 feet, something is really wrong, andit’s time to stop the boat and figure it out. Makesure you’re using an up-to-date, correctedchart and you’ve checked the Notice toMariners, the Light List, and the Coast Pilot foryour area. Everyone on deck should wear a lifejacket and harness at all times and have a per-sonal strobe light and a compressed-air horn.Going overboard is always serious, but goingoverboard at night can easily be deadly.

Naturally, nighttime sailing isn’t for begin-ners. It’s a much bigger deal than a casualafternoon ’round the buoys. Remember thecardinal rule of sailing after dark—never enter

an unfamiliar port at night. I don’t care howtired you are. Heave to and wait until daylight.

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painted on the mark—often a dayglow orangetriangle.

All these definitions can be found in NOAAChart No. 1, Symbols, Abbreviations, and Terms.If you don’t already have a copy, you’ll certainlyneed one before making a nighttime passage.

When sailing at night, a masthead tricolorlight will use less current than separate port,starboard, and stern lights, allowing you to golonger without running the engine. You’ll needplenty of battery power as well as alternativemethods of charging the battery unless you’resailing from marina to marina.

Use every navigational tool you can getyour hands on when sailing at night. Thisincludes the GPS, but I repeat—don’t treat itsreadings as gospel. (Don’t believe me? Turn iton at the dock. It isn’t unusual for a GPS toshow your position as somewhere in the park-ing lot.) Borrow a second GPS if possible. Use

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Sailing is a safe activity compared to mostother watersports. It’s quite possible thatyou’ll never have to deal with an emer-

gency situation aboard. But anything can hap-pen, and aboard a sailboat, help is not oftenminutes away. It’s more commonly hoursaway. You’ll have to either get yourself out of ajam or hold down the fort until help arrives.

An emergency can be anything that poses arisk to the vessel, its crew, and the peoplenearby, so the short version of this chaptercould read, “Be ready for anything.” Andremember, the captain can be injured—or falloverboard—as easily as the crew. Can theremaining crew get the sails down, the motorcranked up, and then navigate to the nearestsource of aid? Do they know the radio proce-dures to call for help? If anybody answers, canthey tell them their position?

In most cases, adrenaline is great stuff. Itgave us the quick burst of strength thatenabled us to outrun saber-toothed tigers. Butan emergency on a sailboat, while just asadrenaline producing, isn’t a fight-or-flight situ-ation. Panic might help you outrun a tiger, butit almost never helps in an onboard emer-gency. Stay calm! Do not yell unless peoplecan’t hear you or aren’t taking you seriously. Ahead wound produces lots of blood, and it’simportant to protect the victim from shock.Screaming for the first-aid kit and yelling intothe VHF that you’ve never seen so much bloodwon’t help your patient relax. You can throwup later—in this situation, you need to be theessence of calm. The captain should always bein control, and that starts with self-control.

Some situations require fast action. It’s possi-ble to be quick without panicking.

The key to staying calm is mental prepara-tion. If you lack knowledge in a certain area,do some reading or Internet research.Continuing education programs often offergood first-aid classes, and sometimes these arespecifically targeted to recreational boatersand sailors. Successful completion of one ormore of these courses would be invaluable. Ifyou wait for the emergency to come to you, it’llbe too late to learn what you should do. Themost common emergencies aboard a sailboatinclude a medical emergency, a risk to theboat, or a person overboard.

MEDICAL EMERGENCIESThere are many potential medical emergenciesthat you should be prepared for, and properpreparation must include a good first-aid manual.Written by qualified doctors and experiencedsailors, a first-aid manual is invaluable—both forstudy beforehand and for reference during amedical emergency. It should be an importantpart of your first-aid kit. Your level of prepared-ness can be adjusted to reflect the sailing you willdo. Most manuals aren’t written strictly for day-sailing and therefore assume that treatment maybe days away, as some cruisers will venture longdistances into countries with minimal medicaltreatment facilities. Since trailer sailers willrarely be so far from medical care, you shouldn’tneed to stock heavy antibiotics.

So, what are the more common medicalemergencies aboard sailboats? Dr. AndrewNathanson, assistant professor of emergency

CHAPTER T WELVE

Emergencies


medicine at Brown University, collects data onsailing injuries. In an article for Lifespan.orgtitled “Sailing Injuries,” Dr. Nathanson and Dr.Glenn Hebel say that some of the most seriousaccidents are being swept overboard and beinghit by the boom. Head injuries caused by theboom are listed as the second leading cause ofdeath aboard sailboats. Other common injuriesresult from falling down open hatches, trippingover lines and cleats, and catching fingers andhands in winches and cleats.

Warn your crew about these dangers andread the sections in your first-aid manual cov-ering head trauma, lacerations, broken bones,and hypothermia/drowning. The law requiresthat an accident victim give consent before anyfirst aid is applied. If there is an accidentaboard your boat and the victim is conscious,ask if you can proceed. And administer first aidonly if you know what you are doing. If not,your only recourse is to call 911 on your cellphone or call the Coast Guard on Channel 16on your VHF.

Other medical emergencies that are less lifethreatening can sometimes be treated aboard.Jellyfish stings, for example, can be treated witha sprinkling of meat tenderizer, which neutral-izes the neurotoxin. Seasickness is very com-mon and often responds well to Dramamine orBonine tablets, scopolamine patches, or motion-sickness wristbands. Bonine or Dramamine canmake you really sleepy, though. Heat exhaustioncan happen while sailing, especially if accompa-nied by dehydration. Victims should not be givenalcohol, but moved to the shade and cooled asrapidly as possible.

Carbon Monoxide PoisoningCarbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is called thesilent killer because it has no odor and nocolor. You can’t see, smell, or taste it. It makesyou feel drowsy, and if you go to sleep, youdon’t wake up. There’s even some evidencethat CO exposure can lead to delayed heartproblems because of muscle tissue damage.

CO poisoning on boats is rare, but it doeshappen. Early propane water heaters were

found to be a culprit. Anytime you use an ovenor a heater in the tight confines of a cabin, youare at risk. If you ever feel oddly dizzy or sud-denly sleepy in the cabin, get fresh air immedi-ately. Be sure you have plenty of cabinventilation. If you sail in winter, a CO monitorfor the cabin is a must. (See “Optional Equiment”in Chapter 5 for suggestions regarding COdetectors and ventilation.)

CREW OVERBOARDCrew overboard is a serious situation, but itcan largely be prevented by good sailing habitsand a high level of preparation, including wear-ing a life jacket. Life jacket users are two tofour times more likely to survive a fall over-board. Boats with lifelines and bow pulpitstend to keep their sailors on board, thoughthere are many cases of sailors being sweptunder the lifelines and overboard. Wearing aharness on the foredeck and in rough weatheralso reduces crew-overboard cases.

Practicing crew-overboard drills in vari-ous conditions also helps. One of the bestcrew-overboard articles I’ve read is JohnRousmaniere’s 2005 Crew Overboard RescueSymposium Final Report, where four hundredtests were conducted over a four-day periodusing fifteen boats, forty different pieces ofrescue gear, and numerous recovery tech-niques. (The full text can be downloadedat http://www.boatus.com/foundation/findings/COBfinalreport/).

When a person falls overboard, there arefour actions that are critical to his/her survival:

1. Get flotation to the person in the water andmaintain visual contact at all times.

2. Change course quickly to get the boat back tothe victim.

3. Connect the victim to the boat by tossing a line.4. Get the victim back on board the boat.

Your crew-overboard plan has to allow forall of these things to happen quickly and with aminimum of confusion, even though the condi-tions may be chaotic. Let’s go through a recov-ery plan step-by-step.

http://www.boatus.com/foundation/findings/COBfinalreport/

http://www.boatus.com/foundation/findings/COBfinalreport/

EMERGENCIES

Flotation and Visual ContactYou’ve got to see the person in the water, anda dark, wet head can disappear among thewaves quickly, even during the daytime. Astrobe light, personal Freon horn, whistle, andsignal mirror can all help locate someone inthe water if he or she is conscious and able tooperate these devices and you’ve attached him orher to a PFD (see “USCG-Required Equipment”in Chapter 5).

If others are aboard, assign one crewmem-ber to keep the victim in sight. Get flotation tothe person immediately, as well as any addi-tional man-overboard gear you have ready,such as a man-overboard (MOB) pole or aLifesling.

Altering Course to Returnto the VictimSeveral methods can be used to return to thelocation of a person who has fallen overboard.One is called a quickstop. As soon as a persongoes over, head the boat straight into the windand sheet everything in. Get the jib down andsail in a circle around the person in the water,coming to a stop just upwind of him or her.This is the maneuver used when recovering acrew overboard using the Lifesling.

Another method of returning to the loca-tion of a person who has fallen overboard iscalled a fast return. If you’re sailing upwind,bear off the wind (see art page 164). After twoand a half boat lengths, point the boat into thewind, letting the sails luff. Let the bow of theboat fall back toward the person in the water.

There are other crew-overboard recoverymaneuvers, such as the figure eight or the deepbeam reach, but the quickstop and fast returnare probably more useful aboard smallertrailer sailers. Improvisation is certainly allowed,and different boats will have different successrates depending on the circumstances.

Of all the recovery maneuvers tried at the2005 Crew Overboard Rescue Symposium,stopping the boat to windward at the end ofthe recovery maneuver was almost unani-mously preferred. A boat will drift faster than a

person in the water. In rough weather there isa risk that the boat could drift over the victim.The boat should be sailed as slowly as possiblewhen approaching the victim, but not soslowly that the boat loses steerageway.

Connecting the Victim to the BoatNever count on swimming ability during acrew-overboard emergency. When wearingclothes, even expert swimmers cannot swim

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wind

1

7

6

3

24

man overboard

drop jibon downwind

bow

4 throw line

original tackcircleand recover

The quickstop recovery maneuver might be thought of assailing a circle around the victim. Throw a float to thevictim immediately, and then tack. Drop the jib on thedownwind leg if you have the crew, then jibe andapproach the victim, letting the sails luff as you throw aline. If the water is clear of lines, you can always start theengine and use it to aid your recovery, since stopping asailboat in any sort of wind or tide is harder than it looks.


very far without becoming dangerously tired.It’s better to bring the boat close to the victimand connect to the person with a line. When todeploy the line depends on the maneuver—aquickstop maneuver deploys the line rightaway, and then the circular path of the boatbrings the line to the person in the water. In thefast return, the boat is brought back to the vic-tim and a line is tossed. Naturally, a floating

line such as polypropylene should be used, butthese deteriorate in sunlight and should berenewed annually or stored in a bag.

Five different commercial throwing linesof various prices were tested during the CrewOverboard Rescue Symposium, and all workedwell. (A popular example is the Lifesling.)

Getting the Victim Back On BoardRecovering a person who has fallen overboardcan be especially difficult. There are severaltragic stories about people who have fallenoverboard and, unable to scale the smoothside of the hull, drowned while still connectedto the boat. You have to have a plan for liftingthe victim that final 5 feet or so up to the deck.

If the victim is conscious, the job is mucheasier. You can trail a loop of large line into thewater, one end tied to a stanchion andthe other led to a winch. The victim stands onthe looped line and is lifted up to deck level bycranking on the winch. This method requiressome upper body strength, though.

In terms of a commercial system, theLifesling, which includes provisions for liftingthe victim into the boat, has a long record ofsuccess. If the victim is unconscious, then asecond crew, tethered to the boat, must jumpinto the water to place the Lifesling over thevictim. In another method, called a parbuckle,a triangular-shaped piece of cloth is attachedto the rail of the boat at two corners, and thethird corner is lifted with a tackle. This systemalso has the potential to help with an uncon-scious victim.

Swim Platforms and Boarding LaddersMost of the time a swim platform is a recre-ational accessory, but it becomes much morethan that when someone has fallen overboard.Newer and often larger boats feature a reversetransom or a “sugar scoop” stern, where thetransom itself is inset a little from the sides ofthe hull. This makes a convenient area, justabove the water level, for entering and leavingthe water for a swim or, more importantly inthis case, recovering an overboard victim.

wind

3

1

5

3

2

2

1

4 backwind jib

man overboard

man overboard

original tack

origi

nal t

ack

recover from bow

The fast return recovery maneuver might be thought of asluffing and drifting back to the victim instead of sailing a cir-cle around him or her. Depending on your point of sail, youhead immediately into the wind, and then drift, sails luffing,back to the victim. Toss a line as the boat gets close. In boththese maneuvers, try to position the boat upwind of thevictim as it comes to a stop. The hull will shield the victimsomewhat from the wind and sea swells. And since boatsdrift faster than people, you will more likely drift towardthe person in the water rather than away.

Unfortunately, these hull configurations aren’tvery common on smaller boats, where a sugarscoop can complicate a rudder installation andan outboard motor mount.

So, many owners install an aftermarketswim platform onto the stern. These are desir-able upgrades, as long as the platform is wellbuilt and the installation is strong. Becausetransoms are often somewhat flexible due totheir large, flat surface, you may need to rein-force the transom laminate from the inside. Allattachment points for the swim platformshould be through-bolted to the transom andhave a large backing plate. This can sometimesbe a problem because you may not be able toreach all the attachment points from theinside, so installations must be planned care-fully. If there is room on your transom, the big-ger swim platform you can have, the better.The platform on my boat is small, but very wel-come when you are in the water.

Boarding ladders can range from a simplewood-and-rope affair that’s tossed over theside when needed to expensive telescoping orfolding stainless assemblies that are perma-nently attached. If you have a swim platform,an attached boarding ladder goes hand inhand. But it’s essential to make sure that theladder is long enough. My boat came with aswim platform and a single-rung ladder thatswings over the side. It’s just barely possiblefor an adult to get back aboard. The single rungis too close to the surface to get your feet into,and the swim platform is too small to flopyourself onto like a seal. A new boarding lad-der is currently on my upgrades list.

A boarding ladder isn’t a good place to savemoney. Cheap boarding ladders are reallyflimsy, and I wouldn’t want to count on one asbeing my sole means of getting back aboard.Permanently attached ladders are slightly bet-ter than the folding type, since the folders areusually stowed and out of reach when some-one goes over the side. And since the laddersare fairly large items, stowage on a small boatis tricky. The ladder is likely to be deep withina quarter berth or locker, with lots of other

stuff on top of it. But the folders do have oneadvantage—they can be deployed midships,where the motion of the boat will be moresteady, rather than at the stern, where themotion is more pronounced.

RISKS TO THE BOATTaking on WaterAll sorts of emergencies can pose a risk to theboat. Probably the most frightening is watergetting into the boat, as in a serious leak. First,try to locate the source of the leak. Check allkeel bolts and seacocks and any hose belowthe waterline. In one case, badly corroded keelbolts gave way on a large boat being deliverednear Hawaii. When the keel fell off the boat,the captain felt the boat “jump up” in the water,and the next minute the interior was flooded.The boat sank in less than two minutes.

Sometimes, a sailboat on a given tack cansiphon water into the hull through a sink drainor head intake, so make sure these are secure.

If no obvious collision has occurred toaccount for a leak, the problem could lie some-where near a normal opening in the hull, such

EMERGENCIES 165

Could you haul yourself back aboard using this platform?Probably not—the ladder isn’t long enough, and the plat-form is too small. The transom size limits the use of alarger platform, but a telescoping stainless ladder wouldbe a big improvement.


as a seacock. A burst hose or a frozen seacockhas sunk more than one boat—keep softwoodplugs taped to each seacock just in case.

As you locate the leak, have your crewkeep the water at bay using the bilge pumps ora bucket, if necessary. A bucket in the hands ofa truly motivated sailor can remove impressiveamounts of water. If the leak is really bad andgetting worse, consider beaching the boat ifyou’re near relatively protected shoal water.

CollisionA collision on a sailboat can be anything from ahard bump to far worse. Collisions betweensailing vessels are more frequent during races.The result is often a simple protest with the racejudges, but it can be more serious. Collisionswith powerboats operating at high speed cansplit the average trailer sailer in two. Of course,you’ve done everything possible to avoid a colli-sion, but let’s assume it’s happened anyway.

First, make sure your crew is accountedfor and there are no injuries. If there are, get onthe radio and issue a Mayday or Pan-Pan asrequired by the situation (see the sidebar

“Mayday and Pan-Pan Radio Procedures” forspecific tips).

Second, check for hull integrity. Even ifeverything looks dry, lift the floorboards andsee if water is entering the bilge. You may havea hull crack that is allowing water into theboat, but the crack may be behind the interiorliner. If the water is rising, slow the leak some-how—stuff anything into the leak that willslow the water—while your crew contacts theCoast Guard on the VHF.

If everything looks dry down below andthere are no injuries, you still need to contactthe Coast Guard. (Except for very minorscrapes, you are required to file an accidentreport with either a state agency or the CoastGuard. If colliding vessels are involved, both ofthem must file a report, regardless of who is atfault.) Establish contact with the other vessel,if possible, and check for injuries or floodingthere. But by far the best way to deal with col-lisions at sea is to avoid them using any meansnecessary, as stated in the Navigation Rules.(See Chapter 9, “Rules of the Road.”)

FireFires on board can be very serious, especiallyfires involving fuel. A propane accident won’tbe a fire; it will be an explosion. Concentratedgasoline vapors will cause an explosion fol-lowed by a fireball. There isn’t much you cando to “fight” either of these situations otherthan prevent them from happening in the firstplace. (Adequate ventilation is the key to pre-vention; see the suggestions under “OptionalEquipment” in Chapter 5.)

More common are galley fires. Keep a lidhandy for the frying pan, as you can quicklysmother a grease fire that gets out of hand.

Your first line of defense in a fire is your fireextinguisher. Ideally, you’ll have more than one,kept within easy reach. See “USCG-RequiredEquipment” in Chapter 5 for a description of thebasic types.

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Seacocks should be double clamped, and a tapered plug(not shown here) should be located nearby.

EMERGENCIES 167

Mayday and Pan-Pan Radio ProceduresIf your vessel is in immediate danger or there’s an immediate risk to life, it’s time to issue a Mayday. Hereis the correct procedure (your emergency may vary from the one below, but this gives you the idea).

Set VHF to Channel 16, high power, and say:

MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY—this is sailing vessel TINY DANCER, TINY DANCER, TINY DANCER.MAYDAY POSITION IS [give your latitude and longitude, or bearing and distance from the best land-mark you can shoot from your position].We are TAKING ON WATER. We request PUMPS and a vessel to stand by. On board are two adults,no injuries. We estimate we can stay afloat for one hour. TINY DANCER is a 17-foot sloop with whitehull, white decks. Monitoring Channel 16. TINY DANCER. Over.

Wait a few moments, then repeat.Please note that being becalmed and out of fuel is not a Mayday situation, and you should not issue

a Mayday if there is no immediate danger. The Coast Guard used to respond to this type of call, but this isa convenience call that should be directed to a towing service such as TowBoatU.S. If you’re on a largebody of water, out of fuel, becalmed, and have lost all your anchors and are slowly drifting toward shoalwaters, that’s the time for a Pan-Pan.

Set the VHF to Channel 16, high power, and say:

PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, ALL STATIONS, this is TINY DANCER, TINY DANCER, TINY DANCER.We are out of fuel and drifting into shoal water. All anchors have been lost. Request a tow to safewater. On board are two adults, no injuries. We estimate we can stay afloat for two to three hoursbefore grounding. POSITION IS [give your latitude and longitude, or bearing and distance from thebest landmark you can shoot from your position]. TINY DANCER is a 17-foot sloop with a whitehull, white decks. Monitoring Channel 16. TINY DANCER. Over.

If you’re in sheltered water and there’s no risk of damage to your boat, you shouldn’t issue a Pan-Pan.Contact a commercial towing company or ask another station to relay the information to someone whocan help. Pan-Pan calls are for very urgent messages regarding the safety of a person on board or the ves-sel itself. Mayday calls are only when immediate danger threatens a life or the vessel. Rising water in thecabin or an out-of-control fire is a Mayday; a stabilized injury is a Pan-Pan.

Never issue a false Mayday—that can get you a $5,000 fine and possibly a hefty bill for gassing up ahelicopter and a Coast Guard cutter.

If possible, use your cell phone to call for help. The Coast Guard sometimes prefers cell phones overVHF because cell phones are always a “clear channel,” and personnel don’t have to worry about othertransmissions interfering with a distress call. For more information about communications, see the com-munications section under “Optional Equipment” in Chapter 5.


Accepting Assistance from Other VesselsIf your boat is disabled to the point of needing help from another vessel, you need to be aware of salvagerights. Salvage rights are a very old part of the law that gives a vessel that aids another in distress the rightto claim financial compensation. These laws originated long before the days of engines, a time whengoing to sea for pleasure was unheard of, and being on the water involved great risk and specializedknowledge.

Towing a vessel has a host of legal ramifications. If you become stranded and need a tow, you shouldnever accept a towline without asking the other captain, “Is this tow or salvage?” Assumptions on yourpart can cost you dearly. A simple tow is a matter of convenience, as when you run out of fuel. But ifyou’re in real trouble—if your vessel is taking on water, or there’s a risk to life, to your boat, or to the envi-ronment—any assistance could be considered salvage.

Salvage doesn’t require a contract to file a claim; a salver has to prove only that salvage was voluntaryand successful, and that the salvaged vessel, or the environment, was in danger. Do not sign a Lloyd’s OpenForm Salvage contract, even if it’s “standard procedure for a tow,” according to a commercial towing cap-tain. If you do sign one, you can be sure that your vessel will get a salver’s lien as soon as she reachesport. Many captains have been shocked to find a bill presented to them for 20 percent of a vessel’s valuefor a few hours’ work, but salvage law allows this. (But without those few hours’ work, the boat could havebeen a total loss, and the owner could be presented with a bill for wreck removal and cleanup.)

Inexpensive towing insurance packages are available through organizations like BoatU.S., and buy-ing insurance now might prevent a monumental payment later on.

The Coast Guard will not tow a vessel unless the situation involves a risk to life. While there’s nothingto prevent the Coast Guard from claiming salvage, it has a very long history of assisting distressed vesselsat sea without claiming salvage rights.

or stress, and replace problem parts as soon asyou notice them. A sailboat is a series of inter-connected systems, and one weak link canaffect the entire vessel. If you can keep upwith all these little links, it can make owning aboat a much smoother experience. Neglectthem, and boat ownership becomes a chore.

What follows isn’t a complete treatise onsailboat maintenance, just the high points.(A complete treatise would take an entire book,several of which are listed in the Bibliography.)

FREQUENT WASHDOWNSIf your boat is used in salt water, frequentfreshwater washdowns of the hull and deckwill be required to keep it looking good. Use amild, nonphosphate detergent, a soft, long-handled scrub brush, and plenty of water torinse. When I sailed in salt water, my boat got awash after every trip. Pay particular attentionto the trailer, especially the brakes, as saltwater left to dry on the mild steel parts is par-ticularly damaging. If you notice stains in theboat’s gelcoat that resist the usual scrubdown,

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Today’s fiberglass sailboats are remark-ably low maintenance. They oftenrequire nothing more than a semiannual

scrubdown and a once-a-year coat of varnishon the woodwork to look good for perhapsfive to seven years. After that, the gelcoat willstart to fade and turn chalky, but the boat willstill be functional. (A wooden boat under simi-lar treatment would almost fall apart after afew years. The very best wooden boats arebuilt in a way that minimizes maintenance, butrot can still sneak in, and it needs to beaddressed immediately or the consequencescan be dire.)

If you’re fortunate enough to own a new ornearly new boat, your maintenance and repairchores will be minimal. But as the boat ages,things naturally start to wear and require atten-tion. Remember that a little maintenance donewhen a boat is new pays big dividends later: ifyou keep your boat clean, dry, lubricated, andprotected from the sun, you should have fewproblems and it will last a very long time.Check everything carefully for signs of fatigue

PART FOUR

MAINTAININGAND MODIFYINGYOUR SAILBOAT

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Maintaining Your Sailboat

MAINTAINING AND MODIFYING YOUR SAILBOAT

try simple solutions first. Sometimes plainlemon juice or vinegar works. Nonabrasivespray cleaners like Fantastik, Simple Green, or409 sometimes work well. Rust stains andorganic stains like blood can respond well to amild solution of oxalic acid.

When a gelcoated sailboat deck gets morethan a few years’ exposure to sunlight, itbecomes porous. Under a strong magnifyingglass, you can see thousands of tiny holes.These holes become perfect little petri dishesfor mildew, and down here in the warm, humidSouth, we get thousands of black mildewspecks. They’re actually a mixture of mildewand dirt, brought in by rainwater and acceler-ated by the humidity and the organic materialin the dirt. If you park your boat under a tree,it’ll get dirty much faster. When a boat is neg-lected for an entire season, the stains can getreally bad. Scrubbing doesn’t do a thing forthese stains because they’re firmly embeddedin the pores of the gelcoat.

For really impossible mildew stains on old,porous gelcoat, I’ve used spray cleaners madefor fiberglass tubs and showers—though notwhile the boat is in the water, and only as a lastresort. Check the product label—if it includessodium hypochlorite or just hypochlorite, ithas chlorine in it. This is pretty harsh stuff—bad for you and the environment and corrosiveto metals. Keep it away from your stainless

and aluminum. If you choose to use it, don’trinse it off with a hose—that puts the chlorinein the salt or fresh water. Instead, spray lightly,let it work for a few minutes, and remove theresidue with a damp rag and a bucket of water.

The more I read about chlorine and bleach-based cleaners, the less I want to use them.There are alternatives to chlorine, such asborax or hydrogen peroxide. Or, if you canstand your boat smelling like a pickle for awhile, try household vinegar for killing mold.Spray it on straight and let it sit until the moldis gone. You can also purchase stronger formsof vinegar, such as pickling vinegar (7 percentacidity) or even photographic stop-bath con-centrate. Lemon juice and citric acid workmuch the same way as vinegar, but they don’tsmell nearly as bad. Several commercial com-panies offer “green” bathroom cleaners andmold-removal products. They are ratherexpensive but might be worth a try.

PREVENTING WATER AND MILDEWBELOWDECKOne of the most effective ways to maintainyour boat’s interior is to prevent problemsbefore they occur. One of the most commonand preventable problems is damage causedby leaks. Mention “leak” aboard a sailboat andmost people imagine sinking from a leakbelow the waterline. While such leaks dooccur, they’re fairly rare; most leaks form inthe deck, where hundreds of little screw holeshave been drilled to mount deck hardware.Although each of these holes should be sealedwell with good-quality bedding compound, allcompounds fail eventually.

Allowing lots of rainwater to collect in theboat (and, even worse, stagnate) is a surefireway to ruin much of the value of your boat.You might as well light up a few thousand-dollar bills right now. If you see even the slight-est leak, find it and repair it right away. (Seethe sidebar “Repairing Deck Rot.”) Some leakscan be particularly difficult to track downbecause the water runs along a horizontal sur-face for some distance before appearing in the

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A bad case of gelcoat mildew. This boat will be tough toclean.

MAINTAINING YOUR SAILBOAT

cabin. If you have a mystery leak and can’t findthe source, try this rather extreme solution:

1. Borrow a leaf blower.2. Cut a piece of plywood or stiff cardboard the

same size as one of the companionway drop-boards. Two or three layers of cardboard gluedtogether should do it, but it needs to be paintedso that water doesn’t dissolve it. Cut a hole soyou can insert the hose of the leaf blower in it.

3. Seal up the cracks in the companionway andhatches with duct tape. Close all opening portsand seal all ventilators.

4. Hose down the deck with soapy water.5. Turn on the blower so you are blowing a strong

jet of air down below; then walk around thedeck and look for bubbles. Any fittings thathave bubbles coming from underneath havepotential leaks that should be rebedded.

Preventing mildew inside the boat can bejust as tricky as finding mystery leaks.Fortunately, since the gelcoat on the interior ofyour boat is protected from exposure to UVrays, it will be in much better condition thanthe exterior. It won’t have the thousands of

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Repairing Deck RotRepairing small areas of deck rot can be done fairly easily, but it will take some time. Deck rot is caused bywater entering the core of the deck, where (since the deck is sealed top and bottom with fiberglass) it’s nearlyimpossible for it to dry out. First off, identify all sources of water intrusion. If the deck is spongy around oneof the fittings, chances are the bedding is failing around other fittings as well. Remove the deck hardware andremove a sample of the core with a pocketknife or an ice pick. If the core sample is dry, good; if it’s wet, you’llneed to drill into the core and dry out the spongy portion of the deck as much as possible.

First, plug the bottom of the hole(s) where you removed the deck hardware. I’ve used a small rubberstopper and good-sized square of duct tape with pretty good results. Add acetone to the hole. Some ace-tone might leak through to the cabin, so be sure to remove any cushions below and have a rag readyunderneath the hole. Acetone bonds with water and evaporates readily, so if you can get the wet parts ofthe core flooded with acetone, you’ve got a better chance of removing the rot. Acetone is very flamma-ble, though, so be extremely careful. Fill the bolt hole with acetone and let it soak in. Do this several timesa day over several days. If the weather is bright, sunny, and dry, the heat from the sunshine will help evap-orate the acetone and the water. In damp weather, make sure this area of the deck stays perfectly dry.

The longer you can keep this area warm and dry, the better. Try to wait at least two weeks in summer,longer in winter. I don’t advise using heat guns, blow-dryers, or heat lamps to accelerate the dryingprocess because of the danger of fire, but it has been done. The fiberglass should never get too warm totouch, though.

Once you’ve waited a while, pick out a sample of the core, which should by now be at least some-what drier. A bent nail chucked into a drill works well to pulverize the core. Vacuum out the chips and mixup some thinned epoxy. A commercial product called Git Rot is just the ticket. Following the manufac-turer’s directions, mix up a little and pour it into the hole. Hopefully it’ll soak into the core. Keep pouringas long as it continues to soak in—the more epoxy you can get into the deck, the better. The idea is to fillup the hole with epoxy, and then redrill the bolt holes. Now you’ve got a nice little epoxy compressionpad under the deck, and you’ve sealed the hole as well. It’s best to give any hole that penetrates the deckcore this treatment, whether the area around it is rotted or not.

Large areas of deck rot are another story. One letter I read told of estimates of $2,500 to $8,000 torepair the rotten deck of a Ranger 28, reflecting the seriousness of the job. It’s doubtful that the abovemethod will work for areas of rot that are greater than, say, a square foot or so. The deck needs to be cutup, and then the rotten areas removed and replaced with sound core, and then resealed. It’s a huge job.


tiny holes that are common on the decks ofolder sailboats. (Still, it’s not a bad idea to waxthe interior gelcoat once every few years orso.) It’s easy enough to clean mildew fromhard, smooth surfaces. A wipe with a damp ragwith a little orange Pine-Sol is one of myfavorite methods, and it leaves the interior ofthe boat smelling good. Wood surfaces mayrequire a bit more elbow grease, especially ifthe wood has been left bare. The bestapproach is to prevent, or at least minimize,the mildew growth in the first place.

Mildew spores are everywhere, but togrow they need two things—still air andhumidity. Still air can be avoided by addingventilation (see “Optional Equipment” inChapter 5). Humidity is a little tougher toreduce. If you have a 110-volt power source, aGoldenrod heater can be used to gently warmthe air in the cabin, thus reducing mildew. Youcan also find small dehumidifying heaters

with an aluminum casing and a fan to cir-culate dry air. They’re designed for con-tinuous safe operation, though I wouldhesitate to leave anything plugged into myboat for a long period of time given the riskof fire. Another unit, the Eva-Dry EDV300, isa small closet dehumidifier that retails forabout $20. The interesting feature is that it’srechargeable, though not in the usual sense.It’s a chemical dehumidifier with a built-inheating element. When the crystals inside theunit become loaded with moisture, an indica-tor window changes color and you plug theunit into the wall to warm the crystals anddrive off moisture. The unit is small, so don’texpect one to turn your cabin into theSahara. Two or three units might be needed tomake a noticeable difference in a cabin, butthey’re also useful in lockers or any enclosedspace.

There are chemical compounds that reducehumidity and don’t consume power, makingthem safer to use. Some silica gel dehumidifierscan be warmed to drive off moisture andreused, while others are designed to be dis-carded after use. You can even make your ownlow-tech chemical dehumidifier (see thesidebar “Make Your Own Dehumidifier”).The chemical eventually washes away with thecondensate, but it’s pretty cheap to refill.In general, though, improving ventilation is abetter strategy.

GELCOAT MAINTENANCEA new fiberglass sailboat has a very shiny fin-ish. New gelcoat gloss can be practicallyblinding when it’s fresh from the mold, and, ifcared for, this finish can last a long time. Fartoo many owners ignore this aspect of boatcare until they start to see a problem, and bythen the issue is restoring rather than simplymaintaining the boat’s former gloss.Restoring is always a lot more work thanmaintaining.

Aging gelcoat loses gloss and becomesporous and chalky for several reasons, but the

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Make Your Own DehumidifierYou can make your own small chemical drip-type dehu-midifier using a pair of small plastic tubs with lids (I’veused inexpensive food-storage containers). Use tubs thatare reasonably flat on the bottom, since you’ll stack oneon top of the other. Using a larger tub on the bottommakes the whole assembly less likely to tip over. Use a1- or 2-cup container for the top and a 5-cup (or there-abouts) container for the bottom.

Make large holes in the lid of the top container toallow air to contact the chemical; make a few small holesin the top tub and the lid of the bottom container to allowwater to drain (but not so large that the chemical will fallthrough). You can drill the holes or melt them with a hotnail held by vise grips.

Fill the perforated container with calcium chlorideice-melt pellets. These will absorb moisture from the air,which will drip into the lower container.

Secure the top container to the lower one with a fewrubber bands. The total cost for the containers and9 pounds of calcium chloride should be around $15.


biggest culprit is the sun. Ultraviolet rays are apowerful aging force. If you could keep yourboat in the shade, the gelcoat would last much

longer. This is tough to do with the mast stick-ing out of the middle of the boat, but you canwork around that. I have never bought abrand-new boat, but when I do, the very firstthing I will buy (or make) for it is a full fittedsun cover, made of a tough fabric like Odysseyor Top Gun.

Keeping your gelcoat waxed also pays offin the long run. It’s a big job to properly waxan entire boat, but doing so once or eventwice a year will help seal the gelcoat as wellas add some degree of UV protection. Waxingis a lot easier when the gelcoat is in goodcondition.

The decks and cockpit, being more or lesshorizontal, get the greatest sun exposure andthus benefit from waxing, but the hull shouldget a coat as well, at least once a year. The bestwaxes contain UV inhibitors. Be sure to com-pletely remove the excess wax—sun-bakedwax buildup is almost impossible to removeonce it’s been left on the hull for a while. If yourboat is new or nearly new, make sure your waxdoesn’t contain abrasive compounds, whichcan wear down your gelcoat if applied too oftenor buffed too vigorously. However, if your gel-coat is heavily oxidized, you may need to takemore drastic measures to restore the shine. Rubyour finger on the deck. If it leaves a powderyresidue on your finger, the fiberglass will needto be “compounded” or buffed with a buffingcompound before waxing. Use a compoundmade specifically for fiberglass. Automotivecompounds are too aggressive and could dam-age the gelcoat.

Start with a squeaky clean hull and applythe wax immediately after cleaning. Let itdry, then buff. The wax helps to seal thegelcoat from the elements and will preventfurther oxidation for a while. Depending onthe starting condition of the gelcoat and thesize of your boat, plan on spending anywherefrom a few hours to the better part of anafternoon.

Whether or not to use a power buffer islargely a matter of personal choice and poweravailability. As always, be careful when usinganything attached to an extension cord ifyour boat is at the dock, and never let anypart of the cord sag into the water. A saferalternative is a cordless buffer. I use a MotorScrubber, a heavy-duty industrial-grade toolthat can be bought only from professionalcleaning suppliers. It’s rechargeable, runs for4 hours on an overnight charge, and comeswith a handle that extends to 80 inches. Thepower head is completely sealed, and itworks underwater. You can get all kinds ofadditional brushes and pads, like wax appli-cators and terry-cloth bonnets. The onlydownside is that it retails for about $350—butit works really well.

Deciding what kind of wax to use on yourboat can be difficult because there are literallyhundreds of choices. It isn’t always necessaryto get a specialized boat wax either. Practical

Sailor thoroughly tested several differentkinds of wax in two articles, one published in2004 and the other in 1988. In 2004, their twolongest-lasting top waxes were Collinite #885paste wax and Meguiar’s Mirror Glaze paste.Collinite is marketed for marine use and isavailable in boat chandleries, but you can findMeguiar’s paste wax at an auto parts store.Waxes that are easy to apply and remove are,of course, preferred over those that are moredifficult, and many automotive waxes containbuffing compound. These have a slightly grittyfeel and shouldn’t be used on fiberglass, sincethe gelcoat is much softer than automotivepaint finishes. The 1988 article tested waxesbased on ease of application and removaland the presence of abrasive compounds.Simonize II liquid was one of the favoritesbased on those criteria. I’ve used it on myboat, but I don’t like the greenish color of thewax, which gets in the gelcoat pores andleaves slightly darker swipe marks here andthere. The wax does go on and off easily,though, and where the gelcoat is smooth, itworks fine.

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Bedding CompoundsThere are several compounds that can be used to seal bolts and keep water out of your boat, and somework better than others in certain situations. All can be broken down into one of three types: silicones,polyurethanes, or polysulfides.

SiliconesLet’s start with something I’ve often seen incorrectly applied to used sailboats, and that’s good old sili-cone. Whenever a leak on a boat occurs, folks head down to the hardware store and grab a tube of thisstuff, and smear it all over the offending leak. This only creates a bigger mess to clean up before you cando the job properly, and it rarely stops the leak. This is because silicone caulk has very low adhesivestrength when cured. It stays flexible for a long time, though.

Silicone is best thought of as a gasket-making material. Spread a good, thick coat under a fitting and insertthe mounting bolts, but don’t tighten them. Wait for the silicone to cure first, then compress the “gasket” after thesilicone has solidified. Otherwise, most of the silicone squeezes out of the joint, and you get a gasket that’s toothin. (Actually, this is true for any type of bedding compound.) Silicone should not be used below the waterline—it’s best used under plastic fittings. It also makes a good insulator when you’re joining dissimilar metals.

PolyurethanesPolyurethane-based sealants were once hard to find; now you can get them from building suppliers and hard-ware stores. (I’ve used PL Premium Polyurethane Window and Flashing sealant. Available in white or black,it’s probably not as good as genuine 3M 5200 Polyurethane, but it’s close. It costs $3 a tube versus $15 forthe genuine article. I wouldn’t use it below the waterline, though.) The thing to remember about polyurethaneis that it’s very strong. Once you’ve bedded a fitting in poly, you’ve pretty much glued it in place. It’ll be toughto remove without special solvents or a heat gun. Polyurethane doesn’t stick well to plastics, but it sticks reallywell to human skin and from there it has a tendency to get all over the boat, so have several rags handy whenyou use it. While it’s wet, you can thin it with regular paint thinner, so that helps cleanup.

PolysulfidesThis compound is my favorite. Polysulfide has been around for a long time—the granddaddy of them all.When I once ripped apart a section of old teak decking salvaged from a long-gone Chris Craft, I found thatit had been sealed with polysulfide. There’s no way to know how old it was, but I was probably in diaperswhen the polysufide was applied. It was still as tough and flexible as new, and it took forever to remove.

Polysulfide is most commonly seen as LifeCalk, from Boatlife. It comes in white, black, and brown.Polysulfide can be used for just about any bedding application aboard except for plastics.

One last thing about bedding compounds, and that’s what to do with the extra that squeezes outfrom under the fitting. The correct way is to wait until it cures, then trim it with a razor blade. This isprobably how you should do it, though I’ll admit to wiping it up with a rag or a dampened finger whileit’s wet. You certainly have a greater chance of making a mess with the second method, but it works.

Rebedding Deck FittingsIt’s a fact of life that fittings on boats, especially older boats, need to be rebedded every now and again.Sealants have a finite life span, and once you notice the slightest trace of a leak, it’s time to remove andrebed the fitting. Please note that smearing additional goo on top of the fitting will not stop the leak—it’lljust make more of a mess for you to clean up later, when you properly rebed the fitting.


TEAK MAINTENANCETraditionally, topsides wood is teak, becauseteak contains natural oils and resins that keepit from absorbing water and rotting. There arethree alternatives for teak maintenance: oil,varnish, or no treatment. Brightwork gener-ally refers to wood items on the deck of a boatthat are finished with clear varnish so that thewood grain shows. Topsides woodwork thatisn’t varnished is usually called trim.

Untreated TeakIf left unfinished, the sun quickly bleaches outthe rich brown color of the teak from the sur-face, and the wood turns a silvery gray, whichsome boatowners prefer. In fact, teak deckshave to be left bare, because coating themwould destroy the wood’s natural nonskidproperties. Handrails that are untreatedare slightly safer, too, because the barewood provides a better grip. Untreated teak

weathers more rapidly than treated teak,though, and a few years of scrubbing leave thewood deeply grooved as the softer summergrowth rings wear away.

Oiling Your TeakYou can use several different types of oil onteak, including boiled linseed oil, tung oil, orspecially formulated teak oils. The advantageof this option is that an oiled teak surface isvery easy to renew; you just brush a coat of oilright on top of the old oil, as long as the surfaceis free of mildew or dirt. The downside is thatoiled surfaces have to be renewed regularly inorder to keep the trim looking good. In sum-mer, if your teak is unprotected by a cover, youcan expect to oil it every two to three months.You have to be very careful about drips andruns, too. Teak oil will stain gelcoat, especiallyif the gelcoat is a few years old and porous.Teak oil will run if applied in direct sunlight, as

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First, remove the old fitting and every trace of the old compound. If the fitting was bedded withpolyurethane, you might need to use a heat gun to gently warm the fitting to get it off. You should neverlet the fiberglass get too hot to touch. (A new product, Anti-Bond 2015, will supposedly debondpolyurethanes, but I haven’t tried it yet.) Clean the area and the fitting until they are spotless. For the deck,I scrape, then sand, then wipe with acetone. For the bolts and the fitting, I like to use a wire wheelmounted in a bench grinder (don’t forget the safety glasses!) followed by a wipe with acetone on theunderside. While I’m there, I usually polish the rest of the fitting with a buffing wheel and compound—this leaves stainless parts looking like new.

Before I get out the compound, I like to set the fitting back into position and mask off the area withhigh-quality masking tape. This is usually easier and cleaner than trying to wipe up the excess later withsolvent.

Next, if the fitting is in an area where the deck is cored, I seal the core. Tape off the bottom area andpick out the core as much as you can with a bent nail chucked into a drill. Vacuum up the chips and fillthe hole with thinned epoxy like Git Rot. Keep filling the hole until no more soaks in.

Once the epoxy has cured, redrill the hole, compound the fitting, and set the fitting into place.Don’t forget to compound the bolts, too—I like to run a little ring of compound under the heads.Position the bolts in place and tighten, but not all the way. Snug them up enough so that sealant beginsto squeeze out from under the fittings, and then wait for it to cure—24 hours for polysulfides orpolyurethanes. (I don’t like to use silicone; it’s good only for bedding plastic.) Then fully tighten thebolts. After the compound has fully cured—in about a week—trim off the extra compound with a sharprazor blade.

Yes, this is involved and kind of a pain, but not nearly as big a pain as getting dripped on in the mid-dle of the night, or replacing a rotten deck. This is one of those “do it right, or do it over” choices.


I once discovered. I had carefully applied a coatof oil and masked the deck with tape. When Ifinished, I removed the tape, since maskingtape left in the sun often leaves a sticky residueon the deck. When I returned to the boat a fewhours later, I discovered that the sun hadwarmed the teak oil, causing a few ugly runs onportions of the deck that I had carefully pro-tected with tape. That was seventeen yearsago—the stains are probably still there.

Varnishing Your TrimVarnishing your brightwork is a third alterna-tive. Varnish is a hard coating that seals theteak from water, while oil is a soft finish thatfeeds the wood as the natural oils wear awayfrom the surface. The oil resists water, butwater and humidity eventually take their toll.Varnish coatings eventually break downbecause of exposure to UV radiation, thoughthey last much longer than oil treatments.Depending on the varnish, the coating can lastanywhere from six months to two years. Whenthe coating begins to break down, the effect isimmediately noticeable—the varnish loses itsflexibility and bond to the wood, and the naturalexpansion and contraction of the wood causessmall cracks or pinholes. Water enters thecracks, and the result is ugly dark water stainsunderneath the varnish. When this happens, theonly cure is to sand off the old varnish, treat thestains with a teak cleaner, and reapply severalnew coats of varnish—usually at least threecoats, with light sanding between coats.

A varnished finish is initially very laborintensive. Many boatowners dislike varnishingso much that they refuse to have teak trim ontheir boat, instead replacing all topsides teakwith a white plastic product called StarBoard,which never needs varnishing. But when prop-erly done, the effect of a little golden teak witha few coats of varnish is breathtaking.

Preparing Teak for VarnishFirst, you need to remove all the old varnish andget the teak back to smooth, bare wood. I’vealways used a scraper, sandpaper, and plain oldelbow grease for this task. Some people loosen

old varnish with the careful use of a heat gunand a putty knife or chemical paint removers.However, either can ruin nearby gelcoat. If theteak has been badly water stained, you mayneed to bleach it. You can use teak lightener,available in marine chandleries, or bleachthinned with about 85 percent water. Add a littlemore water or bleach if necessary. Anothergood, inexpensive product can be made withoxalic acid crystals, sometimes available fromboatyards or janitorial suppliers. Dissolve asmuch as you can in some warm water and thenpaint the solution onto the teak. Let it dry, thenremove the resulting crystals with a stiff brush,taking care not to leave the powder on yourdeck—it might bleach something you don’twant bleached. After you bleach teak withoxalic acid, you need to neutralize the woodsurface with borax. Bleaching teak weakens thetop surface of the wood, so use this methodonly when absolutely necessary.

Choosing a ProductTeak coatings, like wax, present another pur-chasing conundrum. How do you choose thebest when there are so many types, all claim-ing to be superior? Ask an owner of a sailboatwith nice varnish what he or she uses, as localconditions can be a big factor in varnish per-formance. The same varnish might last longerin Massachusetts than in Florida or Arizona.

Word of mouth was how I first learnedabout Sikkens Cetol. The previous owner ofmy Montgomery 17 gave me half a can when Ibought my boat. This isn’t classified as a tra-ditional varnish but rather a pigmented syn-thetic stain. I think that description is a littlemisleading—it looks and performs more like apigmented varnish than a stain, developing atough film that cures in the presence of air.The pigment does two things: it gives Cetolgreater UV resistance than an unpigmentedcoating, and it gives the wood a distinctivehue that some find objectionable. It’s not bad,but it does look a little orange. Once you’vetried this product, you’ll be able to spot Cetol-treated teak easily.

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Practical Sailor publishes a test of teak prod-ucts every few years or so, especially as newproducts are developed and old ones changetheir formulas or cease production. Their topperformer in terms of traditional varnish isEpifanes. New synthetic formulas are constantlybeing developed, and some are quite expensive. Ihaven’t had any experience with these synthet-ics. I prefer a traditional varnish because it is usu-ally compatible with tung and linseed oils. Mosttraditional varnishes include some oil in them.

Applying the VarnishThere are many methods of varnishing that arefavored by brightwork professionals. (See theBibliography for several good books on thesubject.) When I varnish using a traditional for-mula, I like to start with a thin primer coat ofmostly tung oil with a small amount of varnishand thinner (mineral spirits or turpentine)added in. I want the first coat to penetrate asdeeply into the wood as possible. Each succes-sive coat has less oil and thinner, until the topcoats are straight varnish with a little thinneradded. Not all varnishes are compatible withtung oil, so test your brand on a piece of scrapbefore applying it to your expensive teak.

Some varnishers build up a base coat con-sisting of several layers of clear epoxy fol-lowed by several layers of clear varnish. Epoxyis very sensitive to UV rays, so the varnish topcoat must be well-done and deep. A finish likethis will be very difficult to remove, but theepoxy provides a very good, stable base for thevarnish to adhere to.

Other varnishers apply a single coat of var-nish that’s thinned about 50 percent and leaveit at that. This gives a matte finish that looksgood, protects the teak well, and is easy toapply. It needs to be recoated every two to fourmonths if exposed to the weather.

It’s essential to use a high-quality soft brushfor varnish work. Badger bristle brushes wereonce considered the highest quality but are nowrarely available. Most natural bristle brushesare called China bristle, since that’s wherethe hairs come from, and some professional

finishers who use them (or a natural/syntheticblend) get results equal to those from badgerbrushes. Good synthetic bristle brushes cannow be bought that are equal to natural bristlein terms of quality, and synthetics can lastlonger than natural bristle, making them morecost-effective. Any brush used for paint cannotthen be used for varnish, because the solventswill soften tiny paint bits left in the brush thatwill then pollute any clear finish. Foambrushes can work in a pinch, and can give sur-prisingly smooth results.

DEALING WITH CORROSION Metal corrosion happens in many differentways and for various reasons, but losing elec-trons is an easy way to think about it. Whenthis happens, the metal deteriorates, changingfrom one form to another. Preventing corro-sion involves keeping electrons in the metalwhere they belong. Metal corrosion is a vastsubject—simple rusting can actually be a verycomplex process. The Resources section ofthis book provides further references. Whatfollows is the Cliff Notes version.

Some of the most useful metals aboardboats—like stainless steel, bronze, andaluminum—develop a uniform surface corro-sion when exposed to the air, but this layer ofcorrosion (called an oxide layer) can be stableand strongly attached to the base metal. Theoxide layer seals the metal from the atmosphere,protecting it from further deterioration. This iscalled passivation, and certain metals can betreated in specific ways to enhance this process.

Maintaining the metals aboard your boatusually means treating corrosion whereveryou find it, and preventing it from occurring ifyou don’t find it. Basically, you’ll see threetypes of corrosion on your boat:

Atmospheric corrosionGalvanic corrosionElectrolysis

Crevice corrosion is another form thatoften occurs with stainless steel—more aboutthat later.

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Atmospheric CorrosionThe most common form of atmospheric corro-sion is rust on steel or cast iron. It’s caused byhumidity, but pollution, temperature changes,salt, and other factors accelerate it. Preventingatmospheric corrosion in steel usually involvessome kind of barrier to seal the steel from theatmosphere. Most often this means paint,though varnish, oil, waxes, or a thin layer ofanother metal like zinc can also be used.

Once steel starts to rust, it never stopswithout your intervention until all of the metalhas been changed into iron oxide. If you have arusty part on your boat, get rid of the rust—itwill only get worse with time, and if you ignoreit too long the only option will be replacement.Two good things about steel, though, are thatit’s strong and cheap. Steel parts are often builtto withstand a certain amount of rusting andstill perform well. If you can clean the rust offcompletely, the steel can be recoated withpaint and put back into service. If the surfaceis regular and smooth, you might be able to dothe job with a rotary wire brush. However, it’simpossible to do a complete cleaning with thepart bolted in place—it must be removed fromthe boat, and the screws or bolts also treated,though replacing them is a better option.

The best way to remove rust completely isby sandblasting. Small parts can be cleaned in ablast cabinet, but large pieces—like a cast-ironkeel—have to be cleaned by a professional. Ittakes a huge high-volume air compressor to dothe job properly. Forget those little suctionsandblasters that you see in the Harbor Freightcatalog; they aren’t powerful enough to cleananything larger than a cleat. Sandblastingis preferred because it roughs up the surfaceslightly, leaving a good uniform surface forthe paint to grip. But sandblasting has to bedone on a dry day, and the part should becoated with a good-quality primer immediatelyafterward.

Although sandblasting is the best methodfor getting rid of rust, other options are lessdependent on industrial equipment. One isto use a phosphoric acid solution, which

chemically converts rust from iron oxide toiron phosphate. Naval Jelly is a classic prod-uct. I’ve never used it, but I have used Ospho,which is mostly phosphoric acid plus somewetting agents. It works well for rusty spots onthe trailer, where sandblasting the whole thingwould be expensive. You can also remove rustusing an electrolytic process, which is a littlemore complicated but well within the abilitiesof most people with a garage workshop. (Theprocess is outlined in Fix It and Sail.)

Galvanic CorrosionWhereas atmospheric corrosion occurs in asingle metal exposed to air, galvanic corrosionoccurs when two (or more) metals are touch-ing each other or placed close together in aconductive environment, such as damp woodor seawater. Electrons travel from one metal tothe other simply because one metal has astronger electron bond. In galvanic corrosion,no external electric currents are involved—justthe molecular bond in the metals. (Galvaniccorrosion is often incorrectly termed electroly-sis; I discuss the difference next.)

Some metals corrode faster when placedtogether than they would if they were isolated.These are called anodes or anodic metals.Others corrode slower than if they were alone.These are called cathodes or cathodic metals.Over the years, engineers and scientists study-ing corrosion have developed the GalvanicSeries of Metals (see the list “Galvanic Series inSeawater”).

A metal’s position in the galvanic seriestells us its corrosional relationship to othermetals. How fast one metal corrodes dependson the voltage difference between the twometals and their relative size. The anode cor-rodes more rapidly as the voltage differenceincreases and as the cathode gets larger com-pared to the anode.

Remember that the two metals don’t haveto be underwater for corrosion to occur. Dampwood or an occasional dose of salt water, oreven rainwater, is enough to cause quite abit of damage. Notice the special position of

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aluminum, way up at the top of the scale. In agalvanic battle, aluminum always loses exceptwith zinc. But you’ll notice that all aluminumspars have stainless fittings on them, right?They’re usually attached with stainless screws.How come they don’t suffer from galvaniccorrosion?

The short answer is they do. It’s rare toremove a stainless steel screw from an alu-minum mast without a fight—they are usuallycorroded in tightly. On better masts, you’ll findsmall plastic washers under stainless steelmast tangs. On cheaply built masts, you’ll oftenfind some pitting and corrosion underneath.

It’s a good idea to put Never-Seez or a similarcompound on stainless threads that arescrewed into aluminum. But don’t use grease. Ihad a masthead come off my boat once becausethe stainless steel screws were lubricatedbefore they were installed. Three sheet-metalscrews backed themselves completely out oftheir holes because the boat was mooredwhere ski boats went by all summer, setting upa wicked quick, steep chop. I use Never-Seezon all mast fastenings now, and I wire all myturnbuckles to prevent them from unscrewingthemselves.

Underwater, we have a different story. Letthe same mast hang over the side for a weekor two, and you’ll likely pull up a corrodedmess when you next visit your boat.Aluminum is very high on the galvanic series;only zinc and magnesium are higher. This iswhy it’s unusual to see aluminum used belowthe waterline. The only common cases I canthink of are aluminum-hulled vessels andoutboard motor castings. These are pro-tected with a heavy coating of paint andplenty of sacrificial zinc anodes (see below).If aluminum is the only metal used—as in analuminum rowboat—you don’t have as muchof a problem with galvanic corrosion. But ifthat same rowboat is fastened with copperrivets, she’ll dissolve in no time.

When metals are mixed below the water-line, they need to be as closely matched on thegalvanic series as possible. If you have allbronze props and shafts, avoid replacing themwith stainless steel. Bronze isn’t as strong asstainless, but it tends to last much longer.

All metals should be protected underwaterwith zinc anodes, and the condition of thezincs should be checked regularly. If they seemto be wearing away quickly, that indicates aproblem somewhere that you need to address.When you replace a zinc, make sure there’sgood contact with the metal it’s attached to.Zincs are most effective when electrically con-nected to the metal they are to protect or, if notactually attached to the part itself, as close byas practical. Never paint a zinc.

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Galvanic Series in SeawaterAlloy(Anodic/Active End)MagnesiumZincAluminum alloysCadmiumCast ironSteelAluminum bronzeRed brass, yellow brass, naval brassCopperLead-tin solder (50/50)Admiralty brassManganese bronzeSilicon bronze400 sodas stainless steels90-10 copper-nickelLead70-30 copper-nickel17-4 PH stainless steelSilver Monel300 series stainless steelsTitanium and titanium alloys

Inconel 625Hastelloy C-276PlatinumGraphiite(Cathodic or Noble End)


ElectrolysisElectrolysis is a type of corrosion that is simi-lar to galvanic corrosion, but with a subtle dif-ference. Electrolysis is caused by externalelectrical currents acting on dissimilar metalsin seawater. In the real world, stray electricalcurrents can come from incorrect installationof individual parts on your boat, an improperlywired boat nearby, a shore power line danglingin the water, or an improperly wired dock.

Electrolysis can cause damage in a surpris-ingly short time. While normally a zinc anodewill last for months, if there are stray electricalcurrents in your boat or nearby, a zinc can geteaten away within weeks. Many boatownerswill just add additional zinc anodes, notrealizing the actual cause of the problem. Butto be fair, electrolysis problems can be mad-dening to track down and correct. (See theBibliography for books on marine electricalsystems.)

Specific Corrosion Problemson Trailer SailersWhile there are lots of different possibilities forcorrosion aboard any boat, what you’ll proba-bly see most often are three types: rust (whichwe’ve already discussed), crevice corrosion onstainless steel, and aluminum corrosion.

Crevice CorrosionStainless steel comes in many varieties. Someare very corrosion-resistant; others are less so.Inexpensive grades of stainless will rustquickly in the marine environment, as somebuyers of discount hardware store fastenershave discovered. (An easy test is to take alonga magnet when buying stainless hardwarefrom an off-the-shelf source. If the magnetsticks, then the item is made from a low-gradestainless that will probably rust.)

Most alloys used on boats are corrosion-resistant in the marine environment if pre-pared and used correctly. But occasionallyyou’ll find a stainless part with traces of rusttrailing from it—usually coming from a holeor a crack. What’s going on here?

What’s happening is crevice corrosion.Stainless works because it forms an oxidelayer on the surface of the metal. The oxidelayer is very thin, but it’s an effective blockagainst further corrosion. For the steel tomaintain its oxide layer, though, it needs oxy-gen. If the stainless can’t get enough oxygen tomaintain the oxide layer, it begins to rust justlike conventional steel. Where you’ll mostoften see this is in a crack where water can betrapped and prevent oxygen flow, or some-times from the drain hole of a stanchion. Insome instances, a scratch can be deep enoughto hold water and prevent proper oxygen flow.That’s why stainless is often buffed to asmooth, polished finish.

What do you do if you notice rust weepingfrom stainless? First, look for any signs ofstress in the part. This is particularly importantin chainplates, turnbuckles, or other riggingattachment parts. Any sign of rust here is aloud call for replacement of the part. Riggingwire that has signs of rust deep within the wireshouldn’t be trusted. Any part that carries animportant load, which means pretty much anypart of the standing rigging, should be replacedif you see any sort of rust. The only exceptionmight be when replacing a part that involvesmajor structural work to the boat, like chain-plates that have been laminated into the fabricof the hull at the factory. If that’s the case, call inthe pros for a second opinion. Owners of largerboats will use specialized inspection tech-niques, such as Magna-fluxing and portableX-ray, to ensure the integrity of inaccessiblechainplates, though this might not be practicalfor smaller boats.

For nonstructural items, such as a stainlesshinge, try removing the part and buffing it witha felt bench buffing wheel and fine white buff-ing compound. Check the part with a magnetbefore you go to all the trouble, because if it’slow-grade stainless, you’ll probably experi-ence the same problem again later. Reinstallwith plenty of clean bedding compound andsee what happens, or replace the part with ahigher-grade item.

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If you have a weeping drain hole in a lifelinestanchion, don’t plug the hole, however tempt-ing that may be. The hole is there to drain waterthat gets inside the tube. Even if the hole is per-fectly sealed, condensation will still build upinside. Sealed up, the inside of the tube will geteven less oxygen and suffer more corrosion,which you might not discover until you need itmost—say, when a lee lurch tosses you againstthe lifelines and the stanchion is the only thingpreventing you from going over the side—atnight—in a storm. Instead, try adding a secondhole, or very slightly enlarging the first hole ifit’s tiny. Ideally, the drain hole should be in thestanchion base, and the stanchion should beopen at the bottom, allowing in plenty of air.

If you have rusty screws or bolts, the bestcourse of action is to replace them. If the bolt isholding a part to the deck, go ahead and takethe part off, clean it, and replace with new bed-ding compound. You probably need to renewthe bedding compound anyway. (For a how-to,see the sidebar “Rebedding Deck Fittings” onpages 174–175.)

It’s common to see some spotty surface cor-rosion on stainless parts like stanchions or bowrails. This is more a nuisance than a danger. Thebest thing to do here is buff them out with stain-less polish and a rag. You might see surface rustforming at the sides of a weld bead in stainlesssteel. Usually a problem with a new part ratherthan one that’s been installed for a while, this isa different form of corrosion in stainless calledweld zone corrosion or weld decay. It’s causedby the alloys precipitating out of the steelbecause of the heat of the weld. This is theresult of improper welding procedures, and themanufacturer should replace the part.

General stainless care involves washingaway salt and dirt, inspecting carefully forstress cracks, and polishing with a little stain-less polish or wax once a year. Some lightmachine oil on the shrouds doesn’t hurt. Oilthe threads of the turnbuckles while you’re atit. Even though oil does attract dirt, metal-to-metal contacts often benefit from an occa-sional oiling.

Aluminum CorrosionAluminum relies on oxide formation for protect-ing itself from corrosion, much like stainlesssteel does, but in the right conditions aluminumcan corrode more rapidly than stainless. It ishigher in the galvanic series, so galvanic corro-sion is more serious and rapid. The oxide filmsthat aluminum forms by itself are very thin,measured in atoms. In order to make the protec-tive oxide layer thicker, aluminum masts arecommonly anodized. Anodizing aluminumrequires passing a current through the alu-minum while the mast is submerged in an acidbath. The oxide layer of an anodized aluminumpart grows from a few atoms thick to 0.0002 to0.001 inch. There are several techniques—aroom-temperature (type 2) anodized surface ismicroscopically porous, and anodized parts canoften be easily colored. Hard-coat anodizing(type 3) is done at colder temperatures andhigher currents. It’s thicker at 0.002 inch but canbe dyed only black or dark green. This is usuallyhow a black mast has been treated.

Aluminum is reactive with acid. This char-acteristic is commonly used when painting alu-minum. It’s necessary to use a special etchingprimer before painting this metal, and then avery hard topcoat, like Imron or two-partpolyurethane.

Aluminum is so reactive that navalarchitect Michael Kasten (who designs alu-minum sailboats) recommends isolatingaluminum from any metal it contacts, evenother aluminum parts! Isolation pads, bed-ding compounds, and/or paint should beused underneath a fitting that will contactthe mast. Crevice corrosion and pitting areparticular problems with aluminum in asaltwater environment.

All aluminum spars are either anodized orpainted. Anodizing is probably the method ofchoice—and properly done, an anodized coat-ing can last for years. The only downside is it’sunrepairable in place. A painted mast looksreally nice and can theoretically be spot-repaired if necessary, but paint does not pro-tect the metal nearly as well as anodizing. If

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your anodized mast is severely corroded inseveral places, your only options are:

1. Replace the entire spar—time-consuming andvery expensive.

2. Strip off all the parts and ship the mast to a com-pany that anodizes masts—time-consuming andvery expensive.

3. Strip off all the parts and sandblast and paintthe mast yourself—time-consuming, not asexpensive, but you’ll still spend a bundle.

If you have a painted mast, you’re morelikely to see corrosion blisters under the paint.Unless they’re very small, these should beaddressed immediately, as the mast can cor-rode completely through underneath the paint.

You can attempt a spot repair on a cor-roded mast as long as the pitting isn’t toosevere. First, you need to clean out all of thepowdery corrosion and get the mast back tosound metal. If you have a painted mast, sandoff the paint until you reach bare metal. Thenprime it with aluminum etching primer. (Anexample is Pettit’s two-part Aluma-Protectstrontium chromate primer. Sounds expen-sive, doesn’t it?) Before you add a top coat, it’sa good idea to test the paint on a small area ofthe mast, like near the base, to make sure thesolvents in the new paint don’t soften and liftthe old paint. Hopefully you’ll be able to get agood color match.

Don’t sand an anodized mast, since youwant to preserve the anodizing as much as pos-sible. Use a stainless wire brush to remove thewhite aluminum oxide, and be sure to get it all!Don’t use plain steel wool for this, as it willleave tiny bits of iron embedded in your alu-minum that will later rust. With an anodizedmast, there’s not much else you can do, exceptmaybe try a coat of wax.

Small holes in an aluminum mast are some-times a problem. These can be the result of cor-rosion, but more frequently they occur when apiece of hardware has been relocated. Usuallyold hardware holes are more cosmetic thananything else, except when the holes are alonga perpendicular line, which weakens the mast

considerably. You can try fixing the holesthe easy way or the hard way. On my oldMacGregor 222, I wanted to fill several largeholes, so I mixed up some J-B Weld epoxy, filledeach hole with a little blob, and smoothed theblob by covering the wet epoxy with maskingtape. After the epoxy cured, I peeled off thetape. It worked, after a fashion. My “repair” wasbetter than nothing, but it didn’t make the mastany stronger. The J-B Weld has a gray color,which was somewhat similar to the aluminumcolor. A better choice would have been analuminum-filled epoxy—Devcon makes one.

Better yet would have been a weldedrepair. A professional welder with a portablerig can do this, if he has experience weldingsailboat masts. Aluminum requires a veryexpensive heliarc-welding machine, but thereare repair rods available now that can beapplied with a propane or MAPP gas torch.Durafix is one brand; HTS-2000 from NewTechnology Products is another. These specialrepair rods aren’t cheap, but they are far lessexpensive than a heliarc machine and sixmonths of welding classes. Both repairsrequire clean and properly prepared surfaces,and it helps if you’ve done a little solderingbefore. And both repairs have the potential todamage your mast by burning it or ruining theheat treatment, but if it’s corroded through,you don’t have a lot to lose.

MAINTAINING YOUR ELECTRICALSYSTEMThe electrical system on your boat can be any-thing from a simple battery and a few lights toa complex installation involving multiple bat-teries, 120-volt shore power, inverters, charg-ers, and other gear. If your boat leans towardthe complex side, you should invest in a spe-cific manual about marine electrical systems—there are far too many variables to cover here.Be very, very careful around shore power orgenerators, and don’t fool with them unlessyou know what you’re doing. Twelve-volt sys-tems have generally lower amperage so thereis less danger, but still, be careful if you do

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electrical work. If you’re uncomfortable withit, call in some professional help. A marineelectrician can advise you about maintainingyour system.

Since most trailerable sailboats have fairlysimple electrical systems, maintainance andrepairs are also simple. Here are a few generalthings you can do to keep the electricity flow-ing where you want it.

1. Keep your battery charged properly (see thenext section). Different batteries have differentcharging requirements, so know what type ofbattery you have and charge it with a goodmarine charger. Your battery must be keptsecured with a strong strap, and the terminalsshould be covered (Coast Guard regulationsrequire a covered, ventilated battery box).

2. Keep the battery connections dry and lubri-cated. One of the reasons why electrical sys-tems on boats fail is that the connectionsoxidize in the humid environment and developshorts. Oxidation can be prevented using sili-cone dielectric grease, which seals the sur-faces from the air and prevents oxidation.Silicone faucet grease makes a good substitutefor dielectric grease, but even plain Vaseline isbetter than nothing. WD-40 or other siliconesprays work as well, though they don’t lastquite as long as grease. Lightbulb sockets, ter-minals, fuse holders, and switches should beeither greased or sprayed.

3. Secure loose wiring. All wires should besecured to the boat at least every 18 inches.Your boat should have only multistrand andmarine-rated wire aboard, though THWNstrand is a less expensive alternative. (THWNstands for Thermoplastic Heat and Waterresistant insulated wire, Nylon jacketed.)Never use solid copper wire aboard a boat.

4. Replace any wire that looks old or cracked orhas worn insulation, broken or corroded termi-nals, or splices in wet locations.

5. Remember to double-check those spare fuses.When a fuse blows, investigate the cause; it’salmost never because the original fuse was toosmall. Replacing with a larger fuse could causeyour wiring to overheat.

The BatteryBefore we discuss charging, let’s take a look atthe battery itself. Recent advances in batterytechnology have finally made it down to theretail level, and you can choose from tradi-tional wet-cell batteries, sealed gel-cell, orAGM (absorbed glass mat) types. Some batter-ies can deliver a large amount of powerquickly, as in a starting battery; others are opti-mized for deep-cycle use. Deep-cycle batteriesare able to recover fully after long periods ofslow discharge better than starting batteries.

Wet-cell (also known as flooded) batteriesare cheapest per amp-hour, but they can bedamaged by discharging to a completely flatcondition. They will self-discharge at a rate ofabout 5 to 6 percent per month, so they need tobe charged in the off-season.

Sealed gel-cell batteries require no mainte-nance (wet batteries need to be watered occa-sionally), can be mounted in any position, and,if the connections are carefully sealed, theycan even be operated underwater. Their self-discharge rate is lower, at only about 3 percentper month. But gel-cells are sensitive toovercharging, and charging—which requiresexpensive chargers with smart voltageregulators—must be closely monitored. Gel-cells cost a little more than double the price ofa wet-cell battery of a similar size.

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What’s an Amp-Hour?An amp-hour is a typical measurement of electrical powerfor a battery. It’s the total amount of energy that a batterycan deliver for 20 hours before the voltage drops to 10.5volts, which is the voltage of a dead battery. A fullycharged battery measures 14.4 volts, though this numberslowly declines throughout the life of the battery. So atypical Group 27 battery (“Group 27” refers to the sizeof the case; this example measures 121/2 × 63/4 ×93/8 inches) rated at 90 amp-hours can drive a 4.5-ampload for about 20 hours. If we turn on more lights andincrease the load to 9 amps, expect about 10 hoursbefore the battery goes flat.


Absorbed glass mat batteries have a lowself-discharge rate of about 3 percent permonth and are sealed and maintenance-free.They charge quicker than flooded-cell batter-ies and cost a little less than double the price ofa traditional wet-cell battery. AGM batterieswork well as dual-purpose batteries, since theycan deliver a large amount of power quickly(required for starting an engine) and stillprovide deep-cycle capability. Portable “jump-start” power supplies are usually small AGM-type batteries.

When buying batteries, it’s usually best tostick with one type. Each has specific chargingrequirements, and feeding them the wrongvoltage will reduce battery performance andlife span. You shouldn’t mix an old battery witha new one for the same reason. Keep the termi-nals clean and coated with dielectric grease toprevent oxidation, and clean the terminals asrequired with baking soda and water and awire brush. (Don’t let any baking soda get intothe cell of a flooded-cell battery, though, as itwill neutralize the acid in the cell.) Use good-quality, appropriately sized cables on your bat-teries. If you are not using your battery forstarting the motor, then you don’t need thick,170-amp cables.

Charging the BatteryObviously, all batteries need to be charged,and there are several ways to do this. Whattype of charger (or chargers) to use dependson the battery type, its capacity, and the wayyou use your boat. If you plan to spend a lot oftime on a mooring and away from 120-voltpower, then you’ll need an onboard generatoror solar or even wind power. First, let’s look atthe charging requirements.

To get the best life from a battery, specificcharging conditions must be met, and somebatteries (like gel-cells) are more finicky thanothers. A battery charger must deliver a cur-rent at a rate that the battery chemistry canaccept. If it delivers the current too quickly, itwill damage the battery. Furthermore, thecharge rate is not linear—it changes over time.

And the battery charger needs to know whento stop as well.

When does a battery need charging? Themost accurate method to determine your bat-tery’s state-of-charge (for a wet-cell battery) isto measure the specific gravity of the elec-trolyte using a hydrometer. Check with themanufacturer for specific readings and proce-dures. Most boatowners use the battery’s volt-age, measured with a digital voltmeter, todetermine the charge. In order to get a correctreading, wait at least 12 hours after charging,and remove the “surface charge” by placing abrief load on the battery. Switching on all thelights for a few minutes should do it. With thebattery switched off, voltage across the termi-nals should be 12.7 volts. AGM (absorbed glassmat) and gel-cell types might read slightlyhigher, at 12.8 to 12.9 volts. If the voltage fallsto 11.9 volts, the battery is dead and needs tobe recharged. A reading of 10.5 volts indicatesa bad cell, and the battery must be replaced.

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Some Electrical DefinitionsElectricity is often tricky to comprehend.Here are some simple definitions, based ona plumbing analogy:amp: Short for ampere, this is the amount ofcurrent f lowing. Somewhat equivalent towater flowing through a pipe.volt: Pressure or “push” of electricity, roughlyequal to the amount of pressure in a water pipe.watt: Measurement of electrical power;746 watts equals 1 horsepower.resistance: The amount of electrical drag in acircuit. Continuing our plumbing analogy, itwould be the size of the pipe—a large pipecan accommodate the flow of lots of water.

amps × volts = wattswatts ÷ volts = ampswatts ÷ amps = voltsamps × hours of use = amp-hours1/1,000 amp = 1 milliamp (mA)


You can get a better understanding of thedifferent types of charging requirements fordifferent batteries by looking at the followingtypical charging profiles used by Deltran, amaker of battery chargers. The standard wet-cell and gel-cell batteries are pretty similar,but it’s easy to see that AGM batteries are adifferent beast altogether, with double thecharging time.

So, that brings us back to the question ofwhich charger is best for your system. Fornow, let’s consider AC-powered chargers. It’seasy to say what type of charger is not the best,and that’s the small, cheap trickle charger.These are typically unregulated power sup-plies that are supposed to maintain a fullycharged battery, but they can easily over-charge and damage your battery.

A very basic type of charger for wet-cellbatteries, called a taper current charger or

manual charger, depends on the internal resis-tance of the battery to control the current. Asmall manual charger is better than a largeone, since it’s less capable of delivering toomuch current to the battery, but these willovercharge if not turned off when the batteryis completely charged. They shouldn’t be usedwith gel-cell or AGM batteries, but you mightget away with using one with a wet-cell if youmonitor it closely.

Ferro-resonant chargers are the next stepup in quality. These are inexpensive and com-monly available at auto parts stores, and theyare better than taper chargers because there’sless chance of overcharging or undercharging.Some will even turn themselves back on andrecharge the battery when the voltage drops toa predetermined point. Automotive chargersaren’t waterproof and shouldn’t be left onboard, but you can bring them to the dock and

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Charging profiles for absorbed glass mat (top), gel-cell (bottom left), and wet-cell (bottom right) batteries.


charge the battery as required, or, if your bat-tery is small, you can take the battery home tocharge. I used this method on my MacGregor;my electrical loads were small—just the radioand an occasional interior light. I used a smalllawn-tractor battery, which was about half thesize and cost of a standard battery. The plan wasto add a second similar battery to gain capacity,but I never got around to it. Be very carefulwhen using any sort of portable electric equip-ment near the dock—never place it in a positionwhere it might get knocked overboard, andnever let the supply cable droop into the water.

Smart chargers are best for battery life, andare practically required for gel-cell andAGM batteries (they also work for wet-cell

batteries). These are commonly three-stagechargers, whereas a ferro-resonant charger is atwo-stage charger. Smart chargers start atabout $60 for a portable unit and $100 for anonboard bulkhead-mounted model. (Pricescan continue upward to about $850, but big,expensive chargers are intended for largeboats and liveaboard battery use.) An onboardcharger isn’t required unless your boat is wiredfor 120-volt shore power; most trailer sailerscan use the less expensive portable units.

BOTTOM ISSUES—BLISTERS,BARNACLES, AND PAINTINGIf you use your boat in salt water, bottompainting becomes a necessity. In some areas,marine growth (often including barnacles) canstart to form on your hull in as little as a week.In fresh water, the problem is grass and slime,and occasionally zebra mussels, but these areusually much less severe than barnacles.

Bottom paint can be either hard or ablative.Ablative paints slowly wear away over time;hard paints don’t. Ablative paints leave a soft sur-face that is easily damaged by trailer rollers orbunks, so most trailer sailors choose hard paintsunless their boat is kept at a marina year-round.

Painting preparation involves hauling theboat out of the water, pressure-washing toknock off as much of the marine growth aspossible, and then scraping and sanding what’sleft. It is easier, though much more expensive,to do this at a boatyard with a hoist rather thancrawling around a trailer. Usually two or threecoats of bottom paint are applied by roller.Owners of racing boats must take the extrastep of polishing and buffing the bottom,which requires a special paint.

New environmental laws regarding toxinsin bottom paints keep the manufacturers busydeveloping products that are effective againstfouling yet still legal to use. California is espe-cially stringent; its VOC (volatile organic com-pounds) regulations mean that paints commonin other parts of the country are illegal there.The most successful development to date isthe use of water-based paints that have low

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A Safer Extension Cord for Dockside UseIf you use portable electric equipment at the dock andyour boat isn’t wired for shore power, there’s a safer wayto get power to the boat than stringing skinny extensioncords together. First, go to the hardware store and buy asingle extension cord—a grounded one—that’s longenough to reach your boat. (If you connect two shortones together and happen to dip the connection into thewater, it’s snap, crackle, and pop—a very dangerous situ-ation.) Also pick up a waterproof junction box and aground fault interrupt (GFI)–protected outlet.

Cut off the female end of the cord and wire in the GFIoutlet in its place. Follow the instructions that come withthe GFI outlet, and be certain to wire the ground properly.Carefully seal the openings of the junction box with sili-cone (to protect the GFI from corrosion and help it lastlonger), and give it an occasional spray of WD-40 or sim-ilar lubricant. Even so, replace the GFI if you see any signsof corrosion or if it fails to test properly. You might wantto add a length of light line to secure the cord at the plugend, and keep the cord coiled securely when not in use.

The advantage of a GFI-protected extension cord isspeed—a GFI will trip far faster than a line protected onlyby a circuit breaker. That’s why GFIs are required nearsinks and in bathrooms on shore. A GFI extension cordadds an extra layer of protection to your electrical equip-ment at the dock—but your drill will still probably fry ifyou knock it into the water.


VOC plus easy soap-and-water cleanup.(Boatyards have to keep track of all the sol-vents they use, including thinners for cleaningbrushes and sprayers.) Other high-tech coat-ings, such as Teflon, haven’t yet been proveneffective at stopping marine growth, but rac-ers like the super-slick surface. The researchcontinues.

Hull blisters are, fortunately, much less of aproblem on trailer sailers than on larger boats.Since most trailerables are stored on land, blis-ters are much less likely to form.

If you have a new or blister-free boat, andyou expect to keep your boat at a marina year-round, then you might be interested in blisterprevention. Current fiberglass boatbuildingpractice is to use vinylester resin as a barriercoat, as this more expensive type of resin hasbeen shown to resist water penetration. Youcan also add your own barrier coat. All themajor paint manufacturers offer epoxy-basedbarrier coat systems with very specific prepa-ration and application instructions, whichmust be followed exactly. Some boatownershave suggested using coal-tar epoxy paints asa barrier coat, such as Interlux’s VC Tar 2.Coal-tar paints are extremely tough; they arecommonly used in industrial applications andfor protecting steel hulls from corrosion. Butas with any epoxy, total barrier coat thicknessis critical for good performance. The hull mustbe thoroughly dry before applying any type ofbarrier coat. With a trailer sailer, this is fairlyeasy: just pull in the boat in the fall and keep itwarm and dry until spring. A heated garage orbuilding is best, but you can completely coverthe boat with a good tarp and leave it outdoors.

If you already have blisters on your hull,you have a choice—treat them, or just livewith them. Pop one to see how deep it is.(Note—wear goggles. The fluid inside a blisteris a mild acid, and it’s often under pressure. Itwould be bad to have this stuff squirt in youreyes.) If it seems to be on the surface of thehull, just under the gelcoat, then it’s primarilycosmetic. It won’t sink your boat. For practice,rinse the blister, let it dry, sand it smooth, fill it

with epoxy, and add a touch of bottom paint.Now decide if you want to repeat that processfor each blister on your hull.

If the blistering is severe, you should prob-ably plan on storing the boat ashore to let theblisters and the laminate dry out.

If you sail in salt water and keep your boatat a dock or on a mooring, you’ll have barna-cles and other marine growth to deal with.Scraping and painting the bottom is an annualritual for boatowners, and doing this job on atrailer is a pain in the tuckus. If you haveaccess to a boatyard, I recommend hiringboatyard personnel to lift the boat off thetrailer so you can get a clear shot at the hull.If you’ve got a bad case of barnacles, you’lldefinitely want to pressure-wash the hull assoon as the boat clears the water, becausebarnacles are harder to remove if you wait aday. I’ve also heard that spraying barnacleswith a vinegar solution makes them easier toremove.

RUNNING RIGGING The running rigging on your boat deserves spe-cial maintenance attention. Since this is thepart that you handle when you sail the boat,you want to keep it working as smoothly andefficiently as possible. Fortunately, it’s oftennot too difficult or expensive, and your atten-tion to detail can pay off with smoother, moreenjoyable sailing.

WinchesWinches, especially good-quality ones, can bewonderful bits of engineering. On trailer sail-ers, the winches are most often small, single-speed affairs, so they are comparatively easyto take apart, lubricate, and put back together.Yet they are often neglected, and some boat-owners have never serviced a winch. There’sno reason for this—you can probably do thejob in an hour or so, and the second winchalways goes faster. All you need is a tube ofwinch grease, some light machine oil, a rag ortwo, an old coffee can, maybe an old stiff paint-brush, and some solvent, like paint thinner,

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diesel fuel, or kerosene. (Don’t use gasoline;it’s pretty dangerous.)

The tools you need to take your winchapart vary with manufacturers. Barlowwinches often require hex wrenches, whilesome Lewmar winches will come apart with asingle flat-bladed screwdriver. If you have old,cheap plastic winches and want to upgrade,consider getting good, chrome-plated bronzewinches. Check to see how easy they are totake apart and service, as easy-to-lubricatewinches are much more likely to receiveproper care and thus provide better service.

Follow the instructions that came withyour particular winch. If those are long gone,you might be able to find them on the Internet.If you do, print out a copy and keep it in yourlogbook.

As you disassemble the winch, lay the partsout in a straight line on a rag in the order theywere removed. This makes it less likely you’llfind a mystery part when you put the winch backtogether. Clean the parts in solvent one at a time,and preserve their place in the line. Use an oldpaintbrush to get off all the old grease and dirt—an old toothbrush works, too, but it tends to flicklittle drops of dirty solvent in your eyes and allover the gelcoat. Wipe each part dry of solvent.

Grease the parts lightly and reassemble inreverse order. Be sure to grease the pawls andthe drums where they contact, as well asthe roller bearings and cages—in short, anyplacewhere two metals come together. A bicyclemechanic once told me that you should greasethreads on screws in order to get proper read-ings on a torque wrench, and I still do. (I don’tlubricate mast fittings or wheel lug nuts.Usually a specialized compound like Never-Seez is a better choice because it isn’t quite soslippery.) Some spots, like the grip of thewinch handle, call for a drop of machine oil.Grease the locking mechanism, too, if that’sthe kind of handle you have.

BlocksServicing your blocks is usually simplerbecause most don’t come apart. (On a sailboat,

they’re called blocks, never pulleys. Pulleysare cheap, and you buy them at the hardwarestore. Blocks cost an arm and a leg in compar-ison, so you should at least call them by theirproper name out of deference to your ever-dwindling bank account.) Many Harken ball-bearing blocks are made with self-lubricatingbearings and should not be oiled. Oil attractsdirt and gums up the races over time. Instead,use a dry lubricant, like McLube Sailkote, dryTeflon, or dry silicone sprays. Harken recom-mends frequent freshwater rinses for theirblocks, even an occasional cleaning withdetergent. Usually the black plastic parts ofmodern blocks fade over time. The discol-oration is cosmetic and doesn’t affect thestrength of the block, but it can be removedwith a very fine abrasive. I’ve been giving myblocks a wipe with a silicone protectant thatincludes a UV inhibitor, much like you’d use oncar interiors. I use F21 by Turtle Wax because Ihave heard rumors that other protectants con-tain detergents that can actually acceleratefading if not used regularly (though I haven’tbeen able to confirm these rumors). Theblocks look great when treated with protec-tant, though the silicone soaks right into fadedplastic. It doesn’t last too long on deck hard-ware. Watch out for overspray because it canmake your deck very slippery.

Caring for other deck hardware, such astravelers, goosenecks, and roller-furlers, usuallyrequires a similar treatment of just flushing withfresh water and adding the occasional dry lubri-cant. Check with your manufacturer and followtheir recommendations. Sail slugs and trackscan be lubricated with dry lubricants, though anold remedy has been to use a dry bar of soaprubbed into the tracks and slugs.

Ropes and LinesMaintaining your ropes and lines is fairlystraightforward. If you sail in salt water, rins-ing them with fresh water every so oftencleans away abrasive salt crystals. In time thelines get stiff and dirty, so tossing them into apillowcase and machine-washing them helps.

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Regular fabric softener can restore some oftheir lost flexibility. If they look really wornand frayed, you should replace them forsafety’s sake.

The only other maintenance item for mostlines is keeping the ends whipped. While thereare many ways to whip a line, here’s a fairlysimple method that holds up well.

1. Using strong thread or tarred marline, make aloop and hold it in place against the line withyour thumb. Leave a tail of thread hanging outto pull.

loop will bury itself under the windings, butdon’t pull too hard or the loop will pop out theother side.

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Hold a length of strong thread against the lineabout an inch from the end.

2. Tightly wrap the thread around the line, captur-ing the loop and working toward the end.

Wrap the thread neatly around the line, workingtoward the end.

3. After you’ve covered the line with about 3/8 inchof thread, pass the end through the loop, keep-ing tension on the line. Pull the tail, and the

Bury the loop under the turnings by pulling thethread’s tail.

4. You can really do a first-class job with a fewextra steps. Tie the loose ends together with anoverhand knot; then, with a needle, run theends through the line to the other side andrepeat. This whipping captures the seizingsfour times, though I usually do it only twice.

Twist the loose ends together using an over-hand knot, then run the ends through the lineto the other side using a needle. This capturesthe seizings and prevents them from workingoff the line.


SailsMaintaining modern sails is simple andstraightforward. Most often they need nothingmore than a simple rinse with fresh water. Letthem dry before storing them—wet sails growmildew, and the stains are very difficult toremove. Rust stains on a sail can sometimes becleaned with a salt and lime juice paste—squeeze a lime over a teaspoon of salt, rub themix into the stain, and leave it in the sunlight.It will take multiple treatments to remove thestain, but this works and is about as easy onthe cloth as you can get.

An old, tired sail can be sent off to a com-pany called SailCare to be cleaned and recoated,and I hear that they do impressive work. But itcan be expensive—a quote for my MacGregormainsail was around $200, and a new sail wasaround $430.

Modern Dacron sailcloth has two enemies—UV radiation and chafe. Unfortunately, there’splenty of both aboard a sailboat. Chafe can becontrolled with sacrificial patches sewn to thesail wherever they’re needed. Exposure to UVrays is addressed by keeping sails coveredwhenever they are not being used. This meansalways using your mainsail cover, and if youhave roller-furling, make sure the dark stripsewn to the leech stays intact and in goodshape. The dark strips need to be replacedevery so often, since they’re exposed 24/7.

If you notice a small tear, patch it immedi-ately or you’ll soon have a large tear, which is

infinitely more work to patch. Adhesive sail-cloth patches are good, but a real stitchedrepair by a sailmaker is better.

OUTBOARD MAINTENANCEThere are several things you can do to get goodservice from your outboard. The most impor-tant is routine maintenance. Your manual willgive the recommended sequence of periodicmaintenance steps; follow them. If you don’thave a manual, get one—most can be found onthe Internet. Here are some of the things thatthe manual will tell you to do:

EVERY TIME YOU START THE ENGINE

Check for oil buildup around the prop or foot,which could indicate a bad lower shaft seal.(It’s best to store the outboard in a liftedposition, tilted forward, with the foot clearof the water.)

Check the fuel lines for gas leaks or cracks.Check the transom clamps and motor mounts to

make sure everything is tight.While the motor is running, make sure cooling

water is flowing from the head.If you run the motor in salt water, be sure to

flush the engine with fresh water after eachoperation.

ONCE A MONTH

Check the condition of the zinc anodes andreplace if required.

Check under the hood for corrosion or loose parts.Lubricate the throttle and gear shift linkages.Check the fuel filter and strainer for dirt or

water, and clean or drain as necessary.

ONCE A SEASON

Grease all points as specified in the manual.File off any nicks in the propeller.Replace the oil in the lower unit. If the old oil

comes out milky or contains water, have thelower seal replaced.

If you operate your boat in muddy water or yourun the motor offshore, replace the impellerannually and clean out the thermostat hous-ing (if the motor has one).

Check the compression. If it’s borderline or low,have the engine serviced over the winter.

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The completed whipping.


Remove the spark plug and spray the cylinderwith fogging oil.

Apply silicone grease to the inside of the sparkplug boot.

SPECIAL SEASONAL CHECKS

FOR FOUR-STROKES

Check and adjust the valve clearances.Change the engine oil and filter.Check the timing belt.

There are several very good books on out-board maintenance if you decide to do yourown. Depending on your motor and its history,your outboard can be a dependable workhorseor cantankerous problem child. In theory,though, outboards are relatively simplemachines that can be owner-maintained and,if necessary, repaired. (See “Outboard” inChapter 3 for a primer on how they work.)The more you learn, the better off you’ll be.

Fuel AdditivesThere are two schools of thought about fueladditives. One school says you shouldn’t haveanything in your fuel except for oil (for a two-stroke, of course). The oil companies invest sig-nificant amounts of time creating fuels that areas effective as possible, and if improvementswould make their products more competitive,they’d make them. They have whole laborato-ries and teams of chemists at their disposal.

The opposition camp says that fuel per-formance can be improved with additives, andI have to admit I’m in this group for my ownmotor. First off, gasoline is formulated for usein cars. Usually, the gas in a car doesn’t have achance to get old, so long-term stability isn’t asimportant as reducing pollution. If you look atthe sticker on the side of the pump, you’ll seethat it reads “oxygenates added.” This extraoxygen, often in the form of ethanol, makesthe fuel burn cleaner. When burned, the fuelproduces less carbon monoxide and more car-bon dioxide. But think about it—when some-thing oxidizes, it changes in the presence ofoxygen. In iron, this means rust. In fuel, itmeans more gum and varnish.

In a sailboat, it’s not uncommon to burnjust one tankful of fuel in an entire season,which is a long time for gas to be sittingaround. The newer blends of fuel have plentyof time to break down. A fuel stabilizer willprevent this from happening. I use Sta-Bil eachtime I buy gas, and I always buy the highestoctane fuel available.

As an extra measure to fight gummy fueland burned oil residue, I add a little Sea Foam,a fuel conditioner and stabilizer, to my fuel. Atthe end of each season I run a stronger dose of

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E10 TroublesThe use of ethanol in fuel has been on the increase inrecent years, and a relatively new blend, called E10, hasbeen causing many boaters some trouble. This blend—10 percent ethanol, 90 percent gasoline—was broughtabout by the replacement of MTBE. MTBE is a fuel additivethat is a groundwater polluter and suspected carcinogen,and many states have outlawed its use. E10 is the result,and while it is safer, the different fuel is causing some oddreactions with marine engines.

The large amount of ethanol in E10 acts much like anengine cleaner that works a little too well. It loosens rustand debris inside your fuel system, which clogs fuel filters.The first few tanks of E10 will likely require a few new fuelfilters, unless your engine is brand new.

Ethanol absorbs water, which naturally forms insideyour tank as condensation caused by temperaturechanges. This water used to slosh around in the bottom ofthe fuel tank, below the pickup tube. Now it couldbecome a water-ethanol mix of up to 10 percent of yourfuel. Gasoline water absorbers can help, and an additionalfuel/water separator filter in your fuel line is a good idea.A fuel line vacuum gauge can tell you at a glance if your fil-ters are clogging.

Moreover, ethanol acts as a solvent for some plastics,including fiberglass, and fiberglass fuel tanks have beencommon on boats for years, though not so much on trail-erable sailboats. If you have a fiberglass tank, watch out.The ethanol can create leaks, and some folks havereported a mysterious goo in their fuel systems. Otherplastic parts, rubber O-rings, hoses, and primer bulbs thatare not alcohol-resistant need to be replaced.


Sea Foam to clean out the engine. This mightbe a bit of overkill, but so far I’ve never had todeal with any stuck needle valves, seized floatbowls, or badly fouled plugs—knock on wood.

Outboard Spares and ToolsA few tools are essential, both for onboard useand for working on your motor at home. First,determine whether you have SAE or metricbolts on your motor—they’re probably metricunless it’s an older outboard. A spark plugsocket is essential, as are tools to replace theimpeller. Phillips-head and standard screw-drivers, pliers, a feeler gauge, an inexpensivevolt-ohm meter, a small grease gun, a freshwaterflushing adapter, a socket set, and some combi-nation wrenches make up a pretty good tool setfor outboard work. You won’t normally needthese tools on board—the flushing adapterwon’t work while you’re sailing unless you bringa very long hose—but most of these would behandy if you broke down while underway.

For spare parts, you definitely want to haveextra propeller shear pins, a new spark plug,an extra fuel filter, and a new impeller. Someextra engine oil wouldn’t be a bad idea, espe-cially if you have a four-stroke engine, and Ilike to keep a small tube of silicone dielectricgrease on board. Some spare hose clamps, alittle binding wire, and even a bit of extra fuelline might save the day.

TRAILER MAINTENANCEJust like your boat, your trailer needs regularmaintenance. Since it’s less attention-gettingand glamorous than a sailboat, it oftenreceives less maintenance than it should. But ifyou ignore your trailer, it can generate a verylarge amount of negative attention in the formof an accident, and that’s to be avoided atall costs.

Maintaining your trailer becomes moreinvolved as trailer size increases, and differenttypes of trailers may have different mainte-nance requirements. The following is a generalmaintenance checklist, but, if possible, checkwith the trailer manufacturer for specificadvice concerning your model.

BEFORE EACH USE

Check the tires. Be sure that you have adequatepressure and there are no cracks in the rub-ber or any bulges indicating a possible tirefailure. Check the spare as well.

Check bearings and wheel lugs. Look for anylooseness or “play” in the trailer tires, orevidence of failed grease seals, such as oilweeping from the hubs. Correct any prob-lems before driving under a load.

Check wiring and trailer lights, especially brakelights. Lubricate all electrical connectionswith grease or spray lube.

If your trailer is equipped with brakes, makesure they are operating correctly beforehauling a load. Flush with fresh water if youlaunch in salt water.

ONCE PER YEAR

Visually inspect the trailer for signs of rust. Treatand paint any spots you find, no matter how

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Electric Propulsion for SailboatsIf all of the preceding seems like just too much bother,there is an alternative that, despite its limitations, is slowlygaining popularity. Electric outboard motors can be usedaboard the trailer sailer, and for smaller sailboats espe-cially, it might be worth a look. Several boatowners haveclamped large trolling motors to their transom for shortperiods of motoring. In general, these owners are quitehappy with the arrangement. Larger, more powerful elec-tric outboards are now available.

The limitation of electric power usually means slowerspeeds. It takes a lot of battery powery to exceed 3 knots.An electric trolling motor can completely f latten a fullycharged battery in under an hour at full throttle. Increasingyour motoring time is as simple as adding more batteries,but remember, they’re heavy and need to be located lowand near the boat’s centerline. Increasing your speedthrough the water can be done only with a larger motor,which means a correspondingly faster power drain. Buteven a small trolling motor is easier than rowing. And aslong as the battery has a charge, electric motors almostalways start with nothing more than a flick of a switch.


small. The job only gets bigger if you wait,and, like Neil Young says, rust never sleeps.

Inspect the bearings by jacking up each wheeland spinning it by hand. If you feel or hearany roughness or grinding, replace the bear-ings. If they are OK, repack the bearingswith fresh grease.

Grease lightbulb sockets and wiring connections,and check for corrosion.

There’s lots of information about workingon trailers and trailer maintenance on the

Internet. At http://www.championtrailers.com/techsup.html you’ll find nearly thirty shortarticles on everything from installing newbearings to building a utility trailer fromscratch. Champion Trailer Supply also sells akit that can convert a standard boat trailer intoa sailboat trailer, which just might save the dayif you want to buy an older sailboat that’sdeeply discounted because of a missing trailer.There are other trailer supply companies outthere as well.

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http://www.championtrailers.com/techsup.html

http://www.championtrailers.com/techsup.html

Buying equipment for your new or not-so-new sailboat is only part of the boatownership story. There are any number

of ways to personalize your boat to fit yourspecific needs and desires. Much more so thana car, a sailboat is somewhat of a blank slate.Even if you’ve found the perfect used boat,chances are that something on board will needrenewing or updating. If you read boating mag-azines, no doubt many projects will captureyour imagination. Those projects are practicaland enjoyable ways to learn new skills, such aswoodworking, metalwork, and proper tooluse—all of which have plenty of useful appli-cations outside of boat ownership.

This chapter will walk you through threeprojects that are handy improvements onmany trailer sailers: building a navigation toolrack, installing a midships cleat, and installingcockpit-led halyards.

BUILDING A NAVIGATIONTOOL RACKThis rack is a small, simple project that’s usefulfor woodworking pros and easy enough fornovices. There are lots of good books that willguide you through the beginning stages ofwoodworking. One that bridges the gapbetween beginning woodworking skills andboat projects is Fred Bingham’s Boat Joinery

and Cabinetmaking Simplified. (See theBibliography for this and other resources.) Juststart small and go slowly. Another and possiblybetter option is to take a continuing or adulteducation class at a technical college. A classoften gives you access to some very nice, large,

and expensive stationary tools as well asknowledgeable instructors to show you how touse them. Remember, most of these skills canbe mastered by high school adolescents. If theycan do it, then mere mortals like you and meshould have at least a fighting chance.

Although the rack I built for my boat is forsmall navigation tools—pencils, pens, dividers,and the like—you could use the same basicmethod to design racks to hold any number ofsmall items. A nav tool rack is just two smallstrips of teak—the bottom one is cut with a lipto keep things from sliding out, and the top iscut with perpendicular notches to hold thingsin place. You can size these notches by usingthe actual items that are to fit in them. For thisjob, a table saw or router table is definitely theway to go.

A couple of tips before you start: not justany glue will hold a resinous wood like teak.Resorcinol glue is best, and polyurethaneGorilla Glue also seems to hold well. Wipingthe surfaces to be joined with some acetonereduces the oil content a little and helps theglue to bond. Epoxy doesn’t hold well on teakby itself, especially when the glued part is usedon deck.

Cutting and sanding teak also deserve somemention. While I love the way teak smells, thedust from sanding and sawing is extremely irri-tating to the lungs. (The dust from ipe, anotherwood you might use for trim projects, isworse.) Always wear a respirator when work-ing with these woods. You’ll definitely want touse carbide-tipped saw blades, as teak will veryquickly dull carbon-steel blades.

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Modifying Your Sailboat

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MODIFYING YOUR SAILBOAT 195

A rack for navigation tools is a relatively simpleand satisfying project. Here the finished rack isshown mounted to a bulkhead.

Step 1. Lay out and mark the stock for the rack.

Step 2. The bottom rail is made of two pieces gluedtogether. One piece has notches just like the upper piece,but the bottom has small slots cut in to drain any water.The bottom rail is ripped in two pieces.

Step 3. Mill the notches in the rails. The top rail is tapedto half of the bottom rail, and the notches are milled withthe table saw.

Step 4. Here the bottom rail is set in place; the small drainnotches have been marked (left). All three pieces areshown (right).


INSTALLING A MIDSHIPS CLEATOne of the minor irritations about docking a sail-boat is the location of the cleats, typically one atthe bow and one at the stern. This arrangementusually works fine until you try to dock short-handed in a storm, with a nice 15-knot tailwind.Then, as your boat is heading for the dock, fasterthan you like and barely under control, you get tomake a choice. If you jump from the boat andstop the forward motion with the bow line, thestern will swing wide into the boat next to you.(In this situation, that boat will be brand new,

without a scratch on it. The owner will beaboard, watching your every move.) The otheroption is to try to stop your boat’s forwardmotion with the stern cleat. If you have a lot ofspace at the dock, this might work better, thoughthe bow will swing out of control. Trying to wran-gle the boat with both lines is usually comical atbest, as it’s difficult to get two lines around adock cleat fast enough to stop the boat.

The solution is midships cleats (one on eachside of the boat). If there’s room on deck, a cleatcan be installed at the middle of the boat. Whena docking line is attached to the midships cleat,neither the bow nor the stern will swing out-ward as the boat comes up against the dock,and she will be a lot easier to handle at the dock.

You can figure out the correct location of amidships cleat by using your anchor and the

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Step 5. Glue the bottom rail.

Step 6. Let the glue cure overnight; visible here are thetop and bottom rails of the rack. After carefully drillingmounting holes in the ends, soften all sharp edges witha sharp block plane and sandpaper. Finish the rack withDanish oil or some equivalent.

Step 7. Cut plugs to cover the mounting screwsfrom a scrap of the same type of wood. Mount therack on a bulkhead near your navigation area.

MODIFYING YOUR SAILBOAT

tide. What you’re looking for is the boat’s cen-ter of lateral resistance. On a calm day, toss outa small anchor that’s tied around the mast. Theboat should lie more or less beam to the cur-rent, though usually a boat’s center of lateralresistance is a bit aft of the mast. Pull theanchor rode back a bit until the boat lies paral-lel to the current—that’s the spot where yourmidships cleat should go.

The downside to a midships cleat is that itcan be tricky to locate so it isn’t in the way. Ifyou have really narrow side decks, you may nothave room for this cleat, but if you can find aspot near the center of lateral resistance thatwon’t snag your sheets or stump your toes,then mount one.

But make it strong. Forget about nylonmooring cleats—I selected these for my firstboat, and they were a mistake. You could seethem flex under load. Their two mounting holeswere spaced too closely together to hold thecleat firmly to the deck. Although they didn’tleak when I owned the boat, it is only a matter oftime before they do—and it’ll be sooner ratherthan later because of the movement. A muchbetter solution is a bronze or stainless mooringcleat with four mounting holes. Regrettably, it’sa more expensive solution—a 5-inch nylon cleatis less than $3, whereas a bronze four-hole cleatis about $15. And cast aluminum four-hole cleatscan cost near $50. But since you’re adding justtwo cleats for a single boat, the extra expense isminor.

The cleat needs to be mounted strongly tothe deck. Before you drill, take a look under thedeck to be sure you can get to the nuts, and makesure there’s clearance for a backing plate. What’sa backing plate? Glad you asked. (And if youdidn’t ask, humor me for a moment.) A backingplate is an essential part of your hardware. It’sa sheet of extra material underneath yourhardware—in this case a cleat—that’s drilledwith the same mounting holes as the hardware.Sort of a one-piece washer on steroids.

Backing plates are important because anyhole in the deck is a potential leak, and any leakcan potentially rot any organic material nearby.

If your deck is solid fiberglass, then there’s norisk of rot, but most decks on fiberglass boatsare cored with either plywood, balsa, or Airexfoam. Consider this scenario—a small leakdevelops around a fitting because the compoundinstalled twenty years ago has aged, dried out,and lost its bond to the fitting. (This process isaccelerated if the fitting is highly loaded.) Afterten years or so, the tiny bit of water that finds itsway in through that small leak has rotted the ply-wood core around the fitting, and weakened thewhole area. Along comes a nice springtimesquall with 45-knot winds. It’s not unheard of forthe bolts to pull straight through the core, dam-aging the fiberglass, and if there are tiny washersunder the bolts, the fitting could conceivablypull clear through the deck.

A backing plate spreads the load over amuch larger area, greatly increasing thestrength of the fitting it’s attached to. Backingplates can be made of the following materials:

• Stainless steel (best for stainless bolts andfittings).

• Sheet bronze (if you can find it; best if you usebronze fittings or bolts).

• Aluminum (lightweight and easy to work buthas to be watched for corrosion).

• HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic(somewhat hard to find, but rot-proof).

• Plywood (easy to find and work but needs tobe watched for rot; can be coated in epoxy forlongevity).

Of these materials, the last two are bestused in combination with a metal backingplate or large fender washers on top. Don’t tryto get away with standard washers; they’re toosmall to be effective. It’s not uncommon forsome builders to skimp when mounting cleatssince it takes time, and few buyers seem tocare about this area until it’s too late. You’lloccasionally see bolts held by little more thana dab of compound and a few washers.

If you want to be really thorough, take thisextra step: drill the mounting holes and exam-ine the core. If it’s balsa, you can chip out someof the core with a bent finish nail chucked into a

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drill bit. This won’t work so well with a plywoodcore in good shape, but if it’s rotten, it’ll chip outeasily. Seal the bottom hole with tape, and pourin some Git Rot (a proprietary blend of very thinpenetrating epoxy). Pour some into the upperhole, and keep adding more as it soaks into thecore. Once the hole is completely filled, let theepoxy cure for 24 hours. When it’s fully hard,redrill the hole through the epoxy. Now if a leakdoes develop, the water won’t migrate into thecore, and your deck won’t develop soft spots,which are a huge pain to repair.

Complete the installation by adding plenty ofpolysulfide bedding compound (see page 174)under the fitting, in the hole, and around thebolt heads. Attach the fitting using bolts andnylon lock nuts, if there’s room. These nutswill poke down into a space where your headoften goes when you’re sitting down below.Keep this in mind, because bumping into themcan really hurt!

So, now that you’ve got your new midshipscleats mounted with polysulfide and nice, bigbacking plates—do you know the seamanlikeway to stop a boat? Just a hint—it isn’t byjumping on the dock and pulling on the line.That’s how most folks end up in the drink. Andyou don’t want to be the fender between adock and a heavy boat. First you find the dockcleat and take a loose turn around it. Let themooring line slip through the cleat until thehelmsman tells you to stop the boat. Then, bypulling upward against the cleat, you have tentimes the stopping power.

INSTALLING COCKPIT-LEDHALYARDSSometime in the mid-1970s, I read a magazinearticle that said halyards made fast at the mastbase weren’t preferred for going offshore. Thatraised the question, “Are the halyards led tothe cockpit?” Armchair sailors seemed to takegreat interest in the location of the halyards,and hundreds of boats were “improved” withtriple turning blocks and rows of line stoppers.

Although the cockpit is undoubtedly a saferposition for the crew, especially offshore, it isn’t

necessary for every sailboat to have aft-led hal-yards. When halyards are cleated at the mast,your standing position gives you added leveragewhen tensioning the sail, and since you’ve gotfewer blocks to turn the halyard, there are fewerfriction losses as well. My personal preference ishaving halyards at the mast, but there are somegood reasons for cockpit-led halyards on atrailer sailer. Because the deck is usuallysmaller—and the boat tends to pitch a lotmore—than on a larger boat, you’ll often findyourself raising the halyards on your knees. Youdon’t get much of a leverage advantage that way.You can pretty easily add a stand-up deck blockat the mast and a single turning block, and if youdon’t like raising the halyards from the cockpit,it’s easy to go back to securing them at the mast.

The hardware required for this modifica-tion is fairly straightforward. For most boats,you’ll need a spring-loaded stand-up block at thebase of the mast, a cheek block for the corner

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The cockpit-led halyards on Tiny Dancer.

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of the companionway hatch, and a cleat at thecabintop edge where you can secure the hal-yard—that is, unless you really want to spendmoney. Then you can get a stopper insteadof a cleat. They both do the same thing.Stoppers are probably better for racingbecause they allow faster headsail changesand are easier to adjust. I use cleats ’cause I’mmore of the “up the lazy river” kind of sailor.

Mount the stand-up block a few inchesaway from the base of the mast. Check under-neath first—you’ll probably need to go a fewinches forward or aft as well, since there’s usuallya reinforced area or beam running underneaththe mast. Generally, you don’t want to perfo-rate the mast beam with holes. The stand-upblock needs to be through-bolted strongly, justlike a docking or mooring cleat, because thereare large loads pulling it upward. Seal themounting holes with epoxy, as discussed forthe midships cleat, and bed it well with com-pound. Use good-quality, roller-bearing blocks.

With nearly all boats, you’ll need a secondblock to lead the line around the companionway.

There are special deck organizer blocks for this,or you can use a standard cheek block. This oneneeds the same high-strength installation.Forget using sheet-metal screws for this; theywon’t be strong enough.

The third element to install is a cleat orstopper on the cabintop. Remember that you’llstill be going on deck all the time, so locate thecleat out of the way. I blasted my knee on mycleat just the other day. As you position theselines, remember that they can’t be allowed torub on any part of the boat. If they do, not onlywill the sails be difficult to raise, you’ll quicklydamage the fiberglass as well.

Don’t automatically assume that your hal-yards should be raised and lowered from thecockpit. Think carefully about it before youstart drilling holes all over your deck andspending dollars on hardware. The hardwaremay already be there—it was on two of thethree boats I’ve owned—so your choice mayalready be made, and you can try it both ways.But do take the time to seal the mounting holesand properly bed the hardware.

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Epoxy Epoxy resin is available in quarts or gallons from specialty suppliers. Epoxy resin is not the same as stan-dard polyester resin that your boat is made from—it’s far stronger, especially in adhesive strength. Whenproperly applied to a cured fiberglass boat hull, epoxy forms a permanent bond that can be considereda structural part of the boat itself. Polyester is fine for new boat construction, but when you need to addsomething to polyester that has already cured, epoxy is the easiest way to get a good bond.

Epoxy resin is more expensive than polyester, though prices have come down a bit as it has become morewidely available. Using small specialty suppliers usually results in better prices than buying from a major catalogdealer. Epoxy is more sensitive than polyester to mixing in the correct ratios, so you must be more careful whenyou mix it. This problem is greatly simplified by buying calibrated pumps when you purchase your resin.

As good as epoxy is, it has a few weaknesses. One is that it deteriorates rapidly under UV rays.Resist the temptation to coat your woodwork with a layer of epoxy, like my friend Larry Lee did on hisanchor platform. It looked good at first, but within a few months the sun had taken its toll, and his care-fully applied coating was lifting up in great cloudy sheets. Another weakness is its sensitivity to heat.Some epoxies can lose their bond at fairly low temperatures, even becoming noticeably soft on a hotand sunny day. Not all epoxies exhibit this trait, though, so examine the specifications carefully.

Another property of epoxy that isn’t really a weakness, but you should be aware of it, is “blush.” Asepoxy cures, part of the process is the formation of amine acids. The acids migrate to the surface of theepoxy, and in many resins this can prevent the full bonding of additional layers of epoxy. The amine blush

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MAINTAINING AND MODIFYING YOUR SAILBOAT200

is easily removed with a little soap and water. Recent developments have resulted in low-blush and evenno-blush formulations. I’ve never had a problem with blush with the epoxy I’ve used.

Epoxy resin, though strong and useful by itself, is only part of the story. When used in combinationwith other materials, epoxy becomes far easier to handle, easier to sand, stronger, and more penetrating.Epoxy suppliers usually carry these additives as well, so it’s easiest to order them when you buy yourresin. Additives can save you money by stretching your resin further. Here’s what you’ll commonly use:

RESIN. Often mixed 2:1 or 3:1 with hardener, though some epoxies can have a 10:1 mix ratio. Resincures by generating heat—an exothermic reaction—so you don’t want to mix too much at onetime, as some epoxies can overheat and actually boil. Often available as fast or slow cure, you’d usefast in winter, when ambient temperatures are lower, and slow in summer. The pot life, or workingtime, varies. Sometimes the resin will begin to set in as little as five minutes. Any epoxy should usu-ally be left to cure overnight, with the full cure coming in about a week.

MICROBALLOONS or MICROSPHERES. These are microscopic glass bubbles that are mixed into theresin, lightening it up and making the cured resin easy to sand. Available in white (glass) or red(phenolic); the main difference is that the red is easier to sand. When mixed 100 percent withepoxy, the resulting compound is somewhat runny and will not stay on vertical surfaces well.

FUMED SILICA. Also known as Cab-O-Sil or Aerosil, fumed silica is a very fine, threadlike silica powder.When mixed with epoxy, it forms a strong, nonsagging compound that is very difficult to sand.Some epoxy suppliers sell this as glue powder. When silica is mixed 100 percent with epoxy, theresulting compound looks and handles much like Vaseline.

WOOD FLOURS. Fine dust from sanding wood, “flours” can be used to create strong, nonsagging glue.They are usually used in combination with silica.

MILLED FIBERGLASS FIBER. Very short lengths of chopped fiberglass. Creates a very strong compound,but it tends to be a little lumpy and difficult to handle. You can create your own in small quantitieswith a pair of scissors and some regular fiberglass, but prepare yourself for an itchy experience.

GRAPHITE POWDER. Graphite can be added to epoxy to make a smooth, abrasion-resistant com-pound. It’s quite messy, of course, until it’s mixed. It’s also used to protect epoxy from UV rays,though large areas will certainly get hot in the sunshine.

FIBERGLASS. This is the same fiberglass that was used in making your boat. Combined with epoxy resin,it’s extremely strong. It comes in cloth (1.5-ounce plain weave is common), roving, or mat. Whenyou use epoxy, alternating fiberglass roving and mat with cloth isn’t as critical as it is when usingpolyester resin, as the greater adhesive strength allows more leeway when layering material. In allthe repairs and construction I’ve done with epoxy, nearly all have used fiberglass cloth. And as far asI know, all are still stuck down tight. Fiberglass cloth comes in 56-inch-wide sheets, but a handierform for boatowners is fiberglass tape. This comes in various widths, but I’ve got a roll of4-inch tape that I use all the time for making small patches, fillets, and structural members.

Mixing a batch of epoxy is easy if you have the pumps. Squirt out one shot each of hardener andresin, and stir thoroughly. Though epoxy vapors are much less noticeable than the styrene vapors frompolyester resin, you should still mix epoxy outside. Some people develop a sensitivity to epoxy, and oncethis happens, it’s nearly impossible to be around the stuff. The dust from the additives is bad for yourlungs, especially dust from fumed silica. Silica dust can cause silicosis, so protect yourself accordingly. Addthe fillers as required. I do nearly all repair work with a combination of resin, silica, and microballoons—usually a squirt of resin, a spoonful of silica, and 2 or 3 spoonfuls of microballoons. If I need a strongercompound, I’ll use more silica and cut back on the balloons.

Relocating Deck HardwareOn anything other than a brand-new sailboat, you’ll often find that deck hardware added by a previousowner is located in a less-than-optimal position. Before you change anything, confirm that this is indeedthe case with a few test sails. Sometimes hardware may seem to be in a bad place, but after a few sails itslocation makes more sense. But more often, hardware is installed without careful planning, or someone’sgreat idea turns out to be not so great. Or a part becomes worn out, but new replacements have differ-ent bolt patterns. Or better methods leave a particular piece of gear unused. How do you take care ofthese situations?

Often you’ll want to remove a part and fill in the holes. The first rule of thumb is, don’t do anythingthat’s temporary. Far too often people remove a part, tape over the holes, and never get around to fin-ishing the job properly. This leads to all sorts of problems, like tape residue baked onto your deck andwater intrusion into the deck core. And forget about using any sort of caulk or compound. This is a jobfor epoxy.

But as always, preparation is the key. Remove the old hardware and scrape away any trace of bed-ding compound. (A single-edged razor blade scraper has long been the preferred tool for this job, but anew option is ScrapeRite plastic razor blades. These come in three grades: red for general-purpose deli-cate scraping, a blue polycarbonate blade for fiberglass and gelcoat, and yellow for use on hard, flat sur-faces.) Remove any loose chips of gelcoat from the hole, and then lightly sand the area near the hole.

If the hole goes through the deck core, check the core for rot. If you find any, chip away the rot andfill the hole with thinned epoxy, as previously discussed in “Rebedding Deck Fittings” and elsewhere.

Next, wipe the entire area with acetone to clean off dust and dirt. Mask the gelcoat near the hole,leaving about a half-inch border exposed. If possible, mask the back side of the hole as well.

Fill the hole with a thickened epoxy. The easiest way to do this is with a commercial preparation. Myfavorite is Marine Tex, which is sandable after it’s cured, but you can mix up your own by adding somefumed silica and microballoons to a dab of epoxy from a hardware-store squeeze tube. Add enough untilthe mix doesn’t sag on vertical surfaces. Smooth the compound over the hole with a paint scraper. Thiswill minimize the sanding you have to do in the next step.

After the patch cures, sand it smooth. If you’re doing it by hand, start with 120 grit and finish off with220 or 320 grit to get a smooth surface. Pros will do this with a disk of fine sandpaper in a side grinder,but don’t try this unless you consider yourself an expert with this tool. It does the job in no time at all, butthe slightest hiccup will put a deep gouge in your gelcoat, requiring a much bigger repair.

Marine Tex comes in white, which is ideal if your boat happens to have a white gelcoat like mine. Ifyour deck is tinted gelcoat, the epoxy can be colored using fiberglass tints, but exact colors are difficultto match. You can add a dab of paint over the repair, which might be best for darker colors.

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On a craft that may be as small as 16feet and occasionally heeling up to 45degrees, accomplishing the tasks of

daily living takes organization, planning, andpatience. A sense of balance helps, too. Thechallenge is part of the fun, however. In thischapter we examine how you can managemeals, a fresh water supply, personal storage,and that all-important but often-neglectedtopic—the bathroom on board.

COOKING ON A SMALL BOAT Meals on any sailboat cruise require carefulplanning, and this is doubly true for a smallsailboat. Even for short cruises with a limitedcrew, you still need careful meal plans foreach day of your trip as well as some backupmeals in case you are out longer thanexpected. Dehydrated backpackers’ meals ordry pasta-based one-pot dinners work well forthis. Try to limit canned items to single-serving sizes. Once you open a can, you’ve gotto use it all, because cooler space is very lim-ited. There are some good galley cookbooksavailable, and don’t overlook backpackingcookbooks.

You can keep ice for a day or so on a boatin a standard cooler, which is long enough fora night or two of fresh food, milk, and a few colddrinks. After that, it’s either find a marina or do

without. You can usually find ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk—sold in asepticpackaging and needing no refrigeration—insingle-serving cartons in the United States;other countries have UHT cream as well.Adding an extra layer of insulation to yourcooler will make a small improvement in itsice-holding ability, but don’t expect miracles.The meltwater, if it’s uncontaminated, can beused for rinsing dishes, but I wouldn’t drink it.

Several types of stoves can be used to heatfood on a sailboat. There’s no best type, thoughcertain characteristics may cause you to preferone type over another. Most trailer sailors usea small, single-burner stove, though some haveroom for a two-burner stove. Below are someof the stove choices. Note that Coast Guardregulations require cookstoves to be securedagainst movement in heavy seas.

Alcohol StovesA few years ago, many boats came fitted withalcohol stoves. Alcohol was believed to be thebetter fuel for onboard use since the vaporsare nonexplosive and have no objectionableodor. I used a pressurized alcohol stove foryears, and it worked fine. My current stove isan Origo 1500 nonpressurized alcohol typethat works quite well. If your boat has an oper-ational alcohol stove, and you can still get

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CHAPTER F IFTEEN

Personal Comforts On Board

PERSONAL COMFORTS ON BOARD

parts for it, you don’t have to replace it until itstarts giving you problems.

Alcohol has its drawbacks—it takes longerto boil a pot of water, and fuel spills can burnwith an almost invisible flame. Alcohol isexpensive if you buy it through most readilyavailable sources, like hardware or drugstores.But denatured alcohol is handy to have aboardsince it has medical uses, it’s a good disinfec-tant, and it thins uncured epoxy.

Gimbaled StovesGimbaled stoves are designed for marine use;they swing from front to back, matching theboat’s movement, and hold up well in damp,salty air. If you have the room, the OptimusSea-swing is a nice gimbaled stove. Foresparmakes one called a Mini-Galley, and Force 10makes the Seacook. These are all propanemodels. Gimbaled stoves are about the onlycookers you can use when it’s rough, althoughyou probably should skip cooking in a storm.To be mounted properly, they do require somevertical space, which you may or may not haveon your boat.

Propane Camping StovesPropane camping stoves are readily available,inexpensive, and popular on trailerables aswell as larger cruisers. The flame burns hotand clean, with no smoke and little odor. Theproblem is, other than the gimbaled stoves dis-cussed above, most are not designed formarine use, and may have mild steel parts thatcan rust out in a few seasons. Some, though,are made of stainless steel. You can extend thelife of a camp stove by spraying the entirething, especially the inside, with silicone wiredryer. It does a fair job of preventing rust butdoesn’t contain lubricants, like WD-40, so itfeels less greasy after the silicone evaporates.There’s no oil film that could, in theory, ignite.

Another downside is of course the risk ofexplosion. It is crucial to keep the stove andpropane tank leak-free. Don’t unscrew thepropane cylinder once you’ve started using it,since the seals on the cylinder can leak once

they’ve been installed on the stove and thenremoved. (An explosion is pretty rare, but Iwouldn’t risk it.) Do not store propane cylinders

down below! Propane vapor is heavier than airand can settle in the bilge. All you need is alittle water and some time—the stove rusts,the tank leaks, the propane settles to the low-est point on the boat, and hopefully you won’tbe below when she blows to bits. A chemicalcalled mercaptan is added to propane to makeit smell bad, so you’ll know there’s a leak. Ifyou can smell gas, you’ve got a problem. Shuteverything off and take the stove immediatelyto the cockpit until you can sort it out.

Lightweight Backpacking StovesThese tiny little things do a surprising job. Ifyou haven’t been to an outdoor-gear store in afew years, go have a look at modern backpack-ing stoves. Some can burn multiple fuels, likealcohol, kerosene, or white gasoline. (I wouldn’tuse gasoline in the cabin.) Their tiny size canbe their downfall on a boat, though, since theyare designed to be used on a very stablesurface—the ground. Slippery fiberglasssurfaces and the occasional ill-timed boatwake mean that most backpacking stovesneed some form of modification to preventthem from slipping. Many also require that thepot stay carefully balanced on the exact centerof the stove, which would, of course, be quitedifficult on a boat. If you can figure out a wayaround these requirements, then a backpack-ing stove might be a workable option.

FRESH WATERFresh water aboard a boat is always important—you’ll need it for drinking, cooking, and cleanup(including yourself). Often the stock watertanks that come with a boat are too small forcruising, and you’ll want to supplement theboat’s capacity. For small boats, the best solu-tion is tanks. Water is, of course, very heavy andneeds to be kept well secured in the lowestpossible part of the boat. Several smaller tanksof 1 to 2 gallons are better than a single largetank. Collapsible plastic tanks, like those used

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for camping, are good on a boat, but you mustprotect them from chafing. A 2-gallon unit witha canvas bag to protect it would work well.

Delivering water to the user is easier with agravity-fed system than a hand-operated pump.If you have the room, a high shelf near the sinkis an ideal place to keep a 2-gallon water jugwhile you’re at anchor; then you can secure itin a lower spot while you’re underway.

If a gravity system isn’t practical, a footpump is better than a hand pump. Foot pumpsneed to be strongly mounted. Hand pumps dohave one big advantage—they are such a painto use, you conserve lots of water. Of course, ifyou use several small 1-gallon tanks, the watercan simply be poured as needed. This low-techapproach saves water but might be tricky ifyou are bouncing around on a brisk upwindtack. A pressurized water system isn’t reallypractical on a trailerable sailboat because itscomplexity reduces tank capacity, and you’dlikely run out of water long before your cruisewas over.

Showering on board is certainly possible,and really isn’t a big deal. You shower in thecockpit. If you’re in an anchorage with otherboats or sailing with a crew, you can shower ina bathing suit. A suit that’s a little baggy orstretchy helps.

Hot water can be supplied two ways. ASolar Shower is a dark-colored bag with ashower nozzle and an on/off spigot; you fill itwith water and let it warm in the sun. Hang itfrom the rigging and let gravity do the work.The water never gets really hot, but it’s cer-tainly better than a cold shower.

An easier system is the garden pressuresprayer. A 3-gallon size works well, and a darkcolor will warm the water a little in the sun. Oruse 2 gallons of cold water and 1 gallon of hotwater from the stove.

To take a shower using the minimumamount of fresh water, use a bucket full ofsalt water for your initial hose-down, thensoap up. Use fresh water only for the finalrinse. Only a few soaps will lather in saltwater—some options are diluted Dawn or

Lemon Joy dishwashing detergent (shower-ing with dishwashing liquid tends to dry outyour skin, however), Lever 2000 bar soap,Suave shampoo, and specialty soaps for salt-water washing, like SunShower, Saltwater, orSailor Soap.

PERSONAL GEARFortunately, sailing doesn’t require a lot offancy duds, but some clothes are betterchoices than others. Certain fibers, such asbleached cotton, are nearly transparent to UVrays, unbleached cotton has a higher SPF. Silkand some high-luster polyesters can protectyour skin because they’re reflective. In gen-eral, darker colors absorb more UV radiationthan lighter colors. Denim blocks UV rayswell—it has an SPF approaching 100—but itisn’t very practical if it gets wet. To check aparticular garment to see if it offers sun pro-tection, hold it up to the light. The more youcan see through the fabric, the less effective itwill be against sunburn.

Specialty fabrics are now available that arelightweight, quick-drying, and offer better sunprotection, but they’re usually expensive.

One thing you will need is a good hat, espe-cially if you have a head like mine. Right onschedule, at about age 42, most of my hair dis-appeared. From the eyebrows up, I now resem-ble a naked mole rat, so rather than attempt todisguise my obvious middle age, I regularlyshave off my remaining air with clippers. Nowsunburn happens in the blink of an eye, so agood hat is a requirement. There are manystyles to choose from, but something with awide brim offers more protection for yourneck and ears than the typical baseball hat.Whatever you get, make sure it has a chin strapor a collar clip so it won’t blow off, or won’t gooverboard if it does happen to blow off.

Good deck shoes are important as well,and there have been some improvements inrecent years. Once upon a time, deck shoesmeant Sperry Topsiders, but I’ve never likedthem—the low-cut uppers make them feel likethey’re always slipping off my feet. (And wearing

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socks with topsiders looks so silly that even Iknow better and Bozo the clown was a snappydresser compared to me.) Harken makes deckshoes that lace up like sneakers, and newerstyles of deck shoes combine appropriatesoles with lace-up security and good looks.A deck shoe’s sole should be covered withridges that are cut into the sole; they aren’teasily seen unless the sole is bent. Cheapimitation deck shoes have molded-in ridges.Good soles can also be found on sandals andwater shoes that are designed to get wet, drainwell, and dry quickly.

Where to put your carefully plannedwardrobe? Any sailboat that is small enough tobe put on a trailer is not going to have a greatdeal of space down below. Gear nets or gearhammocks are handy for storing clothes alongthe V-berth. They keep your clothes easilyaccessible yet out of the way, and they stay putwhen you’re on a good heel. Also, for fewerwrinkles, roll clothes instead of folding them,and keep them in a soft duffel or canvas bag.

WHAT ABOUT THE BATHROOM?Some people find it impossible to believe thatyou, or anyone else, would be crazy enough tosleep on such a tiny vessel as a trailerable sail-boat. They look down below and say, “Butwhere’s the bathroom?”

A few hundred years ago the bathroom, orhead, was at the head of the ship, where thebreeze was most likely to carry away the smells.Two hundred years later, and it still smells.Nobody likes to talk about the head, and I can’tblame them—it’s an unpleasant, stinky, embar-rassingly personal subject—but everyone has todeal with it one way or another.

Like it or not, there’s every indication thatmost states will eventually become no-dischargezones. This means that you can’t pump anysewage overboard, even if it is through a feder-ally approved treatment system. No-dischargezones apply to blackwater, or sewage. Sinkwater, or graywater, is usually exempt. Thistrend has caused a great many complaintsfrom the boating community, citing studies

claiming that most pollution is caused by agri-cultural runoff. But while pumpouts and hold-ing tanks are far from convenient, there is littledoubt that stronger pollution regulations areimproving water quality.

Trailerables are ahead of the curve in thisarea. Boats without an installed head, whichincludes most trailer sailers, are no-dischargevessels. There are some progressive ways forhandling waste that would make it easy forsmall and large boats alike to comply with no-discharge regulations. We’ll look at these in amoment.

Installed HeadsOn larger boats of 25 feet or so, you might find apermanently installed head. These are whatsome consider to be Public Enemy Number Two.They’re hated by environmentalists and boat-owners alike, especially those who’ve had torepair them more than once. See the proceduresand regulations for MSDs (marine sanitationdevices) under “USCG-Required Equipment” inChapter 5.

If you’re considering a boat with a perma-nently installed head and you’ve never used one,be sure to ask the seller for detailed instructionsabout using it. Never make assumptions about ahead installation. One big thing to remember isthat they are very easily clogged—and there are

no plumbers at sea. It’s said that something assmall as a match will clog one. I’m too much of acoward to see if it’s true. Fixing a clogged marinehead is an extremely unpleasant experience.The only thing that it can take is toilet paper, andI’d recommend the special quick-dissolving kindsold by marine and RV suppliers. Another impor-tant thing to remember is to open the seacock

before operating the pump. If you forget, andbust a hose—just thinking about that possibilitymakes me a little ill.

The Portable HeadMuch more common on small boats is theubiquitous porta-potty. These are small, self-contained toilets that include a seat, lid, stor-age tank, water supply, and pump for rinsing

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the bowl. Most are sufficient for two adultsover a long weekend. The storage tank getsdumped—carefully—into an onshore toilet.Portable heads are usually made of plastic andcost in the neighborhood of $70 to $150. At thatprice, it’s an item that I’d much rather replaceevery few years than attempt any sort of repairor rebuild. My MacGregor 222 came with aporta-potty that hadn’t been used in years,though the lower waste tank was about half-filled with—something liquid. It also seemedto be under pressure. I treated it like a handgrenade with the pin halfway out, and very

carefully, very gently, placed it in the garbagecan and bought a new one.

The best thing about portable heads is theirsimplicity; they have few moving parts. Theyhave two tanks—the upper tank holds a smallamount of water for rinsing the bowl, and thelower tank holds the waste. A small bellowspump squirts in a little rinse water, and a trapallows waste to drop from the bowl into thetank. The drawback is limited capacity. Thelower tank typically stores 21/2 to 5 gallons. Ofcourse, there’s the pleasure of lugging arounda tank full of liquid poop, and the delightfulsmell as you dump it in a toilet somewhere.Actually, if you use the manufacturer’s recom-mended chemicals, it’s quite a bit less nauseat-ing than the untreated stuff.

Note that in some areas, such as Ontario,portable heads are illegal. Any boat must havea permanently installed head, with a deck fit-ting for pumpouts and a vent fitting. Checklocal laws and ordinances concerning headsbefore you cruise.

Portable heads aren’t as bad as you mightthink. Yes, they are small, and they’ll seem alittle unsteady at first, but there are optionalbrackets to keep the thing in place. Whilesome are slightly better than others, they allwork pretty much as advertised.

Alternative Head SystemsBoth the permanently installed head systemsand portable heads have one thing in common,and that’s water. Just like our flush toilets at

home, they use water to move things alongthrough the system and to control odors(somewhat) by sealing them from the air. Thisworks fine if you’ve got plenty of water and asewage connection to carry things away, but ifyou don’t, things just don’t work as well.

An alternative way of thinking is to keepthings as dry as possible and control odors byother methods. Waste can be broken down bytwo types of bacteria—anaerobic and aerobic.Aerobic bacteria require oxygen to grow; anaer-obic bacteria do not. Anaerobic bacteria pro-duce methane, hydrogen sulfide, and othergases that smell terrible. Aerobic bacteria pro-duce carbon dioxide, which is odorless by itself.

Composting toilets are an alternative to thetraditional permanent head installation; theyuse aerobic bacteria to break down waste.They require a little peat moss every once in awhile to keep them going, and have a small fanto supply the air that the bacteria need to sur-vive. Composting heads have a special bowlthat separates urine from feces, which keeps

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The Air Head composting toilet separates liquidsfrom solids.


odors down and increases the capacity of thesystem. A special storage bottle holds urineuntil it can be dumped on shore. A compostinghead is expensive, at about $1,200 for a com-plete installation, though for a large boat itmakes a lot of sense.

Smaller boats require simpler solutions.Again we can turn to our backpacker friends forhelp. One of the better solutions is the Wag Bag.These are biodegradable plastic bags that con-tain a substance called Pooh Powder. The pow-der locks urine into a gel, much like a baby’sdiaper does. It also deodorizes and beginsdecomposing solid waste. Wag Bags were usedby the thousands in the aftermath of HurricaneKatrina in New Orleans, so they’ve passed thetest. They are landfill-safe and legal to toss innormal garbage containers or dumpsters. Onebag is reportedly good for five or six uses, and atwelve-bag supply costs about $26. They can bepurchased from boat chandleries like BoatU.S.or West Marine, or ordered directly from themanufacturer, Phillips Environmental Products(www.thepett.com). The Wag Bag is an innova-tive and functional system with no holdingtanks or dumping of liquid.

Other manufacturers make similar systemsthat are variations on the garbage-bag theme.One is a potty seat that fits tightly on a standard5-gallon bucket. (Or you could get creative andbuild your own with a trip to a builder’s supply.Line it with a heavy-duty plastic bag and toss inyour own powder.) Another option (from NRSPaddlesports) is the Groover Tamer. This is apowder and spray system—the powder cantreat up to 40 pounds of waste, and the spraydeodorizer is good for 850 applications.

Simpler still is something called the saw-dust toilet, sometimes used ashore in placeswhere plumbing and septic systems areunavailable. It’s a composting system wheresawdust is used as a carbon-rich cover mate-rial that jump-starts the composting process.As long as the waste remains covered with anadequate amount of sawdust, there is suppos-edly little odor. The “system” is simple, anduses a 5-gallon bucket. As it is filled with waste

and sawdust, it’s dumped in the center of anoxygen-rich compost pile. The heat from thecompost pile kills pathogens, and after abouta year the compost is completely inert.Although sawdust works best, other covermaterials such as peat moss, rice hulls, or leafmold (partially composted, finely choppedleaves) can be used. Waste must always becovered with a layer of clean organic material.The sawdust toilet and other forms of com-posting are covered in detail in The Humanure

Handbook by Joseph Jenkins. It’s free online atwww.weblife.org/humanure/index.html.

Though the sawdust composting toilet wasnot designed for boat use—one can hardly havea compost pile on a boat—it seems that someversion could be used on board, especially ifyou could find an inexpensive dry additive thatwould promote aerobic bacteria. Hydrogelpowder in the form of soil additives and/or acompost activator (such as Espoma’s OrganicTraditions Bio-Accelerator, 4 pounds for $19)might improve such a system. Venting the headarea with a solar ventilator might be required,but this would be a welcome addition no matterwhat form of head you use. You’d have to dosome experimenting to see what will work on aboat, but this is an area that could reap somereal benefits for the cruising community.

207

The “honey pot” that came with my boat is little more thana bucket with a toilet seat. There’s just enough room for itunder the V-berth. With some selected dry cover material,though, it isn’t nearly as bad as it looks or sounds.

www.thepett.com

www.weblife.org/humanure/index.html

Hundreds of boats that could be calledtrailerable have been built over theyears, so obviously it’s impossible to

show all the current options. If we modify ourparameters to include some provision forsleeping, the list becomes more manageable.Even so, this is not a complete listing of allfiberglass trailer sailers with cabins. I’ve triedto include descriptions of as many boats aspossible, especially current production models.

My hope is that the range of boats shown willgive you an idea of your choices.

Every effort was made to ensure that the datain this section is accurate, but the statistics foreach boat may vary slightly from what you seehere. I listed approximate prices for new boats forcomparison, but they will surely have changedby the time you read this. Used boat prices canvary greatly—consult NADA or BUC price guidesfor that information. (See the Bibliography.)

208

The Trailer Sailboat Gallery

Catalina 18 Mark IIHull length 18’

(LOA including rudder and bow rail: 20’4”)LWL 16’4” Beam 7’7” Draft 2’4” (wing keel)Displacement 1,500 lbs.Ballast 425 lbs.Sail area 151 sq. ft.Mast height 23’2”Designer Gerry DouglasContact www.catalinayachts.com

BOATS CURRENTLY IN PRODUCTIONCatalina

Catalina Yachts has been in business a longtime and has built a lot of boats. It’s the cre-ator of what is arguably the king of trailera-ble sailboats, the Catalina 22. More than10,000 Catalina 22s have been built over theyears. (See pages 233–234 for a guide to usedCatalina 22s.) Catalina Yachts has weatheredquite a few industry recessions, and stillbuilds capable boats at reasonable prices. Itscurrent line of trailerable boats contains sev-eral from 18 to 25 feet that feature a functionalsailing platform plus fairly nice accommoda-tions belowdeck.

Catalina 18 Mark IIThe Catalina 18 has a small cabin and is a goodsize for two people. At 1,500 pounds displace-ment, it can be pulled by most cars.

www.catalinayachts.com

CATALINA

Catalina 22 SportThe Catalina 22 Sport was designed in responseto owners who wanted a boat that more closelyreflected the size and weight of the originalCatalina 22. It’s being called a family racer and isan alternative to restoring an older 22.

Catalina Capri 22The Capri 22 is basically a daysailing and rac-ing version of the 22. The interior is similar tothat of the 18, but the cockpit is longer.

209

Catalina 22 SportHull length 21’6” (LOA: 23’10”)LWL 19’4” Beam 7’8”Draft 1’8”/5’0” (cb up/down) Displacement 2,380 lbs. Ballast 550 lbs.Sail area 205 sq. ft.Mast height 25’0”Designer Gerry Douglas

Catalina Capri 22Hull length 22’(LOA: 24’6”)LWL 20’0”Beam 8’2”Draft 2’8” (wing keel)

4’0” (fin keel)Displacement 2,250 lbs. (wing keel)

2,200 lbs. (fin keel)Ballast 700 lbs. (wing keel)

650 lbs. (fin keel)Sail area 229 sq. ft. (standard rig)

255 sq. ft. (tall rig)Mast height 31’4” (standard rig)

23’4” (tall rig)Designer Gerry Douglas

BOATS CURRENTLY IN PRODUCTION

Catalina 22 MKIIThis is a complete redesign of the famousCatalina 22. Whereas the Capri 22 is intended

210

Catalina 250Hull length 25’0” (LOA: 26’11”)LWL 21’3”Beam 8’6”Draft 1’8”/5’9” (cb up, water

ballast/cb down)3’5” (wing keel)

Displacement 3,250 lbs. (cb, waterballast)

4,200 lbs. (wing keel)Ballast 1,050 lbs. (wing keel),

n/a (water ballast)Sail area 265 sq. ft.Mast height 33’3”Designer Gerry Douglas

Hull length 22’(LOA 23’10”)LWL 19’4”Beam 8’4”Draft 2’0”/5’0” (cb up/down)

3’6” (fin keel) 2’6” (wing keel)

Displacement 2,290 lbs. (swing keel)2,603 lbs. (fin keel)

2,546 lbs. (wing keel)

Ballast 452 lbs. (swing keel)765 lbs. (fin keel)

708 lbs. (wing keel)Sail area 205 sq. ft.Mast height 24’9”Designer Frank Butler/Gerry Douglas

Catalina 250The Catalina 250 is a “maxi-trailerable”—whileit is a trailerable, you probably wouldn’t zipdown to the lake to launch it for a quick after-noon’s sail. It does have a very roomy cabin,however. There are two models—a fixed-wingkeel and a water-ballasted centerboard model.The centerboard would be more practical fortrailering, while the fixed-keel model mighthave better sailing performance.

mainly for daysailing and racing, the C22II hasan interior designed for longer stays on thewater.

COM-PAC YACHTS/ THE HUTCHINS COMPANY

Com-Pac Yachts/The Hutchins Company

211

Picnic CatLOA 14’0” LWL 12’5” Beam 7’3” Draft 0’6”/2’8” (cb up/down)Displacement 500 lbs. (approx) Sail area 109 sq. ft.

Mast height 19’9” above waterline(approx combined mast and gaff height)

Designer Clark MillsContact www.com-pacyachts.com

The Hutchins Company was founded in 1957by Les Hutchins, Sr., an inventor and entrepre-neur. In the 1970s he combined a personalinterest in sailing with a desire to diversify hiscompany, and commissioned Clark Mills to“put a big sailboat in a small package.” Theresult was the Com-Pac 16, first introduced in1974. It was among the first small boats

available with shoal-draft, fixed keels. The Com-Pac 23and 19 were added to the line, and these boats are nowconsidered classics. Com-Pac owners are passionateabout their boats, and used models in reasonable condi-tion are quickly snapped up. Com-Pac’s current line oftrailerable boats blends classic styling with contempo-rary hull forms, and even includes several catboatdesigns.

Picnic CatAt 14 feet overall, this little catboat is reallymore of a daysailer than an overnighter, butovernights could be accomplished with aboom tent and some flexibility. Clark Mills isthe designer, who also designed the famousOptimist and Windmill class racers, so I’dimagine she’s a quick sailer.

Sun CatA pretty little catboat. There’s not much interms of a cabin, which should be expected ona 17-footer, but she’d be a more than capableweekender for two.

Sun CatLOA 17’4” LWL 15’0” Beam 7’3” Draft 2’1”/4’6” (cb up/down)Displacement 1,500 lbs. (approx)Ballast 300 lbs. Sail area 150 sq. ft.

Mast height 23’6” above waterline(approx combined mast and gaff height)

Designer Clark MillsContact www.com-pacyachts.com

www.com-pacyachts.com


LegacyLOA 16’6” LWL 14’4” Beam 6’0” Draft 1’4”/3’6” (cb up/down)Displacement 1,000 lbs. (approx)Ballast 600 lbs. Sail area 130 sq. ft.Mast height approx 20’3” above waterlineContact www.com-pacyachts.com


Horizon CatA true catboat with a shallow fin keel forimproved windward ability.

LegacyNew in 2006, this small boat is the closest thingto the original Com-Pac 16. Small and rela-tively affordable, it’s a good choice for thosewanting a new boat without the hassles oftrailering a huge, heavy package. The cabin hassitting headroom and just enough space tosleep two adults. A bimini or boom tent wouldcertainly open up more space for longercruises.

212

Horizon CatLOA 20’0” LWL 17’9”

Beam 8’4” Draft 2’2”/5’0” (cb up/down)Displacement 2,500 lbs. (approx)Ballast 600 lbs. Sail area 205 sq. ft.Mast height 29’ above waterline

(approx combined mast and gaff height)Designer Clark MillsContact www.com-pacyachts.com



COM-PAC YACHTS/ THE HUTCHINS COMPANY 213

EclipseA step up in size from the Legacy, the Eclipsehas more of an interior below. It’s still sittingheadroom, of course, but there’s more room allaround. It was designed to be easy to launchand trailer.

Com-Pac 23/3This is a fixed-keel boat that comes with realbronze opening portlights. At 3,000 lbs, this is amaxi-trailerable, and you’d need a substantialvehicle to pull it.

Com-Pac 23/3LOA 23’11” LWL 20’2” Beam 8’0” Draft 2’3”Displacement 3,000 lbs. Ballast 1,340 lbs. Sail area 250 sq. ft.Mast height 30’above waterlineContact www.com-pacyachts.com

EclipseLOA 21’10” LWL 18’1” Beam 7’4” Draft 1’6”/5’2” (cb up/down)Displacement 2,200 lbs. Ballast 700 lbs. Sail area 200 sq. ft.Mast height 26’0” above waterlineContact www.com-pacyachts.com



214

Corsair 24The Corsair 24 has been built since 1991. With alittle more cabin space and slightly heavier hullthan the Sprint, this model has more amenitiesfor cruising, at the cost of some added weight.It can still reach speeds up to 20 knots.

Corsair 24LOA 24’2” LWL 23’7”Beam 17’11” (overall)

8’2” (folded)Draft 12”/4’8” (cb up/down)Displacement 1,690 lbs.Ballast noneSail area 364 sq. ft. (mainsail)


Corsair Marine

Corsair Sprint 750Designed for daysailing and camp-style cruis-ing, the new Sprint 750 can reach speeds inexcess of 20 knots.

Corsair Sprint 750LOA 24’3”LWL 23’7” Beam 17’11” (overall)

8’2” (folded) Draft 12”/5’6” (cb up/down)Displacement 1,584 lbs. Sail area 428 sq. ft.Contact www.corsairmarine.com

Corsair Marine was established in 1984 byAustralian designer and multihull pioneerIan Farrier. He resigned from the company in

1991, but Corsair continued to build smalland large multihulls with a reputation forspeed.

www.corsairmarine.com

teak and glossy new fiberglass surfaces—a realhead-turner. Ensign uses the original molds,which they purchased from Pearson when theywent out of business.

The boat has a large cockpit and a smallcuddy cabin with a couple of berths and notmuch else. The Ensign still has an active racingfleet and web presence.

215ENSIGN SPARS

Ensign Spars

Corsair 28LOA 28’5”LWL 26’3”Beam 8’2.5“ (folded)Draft 1’2”/4’11” (cb up/down)Displacement 2,790 lbs.Ballast noneSail area 475 sq. ft.

LOA 22’6” LWL 16’9” Beam 7’0” Draft 3’0”Displacement 3,000 lbs. Ballast 1,200 lbs. Sail area 235 sq. ft.Mast height 32’ above waterlineDesigner Carl AlbergContact www.ensignspars.com

Corsair 28Introduced in 1997, the Corsair 28 is big andfast, yet can still fold into a trailerable packagethat’s only 81/2 feet wide. This is an update ofthe famous F-27 trimaran.

Ensign Spars is a small company in Dunedin,Florida, that builds the Ensign Classic, a repro-duction of Carl Alberg’s Electra Day Sailer,originally built by Pearson in 1962. It remainedin production until 1983.

If you’re a fan of traditional boats, the newversion by Ensign Spars is a sight to behold. It’s avery good-looking vessel, with plenty of varnished

Ensign Classic

www.ensignspars.com

216

Hunter 216 LOA 21’6”LWL 18’9”Beam 7’11”Draft 1’0”/3’6” (cb up/down)Displacement 1,350 lbs.Ballast 500 lbs.Towing weight 1,850 lbs.Sail area 252 sq. ft.Mast height 30’11” above waterlineDesigner Glenn Henderson


Etap is a Belgian builder of lightweight per-formance sailboats. They build two trailerablemodels, the 21i and the 24i. The company was

LOA 21’6” LWL 20’6” Beam 8’2” Draft 2’4”/4’3”

(shoal keel/deep keel)Displacement 2,712 lbs./2,601 lbs.

(shoal keel/deep keel)

Ballast 771 lbs./661 lbs.(shoal keel/deep keel)

Sail area 256 sq. ft.Mast height 34’2” above waterlineDesigner Etap YachtingContact http://www.etapmarine.com/

Ballast 1,145 lbs./1,101 lbs.(shoal keel/deep keel)

Sail area 327 sq. ft.Mast height 38’1” above waterlineDesigner Etap Yachting

LOA 26’4” LWL 22’0” Beam 8’2.5” Draft 2’9.5”/4’11” (shoal keel/deep keel)Displacement 4,012 lbs./3,968 lbs.

(shoal keel/deep keel)

Etap Marinebought by Dehler Sailboats in 2008, who saysthey intend to increase production of Etapboats.

Etap 21i

Etap 24i

Hunter Sailboats

Hunter is another old name in the sailboat busi-ness. In the past the company built several trailer-able models with sleeping accommodations;

their current offerings are mostly larger boats,but they still build two trailerable boats withcabins.

Hunter 216

http://www.etapmarine.com/

J-Boats has built a reputation as one of theworld’s leading performance brands withboats between 22 and 65 feet. Its two smallestboats are trailerable but require a crane or

217J-BOATS

J-Boats

Hunter 25LOA 24’6”LWL 22’1”Beam 8’5.5”Draft 2’0” Displacement 3,700 lbs.Ballast 1,309 lbs. Sail area 239 sq. ft.Mast height 31’8” (above waterline)Designer Glenn Henderson

hoist for launching. Most places hosting J-classraces have a hoist to get boats in and out of thewater. All trailerable models have deep-drafthigh-performance keels.

Hunter 25

At 1,800 pounds, the J/22 can be towedbehind an SUV. The newest J/22s are builtwith low-maintenance materials, such asstainless for handrails and white compositefor toe rails.

218 BOATS CURRENTLY IN PRODUCTION

J/22The J/22 is an international class with morethan 1,550 boats sailing in sixty-five fleets ineighteen countries. Twelve- to 15-year-oldboats are reported to win major class races.

J/24The International J/24 is built in several coun-tries and is in an active racing class. Since thebeam is over the legal limit for highway trans-port, you’ll need a wide load permit to takethese on the road.

J/22LOA 22’6” LWL 19’Beam 8’0” Draft 3’8”Displacement 1,790 lbs.Ballast 700 lbs.Sail area 223 sq. ft.Mast height 24’6”

J/24LOA 24’0”LWL 20’0”Beam 8’11” Draft 4’0”Displacement 3,100 lbs.Ballast 950 lbs.Sail area 261 sq. ft. Mast height 36’6”

(Cou

rtesy

J-Bo

ats,

Inc.

)

J/80 It’s hard to believe that a boat this big is trail-erable, but it is. With a 8'3'' beam and weigh-ing 3,100 pounds, it can be towed in manystates behind a truck or SUV without a specialpermit. It’s an intimidating package—the

219J-BOATS

draft is 4'10'', and the fixed keel means that itsits quite high on a trailer. The J/80 is ISOOffshore Certified, which means it’s designedfor waves up to 13 feet and winds to 41 knots.Speeds can get as high as 15 knots underspinnaker.

J/80LOA 26’3”LWL 24’7”Beam 8’3”Draft 4’10”Displacement 3,100 lbs.Ballast 1,400 lbs.Sail area 338 sq. ft.Mast height 37’6” above waterline

(Cou

rtesy

J-Bo

ats,

Inc.

)

MacGregor

plane under power. This ability necessarily sac-rifices some sailing performance, but for somepeople this is an acceptable trade-off. It’s not anew idea—Lancer made a powersailer modelback in the 1980s. Owners report that you haveto allow 95 to 105 degrees to tack the boat, andit needs to be reefed earlier than a typical25-footer, but then again not many 25-footerscan go upward of 20 knots under power.


Although MacGregor was one of the early lead-ers in trailerable sailboat design, the companyhas trimmed its offerings to one model—theMacGregor 26 PowerSailer. (The latest versionof the Powersailer is the 26M, introduced in2003, which features a rotating mast and a dag-gerboard. Earlier models had a centerboard.)These are designed to take up to 50 hp outboardmotors, and the water-ballasted hulls are able to

SanderlingLOA 18’2” LOD 18’2”LWL 18’0” Beam 8’6” Draft 1’7”/4’4” (cb up/down) Displacement 2,200 lbs. Ballast 500 lbs.Sail area 253 sq. ft. (main) Mast height 23’4”Designer Breck Marshall (1962)

MacGregor 26LOA 25’10”LWL 23’Beam 7’10”Draft 9”/5’6” (cb up/down)Displacement 2,350 lbs. (tanks empty)Ballast water ballastSail area 281 sq. ft. Mast height 35’above waterlineDesigner Roger MacGregor (1995) Number produced 2,000

MacGregor 26

Marshall Marine

Sanderling

This yard, started by Jerry Montgomery in themid-1970s, built one of Lyle Hess’s designs fora small, seaworthy trailerable known as theMontgomery 17. The company also built asmaller sister called the Montgomery 15. The15 wasn’t designed by Hess but was built tohave similar characteristics. Though the boatsperformed well and were popular, Jerry soldthe yard to someone who allegedly tookdeposits on boats that were never built, and

the fate of the molds became uncertain.Fortunately, the molds and building rightswere obtained by Nor’Sea Yachts, and thesestout little ships are now being built by BobEeg in California. Jerry Montgomery is stillactive in the sailing community at the time ofthis writing, providing consulting and riggingservices for small-boat owners. My own boat,Tiny Dancer, is a 1979 Montgomery 17, and if Iever win the lottery, I’ll have Bob build me a 23.

221MONTGOMERY BOATS/NOR’SEA YACHTS

Montgomery Boats/Nor’Sea Yachts

Montgomery 15LOA 15’0”LWL 13’3”Beam 6’2”Draft 15”/2’6” (cb up/down)Displacement 750 lbs.Ballast 275 lbs.Sail area 122 sq. ft.Mast height 22’3”Designer Jerry Montgomery

Montgomery 17LOA 17’2”LWL 15’10”Beam 7’4”Draft 1’9”/3’0” (cb up/down)Displacement 1,600 lbs.Ballast 600 lbs.Sail area 154 sq. ft.Mast height 21’6”Designer Lyle Hess

Montgomery 15

Montgomery 17

Captain Rich Cottrell aboard his Montgomery15, Really. (Mark Eichman)

Montgomery 23

The Telstar 28 story goes back to the early1970s, when Tony Smith’s original Telstar 26was launched in England. After buildingnearly 300 boats, he moved the factory toMaryland. A fire in 1981 destroyed the originalmolds, but the 26 continued to be rebuilt andredesigned over the years. In 2003, the Telstar28 was born, a direct descendant of the ear-lier boats. The rigging attaches to the mainhull, allowing the smaller outer hulls—calledamas—to be folded quickly, even when the


Performance Cruising

boat is in the water. The folding mechanismenables the boat to be kept in the water witheither or both outriggers retracted. TheTelstar 28 includes a patented mastraising/lowering system that lets a singleperson lower the mast on the water. Like theearlier boats, it’s built by a small family-runbusiness directly on the waterfront, which isbecoming a very rare thing these days. Morethan sixty of the new Telstar 28s have beenbuilt so far.

Telstar 28 LOA 7’8” LWL 26’6” Beam 8’6” folded; 18’0” extended Draft 12”/4’3” (cb up/down)Displacement 3,000 lbs. Ballast noneSail area 524 sq. ft. (main and genoa)Mast height 35’6”

Montgomery 23LOA 23’0”LWL 20’10”Beam 8’0”Draft 2’5”/4’11” (cb up/down)Displacement 3,600 lbs.Ballast 1,530 lbs.Sail area 249 sq. ft.Mast height 31’9”Designer Lyle Hess

Telstar 28

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Precision

Precision boats, designed by naval architectJim Taylor, have a reputation for high qualityand speed.

Precision 18The Precision 18 has a long, shallow keel and anoncorroding fiberglass centerboard. The keelallows the board to be housed completelybelow the cabin sole and gets the ballast downlow for stability. The fiberglass centerboardweighs 65 pounds, so fittings are smaller, it’seasier to lift, and maintenance is much easierthan with a heavy cast-iron keel.

The 165 features a lead bulb keel and shoaldraft, and a locker for the porta-potty.

Precision 165

223PRECISION

Precision Sailboats is one of the three oldestbuilders in the trailerable sailboat industry,and one of the few that are still family owned.

Precision 165LOA 16’5”LWL 15’3”Beam 7’2”Draft 1’9” Displacement 750 lbs. Ballast 250 lbs.Sail area 145 sq. ft. Mast height 25’4” above DWLDesigner Jim Taylor (1995) Number produced 100

Precision 21

Precision 23


Precision 18LOA 17’5”LWL 15’5” Beam 7’5”Draft 1’6”/4’3” (cb up/down)Displacement 1,100 lbs.Ballast 350 lbs.Sail area 145 sq. ft. Mast height 27’0” above DWLDesigner Jim Taylor (1985) Number produced 525Contact www.precisionboatworks.com

Precision 21LOA 20’9” LWL 17’6”Beam 8’3”Draft 1’9”/4’8” (cb up/down)Displacement 1,875 lbs.Ballast 600 lbs.

Sail area 203 sq. ft. Mast height 30’0” above DWLDesigner Jim Taylor (1987) Number produced 260

www.precisionboatworks.com

Quorning Boats

makes it possible to dock the boat in a regularslip, something that is difficult or even impos-sible for some trimarans. For trailering, theamas are placed upside down on the centerhull’s deck; the mast and crossbeams are car-ried in between the amas. Setup time isreported to be about half an hour.

Quorning, a Danish company that has beenbuilding boats since 1967, produces a trailerabletrimaran, the Dragonfly 800. Like most tris, it’slightweight and very fast. Quorning’s swingwing system allows the amas to pivot aftusing a winch in the cockpit, and the amas canbe folded while the boat is underway. This

225QUORNING BOATS

Draft 1’1”/4’7” (cb up/down)Displacement 2,315 lbs. Ballast noneSail area 377 sq. ft. (mainsail) Mast height 40’6” above waterline

LOA 26’2” LWL 24’11”Beam 19’7” (maximum)

9’6” (folded)7’10” (trailered)

Quorning’s swing wing system allows theamas to be easily retracted while the boat isin the water, making it possible to keep theboat in a regular slip.

Precision 23LOA 23’5” LWL 20’0”Beam 8’6” Draft 1’11”/5’4” (cb up/down)Displacement 2,450 lbs.Ballast 850 lbs. Sail area 248 sq. ft. Mast height 35’4” above DWLDesigner Jim Taylor (1986) Number produced 425

Dragonfly 800

General Boats

by Jim Antrim, these boats are (accordingto the company’s description) intended for“fast, fun, friendly, and fair sail racingcompetition.”

SailSports, Inc., is the builder of theUltimate 20 and the Ultimate 24. These twoboats are primarily racing machines, thoughthere is a cabin for overnighting. Designed


Rhodes 22The Rhodes 22 has been built for a long timewithout huge changes. It has a pop-top for

Rhodes 22LOA 22’0”LWL 20’0” Beam 8’0” Draft 20”/4’0”(cb up/down) Displacement 2,900 lbs.Ballast 700 lbs.Sail area 210 sq. ft.Mast height 26’0” Designer Philip L. Rhodes

Ultimate 20LOA 20’10” LWL 18’0” Beam 8’0” Draft 9”/5’(cb up/down)

Displacement 1,100 lbs. (fin keel)Ballast 450 lbs. (fin keel)Sail area 305 sq. ft. (with main

and spinnaker: 657 sq. ft.)Mast height 31’ above waterlineDesigner Antrim Design Team

SailSports, Inc./U.S. Yachts

improved headroom and is a popular raceclass.

Ultimate 20The Ultimate 20 is one of the fastest mono-hulls in production. Its planing hull has beenknown to hit speeds of 20 knots. Very light-weight, it has a big cockpit and spreads alarge amount of sail thanks to its bowsprit-mounted asymmetrical spinnaker. It wasSailing World magazine’s 1995 Boat of theYear, and naturally has a very active class rac-ing association.

(Dav

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Ultimate 24/Antrim 25The Ultimate 24 was the winner of Sailing

World magazine’s 2004 Boat of the Year designcompetition. It’s since been renamed and iscurrently sold as the Antrim 25. It features acarbon fiber mast, internal flotation tanks, andHarken hardware throughout. The boat has abit more interior than the 20, including coun-tertops, four berths, lockers, and a space tostore a portable toilet.

on a single model, the Sea Pearl 21 (and atrimaran version of the same hull).

Marine Concepts has built a number of boatsover the years but is currently concentrating

Sea Pearl/Marine Concepts

227SEAWARD/HAKE YACHTS

LOA 24’5”LWL 21’2” Beam 8’6”Draft 2’11”/5’6” (cb up/down)Displacement 2,040 lbs.Ballast 750 lbs.Sail area 355 sq. ft.

LOA 21’0” LWL 19’0” Beam 5’6” Draft 6”/2’6” (cb up/down) Displacement 600 lbs.

Ballast none (water ballast)Sail area 136 sq. ft. (standard

Marconi rig)Mast height 19’6” from waterline

The Seaward 26 by Hake Yachts. (Hake Yachts)

Sea Pearl 21

Seaward/Hake Yachts

Seaward 26The Seaward 26 is a large boat, though HakeYachts’ unique keel design makes it trailerable.It is a big package to pull down the highway,but compared to earlier 26-foot sailboats, it’sone of the few in its size that can be traileredfrom a practical standpoint. The Seaward 26’svertical keel/daggerboard system makes it apopular cruiser where the water is thin, likeFlorida and the Bahamas.

Hake Yachts has built several innovativedesigns over the years. Discontinued modelsinclude the Seaward Fox (20' LOA) and theSeaward 22, 23, and 25. They are popular boatsand tend to hold their value well.

O’Day Stuart Mariner

cabin for possible overnight use. StuartMarine is also a source for replacement partsfor the Rhodes 19 and O’Day Mariner. TheMariner has an active racing fleet and classassociation.


Stuart Marine is a small company in Mainethat builds classic fiberglass boats. They canbuild three sailing designs: the Rhodes 19,the O’Day Mariner, and the JC9 sailingdinghy. Only the Mariner has a small cuddy

LOA 19’2” LWL 17’9” Beam 7’0” Draft 3’3” (keel)

10”/4’11” (cb up/down)Displacement 1,435 lbs. (keel)

1,305 lbs. (cb)Ballast 440 lbs. (keel)

320 lbs. (cb)

Sail area 185 sq. ft.Mast height 27’10”Designer Philip Rhodes (1963)Number produced 4,193 (O’Day, Rebel

Industries, andStuart Marine)

Contact www.stuartmarine.net

The Seaward 26 features a very large interior fora trailerable sailboat. (Hake Yachts)

Seaward 26LOA 28’6” LWL 24’8” Beam 8’4” Draft 15”/6’0” (cb up/down) Displacement 3,800 lbs.Ballast 1,200 lbs.Sail area 280 sq. ft.

Stuart Marine

Tremolino Boat Company

TremolinoThe Tremolino is an interesting concept inmultihull sailboats. The idea was developed byJohn Olin and Dick Newick, designer of thefamous OSTAR trimaran Moxie. John startedthe Tremolino Boat Company in 1975. The fac-tory builds the center hull; you add your own

outer hulls and rig from an old Hobie 16 (or thefactory can supply them for you). Optionsinclude a taller rig from the Supercat catama-ran. John Olin passed away not too long ago;the new builder of the Tremolino is Bill Dunn,located in Port Washington, Wisconsin. Youcan also order plans for a home-built version.

www.stuartmarine.net

The West Wight Potter is a boat of legendarystature. Originally built in England, the earlyPotters were 15 feet long and made of plywood.One of the first Potters in the United States wassailed across the Atlantic. While today’s versionhas been updated considerably, Potters still retaintheir distinctive hard chine hull form—one of the

only production fiberglass boats to do so. Thisboat was made famous by author Larry Brown’sSailing on a Micro-Budget. While the price of anynew sailboat isn’t exactly microscopic, the Potteris one of the most affordable small cruising boatsavailable. (I’d always wanted a 19 myself, until Idiscovered my Montgomery.)

229WEST WIGHT POTTER/INTERNATIONAL MARINE

LOA 18’9”LWL 16’0” Beam 7’6”Draft 8”/3’7” (cb up/down) Displacement 1,090 lbs. Ballast 340 lbs.Sail area 115 sq. ft.Mast height 22’0”Designer Herb Smith

West Wight Potter/International Marine

Potter 15

LOA 23’6” LWL 21’10” Beam 16’6” (standard)

18’(optional)Draft 1’3”/4’0” (cb up/down)

Displacement 950 lbs.Ballast 1,200 lbs.Sail area 239 sq. ft.Mast height 29’0” (above waterline)Designers Dick Newick and John Olin

Potter 15LOA 15’0”LWL 12’0” Beam 5’6”Draft 7”/3’0” (cb up/down)Displacement 475 lbs. Ballast 100 lbs.Sail area 91 sq. ft. Mast height 17’11”Designer Stanley Smith/Herb Stewart

Potter 19 The Potter 19 is a very popular boat that’snearly impossible to find used. Owners seldompart with them, and when they do, prices arehigh. They are light, so crew weight forms partof the ballast, but compared to many boats,they are very easy to trailer and launch.

USED SAILBOATSBalboa

Balboa 20The Balboa 20 was designed by Lyle Hess.These boats are reported to be good per-formers, yet because of their age they areaffordable—asking prices can range from$1,500 to $2,600. Nearly identical boats, likethe Ensenada 20 and the RK 20, were builtby other companies.

230 USED SAILBOATS

Sanibel 18The Sanibel, a beautiful little trailerable sail-boat, was brought back from extinction by thefolks at International Marine, builders of thefamous West Wight Potter. The Sanibel 18 wasdesigned by Charles Ludwig and first built asthe Skipper’s Mate from 1982 to 1984; thenin 1984 the molds were acquired by theCommodore Yacht Corp. and it was renamedCommodore 17. From 1985 to 1988, it wasbuilt by Captiva Yachts, first as the Sanibel 17,then renamed Sanibel 18. Somehow, a set ofmolds appeared in Oregon, where a startup

boatbuilder had attempted to resurrect thedesign, without success. An individual boughtthe molds as a retirement project but real-ized that boatbuilding was a bigger job thanhe’d planned. Fortunately, the molds wereeventually purchased by InternationalMarine. With over 30 years’ experience, IM isable to offer the first new Sanibels for salesince 1988.

The Sanibel is a pretty boat that featuresinternal lead ballast and a centerboard that isslightly offset from the centerline, making thecabin more usable.

Sanibel 18LOA 17’9”LWL 15’0” Beam 7’4”Draft 12”/4’0” (cb up/down) Displacement 1,300 lbs. Ballast 400 lbs.Sail area 149 sq. ft. Mast height 22’0”Designer Charles Ludwig

Beneteau

Beneteau is a large multinational sailboat com-pany, with five factories in France, one inMarion, South Carolina, and two factories thatspecialize in commercial fishing boats. They areprimarily a builder of large yachts, but they builta few trailerable models—one that’s commonlyavailable in the United States is the First 235.Over 450 boats were built in their South Carolinaplant, and another 410 in France between 1986and 1993. It was available in three different keelconfigurations: a deep-draft fin keel, a shoal-draft wing keel, and a centerboard version.

231BENETEAU

Balboa 20LOA 20’0”LWL 17’8” Beam 7’1” Draft 1’9”/4’0” (cb up/down) Displacement 1,700 lbs.

Ballast 450 lbs.Sail area 174 sq. ft.Mast height 27’6” above waterlineDesigner Lyle HessYears manufactured 1971–78

Balboa 26LOA 25’7”LWL 20’10”Beam 7’11.5”Draft 1’10”/5’0” (cb up/down)Displacement 3,600 lbs.Ballast 1,200 lbs.Sail area 293 sq. ft. Mast height 33’3”Designer Lyle HessYears manufactured 1969–78

Balboa 26Lyle Hess also designed the Balboa 26. A largerversion of the Balboa 20, it’s reputed to be afairly fast and reasonably seaworthy boat,though most Balboas suffer from a somewhatdated look, especially the interior.

Cal

Cape Dory Typhoon The Cape Dory Typhoon, a heavy-displacementfull-keel vessel, was designed by Carl Alberg backin 1967. Though quite small, it has the sailing qual-ities of traditional, full-keel yachts. The cabinfeels tiny by today’s standards, and sailing per-formance is markedly different from that of alightweight boat, but it is a fine boat for overnight-ing and short cruising. It was manufactured in aweekender model and two daysailer versions, thedaysailer having a completely open cuddy.

Cape Dory

Cal 20This is a popular, flush-decked 20-footer with afixed keel. Friends of mine owned one inCharleston, and they seemed to go sailing farmore often than the rest of us. The fixed keelmakes trailering and launching difficult, and itusually requires a hoist to launch. The cabinspace is quite tiny and nothing fancy. But theCal 20 has the stability of a much larger boat,and one even made the downwind sail toHawaii from California.

232 USED SAILBOATS

Cal 20LOA 20’0” LWL 18’0” Beam 7’0” Draft 3’4” (fixed)Displacement 1,950 lbs.Ballast 875 lbs.

Beneteau First 235LOA 23’4” LWL 20’3” Beam 8’2” Draft 3’9.5” (fin keel)

2’5”/4’7” (cb up/down)Displacement 2,826 lbs. (fin keel)

2,936 lbs. (wing keel)2,986 lbs. (cb)

Ballast 825 lbs. (fin keel)937 lbs. (wing keel)

750 lbs. (cb)Sail area 243 sq. ft.Mast height 33’6” above waterlineDesigner Groupe Finot

Sail area 196 sq. ft.Designer Bill LapworthYears manufactured 1961–75Number produced 1,945

LOA 18’6” LWL 13’6” Beam 6’3.5” Draft 2’7” (fixed)Displacement 2,000 lbs.Ballast 900 lbs.Sail area 160 sq. ft.Designer Carl AlbergYears manufactured 1967–86Number produced 1,982

Catalina

Catalina 22This boat is considered a classic, and rightlyso. Thousands of these boats were built withfew changes in the design. When you see aused Catalina 22 for sale, it’ll most likely looklike this one. Thousands continue to sail today,and there’s a strong owners’ association andC22 racing fleet.

233CATALINA

Catalina 22LOA 21’6”LWL 19’4” Beam 7’6”Draft 2’0”/5’0” (cb up/down)Displacement 2,250 lbs. Ballast 550 lbs.Sail area 212 sq. ft. Mast height 25’0”Years manufactured 1969–Number produced Over 10,000

Cape Dory 22The Cape Dory 22 is a larger version of theTyphoon.

Cape Dory 22LOA 22’4” LWL 16’3” Beam 7’4” Draft 3’0” (fixed)Displacement 3,200 lbs.Ballast 1,400 lbs.Sail area 240 sq. ft. Designer Carl AlbergYears manufactured 1981–85Number produced 176

Florida Bay Boat Company

Peep Hen 14 At a diminutive 14 feet, this is one of thesmallest cabin sailboats in recent produc-tion, yet it comes with bronze opening port-lights and 4'4'' of “headroom” below. Somefolks think the Peep is an ugly boat, but I feeljust the opposite. It’s tiny yet practical, whichgives it a functional beauty all its own. (Alsosee Nimble.)

234 USED SAILBOATS

Com-Pac

Com-Pac 16 Com-Pac 16LOA 16’11” LWL 14’0” Beam 6’0” Draft 1’6” Displacement 1,100 lbs. Ballast 450 lbs.Sail area 120 sq. ft. (main and jib)Mast height 20’6”Designer Clark MillsContact www.com-pacowners.com Years manufactured 1974–96Number produced Over 2,800

Com-Pac 19 LOA 20’1” LWL 16’4” Beam 7’0” Draft 2’0” (shoal draft)Displacement 2,000 lbs. Ballast 800 lbs. Sail area 196 sq. ft. Mast height 25 ft. above waterlineDesigner Bob Johnson (1979)

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Com-Pac 19

www.com-pacowners.com

Hunter 20

Hunter 19

235HUNTER MARINE CORP.

LOA 19’8”LWL 15’6” Beam 7’6”Draft 15”/4’0” (cb up/down)Displacement 1,700 lbs.

Ballast 400 lbs.Sail area 170 sq. ft Mast height 29’6”Years manufactured 1983–84

Hunter Marine Corp.

LOA 18’5”LWL 15’6”Beam 7’1”Draft 2’0”Displacement 1,600 lbs.

Ballast 520 lbs.Sail area 178 sq. ft.Mast height 27’5”Years manufactured 1987–93

LOA 18’8”LWL 14’7” Beam 7’4”Draft 7”/4’6” (cb up/down)

Displacement 1,200 lbs. Sail area 166 sq. ft. Years manufactured 1981–83

Hunter Marine has produced several trailerable boats. These are just a few.

Hunter 18.5

Peep Hen 14LOA 14’2”LWL 13’3” Beam 6’4”Draft 9”/3’0” (cb up/down) Displacement 650 lbs. Ballast 200 lbs.Sail area 115 sq. ft. Mast height 24’(above waterline, with gaff)Designer Reuben TraneContact peephens.orgYears manufactured 1981–2003

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Hunter 212 LOA 21’0” LWL 18’0”Beam 8’2”Draft 10”/5’0” (cb up/down)Displacement 1,800 lbs.

Ballast 130 lbs.Sail area 213 sq. ft. Mast height 31’0”Years manufactured 1998–

Hunter 22

Beneteau, making the combined group the largestsailboat manufacturer in the world.

Of their many models, the Tonic 23 is agood example. Produced between 1985 and1990, it shows some of the styling that theseboats have become known for.

236 USED SAILBOATS

LOA 12’0” LWL 10’11” Beam 5’8”Draft 1’8” (fixed)Displacement 350 lbs. Ballast 130 lbs.Sail area 73 sq. ft. Designer Herb StewartYears manufactured 1969–?

LOA 22’3” LWL 18’4”Beam 7’11”Draft 23”/5’0” (cb up/down)Displacement 3,200 lbs.

Ballast 1,300 lbs.Sail area 220 sq. ft. Mast height 26’0” Years manufactured 1981–85

Hunter 23LOA 23’3” LWL 19’7”Beam 8’0” Draft 2’3” Displacement 2,450 lbs.

Ballast 800 lbs.Sail area 235.5 sq. ft. Mast height 33’ Years manufactured 1985–92

JeanneauThe French company Jeanneau has been buildingfiberglass boats since 1958. Some of their boatswere built in the United States under licensebetween 1970 and 1990, but ownership revertedto Jeanneau France with the demise of many U.S.manufacturers. They’ve since been acquired by

Tonic 23LOA 23’11”LWL 22’7.5”Beam 9’2.5”Draft 3’6” (keel)

2’4”/4’6” (cb up/down)Displacement 2,866 lbs. (keel)

2,932 lbs. (cb)

Ballast 992 lbs. (keel)1,058 lbs. (cb)

Sail area 243 sq. ft.Mast height 32’6”Designer Philippe HarleContact jeanneau.tripod.com

Melen MarineSparrow 12/Guppy 13I’ve included this boat mainly to show just howsmall a boat with a cabin can get. The Sparrowwas designed by Herb Stewart, designer of thefamous West Wight Potter. The Guppy was builtby Melen Marine, which went out of business in1977. The Guppy was identical to the Sparrow inall but the smallest of details; there was even acourt case accusing Melen of making a splashmold (where an existing boat is used to makean illicit copy of another boat). This boat is sosmall that it could probably be towed consider-able distances with nothing more than a coupleof teenagers and a six-pack of Jolt.

Neptune 24

Nimble Boats

237NIMBLE BOATS

Newport

Newport Neptune 16

Built by various builders over the years withseveral different model names, such as theNewport 16, Lockley Newport 16, andGloucester 16. There were two Newport com-panies, one in California and one in Florida(which later relocated to Virginia).

Newport Neptune 16LOA 15’9”LWL 13’6”Beam 6’2”Draft 10”/4’0” (cb up/down) Displacement 900 lbs.Ballast 200 lbs.Sail area 137 sq. ft.Mast height 19’6” Designer C. William LapworthYears manufactured 1969–unknown

LOA 24’0”LWL 21’0”Beam 7’11.75”Draft 24”/3’6” (cb up/down);

4’8” (fixed keel)Displacement 3,200 lbs.

Ballast 1,200 lbs.Sail area 269 sq. ft. (standard rig)

301 sq. ft. (tall rig)Mast height 28’Designer Bill Lapworth

The molds for most of the Nimble line wereacquired by Marine Concepts in Florida,builders of the Sea Pearl. According to MarineConcepts, the molds are in poor conditionand the boats will not be built; they’ll instead

concentrate on the Sea Pearl 21. The last timeI checked, Nimble Boats was for sale, so ifyou’ve ever daydreamed about getting into theboatbuilding business, this might be yourchance.

Nimble 20A distinctive design with a ketch rig and canoestern, this boat attracts attention. The shoal

draft and low-aspect rig make it suitable forshoal waters.

Nordica 20/Halman 20

This is a salty, tough-as-nails North Sea design,more typical of boats built in Europe than theUnited States. Although the two boats are notidentical—the Halman was inspired by the

238 USED SAILBOATS

Nimble 20LOA 20’10”LWL 19’9” Beam 7’9”Draft 11”/4’1” (cb up/down)Displacement 2,600 lbs.Ballast 600 lbs.Sail area 207 sq. ft. Designer Ted Brewer

Peep Hen

LOA 14’2” LWL 13’3” Beam 6’4” Draft 9”/3’0” (cb up/down)

Displacement 650 lbs. Ballast 200 lbs. Sail area 115 sq. ft. (main)

Nordica—the differences are so slight thatthey are usually considered the same boat.There’s a very active website at http://www.nordicaboats.com/html/nordica-20.html.

Nordica 20LOA 19’6”LWL 16’6”Beam 7’8”Draft 3’3”Displacement 2,520 lbs.Ballast 1,026 lbs.Sail area 188 sq. ft.Mast height 30’3”

(Also produced by Nimble Company.)

http://www.nordicaboats.com/html/nordica-20.html

http://www.nordicaboats.com/html/nordica-20.html

O’Day has been producing sailboats for a longtime, and was an early player in the field offiberglass. You can still find a few of the old

traditional hulls, like the O’Day Tempest, butmore common are designs from the 1970s and1980s, like the O’Day 22, 23, and 240.

239O’DAY

O’Day

O’Day 22This boat was widely built, and many are stillaround. It features a weighted ballast keel thathouses the centerboard, eliminating the trunkin the cabin. It’s a pretty design, though someboats have a reputation for less-than-stellarsailing performance. The O’Day 22 has a stronguser base and web presence, so finding spe-cific information about a particular model yearshould be easy.

O’Day 19LOA 19’0”LWL 16’8”Beam 7’9”Draft 12”/4’6” (cb up/down) Displacement 2,040 lbs.Ballast 300 lbs.Sail area 165 sq. ft.Mast height 26’4”Designer C. Raymond HuntYears manufactured 1979–unknownNumber produced 525

LOA 21’8”LWL 18’11”Beam 7’2”Draft 1’3”/4’3” (cb up/down)Displacement 2,623 lbs.Ballast 800 lbs.Sail area 198 sq. ft.Mast height 27’3”Designer C. Raymond HuntYears manufactured 1972–81Number produced 3,056

O’Day 23 A slightly larger update of the 22. Only a footlonger, but over 1,000 pounds heavier, itneeds a heavy tow vehicle. The big difference

LOA 22’9”LWL 19’6”Beam 7’11”Draft 2’3”/5’4” (cb up/down) Displacement 3,725 lbs.

Ballast 800 lbs.Sail area 246 sq. ft. Mast height 27’0”Designer C. Raymond Hunt

was the addition of a swing centerboard inthe stub keel housing for improved upwindperformance.

Pearson

The Pearson company is another old name inthe boatbuilding business. The company madehistory in 1959 when they introduced theTriton, a 28-footer. The economic recession ofthe early 1990s combined with a new luxurytax forced the company out of business. They

240 USED SAILBOATS

O’Day 25 While this boat is legally trailerable with its8-foot beam, it requires a large tow vehicle,and rigging it takes a while. Boats like this

LOA 24’10”LWL 21’Beam 8’0”Draft 2’3”/6’0” (cb up/down)Displacement 4,807 lbs.Ballast 1,775 lbs.

Sail area 270 sq. ft. Mast height 29’0”Designer C. Raymond HuntYears manufactured 1975–89Number produced 2,898

usually are trailered from the house to themarina once a year, and many are sold withouttrailers. You haven’t lived till you’ve tried towrangle a 29-foot mast.

had a reputation for building quality boats byfamous designers, including Carl Alberg andWilliam Shaw. Their trailerable-sized boatsincluded the 16-foot Hawk, the 22-foot Ensign(still in production by Ensign Spars), thePearson 21, and the Pearson 24.

Pearson 22While many of the smaller Pearsons wereheavier, full-keeled boats, the Pearson 22 waslighter (than other Pearsons) and had a fin

keel. It’s still a heavy boat, but it is trailerable.A boat this age will probably need some work,but the price should be low and the build qual-ity should make it worth restoring.

Pearson 22LOA 22’3” LWL 18’5” Beam 7’7” Draft 3’5” Displacement 2,600 lbs. Ballast 1,000 lbs. Sail area 218 sq. ft.Mast height 28’above waterlineYears manufactured 1968–72Designer William Shaw

Seaward/Hake Yachts

Seaward Fox The Seaward Fox was a neat little boat thatfeatured several cutting-edge ideas, like anunstayed carbon-fiber mast, full batten catboat

241SEAWARD/HAKE YACHTS

Pearson 23The 23 was an updated version of the aging 22.A centerboard made for easier trailering but

Sail area 229 sq. ft.Mast height 30’6”above waterlineYears manufactured 1979–81Number produced 75Designer William Shaw

LOA 23’0” LWL 20’0” Beam 7’11.5” Draft 2’4”/5’2” (cb up/down)Displacement 3,500 lbs. Ballast 1,300 lbs.

increases the maintenance. It’s a good bitheavier than the 22.

mainsail, and a wing keel. While no longer pro-duced by Hake Yachts, they remain popularand are hard to find used.

Seaward FoxLOA 18’11” (17’11”

without bow pulpit)LWL 16’1”Beam 8’0”Draft 21”Displacement 1,350 lbs.Ballast 345 lbs.Sail area 190 sq. ft. Mast height 32’6”Designer Nick HakeYears manufactured 1993–

Seaward 23 LOA 24’6” LWL 21’0” Beam 8’4” Draft 4’2”/2’1” (FB/wing keel)Displacement 2,700 lbs.

Ballast 900 lbs. Sail area 240 sq. ft. Mast height 37’Designer Nick HakeYears manufactured 1983–

Slipper 17The Slipper 17 is a small fixed-keel boat origi-nally produced by Starboard Yachts in Florida.The company was taken over by Hake Yachtsin the mid-1980s. Hake has stocked a few partsfor the Slipper in the past.

242 USED SAILBOATS

Seaward 25 Seaward 25LOA 26’9” LWL 23’0” Beam 8’3” Draft 2’1” (winged keel)Displacement 3,600 lbs. Ballast 1,200 lbs.Sail area 280 sq. ft. Mast height 33’ above waterlineDesigner Nick HakeYears manufactured 1984–2004Number produced 600

Slipper 17LOA 16’10”LWL 14’10”Beam 8’0”Draft 19”Displacement 1,250 lbs. Ballast 425 lbs.Sail area 150 sq. ft. Mast height 25’0”Designer Nick HakeYears manufactured 1981–88

Seidelmann

Robert Seidelmann was a sailmaker back inthe 1960s, when boats using their sails wonthe National and World Championships innumerous classes. He focused then on boat-building, and Seidelmann Yachts built a num-ber of boats from 24 to 37 feet. The lastSeidelmann was built sometime in 1988.

The 245 was introduced in 1982 and wasbuilt until sometime in 1985. At one point, thecompany built a 24, the 245, and a 25. They’rereported to be fast, able sailers. The keels arecast lead, with fiberglass centerboards,which is greatly preferred over other formsof ballast.

TANZER 243

Seidelmann 245LOA 24’2” LWL 20’6” Beam 8’0” Draft 1’1”/4’5” (cb up/down) Displacement 3,000 lbs.Ballast 1,300 lbs. Sail area 267 sq. ft.Mast height 32’9” above waterlineDesigner Robert SeidelmannContact www.seidelmann-owners.com

Tanzer

Tanzer 22The Tanzer 22 has a flush-deck design that maytake some getting used to, but the practicality offlush-deck designs for trailerables gives this boata beauty all its own. Tanzers reportedly offer themost usable space down below of any trailer-able of this vintage, and are said to sail well, too.

Tanzer 22LOA 22’6”LWL 19’9”Beam 7’10”Draft 3’5” (fin keel)

2’0”/4’0”(cb up/down)

Displacement 2,900 lbs. (fin keel) 3,100 lbs. (keel/cb)

Ballast 1,250 (fixed keel)1,500 (keel/cb)

Sail area 222 sq. ft. Mast height 31’0”Designer Johann Tanzer Years manufactured 1970–86Number produced 2,270

www.seidelmann-owners.com

USED SAILBOATS

Vagabond 17/Hobie Holder 17This boat started out as the Vagabond 17around 1975. In 1982, Vagabond was pur-chased by Coast Catamaran (a division of theColeman Company, formerly known as HobieCat). She’s a trim-looking little boat.

244

Vagabond 17/Hobie Holder 17LOA 17’0”LWL 15’0”Beam 7’3”Draft 10”/4’0” (cb up/down)Displacement 950 lbs.Ballast 345 lbs.Sail area 147 sq. ft.Mast height 20’0”Designer Ron Holder

One of the beauties of sailing a trailer-able is that many areas become avail-able to you that might otherwise be

difficult or impossible to reach. Shoal watersand low bridges change from insurmountableobstacles to minor inconveniences. And youcan go to windward at 60 miles per hour.

Just how far can you go? Take a look atLarry Brown’s Sailing America. Larry took aWest Wight Potter on a trailer sailer cruisearound the entire country, sailing in places likeLake Powell in Arizona, Marina Del Rey inCalifornia, the San Juan Islands in the PacificNorthwest, and several spots in Canada beforereturning home to Cape Cod.

Or consider Mindy and Dave Bolduc.Mindy and Dave are probably the chief ambas-sadors for the kind of cruising you can do in atrailerable sailboat. They’ve crossed the GulfStream many times in their 15-foot water-ballasted sharpie, Little Cruiser (designed andbuilt by Matt Layden), to cruise the Bahamasfor as long as three months. You can see moreabout their boats and cruises on their websiteat www.microcruising.com/.

The best place to start is your own back-yard. Spend a night or two in waters close toyour home. Work out the kinks before you plana long trip afield. Like everything, sailingbecomes easier with practice. Get some chartsand start looking them over; you’re sure to findsome adventurous spots to explore.

“A ship in its harbor is safe—but that’s notwhat ships are built for.” —John A. Shedd, Salt from My Attic, 1928

If there is one thing that I hope you getfrom this book, it is this:

Go.

Go sailing. In your own boat, or at leastwith someone else. Get out on the water, hearthe sound of open spaces and smell the air. Ifyou can feel the breeze on your face, then youcan do it. The same breeze that blows acrossmillions of faces every day can take you toplaces and show you things that you can seeonly with a sailboat. Like anything else worthdoing, it requires some effort, knowledge, andtime. But do not listen to the voices that say“you can’t” even if the voice comes from within.

245

Epilogue

Mindy Bolduc and Little Cruiser off the Shackleford Banks,North Carolina. This little boat has crossed the GulfStream several times. (Matt Bolduc)

www.microcruising.com/

EPILOGUE

This book is about sailing in trailerable sail-boats, but it’s also about getting more out of life.Taking a risk and trying something new canopen your eyes to a wider world. It makes us all

value our planet and time on this earth, and it’shard not to see the beauty in the sea, land, andsky. Get yourself a small boat, and learn how tosail it well. Be safe, but go. Waste not a moment.

246

Note: Inclusion of companies in thissection isn’t intended to be any sort ofendorsement or advertisement, but

they’re listed here for your reference. Theauthors and publishers of this book have noconnection to these companies. There are cer-tainly other companies that supply the marineindustry; readers are encouraged to do theirown research as well.

ALTERNATIVE HEAD SYSTEMS Air Head dry toilet, by EOS Design, LLC., P.O.

Box 5, Mount Vernon, OH 43050, Phone:740-392-3642, www.airheadtoilet.com/Distributed by Star Distributing, www.star-distributing.com/index.html

Groover Tamer odor control powder and spray,available from NRS Paddlesports,www.nrsweb.com/, 1-877-677-4327

Organic Traditions Bio-Accelerator and Soil-Moist hydrogel powder, available from CleanAir Gardening, cleanairgardening.com/

Sun-Mar composting marine toilets, www.sun-mar.com

Todd Marine Products bucket potty seat for 3- and 5-gallon buckets, www.toddusa.com

“Wag Bags” can be purchased directly from themanufacturer, Phillips EnvironmentalProducts (1-877-520-0999, www.thepett.com).

CANVAS AND SAILMAKING Rochford Supply, Inc., 1-800-334-6414,

www.rochfordsupply.com, an upholstery fabrics distributor that also sells marine fabrics such as Top Gun and Odyssey III. Nosailcloth. They’re primarily for professionals.

Sail Care, 1-800-433-7245, www.sailcare.com The Sail Cleaners, www.sailcleaners.com Sailrite, 1-800-348-2769, www.sailrite.com, sells

boat canvas and sewing materials, as well assail kits. Founder Jim Grant is also theauthor of The Complete Canvasworker’s

Guide, which has instructions for many oftheir canvas and accessory kits.

CHANDLERIESBoatU.S., www.boatus.com/Defender Industries, www.defender.com/West Marine, www.westmarine.com

CRUISING GUIDES AND CHARTS Atlantic Cruising Club, www.atlantic

cruisingclub.comBluewater Books and Charts, www.blue

waterweb.comCharlies Charts, www.charliescharts.com Fine Edge, www.fineedge.com Gerrycruise, www.gerrycruise.com Landfall Navigation, www.landfallnav.com Maptech, www.maptech.com Waterway Guide, www.waterwayguide.com

DEHUMIDIFIERS Damp-Rid Calcium chloride moisture absorber,

http:www.damprid.com HydroSorbent silica gel dehumidifiers,

www.dehumidify.com Qik Joe Ice Melt Pellets (calcium chloride),

available from DIY Superstore, www.doityourself.com/icat/icemelterchemicals

247

APPENDICES

Sources of Supply

www.airheadtoilet.com/

www.star-distributing.com/index.html

www.star-distributing.com/index.html

www.nrsweb.com/

www.sun-mar.com

www.sun-mar.com

www.toddusa.com

www.thepett.com

www.rochfordsupply.com

www.sailcare.com

www.sailcleaners.com

www.sailrite.com

www.boatus.com/

www.defender.com/

www.westmarine.com

www.bluewaterweb.com

www.charliescharts.com

www.fineedge.com

www.gerrycruise.com

www.landfallnav.com

www.maptech.com

www.waterwayguide.com

http://www.damprid.com

www.dehumidify.com

www.doityourself.com/icat/icemelterchemicals

www.doityourself.com/icat/icemelterchemicals

www.atlanticcruisingclub.com

www.atlanticcruisingclub.com

www.bluewaterweb.com

SOURCES OF SUPPLY

EPOXY AND FIBERGLASS Clark Craft-Fiberglass cloth, mat, roving, and

tape, www.clarkcraft.com/Clen-L MarineDesigns, www.glen-l.comMAS Epoxies, 1-800-398-7556, www.masepoxies.

com. Supplier of epoxies for boatbuildersand boatowners.

Raka, Inc., 1-772-489-4070, www.raka.com/.Distributor of epoxy resins and fiberglasscloth. (I’ve ordered materials from thesefolks several times, and they’ve alwaysprovided excellent service and a great product.)

Seeman Fiberglass, Inc. (makers of “C-Flex”fiberglass planking), 6117 River Road,Harahan, LA 70122, 504-738-6035

West System, epoxy and products for boatrepair. This company has been helping boatowners for decades and has a verycomprehensive line of products. They’re afirst-class source of information, too. westsystem.com/

OUTBOARDS AND MARINEPROPULSION Used outboard motors, www.boatmotors.com/

rebuilt_outboard_motors/

TOOLS Motor-Scrubber battery-powered cleaner.

Reading Consumer Products, readingconsumerproduct.com/MotorScrubber/index.html, available through professionaljanitorial supply companies

TRAILERABLE BOAT PLANS Benford Design Group, www.benford.us Brewer Yacht Design, www.tedbrewer.com George Buehler Yacht Designs, www.

georgebuehler.com Clark Craft, www.clarkcraft.com/ Sam Devlin’s Mud Peep, Nancy’s China, and

several others, www.devlinboat.com/ Dudley Dix Yacht Design, www.dixdesign.com Farrier Marine, www.f-boat.com Paul Gartside Boatbuilder & Designer,

www.gartsideboats.com Glen-L Boat plans & supplies, www.glenl.com/ Ed Horstman Multihull Designs,

www.edhorstmanmultihulldesigns.com Monfort Associates geodesic small craft plans,

www.gaboats.com Newick Nautical Design, Inc., www.

dicknewick.comNorwalk Island Sharpies, www.nisboats.com Harold H. Payson & Co. small craft,

www.instantboats.com/ Bruce Roberts Yacht Design, www.

bruceroberts.com/Stevenson Projects Weekender 18-foot trailerable

cabin sailboat, www.stevproj.com/ WoodenBoat Magazine plans service,

www.woodenboatstore.com/

TRAILERS AND ACCESSORIES Champion Trailer supply, trailer parts and

equipment, www.championtrailers.com/ Extend-A-Hitch bolt-on boat trailer hitch exten-

sion, www.xtend-a-hitchnorthwest.com/ The Trailer Parts Depot, www.trailerparts

depot.com/

248

www.clarkcraft.com/

www.glen-l.com

www.masepoxies.com

www.masepoxies.com

www.raka.com/

www.boatmotors.com/rebuilt_outboard_motors/

www.boatmotors.com/rebuilt_outboard_motors/

www.benford.us

www.tedbrewer.com

www.georgebuehler.com

www.georgebuehler.com

www.clarkcraft.com/

www.devlinboat.com/

www.dixdesign.com

www.f-boat.com

www.gartsideboats.com

www.glenl.com/

www.edhorstmanmultihulldesigns.com

www.gaboats.com

www.dicknewick.com

www.dicknewick.com

www.nisboats.com

www.instantboats.com/

www.bruceroberts.com/

www.bruceroberts.com/

www.stevproj.com/

www.woodenboatstore.com/

www.championtrailers.com/

www.xtend-a-hitchnorthwest.com/

www.trailerpartsdepot.com/

www.trailerpartsdepot.com/

BOAT MAINTENANCE Everett Collier, The Boatowner’s Guide to

Corrosion. International Marine, 2001, hard-cover, 314 pages.

Fernec Mate, Shipshape: The Art of Sailboat

Maintenance. Albatross Publishing, 1986,hardcover, 416 pages.

John Payne, Understanding Boat Corrosion,

Lightning Protection, and Interference.Sheridan House, 2005, 90 pages.

Edwin Sherman, The 12-Volt Bible for Boats.International Marine, 2002, paperback,208 pages.

Nigel Warren, Metal Corrosion in Boats.Sheridan House, Inc., 2006, 229 pages.

Charlie Wing, Boatowner’s Illustrated Electrical

Handbook, Second Edition. InternationalMarine, 2006, paperback, 280 pages.

CANVASWORK Don Casey, Canvaswork and Sail Repair.

International Marine, 1996, hardcover,140 pages.

Jim Grant, The Complete Canvasworker’s

Guide, Second Edition. International Marine,1992, paperback, 186 pages.

Karen Lipe, The Big Book of Boat Canvas.International Marine, 1988, paperback,242 pages.

Emiliano Marino, The Sailmaker’s Apprentice,

International Marine, 1994, paperback.

GALLEY GUIDES Philip W. Conkling, Green Islands, Green Sea: A

Guide to Foraging on the Islands of Maine.Down East Books, 1980.

Euell Gibbons, The Beachcombers Handbook.

David McKay, 1967, 230 pages.Janet Groene, Cooking on the Go. Sail Books,

1980, 234 pages.Peter Howorth, Foraging Along the California

Coast. Consortium, 1977. Ken Neumeyer, Sailing the Farm. Ten Speed

Press, 1981, paperback, 256 pages. Lin Pardey, The Care and Feeding of the

Offshore Crew. Paradise Cay Publications,1999, 414 pages.

Linda Frederick Yaffe, Backpack Gourmet.Stackpole Books, 147 pages.

OUTBOARD ENGINES Peter Hunn, The Old Outboard. International

Marine, 2002, paperback, 320 pages. Jean-Luc Pallas, Outboard Motors Maintenance

and Repair Manual. Sheridan House, 2006,125 pages.

Edwin Sherman, Outboard Engines.International Marine, 2008, hardcover,176 pages.

RESTORATION, REPAIR,AND UPGRADING W. D. Booth, Upgrading and Refurbishing the

Older Fiberglass Sailboat. Cornell MaritimePress, 1988, 287 pages.

Paul and Myra Butler, Fine Boat Finishes.International Marine, 1987, paperback,160 pages.

Paul and Myra Butler, Upgrading the Small

Sailboat for Cruising. International Marine,1988, paperback, 224 pages.

249

Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Nigel Calder, Boatowner’s Mechanical and

Electrical Manual. International Marine,2005, hardcover, 818 pages.

Don Casey, Sailboat Hull and Deck Repair.International Marine, 1996, hardcover,128 pages.

Don Casey, Sailboat Refinishing. InternationalMarine, 1996, paperback, 144 pages.

Don Casey, This Old Boat, Second Edition.International Marine, 2009, hardcover,576 pages.

Fernec Mate, The Finely Fitted Yacht.W. W. Norton & Company Limited, 2005, 606 pages.

Dan Spurr, Spurr’s Guide to Upgrading Your

Cruising Sailboat, Third Edition.

International Marine, 2006, hardcover,400 pages.

MARINE WOODWORKING Fred Bingham, Boat Joinery and

Cabinetmaking Simplified. InternationalMarine, 1993, paperback, 265 pages.

Michael Naujok, Boat Interior Construction.Sheridan House, 2002, paperback, 176 pages.

MISCELLANEOUS Larry Brown, Sailing America: A Trailer

Sailor’s Guide to North America. SevenSeas Press, 1990, paperback.

Larry Brown, Sailing on a Micro-Budget. SevenSeas Press, 1985, 163 pages, paperback.

Robert Burgess, The Handbook of Trailer

Sailing. International Marine, 1992,paperback, 227 pages.

Don Casey and Lew Hackler, Sensible Cruising:

The Thoreau Approach. InternationalMarine, 1986, paperback, 364 pages.

Ronald Florence, The Optimum Sailboat:

Racing the Cruiser and Cruising the Racer.Harper and Row, 1986, hardcover, 374 pages.

Annie Hill, Voyaging on a Small Income. TillerPublishing, 1993, paperback, 208 pages.

J. C. Jenkins, The Humanure Handbook: A Guide

to Composting Human Manure. ChelseaGreen Publishing Co., 2006, 302 pages.

Elbert Maloney (editor), Chapman’s Piloting,

Seamanship, and Small-Boat Handling,(65th edition). Sterling Publishing Company,Inc., 2007, hardcover, 928 pages.

Tom Neale, All in the Same Boat. InternationalMarine, 1997, hardcover, 376 pages.

Lin and Larry Pardey, The Capable Cruiser.Pardey Books, 1995, hardcover, 400 pages.

Lin and Larry Pardey, The Cost-Conscious

Cruiser. Pardey Books, 1999, hardcover,352 pages.

John Rousmaniere, The Annapolis Book

of Seamanship (revised edition).Simon and Schuster, 1989, hardcover,402 pages.

Daniel Spurr, Your First Sailboat: How to Find

and Sail the Right Boat for You.International Marine, 2004, paperback,288 pages.

Donald M. Street, The Ocean Sailing

Yacht. W. W. Norton, 1973, hardcover,703 pages.

USCG Auxiliary, Boating Skills and

Seamanship. International Marine,2007, paperback, 404 pages.

SURVEYING Thomas Ask, Handbook of Marine Surveying.

Sheridan House, Inc., 2007, 246 pages. Don Casey, Inspecting the Aging Sailboat.

International Marine, 1996, paperback,144 pages.

Andrew Douglas, Practical Sailor’s Practical

Boat Buying, 2 volumes. Belvoir Books,1998, paperback.

250

The Internet is a naturally volatile and ever-changing medium. Although there’s lotsof good information to be found, it isn’t

always factually correct or well presented.Millions of websites come and go almost daily. Ican guarantee that at least some of theaddresses you see here will not work, but I canalso guarantee that they were correct and oper-ational at the time of this writing. This listingisn’t meant to be all inclusive or complete, nor isinclusion meant to endorse the content. It’s justa sampling of the information that’s available onthe Internet. When you encounter a nonfunc-tioning address, try doing a web search usingthe title of the site, or a subject search. You willmost likely come up with something useful.

CHARTS AND NAVIGATION Bluewater Books and Charts, www.blue

waterweb.com/The Lighthouse Directory, www.unc.edu/

~rowlett/lighthouse/index.htmMapTech, online charts and navigation software,

www.maptech.com/index.cfm NOAA charts and agents,

chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/nsd/states.html Paradise Cay Publications, paracay.com/Seaworthy Publications, www.seaworthy.com

DINGHIES AND SMALL BOATS Duckworks Magazine, www.duck

worksmagazine.com/The Flapdoodle, an 8-foot folding dinghy that

stores flat, flapdoodle.250free.com/

The Home Boatbuilders Page, www.buildboats.com/

Shortypen’s Pocket Cruiser’s Guide, www.shortypen.com/boats/pocket/

Simplicity Boats, by David Beede,simplicityboats.com/

GENERAL TRAILER SAILERWEBSITES Boat Owners Association of the United States,

www.boatus.com/ Sailboat database (doesn’t include every fiber-

glass boat there is, but has lots of info notreadily found in other sources), www.sailboatdata.com/

Sailrite’s sail plan database, with dimensionsfor a large number of boats, quotesys2.sailrite.com/Search.aspx

The Trailer Sailor, a general trailer sailerwebsite, www.trailersailor.com/

The Trailer Sailors Association, www.trailersailors.org

MARINE INSURANCE BoatU.S., www.boatus.comHagerty Marine Insurance,

www.hagerty.com/marine Marine Agency, www.marineagency.com Marine Underwriters Agency, www.

marineunderwriters.comNational Marine Underwriters,

www.nmu.com State Farm Insurance, www.statefarm.com West Marine, www.westmarine.com

251

Internet Resources

www.bluewaterweb.com/

www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/index.htm

www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/index.htm

www.maptech.com/index.cfm

www.seaworthy.com

www.duckworksmagazine.com/

www.buildboats.com/

www.buildboats.com/

www.shortypen.com/boats/pocket/

www.shortypen.com/boats/pocket/

www.boatus.com/

www.sailboatdata.com/

www.sailboatdata.com/

www.trailersailor.com/

www.trailersailors.org

www.trailersailors.org

www.boatus.com

www.hagerty.com/marine

www.marineagency.com

www.marineunderwriters.com

www.marineunderwriters.com

www.nmu.com

www.statefarm.com

www.westmarine.com

www.bluewaterweb.com/

www.duckworksmagazine.com/

INTERNET RESOURCES

METAL CORROSIONAND PROTECTION Anodizing Aluminum, www.focuser.com/atm/

anodize/anodize.htmlBuilding your own corrosion meter, www.

oceannavigator.com/article.php?a=1062 Rust Removal Using Electrolysis,

antique-engines.com/electrol.asp

OUTBOARD MOTORS ANDSAILBOAT PROPULSION Electric Trolling Motors for Auxiliary

Propulsion on Sailboats, bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/articles/index.cgi/noframes/read/23

MarineEngine.com’s Outboard Motor PriceGuide, www.marineengine.com/price_guide/price_guide_left.html

OWNERS’ ASSOCIATIONS, RACECLASSES, OUT-OF-PRODUCTIONBOATS Balboa

Balboa 20 & 26, cliffunruh.com/ Balboa 26, groups.yahoo.com/group/

balboa26-boats/Beneteau

Beneteau Owner’s Association, www.beneteau-owners.com/

Google Groups Beneteau Owner’s Group, groups.google.com/group/Beneteau-Owners

Beneteau 235, www.beneteau235.com/ Cal Sailboats

Cal 21, www3.sympatico.ca/sailpair/21stuff/ Cape Dory, www.capedory.org/cdinfo.html Catalina

Catalina18 National Association,www.catalina18.net

Catalina 22 National Association,www.catalina22.net

Capri 22 National Association, www.capri22.net J-Boats

J-22, www.usaj22.com/ J-24, www.j24class.org/usa/homepage.htm J-80, www.j80.org/

Newport Neptune 16, www.skyrover.net/sailing/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_16

Newport Neptune 24,en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_16

O’Day, www.iheartodays.com O’Day Mariner Class Association,

www.usmariner.org Pearson

Ensign Class Association, www.ensignclass.com/Peep Hen, peephens.org/ Seaward Yachts, home.att.net/~seaward25/

index.htm groups.yahoo.com/group/seawardsailboats/

Seaward Fox, www.quietboating.com/www.quietboating.com/ bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/seaward/index.cgi/#7773

Seaward 25, www.okbayou.com/ Starboard Yachts

Slipper 17, cube.kv.k12.in.us/rdmhome/slipper/ www.sailing.dittybag.net/slipper17.html

Tanzer 22, www.tanzer22.comVagabond/Holder 17, home.comcast.net/

~vagabondsailing/

SAFETY AND SMALL BOATOPERATIONS Crew Overboard Rescue Symposium Final

Report, www.boatus.com/foundation/findings/COBfinalreport/

DSC radios and MMSI, www.BoatUS.com/MMSI/ Sailing Injuries, www.lifespan.org/services/

travel/articles/sailing_injuries.htm

TRAILERABLE SAILBOATMANUFACTURERS Catalina Yachts, www.catalinayachts.com/ Com-Pac Yachts/The Hutchins Co., www.

com-pacyachts.com/index.phpCorsair Marine, www.corsairmarine.com/ Ensign Spars, www.ensignspars.com/ Hunter Sailboats, www.huntermarine.com/

indexUS.htmlJ/Boats, www.jboats.com/ MacGregor, www.macgregorsailboats.com/ Marine Concepts, www.marine-concepts.com/ Marshall Marine, www.marshallcat.com/ Montgomery/Nor’Sea Yachts, www.

norseayachts.com

252

www.focuser.com/atm/anodize/anodize.html

www.focuser.com/atm/anodize/anodize.html

www.oceannavigator.com/article.php?a=1062

www.oceannavigator.com/article.php?a=1062

www.marineengine.com/price_guide/price_guide_left.html

www.marineengine.com/price_guide/price_guide_left.html

www.beneteau-owners.com/

www.beneteau-owners.com/

www.beneteau235.com/

www3.sympatico.ca/sailpair/21stuff/

www.capedory.org/cdinfo.html

www.catalina18.net

www.catalina22.net

www.capri22.net

www.usaj22.com/

www.j24class.org/usa/homepage.htm

www.j80.org/

www.skyrover.net/sailing/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_16

www.skyrover.net/sailing/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_16

www.iheartodays.com

www.usmariner.org

www.ensignclass.com/

www.okbayou.com/

www.sailing.dittybag.net/slipper17.html

www.tanzer22.com

www.boatus.com/foundation/findings/COBfinalreport/

www.boatus.com/foundation/findings/COBfinalreport/

www.BoatUS.com/MMSI/

www.lifespan.org/services/travel/articles/sailing_injuries.htm

www.lifespan.org/services/travel/articles/sailing_injuries.htm

www.catalinayachts.com/

www.com-pacyachts.com/index.php

www.com-pacyachts.com/index.php

www.corsairmarine.com/

www.ensignspars.com/

www.huntermarine.com/indexUS.html

www.huntermarine.com/indexUS.html

www.jboats.com/

www.macgregorsailboats.com/

www.marine-concepts.com/

www.marshallcat.com/

www.norseayachts.com

www.norseayachts.com

www.quietboating.com/bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/seaward/index.cgi/#7773

www.quietboating.com/bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/seaward/index.cgi/#7773

www.quietboating.com/

INTERNET RESOURCES

Performance Cruising, www.geminicatamarans.com/

Precision Boat Works, www.precisionboatworks.com/

Quorning Boats, www.dragonfly.dk/ Rhodes 22 by General Boats,

www.rhodes22.com/ Seaward/Hake Yachts,

www.seawardyachts.com/ Stuart Marine, www.stuartmarine.com US Yachts, www.ultimatesailboats.com/ Vanguard Sailboats, makers of the Sunfish,

Zuma, Nomad, 420, Laser, and more, www.teamvanguard.com/2005/base/index.asp

West Wight Potter, www.westwightpotter.com/

TOWING WEBSITES Boat Owners Association of the United States,

www.boatus.com/

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/equipment/towing/towing.pdf

RV Safety and Education Foundation,www.rvsafety.org/

RV Travel, www.rvtravel.com/towguide.html Sherline Products Trailer Loading and Towing

Guide, www.sherline.com/lmbook.htm Trailer Boats, www.trailerboats.com/ Trailer Hitches, www.trailerhitches.com/

info/towing-glossary.cfm Trailer Life, www.trailerlife.com/output.

cfm?id=42175Valley Industries Guide to Towing,

www.valleyindustries.com/PDF/Guide_to_Towing.pdf

253

www.geminicatamarans.com/

www.precisionboatworks.com/

www.dragonfly.dk/

www.rhodes22.com/

www.seawardyachts.com/

www.stuartmarine.com

www.ultimatesailboats.com/

www.teamvanguard.com/2005/base/index.asp

www.westwightpotter.com/

www.boatus.com/

www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/equipment/towing/towing.pdf

www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/equipment/towing/towing.pdf

www.rvsafety.org/

www.rvtravel.com/towguide.html

www.sherline.com/lmbook.htm

www.trailerboats.com/

www.trailerhitches.com/info/towing-glossary.cfm

www.trailerhitches.com/info/towing-glossary.cfm

www.trailerlife.com/outpu.tcfm?id=42175



www.trailerlife.com/outpu.tcfm?id=42175

www.geminicatamarans.com/

254

Numbers in bold indicate pages with illustrations

abandon ship situations, 146ABYC (American Boat and Yacht Council), 148accommodations. See also interior

cushions, 32, 35fabrics bonded to the hull, 37in small, trailerable sailboats, 3

acetone, 171Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (MARPOL

ANNEX V), 68–69Advanced First Aid Afloat (Eastman), 77affordability. See costs and affordabilityaids to navigation

buoys, 154, 156lights, 158–60, 159strobe lights and, 66

Air Head composting toilet, 206–7AIS (Automatic Identification System), 82Alberg, Carl, 215, 232, 240alcohol stoves, 202–3alternator field disconnect, 39aluminum

anodizing, 181–82corrosion of, 43, 181–82galvanic series of metals, 178–79painting, 43, 181, 182repairing, 182

aluminum fittings, 43American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), 148American’s Boating Course (U.S. Power Squadron), 140amp, 184amp-hour, 183anchor

connectors between anchor and rode, 73recommendations, 71–72safety issues, 5, 69–70size of, 72snubbing, 137storm conditions, recommendations for, 72types of, 70–72weight of, 72

anchor buoy, 136anchoring

best practices, 139dragging, checking for, 136, 137rafting up, 137, 138selecting where to anchor, 135–36snubbing an anchor, 137storm conditions and, 137techniques for, 135–37windlass for, 62, 73

anchor light, 67anchor rode

chain, 62, 73connectors between anchor and rode, 73marking lengths of, 73material for, 72–73recommendations, 71–72scope, 136snubbing, 137storm conditions, recommendations for, 72

anchor sentinel (kellet), 136, 137anchor shackles, 73Annapolis Book of Seamanship (Rousmaniere), 149anodes, 179, 180anodized aluminum, 181–82antennas, 82Anti-Bond 2015, 174–75Antrim 25, 227atmospheric corrosion, 178Automatic Identification System (AIS), 82axle, 58

backpacking stoves, 203backstay, 27, 90–91, 95, 133, 134Bahamian moor, 136Balboa 20, 230–31Balboa 26, 231ballast, 7, 19–20, 21, 24–26, 42, 44, 133ball-lock quick-release pins, 93ball valves, 39, 40Barber, Manning, 132Barber, Merrit, 132barber hauler, 28Barber Hauler, 132barnacles, 187Basic Boating Safety course (BoatSafe.com), 140battery

buying, 184charging, 183, 184–86connections to, 183maintenance of, 184reliance on, 157types of, 183–84weight of, 52–53

battery chargers, 185–86battery switch, 38–39beam, 19–20beam reach, 125, 126, 129Bearing Buddy, 58bearing caps, 58

Index

INDEX

bearings, 151, 154, 156–57bearings, wheel, 58, 87, 88bedding compound, 170, 174–75, 198bellrope, 28Beneteau First 235, 231–32best practices, 138–39bilge, 35–36, 147bilge blowers, 66, 83bilge pumps, 76–77, 166Bingham, Fred, 194binoculars, 153bleach-based cleaners, 170blisters, 42, 187blocks, 43, 188Bluewater Books and Charts, 151–52boarding ladders, 165boat construction, 36boating accidents and deaths, 122Boat Joinery and Cabinetmaking Simplified

(Bingham), 194boat plans, 248boat pox, 42boat registration, 15–16BoatSafe.com boating classes, 140boat shows, 29BoatU.S. (Boat Owners Association of the U.S.)

boating accidents and deaths, 122DSC radios, 81“Help Stop the Drops” program, 68insurance, 16Seaworthy, 5, 122towing insurance, 167

Bolduc, Dave, 245Bolduc, Mindy, 245boltrope, 28, 97, 125Bomar hatches, 84book value, 12–13, 34, 208boom

attaching to mast, 96bending on sails, 96–97jibing, 115, 126, 127, 130, 148–49mast-raising systems, 99–102, 100, 101surveying, 43

boom brake, 126boom-end sheeting, 96, 97boomkins, 18boom vang, 28, 126, 133bottom paint, 186–87bow eye safety cable, 55, 56bowsprits, 18brakes

on tow vehicle, 89, 99on trailers, 54, 58–59

Breeze Booster, 84British Seagull outboards, 49broaching, 148–49broad reach, 125, 126broker boat sales, 29–30bronze fittings and valves, 37, 39, 43Brown, Larry, 228, 243Bruce anchors, 70, 71brushes, varnish, 177Buccaneer 25, 31BUC International, 12, 33, 208buffer, power, 173bungee cords, 113buoys, 154, 156

buying a boatbook value, 12–13, 33deal killers, 32financing a boat, 13–15, 30fixer-uppers, 4, 31new boats, 29–30options for, 29by the pound, 24used boats, 4, 29–31where to look, 29–30

cable ties, 73Cal 20, 21, 100, 101, 133, 232calcium chloride, 172canvas and sailmaking resources, 247, 249Cape Dory 22, 232Cape Dory Typhoon, 35, 232capsized boats, 20, 149Captiva Yachts, 230carbon monoxide detector, 77–78carbon monoxide poisoning, 162cast-iron ballast, 25, 42, 44Catalina Yachts, 208

Catalina 18, 208Catalina 20, 100, 101Catalina 22, 31, 100, 208–10, 209, 233Catalina 250, 25, 210Catalina 27, 1, 2, 10, 37, 39, 72, 76, 79, 116

catamarans, 19, 133cathodes, 178CDI Flexible Furler, 116–17celestial navigation, 154cell phones, 82, 167centerboards. See keels and centerboardsCetol, 176chainplate, 44, 91Champion Trailer Supply, 193chandleries, 247Channel 16, 81Chapman’s Piloting, Seamanship, and Small-Boat

Handling, 121, 140charcoal, 78chartplotting tools, 153–54charts. See nautical chartschildren, 147chlorine and bleach-based cleaners, 170choosing a boat

cost considerations, 12–16displacement and, 9sailing relationships and, 9, 10–11sailing territory and, 5, 9size of trailerable boats, 7–8time for sailing, 16–17tow vehicle considerations, 9–10types of sailing and, 8–9

chronographs, 154chronometer, 150clamshell vents, 83classes, boating safety, 140claw anchors, 70, 71, 72cleats, 74, 196–98clevis pin, 91, 92–93close hauled, 125, 127–29, 128close reach, 125–26clothing, 204–5clove hitch, 111, 112coal-tar epoxy paint, 187

255

INDEX

Coastal Navigation course (BoatSafe.com),140

coastal sailing, 5Coast Catamaran, 244Coast Pilots, 150, 151–52, 156Code of Federal Regulations, 121code zero, 115Collinite wax, 173collision course, 143collision emergencies, 166COLREGS (International Regulations for Avoiding

Collisions at Sea), 66, 141commercial vessels, 141, 144Commodore Yacht Corp., Commodore 17, 230communication equipment, 80–83, 167communication with crew, 130, 138Com-Pac Yachts, 210–11

Com-Pac 16, 210–11, 212, 234Com-Pac 19, 211, 234Com-Pac 23, 211Com-Pac 23/3, 213Eclipse, 213Horizon Cat, 212Legacy, 212–13Picnic Cat, 211Sun Cat, 211–12

compass, draftsman’s, 154compasses, 75–76, 150, 151compass rose, 151, 152composting toilets, 206–7concrete ballast, 25, 42cooking aboard, 202–3, 249coolers, 202Cornell, Jimmy, 157corrosion. See also specific types

prevention strategy, 177, 178resources, 252types of, 43–44, 177–82

Corsair Marine, 214Corsair 24, 214Corsair 28, 215Corsair Sprint 750, 214

Cost Conscious Cruiser, The (Pardey and Pardey),110

costs and affordabilityadvantages of trailer sailers, 3–4book value, 12–13, 34choosing a boat, 12–16deal killers, 32discounts, items that rate, 32, 35financing a boat, 13–15, 30, 31, 32, 34GPS units, 158nautical charts, 150outboard, 45professional surveys, 32registration, boat, 15–16sails, 190structural strength of boat and, 24trailers, 45used boats, 4, 12

cotter pins, 93couples (partners) sailing, 9, 11coupling extension, 59covers, boat, 6, 12, 173CQR anchors, 70crevice corrosion, 43, 180–81crew, communication with, 130, 138

crew overboarddistress signals, 66drills, practicing, 162instances of, 66–67, 74night sailing and, 160preparations for, 146, 161recovery procedures, 162–65risk of, 122, 126safety equipment, 63–64, 73–74, 122, 146,

160, 162Crew Overboard Rescue Symposium Final Report,

2005 (Rousmaniere), 162, 163cringles, 147cruiser-racer sailboats, 9cruising guides, 136, 247

Coast Pilots, 150, 151–52, 156cruising sailboats, 8–9, 24cunningham, 133current, 148, 154, 156cushions, 32, 35

daggerboard, 21, 22, 23Danforth anchors, 70, 71–72danger bearings, 156–57danger zone principle, 144Davis compasses, 75–76daytime signals, 65deadlights and ports, 84–85dead reckoning (DR), 156dealers, boat, 29deal killers, 32deck

construction of, 36rot, repairing, 40, 170, 171, 175spongy, 32, 40standing water, 40surveying, 40, 41

deck hardwarebacking plates for, 197bedding compound, 170, 173, 174–75, 198installing, 196–98leaks from, 36–37, 170maintenance of, 188relocating, 201surveying, 40, 44

Dehler Sailboats, 216dehumidifier, 172, 247dehydration, 162Delta anchors, 70, 71Deltran, 184–85Demarcation Line, 141depreciation, 13depth sounder, 79, 160Devlin Mud Peep, 23dielectric grease, 57Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS),

158Digital Selective Calling (DSC), 81dinghies, 49, 251Discharge of Garbage Prohibited placard, 68Discharge of Oil Prohibited placard, 68discounts, items that rate, 32, 35displacement

choosing a boat and, 9, 24defined, 23–24D/L (displacement to length ratio), 24

displacement hulls, 19

256

INDEX

distancelogarithmec scale for speed/distance/time, 155visibility of lights, 158–59

distress signals and callsChannel 16, 81radio communications, 166, 167SOS, 65visual, 64–66

dividers, 153–54dock

backing out of, 123–24casting off from, 118–22leaving or returning in windy conditions, 122, 123, 146leaving under sail, 121–22returning to, 134–35stern swing when leaving, 122–23stopping a boat, 135, 198using outboard motor to leave, 123, 124

docklines, 74–75, 98documentation, federal, 15–16double sheet bend, 111downhaul, 125downwind sailing, 125, 126, 129–30, 132, 148–49draft, 20, 21–23draftsman’s compass, 154Dragonfly 800, 225drifter (reacher), 114, 115DSC (Digital Selective Calling), 81Dunn, Bill, 228

Eclipse, 213Eichenlaub, Carl, 132Electra Day Sailer, 215electrical systems

definitions of electrical terms, 184electronic equipment choices, 62maintenance of, 182–86optional inclusion of, 38, 53spare parts kit, 78stray current, 180surveying, 37–39, 38

electric extension cord, 186electric fence wire, 73electric outboard motors, 192electric winches, 56electrolysis, 178, 180electronic equipment

communication equipment, 80–83depth sounder, 79personal decisions about, 62, 79reliance on, 157

Elliot Cut, 118emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB),

64, 65emergency situations. See also crew overboard

composure and attitude during, 161distress signals, 64–66, 81medical emergencies, 161–62preparations for, 161risks to boat, 165–66

Ensenada 20, 230ensigns, 139Ensign Spars, 215, 240

Ensign Classic, 215–16Epifanes varnish, 177EPIRB (emergency position-indicating radio beacon),

64, 65

epoxyadditives for, 200aluminum repairs, 182availability of, 199benefits of, 199blush, 199–200coal-tar epoxy paint, 187cost of, 199limitations of, 199mixing, 200resources, 248sunlight and, 41, 177teak and, 194

equipment and gear. See also electronic equipment;safety equipment

Coast Guard-required equipment, 62–69, 63, 64, 83foul-weather gear, 85new boats, 30personal decisions about, 62personal gear, 204–5used boats, 30–31weight of, 52

Etap Marine, 216ethanol-blend (E10) fuel, 191Eva-Dry EDV300, 172extension cord, 186exterior, surveying, 40–45

fabrics bonded to the hull, 37Family Radio Service (FRS), 82–83family sailing, 9, 11fans, 83Farrier, Ian, 214fastpins, 92–93fast return recovery maneuver, 163, 164faucet and valve grease, 57FCC license, 81federal documentation, 15–16“Federal Requirements and Safety Tips for

Recreational Boaters” (U.S. Coast Guard), 63Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 69fenders, 49, 98, 121, 134, 135fiberglass

blisters, 42, 187maintenance of, 6resources, 248weight of, 24

figure-eight knot, 110–11financing a boat, 13–15, 30, 31, 32, 34fire emergencies, 166fire extinguishers, 66, 121, 166first-aid kit, 77first-aid manual, 161, 162Fisher, Greg, 95fishhooks, 42, 43fittings

aluminum, 43bronze, 37, 39, 43rusty, 37, 43stainless steel, 37, 43, 179surveying, 40, 43–44Zamak, 43

fixer-uppers, 4, 31, 247–48Fix it and Sail (Gilbert), 2, 9, 31, 32, 178flags, 65, 139flares, 65float-on trailers, 50

257

INDEX

Florence, Ronald, 28Florida Bay Boat Company Peep Hen 14, 234, 238flotation, 5forced-air ventilation, 66, 83Forespar hatches, 84forestay (headstay), 27, 98

ball-lock quick-release pins, 93mast-raising systems, 102–3rigging before launch, 90–91, 94rig tension, 95, 133roller-furling headsails, 115–17stemhead fittings, 40, 93

foul-weather gear, 85four-stroke outboards, 45–46, 47FRS (Family Radio Service), 82–83fuel

additives for, 191–92ethanol-blend (E10) fuel, 191fueling and fuel-handling procedures, 121

fuel tanksE10 fuel and, 191safety procedures, 121ventilation, 66, 83, 121

galley fires, 166galley guides, 249galley stoves, 202–3galvanic corrosion, 178–79galvanic series of metals, 178, 179garbage, 68–69Garmin eTrex GPS unit, 157, 158gasoline, 121, 166. See also fuelgate valves, 39, 40gear. See equipment and geargelcoat

maintenance of, 172–73mildew on, 170repairing, 41stain removal, 169–70sun damage to, 170, 172surveying, 41washdowns, 169–70waxing, 172, 173

gender-neutral sailing, 138General Boats Rhodes 22, 226General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), 82–83generators, 139genoas, 114GFI (ground fault interrupt)-protected extension cord,

186gimbaled stoves, 203gin pole, 99–102, 100, 101Git Rot, 171, 175, 198Gloucester 16, 237glue, 194GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service), 82–83gollywobbler, 115gooseneck fitting, 96, 125GPS (Global Positioning System), 150, 157–58, 160

DGPS (Differential GPS), 158GPS plotter, 153–54GPS units, 157, 158

grabrails, 74granny knots, 112Groover Tamer, 207ground fault interrupt (GFI)-protected extension cord,

186

grounding, 21, 23, 79ground wire, 57group sailing, 9, 11gudgeons, 96Guppy 13, 236

Hake YachtsSeaward 22, 227Seaward 23, 227, 241Seaward 25, 227, 241Seaward 26, 227Seaward Fox, 227, 241Slipper 17, 242

Halman 20, 35, 238halyard leash, 110, 111halyards

best practices, 139cockpit-led, 198–99coiling and securing, 109–10, 111rigging your boat, 27–28, 90–91,

97–98tensioning, 125, 130, 139

hand bearing compasses, 75–76, 154harnesses, safety, 74, 146–47, 160, 162Harrison, John, 150hatches, 36, 83–84, 147hats, 204head, 69, 205–7, 247head injuries, 126, 161, 162headsails

bending on, 98, 113flattening, 132–33hoisting, 125jib downhaul, 117leech line, 134parts of, 113reefing (shortening), 147roller furling for, 28, 113, 115–17sizes and applications, 114–15, 147telltales, 130, 131–32trimming, 129–30, 131–33wrinkles in, 130

headsail sheets (jibsheets), 28, 118, 119–20,126, 132

headstay. See forestay (headstay)heaters, 77–78, 83, 162heat exhaustion, 162heaving to, 129Hebel, Glenn, 162heeling

ballast and, 19–20, 24–25, 133defined, 19, 133hull design and, 19–20, 133

“Help Stop the Drops” program (BoatU.S.), 68Hens and Chickens light tower, 159Herreshoff anchors, 71Hess, Lyle, 221, 230–31hitch extension, 59hitch systems, 52–54, 53, 60Hobie Holder 17, 242holes in hull, 32, 37home storage, 10, 11–12, 23hookers, 71Horizon Cat, 212horns, 66–67hoses and hose clamps, 39–40, 165–66hot water, 204

258

INDEX

hullbarnacles on, 187blisters, 42, 187bottom paint, 186–87construction of, 36design and shape, 19–20, 24, 133point loading on hull, 24surveying, 41

hull speed, 19Humanure Handbook, The (Jenkins), 207human waste, 69, 205–7humidity, 172Hunter Sailboats, 217

Hunter 18.5, 235Hunter 19, 235Hunter 20, 235Hunter 212, 235Hunter 216, 217Hunter 22, 236Hunter 23, 23, 236Hunter 240, 25Hunter 25, 217

Hutchins Company, 210

inboard engines, 66, 124Inland Rules, 65, 66, 141insurance, 16, 251interior. See also accommodations

boat construction methods and, 36liner, 32, 36surveying, 34–40, 35, 38, 39

International Marine. See West Wight Potter/InternationalMarine

International Maritime Organization, 82International Regulations for Avoiding Collisions at

Sea (COLREGS), 66, 141Internet resources, 5, 29, 88, 251–53irons, locked in, 127

jacklines, 74, 146–47J-Boats, 217

J/22, 21, 218J/24, 218–19J/80, 219

J-B Weld epoxy, 182JC9 sailing dinghy, 228jellyfish stings, 162Jenkins, Joseph, 207Jenneau Tonic 23, 236jib, 114. See also headsailsjib downhaul, 117jibing, 115, 126, 127, 130, 148–49jibsheets. See headsail sheets (jibsheets)

Kasten, Michael, 181keel bolts, 42, 165keel guide, 59keels and centerboards

ballast, 21, 24–26, 44bilge spaces and, 35–36cable, keel, 113design and pointing ability of boat, 128design and ramp launching, 21, 22–23design and standing headroom, 7–8draft, 21–23low-aspect compared to high-aspect, 128lowering centerboard, 113

keels and centerboards (Cont.):mast height and, 26pivot bolt, 21, 37stability and, 7, 19–20, 25, 133surveying, 42types of, 19, 21–23

kellet, 136, 137Kennedy, Mark, 89kerosene lights, 37Klein, Bill, 17knockdown, 149knots, 104

bowline, 104–5clove hitch, 111, 112figure-eight, 110–11granny knots, 112sheet bend, 111square knot (reef knot), 111–12stopper knot, 110–11

ladders, boarding, 165lamp cord, 38Lancer 28, 7, 8Landfall Navigation, 152lapper, 114large boats

advantages of trailer sailers over, 3, 4compromises of, 7–8restoring, 31safety issues, 5windlass, electric, 62

large ships, 144launching and retrieving

checklist, 87–88coupling extension, 59drop-off at end of ramp, 99hitch extension, 59keel design and ramp launching, 21, 22–23process for launching, 98–99rigging before, 27, 87–98shallow ramps, 99tow vehicle and, 9–10, 52wheel chocks, 89, 99

Layden, Matt, 245lead ballast, 25, 42, 44lead line, 79–80leaks

emergency situations, 165–66locating, 170–71prevention strategy, 197–98signs of, 32, 35, 36standing water, 32, 35–37

Lee, Larry, 69leeboards, 22, 23leech line, 134leeway, 8, 154Legacy, 212lemon juice, 170length

D/L (displacement to length ratio), 24hull speed and, 19LOA (length overall), 18LOD (length on deck), 18LWL (length at waterline), 18–19specifications, 18–19

LifeCalk, 174life jackets, 63–64, 146, 160

259

INDEX

lifelines and stanchions, 73–74, 162, 181Lifesling, 163, 164Light List, 151–52lightning and lightning protection, 148, 157lights

anchor, 67ground wire, 57navigation (aids to navigation), 158–60, 159navigation (on boats), 37, 67, 158strobe, 65–66, 160trailer, 56–57visibility of, 158–59

line. See also knotscleating, 104, 105–6coiling and securing, 104, 106–10, 111maintenance of, 188–89replacing, 43rope compared to, 28, 97whipping, 138, 189–90

liner, interior fiberglass, 32, 36Little Cruiser, 243Lloyd’s Open Form Salvage contract, 167load-equalizer hitches, 54, 60Local Notice to Mariners, 79, 151–52, 156locked in irons, 127lockers, 36Lockley Newport 16, 237logarithmec scale for speed/distance/time, 155logbook, 150long-shaft outboards, 49lookouts, 143Loos gauge, 95lubricants, dry, 188Ludwig, Charles, 230luffing, 127Luger sailboats, 31lunch hooks, 72, 137

MacGregor sailboats, 220MacGregor 26, 23, 25, 220Venture 23, 18

MacGregor Venture 222, 2buying and fixing up, 4, 12, 31centerboard pivot bolt, 37centerboard truck, 36costs and affordability, 4, 12electrical system, 38, 185–86heaving to, 129hull speed calculation, 19launching and retrieving, 21mast, fixing holes in, 182porta-potty, 206selling, 4, 12solo sailing, 10tongue weight, 59–60towing and tow vehicle, 9vernier adjusters, 91weight of, 38

magnetic variation, 151mainsails

bending on, 96–97flattening, 132–33hoisting, 125leech line, 134low-aspect compared to high-aspect, 26old, 129parts of, 98

mainsails (Cont.):reefing (shortening), 28, 147telltales, 130–31, 132trimming, 129–31, 132–34wrinkles in, 125, 130

mainsheets, 28, 96, 97, 126maintenance

importance of, 169new boats and, 4, 169outboards, 45, 190–92requirements for, 169resources, 249safety issues and, 6small, trailerable boats and, 6time requirements, 16trailer, 56, 178, 192–93used boats and, 4, 6, 30–31

manual, owner’s, 90marina storage, 10–11Marine Concepts, 237

Sea Pearl 21, 227, 237Marine Mobile Service Number (MMSI), 81marine sanitation devices (MSDs), 69, 205, 247Marine Tex, 201market price of boats, 12–13, 34, 208MARPOL ANNEX V (Act to Prevent Pollution from

Ships), 68–69Marshall Marine Sanderling, 220mast

anodized, 181, 182bending, 43, 95corrosion of, 182fittings on, 179fixing holes in, 182height of, 26keels to balance, 26mast step, 89–90material for, 43painting, 181, 182raising, 89–91, 93–94raising, checklist for, 87–88raising, solo sailing and, 10, 27raising, systems for, 91, 99–103surveying, 43tall, limitations of, 26

Mayday procedures, 166, 167meal planning, 202, 247meathooks, 42, 43medical emergencies, 161–62Meguiar’s wax, 173Melen Marine Sparrow 12/Guppy 13, 236midships cleats, 196–98mildew

cleaning, 37, 170, 172on gelcoat, 170prevention strategy, 170–72reduction in value because of, 35surveying, 37

Mills, Clark, 210, 211mind-set for sailing, 16–17MMSI (Marine Mobile Service Number), 81Montgomery, Jerry, 117, 221Montgomery Boats, 133, 221

Montgomery 15, 5, 221Montgomery 17, 117, 133, 221, 228Montgomery 23, 18, 221–22quality of, 12

260

INDEX

Montgomery 17 (Tiny Dancer), 3, 17, 229anchors and rode, 71–72backing up, 124buying, 4cost of, 12, 31depth sounder, 79displacement of, 9D/L, 24hull speed calculation, 19keel design, 21maintenance work on, 12solo sailing and, 10suitability of, 6tow vehicle for, 9–10turnbuckles, 44weight of, 38

mooring, picking up and dropping, 134, 135motor mounts, 47–49, 48Motor Scrubber, 173Moxie, 228MSDs (marine sanitation devices), 69, 205, 247mudlines, 36Mud Peep, 23muffin fans, 83multihull boats, 19, 133, 242mushroom anchors, 71mushroom vents, 83

NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association), 12, 208Nathanson, Andrew, 161–62National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), 12, 208National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA)Chart No. 1, 150, 160charts from, 79, 150tide tables, 148weather radio broadcasts, 145

National Pipe Straight (NPS) thread, 40National Pipe Tapered (NPT) thread, 40nautical charts

anchorage selection, 135–36availability of, 150Chart No. 1, 150, 160chartplotting tools, 153–54clipboard for using, 151compass rose, 151, 152cost of, 150Demarcation Line, 141logarithmec scale on, 155navigation lights, 159–60paper charts, 79, 150–51recommendation to carry, 79resources, 247, 251storage of, 150–51

Naval Jelly, 178navigation. See also nautical charts

advances in, 150danger bearings, 156–57logarithmec scale for speed/distance/time, 155magnetic variation, 151night sailing, 158–60, 159plotting a fix, 154, 156print resources, 151–52resources, 249time, measurement of, 154

navigation lights (aids to navigation), 158–60, 159navigation lights (on boats), 37, 67, 158

Navigation Rulesaccess to, 140applicability of, 141basic rules, 141–43COLREGS, 66, 141course on, 140danger zone principle, 144Inland Rules, 65, 66, 141lookouts, 143meeting vessels, 142–43, 144pecking order among vessels, 141rules about the rules, 141speed, safe, 144understanding, 140

navigation tools, 150–54rack project, 194–96

Neptune 16, 237Neptune 24, 237Never-Seez, 179new boats

buying, 29–30cost of, 208equipment for, 30financing a boat, 13–15maintenance work on, 4, 169resources, 250–51

Newick, Dick, 228Newport sailboats

Neptune 16, 237Neptune 24, 237Newport 16, 237

newspaper ads, 29New York 32, 18–19night sailing, 157, 158–60, 159nighttime signals, 65Nimble Boats, 237

Nimble 20, 237–38Peep Hen 14, 234, 238

NOAA. See National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA)

Nobeltec software, 148nonpyrotechnic signals, 65Noridica 20, 238Notice to Mariners bulletin, 79, 151–52, 159NPS (National Pipe Straight) thread, 40NPT (National Pipe Tapered) thread, 40

O’Day sailboats, 239O’Day 19, 239O’Day 22, 21, 34, 239O’Day 23, 239O’Day 25, 240O’Day Mariner, 228O’Day Tempest, 239

offshore sailing, 5oil, 68oil, teak, 175–76oil bath bearing, 58oil spill cleanup kit, 68Olin, John, 228Optimist class racers, 211Optimum Sailboat, The (Florence), 28Ospho, 178outboard motors

checking before casting off, 118–20cost of, 45electric, 192

261

INDEX

outboard motors (Cont.):forward motor mount, 60four-stroke compared to two-stroke, 45–47leaving dock with, 123, 124maintenance of, 45, 190–92motor mounts, 47–49, 48resources, 248, 249, 252reverse gear, 123–24safety procedures for gasoline motors, 121shaft length, 49spare parts kit, 78, 192surveying, 45–49tool kit for, 192transporting, 60ventilation, 66

outhaul, 28overboard crew. See crew overboardoverhead, 37owners’ associations, 252owners’ Internet groups, 5owners’ manual, 90oxide layer, 177, 180, 181, 182

Pan-Pan procedures, 166, 167parallel rules, 153–54Pardey, Larry, 110Pardey, Lin, 110partners sailing, 9, 11passion for sailing, 1, 3, 245–46Pearson sailboats, 215, 240

Ensign, 240Hawk, 240Pearson 21, 240Pearson 22, 240Pearson 23, 241Pearson 24, 240Triton, 240

Peep Hen 14, 234–35, 237pendant, 21perfect boats, 4Performance Cruising Telstar 28, 222personal flotation devices (PFDs), 63–64, 146, 160personal gear, 204–5Pettit aluminum etching primer, 182phosphoric acid, 178Picnic Cat, 211pintles, 96pivot point, 122, 135Plastimo Iris compasses, 76plow anchors, 70, 71plugs, softwood, 166plumbing system, 36, 39–40pointing ability of sailboats, 127–29, 128point loading on hull, 24pollution regulations, 67–69, 205polysulfide bedding compound, 174polyurethane bedding compound, 174–75Poo Powder, 207porta-potty, 205–6ports and deadlights, 84–85port tack, 125Potter sailboats. See West Wight Potter/International

Marinepowerboats

danger zone principle, 144pecking order among vessels, 141

power lines, 87, 90

practicality, 5–6Practical Sailor

anchor tests, 71fan tests, 83Practical Boat Buying, 33surveyors, 32teak products, 177wax tests, 173

Precision Sailboats, 222Precision 165, 233Precision 18, 223–24Precision 21, 224Precision 23, 224–25

preventer, 126professional surveys, 32propane, 83, 162, 203propane stoves, 203pumpouts, 69pyrotechnic signals, 65

quickstop recovery maneuver, 163Quorning Boats Dragonfly 800, 225

racing sailboats, 8–9, 19, 24, 26radio channels, 81radios

antenna for, 82Digital Selective Calling (DSC), 81Family Radio Service (FRS), 82–83General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS),

82–83license for, 81resources, 250rules and regulations for using, 81VHF radios, 80–82, 83, 145

rafting up, 137, 138Ranger 28, 171reacher (drifter), 114, 115reefing (shortening) sails, 28, 147reef knot (square knot), 111–12reef-point kit, 147registration, boat, 15–16registration, trailer, 15relationships, sailing, 9, 10–11relative bearings, 143resistance, 184restoring old boats, 4, 31, 249–250Rhodes 19, 227–28Rhodes 22, 226rigging, running

maintenance of, 187–90specifications, 27–28surveying, 43

rigging, standingappendages, 18raising at launch ramp, 88–98raising at launch ramp, checklist for, 87–88rust on, 42, 43, 180spare parts kit, 78specifications, 27surveying, 40, 42–43tension on, 94–96turnbuckles, 44–45

right-of-way for sailboats, 141RK 20, 230roller-furling headsails, 28, 113, 115–17roller-supporting trailers, 50

262

INDEX

ropeline compared to, 28, 97maintenance of, 188–89

rot, repairing, 40, 170, 171, 175Roth, Hal, 110Rousmaniere, John, 149, 162rudder, 96, 118rules of sailing, 139Rules of the Road. See Navigation Rulesrunning downwind, 125, 126, 129–30, 132, 148–49rust

ballast materials and, 25, 42on fittings, 37, 43hose clamps, 39prevention strategy, 78, 178, 181removal, 178, 180rigging, standing, 42, 43, 180on trailers, 45

safety chains, 54, 55safety equipment

carbon monoxide detector, 77–78Coast Guard-Approved Equipment, 63Coast Guard-required equipment, 62–69, 63, 64on dinghies, 49harnesses, safety, 74, 146–47, 160, 162increasing safety with, 5resources, 252

safety issuesanchors, 5, 69–70classes, boating safety, 140downwind sailing, 126familiarity with your boat, 31gasoline outboard motor procedures, 121maintenance and, 6solo sailing and, 10teaching crew about safety, 122trailerable sailboats, safety of, 5trailer improvements, 55–56

sailboat user groups, 5SailCare, 190sailing, rules of, 139Sailing America (Brown), 245“Sailing Injuries” (Nathanson and Hebel), 162sailing maneuvers

best practices, 138–39fast return recovery, 163, 164heaving to, 129hoisting sails, 125jibing, 115, 126, 127, 130, 148–49meeting vessels and Rules of the Road, 142–43, 144night sailing, 157, 158–60, 159pointing ability of sailboats, 127–29, 128points of sail, 125–26quickstop recovery, 163tacking, 126–27

Sailing on a Micro-Budget (Brown), 229sailing relationships, 9, 10–11sailing territory

advantages of trailer sailers, 6choosing a boat for, 5, 9

Sailrite reef-point kit, 147sails. See also headsails; mainsails

as backup plan, 118bending on, 96–97cost of, 190draft, 133

sails. See also headsails; mainsails (Cont.):leaving dock under, 121–22luffing, 127maintenance of, 190old, 125, 129racing, 125reefing (shortening), 28, 147resources, 245, 247rigging before casting off, 118safety issues, 5sail area, 26shape of, 132–33solo sailing and sail handling, 10telltales, 130–32, 131trimming, 129–34wrinkles in, 125, 130

SailSports, Inc, 226Ultimate 20, 226Ultimate 24/Antrim 25, 226–27

sail theory, 130salvage rights and contracts, 167–68sandblasting, 178Sanibel 18, 230sawdust toilet, 207Schaefer Snapfurl 500s, 117scope, 136ScrapeRite plastic razor blades, 201screw-pad trailers, 50seacocks, 39, 165–66Sea Foam fuel conditioner, 191–92Sea Pearl 21, 227, 237seasickness, 162Seaward 17, 31Seaward 22, 227Seaward 23, 227, 241Seaward 25, 227, 242Seaward 26, 227–28Seaward Fox, 227, 241Seaworthy (BoatU.S.), 5, 122Seidelmann 245, 242–43Seidelmann. Robert, 242selling a boat, 4, 12, 13Shaw, William, 240Shedd, John A., 245sheerlegs, 102–3sheet bend, 111sheet lead blocks, 118sheets. See headsail sheets (jibsheets); mainsheetsshoes, 204–5short-shaft outboards, 49showering, 204shrouds, 27, 42–43, 44–45, 91, 94–96side-view mirrors, 59signals

hand, 138sound-producing devices, 66–67visual distress signals, 64–66

Sikkens Cetol, 176silicone-based grease, 57silicone bedding compound, 174Silva 70UN compass, 76Simonize wax, 173Simpson-Lawrence claw anchors, 72size of trailerable boats, 3, 7–8ski belts, 63skid-type trailers, 50Skipper’s Mate, 230

263

INDEX

Slipper 17, 242sloops, 27–28, 114Smith, Tony, 222smoke signals, 65soaps, 204Solar Shower, 204Solar Vents, 83solo sailing, 9, 10, 11sounding lead, cold-forging, 80sound-producing devices, 66–67Spade anchors, 70spare parts kit, 78, 192Sparrow 12, 236specifications

ballast, 24–26beam, 19–20displacement, 23–24displacement to length ratio (D/L), 24draft, 20, 21–23importance of understanding, 18keels and centerboards, 19, 21–23length, 18–19rigging, 27–28sail area, 26

speedhull speed, 19logarithmec scale for speed/distance/time, 155safe speed, 144

spindle-lube system, 58spinnaker poles, 100spinnakers, 115split rings, 93spreaders, 27, 94spring lines, 74–75square knot (reef knot), 111–12Sta-Bil fuel stabilizer, 191stability

beam and, 19–20hull design and, 19–20, 133keel design and, 7, 133tender boats, 19, 133

stainless steelcorrosion of, 43, 179, 180–81magnetic attraction, 39–40, 43, 180maintenance of, 181types of, 43, 180

stainless steel ball valves, 39stainless steel clamps, 39–40stainless steel fittings, 37, 43, 179stainless steel rigging wire, 42–43stain removal, 169–70stanchions and lifelines, 73–74, 162, 181starboard tack, 125Starboard Yachts, 242stays, 91. See also backstay; forestay

(headstay)steel, plain, 43–44, 178steel ballast, 25, 42, 44steerageway, 118stemhead fittings, 40, 93stern swing, 122–23, 135Stewart, Herb, 236stiff boats, 133stings, jellyfish, 162stopper knot, 110–11stopping a boat, 135, 198

storageclothing, 205covers, boat, 6, 12, 173getting ready to sail, 113home storage, 10, 11–12, 23marina storage, 10–11nautical charts, 150–51protection during, 11–12

storm anchors, 72storm conditions. See weatherstorm jib, 114–15, 147storm trysails, 147stoves, 202–3stray current, 180strobe lights, 65–66, 160Stuart Marine

JC9 sailing dinghy, 227O’Day Mariner, 228Rhodes 19, 227–28

sugar scoop stern, 164–65Sun Cat, 211Sunfish, 11sun protection, 204superior skippers, 150SuperMax anchors, 71surge brakes, 54, 58–59surveying a used boat

benefits of, 31–32cost of, 32deal killers, 32dinghies, 49exterior, 40–45interior, 34–40, 35, 38, 39outboards, 45–49parts of a trailer sailer, 33–34preparations for, 33professional, 32resources, 250tools for, 33trailers, 45

sway, 60, 87swim noodles, 135swim platforms, 164–65

tacking, 126–27tacking angle, 128Tanzer 22, 23, 243tapered threads, 40Taylor, Jim, 223teak, 173–77, 194telltale compass, 75telltales, 130–32, 131Telstar 28, 222tender boats, 19, 133terminology, 33–34, 184tethers, 74thimbles, 73“Thoughts on J/22 Tuning” (Fisher), 95through-hulls, 39, 165–66tides and tidal currents, 148tie-down straps, 54, 55–56tilt trailers, 50time

logarithmec scale for speed/distance/time, 155measurement of, 154for sailing, 16–17

264

INDEX

Timex Chronograph, 154Tiny Dancer. See Montgomery 17 (Tiny Dancer)tires, 55, 57–58toggles, 44, 45toilets, 69, 205–7, 245tongue jack, 59, 88tongue weight, 59–61, 88Tonic 23, 236tool kits

for outboard, 192resources, 246rust prevention strategy, 78for sailing, 78–79for trailer, 55

topping lift, 28, 96, 97topsides, 37towing a boat (assistance from other vessels), 167–68towing a boat (on a trailer)

alertness and attitude while, 52, 86backing up, 86, 88, 99checklist, 87resources, 251sway, 60, 87tips for, 86, 88tongue weight, 59–61trailer dive, 60, 61width limitations, 7, 19

towlines, 75tow vehicle

choosing a boat and, 9–10hitch systems, 52–54, 53, 60parking (emergency) brakes, 89, 99side-view mirrors, 59towing ability, 9–10, 50, 52tow ratings versus gas mileage, 51–52wheel chocks, 89, 99

Traffic Separation Zones, 141trailer

axle, 58backing up, 86, 88, 99brakes, 54, 58–59checklist, 87cost of, 45loaded height of boat on, 21, 22–23maintenance of, 56, 178, 192–93material for, 43parts of, 52–59point loading on hull from, 24repairing, 45replacing, 45resources, 246safety improvements to, 55–56spare parts kit, 78surveying, 45tires, 55, 57–58tongue extensions, 23, 99tongue jack, 59, 88tongue weight, 59–61, 88types of, 50washdowns, 169

trailerable sailboatsadvantages of, 3–6, 245evaluating, 8. see also surveying a used boatfamiliarity with your boat, 31maintenance and, 6manufacturers, 252–53

trailerable sailboats (Cont.):parts of, 33–34plans for building, 248resources, 249restoring, 4, 31, 249–50safety of, 5size of, 3, 7–8

trailer dive, 60, 61trailer hitches, 52–54, 53, 60trailer hitch extension, 59trailer registration, 16trailer winch extension, 103transom straps, 54, 55–56traveler, 28, 43, 96, 97, 133–34Tremolino Boat Company, 228–29trimarans, 19Triton, 240trolling motors, 192turnbuckles, 44–45, 94Turtle Wax F21, 188twin-keel systems, 21–22two-stroke outboards, 45, 46–47

Ultimate 20, 226Ultimate 24/Antrim 25, 226–27U.S. Coast Guard

Coast Guard-Approved Equipment, 63collision emergencies, 166distress calls to, 82, 166, 167equipment required by, 62–69, 63, 64, 83“Federal Requirements and Safety Tips for

Recreational Boaters,” 63fueling and fuel-handling procedures, 121Navigation Rules, 140–44Office of Boating Safety, 140towing a boat, 167

used boats. See also surveying a used boatbook value, 12–13, 33, 208buying, 29–31costs and affordability, 4, 12–13depreciation, 13discounts, items that rate, 32, 35equipment for, 30–31financing a boat, 14, 31, 33fixer-uppers, 4, 31, 247–48maintenance work on, 4, 6, 12, 30–31point loading on hull, 24resources, 250–51where to look, 29–30

U.S. Inland Rules, 65, 66, 141U.S. Power Squadron, 140

Vagabond 17, 244varnish, 176–77ventilation

active devices, 83carbon monoxide poisoning and, 162Coast Guard-required equipment, 66, 83, 121importance of, 78, 83passive devices, 83–85

Venture sailboats. See MacGregor entriesvernier adjusters, 91, 94VHF (very high frequency) radios, 80–82, 83, 145vinegar, 170visual distress signals (VDSs), 64–66volt, 184

265

INDEX

Wag Bag, 207Walker Bay 8, 49washdowns, 169–70water, fresh, 203–4water, taking on, 165–66. See also leakswater ballast, 25–26water depths, tides and, 148waterline length, 18–19water pumps, 204water tanks, 203, 204watt, 184wax, 172, 173weather

downwind sailing and, 148–49exposure to, 145forecasts and reports about, 145importance of to sailors, 145lightning, 148, 157local knowledge about, 145response to changes to, 145–47sayings about, 149signs of changes to, 145storm conditions, anchoring during, 72, 137summer storms, 145, 146

West Marinedinghy, 49Down-the-Hatch, 84

West Wight Potter/International Marine, 15, 21, 229,236, 245

Potter 15, 15, 229Potter 19, 15, 101, 229Sanibel 18, 230

wheel bearings, 58, 87, 88wheel chocks, 89, 99whisker poles, 100

width of trailerable boats, 7, 19. See also beamwinches

maintenance of, 187–88replacing, 43on trailers, 56

wind, leaving or returning to dock in, 122,123, 146

wind-catching fabric ventilating sails,83–84

windlass, 62, 73Windmill class racers, 211Windscoop, 84wineglass hulls, 19, 20wire, 73wire rigging, 42–43, 180wiring

boat construction methods and, 36connections on trailers, 56–57ground wire, 57maintenance of, 183trailer, 56–57type to use, 38, 183

wooden boats, 24wood mildew prevention, 172woodworking resources, 250working anchors, 72working jib, 114World Cruising Routes (Cornell), 157

yachtsman anchors, 71

Zamak fittings, 43zinc anodes, 179, 180zip ties, 73Zodiac inflatable dinghy, 49

266

Documents

The Complete Trailer Sailor: How to Buy, Equip, and Handle Small Cruising Sailboats