We are coming to Seattle from Eugene via train today to get a few days in at the show. Staying a short walk away. Anyone have suggestions for must sees or do at the show or nearby? Places to get reduced price tix? We will be shopping for a liveaboard in earnest after I retire this summer.

Anyone ever sail around the world or done some serious bluewater cruising in one of these? How'd you like it? Anything you'd change?

Greetings,

Sailing Made Easy notes that when rigging a jib with luff tape, you have to wait until the sail is ready to hoist before sliding the top of the luff tape near the head into the opening ramp in the headfoil's groove. Just wondering why this is. Does it have something to do with the wind potentially getting under the sail, catching it and partially hoisting it? Thx!

Hi all, I'm a holding a French license to drive a boat (permis cotier = 11km away maximum). But I usually live in Asia, and I'm considering to rent a boat in some countries, eventually to do a run from times to times because I miss it.

Does any of you have experience with it, is it possible, does it work? Because I have never heard of a boat driving license to be international (different from a car driving license).

Thank you

My bilge is very shallow and can’t fit a normal pump. The “low profile” ones are expensive and I would have to use epoxy to keep it in which I want to avoid. I keep seeing these for bait tanks. Why not just run a tube to the bilge with a float switch and mount the pump near the through hull?

Hi all,

I am an ocean research technician working with a university and would love to have your thoughts on a project I'm working on. I am assembling a piece of oceanographic equipment that requires lead weights in order to sink properly. The fun part is that this equipment is sampling for trace metals in the water so the weights are going to have to be completely sealed off from the salt water.

I've been looking at epoxy resins/paints that are both abrasion and uv resistant and easy to paint on/cure but I'm curious what y'all would recommend for this project. We already have our weights so I'm trying to work around those/improve on our older system. Thanks and any tips/specific product recommendations are appreciated!

For reference here is a picture of the same weights we use on our older system:

https://preview.redd.it/9mdpv6ig5fge1.jpg?width=706&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8dc433b13516a5a3b0dace6f9d25a487724558db

heads up I learned how to sail in a Spanish-speaking country so some of my terminology may be off.

used to compete as a kid on Optimists but quit after moving countries. I took a course a few years back in the US and got some experience on larger 2-3 person boats. But I wanna get into sailing again and was thinking of getting an inexpensive Laser and just taking it down to the beach once in a while.

Am I getting in over my head or should I expect a relatively smooth experience.

Vessel will mainly be used in shallow water (no more than 15 feet) and primarily used for fishing. Any suggestions on what fabric to use, and what material to build the frame out of?

I'm about to put down the initial deposit for a RYA Day Skipper practical (as in, does not include the "theory" element of the class) course. My fiancée will be on the same boat doing RYA Competent Crew. We are doing this off the coast of Tuscany during the very first week of April. We will be with at least two other students, so it's not a private course. The boat, as described, is a "Varianta 44 launched in 2016." It has 4 cabins (8 bunks), 2 toilets, and was refitted this year.

To me, this sounds like a nice boat? Although I haven't seen photos, I am hoping we will have space and comfort. My fiancée is a reluctant sailer, and I am wanting this to be a very positive experience so she is willing to sail again in the future. She is also very concerned with sea sickness -- I looked for a course on catamarans but wasn't able to find any. I have around 200 hours of sailing experience (on mountain lakes near Denver, CO) and she has about 10 hours' worth.

The cost all-in is quoted at $2,900.

Does this sound like a reasonable price for RYA Day Skipper (one certification) and a separate RYA Competent Crew (one certification)? Also, do you have any recommendations for how I can help ensure this is a comfortable trip for my fiancée? If I can ensure she has a good time, it would be life changing since we will be able to go on many sail trips in the future, or travel on the seas more in general. If she has a miserable time, then my opportunities for sailing in the future will be more limited. Given those facts,

Do you have recommendations for tether lines, jacklines and harnesses for 10 meter sailboat in Europe? Which manufacturer is recommended and which web shop has best buy prices?

Thank you!

This picture is taken from the front/beginning of the boom (just aft of the gooseneck). As far as I understand galvanic corrosion is happening between aluminium and stainless steel. What’s the usual approach to prevent this from happening? Some kind of rubber or other material to isolate the two metals?

Thank you!

Bought a new trailer for Sydsulver, can‘t want to start the season…but there are a lot of things to do, guess what…

Someone brought this image in to a picture frame shop. Said it came from a placemat. Doesn’t know any more about it.

As the title says

I really feel like I need a winch in the gym to workout on. Something where you can change the resistance. I looked online but couldn't find anything. Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to strengthen my winch game?

Is there a system out there, where a solo/short handed team can have a fob attached to them, and if it is detected the fob is off the yacht, as in man over board, the yacht autopilot can execute a manoeuvre, such as drop sailed and start turning in a circle?

As in, solo sailer is knocked over board, and instead of the yacht just sailing off and you can't swim fast enough to catch up, the yacht circles around with the main furling in so you can at least try to get on board?

I'm a traveling cruising boat mechanic/systems/electrical tech working in the LA area (mostly del rey) doing a bunch of projects for the next couple months. Working alone is boring, and I have a lot to teach (been an instructor off and on most of my life) if anyone is looking at starting a career in fixing boats or wants to learn enough to DIY while cruising.

What are the requirements? You can do as much or as little as you like - from just hanging out and handing me tools to full on climbing into holes and fixing stuff. Come and go as you please - I'll tell you when and where the project is and you can go or not. Age/gender not important, I'm a 43M happily married white guy if anyone cares. One of my best apprentices was a 55/yo lesbian, I don't discriminate. However, if you have health or mobility issues this isn't a good idea. Boats are hazardous enough, and lots of tiny spaces and climbing around so need some agility.

What I'm offering: Basically an apprenticeship, or a class on how to fix boat stuff with me. I owned a marine electrical and systems business for 5 years, and I've been cruising and traveling around fixing boats my whole life. If you spend some time learning with me, you will be more qualified than 80% of the guys that work at boat yards haha. (Source: worked at a lot of boat yards). I've almost always had an apprentice, I find it makes the day go by faster and I enjoy teaching. I work freelance now and am in fairly high demand and I can pick and choose my work, so why not do it in a way I enjoy?

What's the scam? $$$? No money involved either way - show up and learn, work as much or as little as you like, leave when you like. I'm not charging anything as a class and this is not a job. I can provide references from previous apprentices and crew so you can make sure I'm not a serial killer.

I've done this in the past a few times in various places, before reddit with fellow cruisers and more recently here. You can see a couple similar posts from my history, I've met some cool people and passed along a lot of knowledge. I had a lot of help in my sailing life learning what I know, happy to pay it forward, happy to have the company.

I’m redoing the standing rigging on my Islander 36. The tops are swaged eyes while the bottoms will be Sta-lok terminals. The riggers gave me an extra foot of wire so I can cut to length. I’m working on the lower shrouds at the moment and all the existing corresponding lengths are different within an inch. Should both port and starboard be the same length, or should I just match what the current measurements are?

Existing lengths are:

Port aft- 17’ 7 3/4” Stbd aft-17’ 7 1/4” Stbd fwd- 17’ 5 5/8” Port fwd- 17’ 6 1/4”

Our club has been regularly holding races every other week. We have folks who remain on-shore and watch how things go.

I was thinking if there was a race management app or an app that could broadcast the live GPS location of each boat? We would love to have that shown in the club house for members to see which boat is leading and all the other stats such as speed, etc.

Any recommendations?

The previous owner screwed in the dodger mounts to the sailboat which eventually came loose and pulled out. I’d like to reinstall the mounts but use through-bolts this time. This should make the dodger more rigid and withstand the occasional yank or bump.

Any suggestions on how to do this? My thoughts were to drill out the existing screw holes but a tad wider and through the fiberglass. Then add thickened epoxy in the holes to make them sealed off from water. Then drill holes all the way through for the through-bolts.

Is this overkill?

None if the lakes I live near have marinas, but rivers and ponds/small lakes are common. I have a particular vision in mind for a boat, but I recognize this may not be realistic

In short, I'd like small boat that I can roof on a crossover, that can sail and row, with a small sealing sleeping area that I could overnight in.

Anyone have any ideas, or do I need to start looking at mini trailer sailors?

Considering adding a two-band, VHF/UHF antenna to my Jeanneau 45' sailboat mast head. I've got a number of other items already at my masthead. Question is, what type of antenna do people use for 2 meters/440mhz on the masthead. What is there looks like a 1/4 wave whip at 156mhz with a base coil, looking like a standard base loaded mobile antenna. I am thinking about placing it on the opposite side of the current marine antenna. This, of course, presumes I will be able to get another coax into the current cable conduit. Looking for thoughts. Also, is there a subreddit for hams who sail ??