Dear Boat Doctor, I just bought a 1984 Tayana 37 and am beginning a refit with a plan for long-distance cruising. The boat is set up as a cutter but doesn’t have running backstays. The guy I bought

Dear Boat Doctor, I keep my boat on a mooring, so it’s usually closed up, and it doesn’t really have any ventilation.  I notice a sour sort of smell whenever I get on board.  It’s not

Dear Boat Doctor, Every time I run my engine, I end up with a little water in the bilge under the engine. The longer it runs, the more water I get. I have looked for leaks and can’t find the proble

Dear Boat Doctor, My VHF radio is not working very well. I seem to receive OK, but my friends struggle to hear me when I transmit. I want to replace the radio, but I want to make sure the new one wor

Many sailors dream of sailing in the islands with sandy beaches and warm trade winds, but some of the most exciting and rewarding sailing is found in colder climates. Sailing was never meant to be com

How do I fix my hot water system? Dear Boat Doctor, I am having a problem with the hot water system on my boat. I can make hot water when the engine is running, but it doesn’t work at the dock. Ca

Dear Boat Doctor, I am having a problem with the hot water system on my boat. I can make hot water when the engine is running, but it doesn’t work at the dock. Can you give me some ideas on how to

The marine diesel engine is an amazing piece of machinery. These engines are reliable, safe and require minimal maintenance. If you look after just a few things, your engine can easily run for 10,000

What gear do we need for night passages? Dear Boat Doctor, My wife and I would like to do some longer distance passages, which will entail sailing overnight. We are a little nervous about it but e

Days on the water are often great, but things can go wrong. When they go wrong, your ability to get help is determined by your communication ability, and it’s important to know  the gear and co

Help! My AIS is stuck in the supply chain Dear Boat Doctor, I have a complete Raymarine system in my boat, and I want to add AIS. Unfortunately, the supply chain for Raymarine AIS units is blocked

Dear Boat Doctor, I just bought a Hylas 46, and I am assessing my ground tackle. The boat came with 120 feet of 3/8-inch chain and a 55-pound Mantus anchor. Both seem a little undersized for the boat

Dear Boat Doctor, We’re finally able to do some offshore passages on our Baba 40 and we’re looking to expand the sail inventory to get better downwind performance. We’re looking at an asymmetri

A protected and fair boat bottom looks good, but it’s the performance-related benefits that make a good bottom job worth the work, and the price.The first step in any bottom job is choosing the

Dear Boat Doctor, I just got my first big boat and I am facing a new problem. My boat has a keel-stepped mast and I am struggling to seal the mast to the deck. The boat came with a rubber strip b

Quetzal is ready for thousands more miles of ocean passages following a standing rigging refit.Standing rigging is not set it-and-forget-it equipment; it requires maintenance. All that shiny stainless

The best way to attach three-strandline to chain is with a thimble and screw-pin shackle. The shackle provides a large, smooth radius for the rope, as well as providing chafe protection. A shackle can

Dear Boat Doctor, I need a new genoa furler on my Passport 40 and I am not sure where to start. I have looked through a couple catalogs and they seem to be sized to the length of the boat, but it fee