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Technique
2020 October 1 - 12:00 am

How to polish a hull back to a super shine

Modern marine paints don’t take well to buffing, but polishing with a ceramic coating can bring new life to old paint jobs

By Bob Pingel
Marine paint has come a long way. Modern paints are amazing, they are shiny and colorful, abrasive resistant and survive many years under the punishing rays of the sun. They stand up well, but over ti
Boat Doctor
2020 September 1 - 12:00 am

Is my preventer rigged incorrectly?

By Bob Pingel
Dear Boat Doctor, I have had a few close calls with accidental jibes, and I now typically use a preventer when sailing downwind. I just use a spare line and tie the boom down the to rail at the point
Boat Doctor
2020 July 1 - 12:00 am

How do I calculate righting moment?

By Bob Pingel
Dear Boat Doctor, I recently replaced the original standing rigging on my 1968 Islander 34. I wanted to make sure everything was correct, so I confirmed the wire sizes with my own righting moment cal
Technique
2020 January 1 - 12:00 am

Adding a staysail

A properly rigged staysail is a great passagemaking tool

By Bob Pingel
Sail selection is key for offshore sailing. You need a combination that provides speed without overburdening the boat and enough flexibility that you don’t have to make frequent sail changes.A fixed
Boat Doctor
2019 October 1 - 12:00 am

Why is my engine suddenly flagging?

By Bob Pingel
Dear Boat Doctor, I am having a problem with my engine, a Yanmar 4JH2DTE.  It has always worked well, but recently I have not been able to get it to run over 2,200 rpm. I checked the Racor and t
Technique
2019 June 1 - 12:00 am

Going aloft

Whether you have help or you’re going solo, a trip up the mast starts with safety

By Bob Pingel
There are times on every boat when you need to send someone aloft. This is almost never convenient, but it’s a necessity and one in which safety needs to be a priority. Fortunately, the days of a pl
Boat Doctor
2019 May 1 - 12:00 am

How do I fix a saggy boom?

By Bob Pingel
Dear Boat Doctor, My Selden boom vang doesn’t seem to hold up my boom any more. It was OK before I installed the main, but now the boom just sags. For now, I have resigned myself to holding up the
Boat Doctor
2019 April 1 - 12:00 am

How can I keep corrosion at bay?

By Bob Pingel
Dear Boat Doctor, I have owned my Tartan 37 for more than 25 years, first on freshwater and now in the Chesapeake and the Bahamas. I love saltwater, but it is eating my boat. What can I do to keep th
Technique
2019 March 7 - 12:00 am

Boat detailing

Start the season right by getting your hull sparkling clean

By Bob Pingel
Spring cleaning is a ritual, but when it comes to boats it’s often a necessity. Before you launch for the season is often the only and best opportunity to get a boat sparkling clean. But that kind o
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