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The Integral Backstay Adjuster

Integral backstay adjusters can play a big role in how a boat sails. Being able to adjust the backstay tension from the pump of a handle can be useful on cruisers just as much as racers. We all need to make general changes to the boats trim depending on wind and wave conditions in order…

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The Dreaded Halyard Swivel!

~You may find that I am poking a bit with this one. Perhaps the British might call it “a bit cheeky”, but I assure you it is all in good fun… THE HALYARD SWIVEL I just wanted to take a minute and chime-in on the “halyard swivel phenomenon” that has (apparently) taken the sailing world by storm. I…

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It’s a New Year…

at … …and we have recently moved to a new location!! That’s right, we’ve moved, but don’t worry, we’re not far. Actually, we are now even closer to you than before ;-0). The new location is still within the same complex as always, BUT you can now see us from the road (Edgewood Rd.). The Annapolis Maritime…

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Views From Aloft

A beautiful day in Friendship, Maryland Click the image for a better view! We went aloft on this completely re-rigged Beneteau 411 to cover tang holes. The birds were making their way-in and building a nest. Who wouldn’t, those are some big holes that make a great front door. “Come on in” We used black…

Views from Aloft
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Views from Aloft

An absolutely GORGEOUS day on the bay. This trip aloft was to retrieve a skyed main halyard and conduct a basic visual safety inspection. This was our first ‘Views from Aloft’ this year, taken last month on the Magothy River in beautiful Arnold Maryland. I have to say the Island Packet 38 is one of…

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Cruisers Can Fly Spinnakers Too!

So are you sick of your jib flogging around when you turn the boat down wind? Do you dread heading down wind because you know the boat’s performance will drastically suffer? Somehow the thought of the spinnaker is always nice, but when it really comes down to it, MAN that’s a lot of work! Not…

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Rod Rigging

    In the world of sailboat standing rigging there are three common materials used, stainless steel wire, Nitronic 50 rod, and various types of synthetic fibers, which are becoming more and more popular. I want to talk today about Nitronic 50 stainless steel rod. This specific type of stainless steel is very strong and noble. Rod…

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Clear to Tack?

What are the options when considering a boat that tacks its own sails from one point-of-sail to another. Newer boats are being designed a bit more mast forward, with taller masts and bigger mainsails. These newer designs are predominately main driven and implement a smaller self-tending jib (shown below), which helps with pointing when going upwind. If you…

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The New Boss

The IMOCA Open 60 Hugo Boss team is growing and has added an American by the name of Ryan Breymaier. This guy has many accolades in sailing, one of them being the ‘Golden Route’ record: New York to San Francisco by way of Cape Horn. Recently he took the New York to Barcelona ‘Ocean Masters‘…