This is an often asked question which seems to have many different answers. Over time we have tried various sealants and have narrowed it down two primary products as our choice of sealant, 3M’s UV4000 and Boat Life Life Calk. Boat Life’s Life Calk provides a long lasting seal that stays flexible through out its lifespan….
The 35th Americas Cup will be taking place in Bermuda in 2017. Here it is March 2015 and things are starting to heat up… Dean Barker, a 15 year veteran at the helm,  was recently devastated with the news that he would be replaced by 24 year old Peter Burling as the skipper of Team New…
  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…
With the usual suspects, Team Brunel, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Donfeng Racing, atop the leader board; the Chinese team lost a halyard. This snag led to a night time trip aloft (eeeek!) and a position loss. 3rd place is currently being held by Mapfre, but with only 7NM as a buffer, the Spanish entry will need…
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…
The chainplate is typically a metal plate used to fasten a stay to the boat. One end of the chainplate has a hole for the pin of the turnbuckle, the remainder of the chainplate is used to attach the plate to the boat  via a bulkhead, knee, tie rod or the hull itself. Chainplates get their name…
When sailing down wind we eventually may find ourselves having to perform the dreaded gybe. Depending on conditions and wind strengths, this can be relatively painless or really scary. A violent gybe, which causes the boom to crash from one side of the boat to the other, can cause major damage. In some instances the boom…
Sometimes in sailboat racing the guy that deploys the anchor first, pulls into the lead. Winds have been light and variable for most of this leg, as expected. However, the teams are nearing the final rounding mark and things may start “heating up”, as the teams begin to turn upwind  ~ see what I did…
So you have taken the mast out to get some work done or you are simply storing the boat for the winter? Well, now is the time to consider the mast step and deck collar. Just like chain plates, mast steps and deck collars often get overlooked. If you have recently removed the mast on…
I have always fancied the exploration designed yachts. They just scream heavy duty and robust, which I like for anything I’m going to be sailing around the world. Aluminum has been the choice material for many reputable exploration yachts of the past. Garcia Yachts of France seems to think, “why mess with success”. Take a…
Many people these days are looking towards synthetics or to un-coated stainless steel to replace their lifelines over the traditional vinyl coated lifelines of the past. First, let’s talk a little bit about the cons of using vinyl coated wire: the wire cannot be visually inspected for failure, the wire is typically made from a…
What a better way then to end the year with one of our last trips aloft for 2014? This was taken early November and was one of the last views from aloft for the year. Here we were aloft to conduct another one of our Rigging Safety Inspections. Maryland Yacht Club offers one of the…
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