Boom Brakes and Preventers
| | | | | |

Boom Brakes and Preventers

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…

| | | | |

Garcia Yachts

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…

| | | |

Conventional Mainsail Reefing

Reefing or reducing a conventional/non-furling mainsail can be done by way of either a slab or a single line reef system. Today I want to talk about the difference between the two reef systems and how they should be set up. FIRST: Read below for a few thoughts on reefing procedure   When reefing, conditions are…

| | | | |

How to Adjust a Turnbuckle

The concept of how to properly adjust a turnbuckle seems to sometimes elude most people. This is understandable as I didn’t used to spend my days thinking about tightening cables, like I do now. So let’s take a moment to discuss how this is done properly. There are generally three different styles of turnbuckles. Yes, there are a…

| | | | | | | | | |

No Rudder, No Problem!

Ever wonder, “what if we lose steerage”? Well this little video, brought to you by our friends at Yachting Monthly, covers a few concepts to help allow you to get your boat back under control. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99KSZ3mEoKQ&w=420&h=315]   They say that they took a rudderless GK29 and tried 3 different ways of steering it. Maybe…

| | | | |

Team Groupama Dismasted!

In typical Extreme Sailing Series fashion, Act 1 kicks off with no shortage of collisions and wipeouts. The race took place in Singapore Harbor last weekend. Day 3 delivered possibly one of the event’s most dramatic moments in its eight-year history. The home Team Aberdeen Singapore caught a huge gust near the finish line and plowed…

| | | | | |

Classic Lines, Modern Comforts, and…

…easy to handle. The Tofinou 12 is hard to be outdone as far looks and ease of sail handling are concerned. I really like the sort of “Dragon-ish” foredeck design which puts the headstay several feet in from the very point of the boat. This allows the asymmetrical spinnaker to be flown via an internal tack…