Recent content by Frank Langer

That's only about 1/3 of what she's worth, in my opinion. Someone will get a great deal, or you could raise the price accordingly. Frank

Was there any sign of engine overheating? Did you have normal exhaust water? No smoke? I would also carefully check all hoses for any abrasion, contact with hot engine, etc. I would also check wiring for any sign of burnt wires. But yes, it's puzzling. Frank

:)

Yes, that's very hard! I used to live in a cold climate, hauling the boat in the fall, trying to survive winter without sailing by reading sailing boats, crawling inside the boat to check her periodically, and relaunching as soon as the ice melted. I now live on Vancouver Island where I sail...

Only once was our boat in the yard for a couple of months, and I found that very hard. I went there most days, and busied myself with maintenance work that I hadn't planned--rewiring the 3 way switch for the bilge pump, checking and cleaning all wire connections in the boat, etc. I might have...

Not just the cunningham, but also the outhaul, boom vang, backstay adjuster, to achieve optimal sail trim, boat speed and crew comfort. :) Frank

Oh wow, Christian, that's a surprise, given your extensive sailing! You should try those adjustments some time, it's amazing the difference they can make in boat speed, heeling, comfort. If I didn't make those adjustments, often several times a day, my wife/first mate would abandon ship, and...

Davis FSR fibreglass stain remover works pretty well on that. It's available at marine chandleries or on line, not too expensive. It may take a few applications with a tooth brush or similar. Most people think that stainless steel is stainless, but it isn't always. I'm not sure what is causing...

The usual advice is to not mix anodes, ie. use the same anodes everywhere to keep them from dissolving each other. I think aluminum anodes work in both salt and fresh water, so if I'm right, I would use aluminum on the prop and on the shaft. Just my opinion. Frank

Chattering can be caused by air in the water lines. I correct that by opening all taps--galley and head sinks--until water flows freely at full pressure from them all with no air pops. It doesn't take long. There is also a tiny pressure adjustment screw, often Allen head, on one end of the pump...

Although boats are quite different in their manner of heaving to, I think speed is less important than how the boat is doing--ie. is it flat, comfortable for taking a short break, managing on its own without much attention, etc. Frank

I haven't used them, but my reading about them has not revealed any problems with them. One advantage is that they can be replaced quite easily by a knowledgeable boat owner without rigging tools or rigger expertise, like if going offshore. But they do have to be done properly, though there are...

There are differing views on osmotic blisters. They are quite common on boats, some kinds more than others. Some people think that they are more a cosmetic issue, especially if they are small fingernail size rather than one inch size, and if they have mainly occurred in the gelcoat and not...

Unless there are blisters to repair, or very thick coats of old epoxy paint to remove, you may be able to put a tarp around the boat, sand it to remove any peeling paint or rough surface, then paint a couple coats of bottom paint, for much less than $2000. Frank

Juni, When I removed the anchor locker there were about 24 screws along the lip of the anchor locker, which were fairly easy to remove. The harder part was using a one inch putty knife blade to slide under the lip to break the caulking seal on the under side of the anchor locker lip--that took...