Recent content by michael pierzga

Metal is also cheaper and more durable. Epoxy painted Steel pipe for hydraulic lines are common. Only the ends of short flexible hose links Working with Metal pipe is a skill. Often boat builders dont have this skill so flex hose is used. You might ask around...i see a type of hard plastic...

Yup...thats the defect when going lightweight..you must sail the boat light. As a result when going light you must choose the longest possible boat that fits into your budget. Lightweight becomes expensive. Multihulls are the same. Once you overload them they become highly stressed...

6 to 8 weeks.... a hose off with fresh water. And a gentle scrub to remove bird poop and dried up sardines...then a new coat of sealer Every two or three years I get down on my hands and knees and give it a real scrubbing with a brush and scotchbright to remove sealer buildup and various...

The reason to choose a heavy boat is load carring abilty. Each sailor must decide how much junk they need . Typically the coastal sailor has a ton of junk ...plus half a dozen kids. The offshore sailor typically Only has his trusty shipmate and a few cans of tuna. Modern designers try to...

Ive been using either Teak Wonder or Semco sealer for decades. They work fine. I dont know what thier secret ingredients are...its not oil. The smell of teak wonder is simmilar to the sealer that you use on house siding or house decks . Teak sealers last about 8 weeks between applications...

Contact International or Awlgrip for paint schedule. Be aware that International has both consumer and professional paint systems. You will be using a pro paint system. The international tec advisor will recomend the products. Normally its three product paint system. Substrate primer...

Remove the old teak and all harware. Plug the hardware holes then sandblast the steel. Prime and buildup with epoxy primer. Once primed lay a batten over the deck to identify low spots...oil cans. Fill oil cans, fair and epoxy prime. The lay the deck. Prefabed teak decks, vacume bagged...

Yup...no games .. Purchase USCG approved running lights and anchor light. The brightest you can afford. Regulations cover minimum light output....not max... Always upgrade if possible Every week I face stressful inshore or port entry conditions at night. Anchored or inshore craft...

The problem with a heavy boat is the high loading all gear is subject to. To make way a heavy boat needs substantial sail area. Big overlapping genoas for instance. A light boat can make its speed with much lower power...less stress on gear. Upwind ability offshore is not so...

I dont know your cylinder. Typicaly you use a C spanner or Pin spanner to remove the ends of a cylinder. http://www.seastarsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/296024H.pdf

Coastal cruisers are different from ocean crossing boats. Coastal cruisers need good performance at all points of sail , particularly upwind, plus significant load carring ability...water, fuel, anchors, tenders...... They tend to be moderate to heavy displacement . Oceanic boats need speed...

If you are tough enough you can cross in a rowboat. I dont recomend it. 40 footers are the common tool for normal folks. Even at 40 ft , sailing across oceans is physically demanding. You better have your wits about you and have plenty of energy

A few years ago, motoring in a flat calm off the Montenegrin coast , I came across a slick of cigarettes....thousands of cartons of marlboro red cigarettes ...perhaps a mile long .

I dont know your particular ram , but they would be commonly used seals. Lip seal outside, O rings, piston seal and wear guides inside . The lip seal will have a size molded into the seal . Sometime seals can be troublesome to find ....metric dimensions in a non metric world. A good...

The ones coming out of the italian base in Albania looked like this Otemporary image hosting