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I have seen inboard engines run on the hard by removing the raw water intake hose from the sea cock and connecting a garden hose to the intake hose with an adapter. Or putting the intake hose in a bucket with a garden hose to keep the bucket topped up. Edit to add: However, that will just let...

Oh, no doubt. My professional experience has been large ships, where it's considered a big no-no.

Lol, racing sailboats in NC waters we used to say "tack on the first bounce." I'm not ashamed of running pleasure boats aground. Not to say I don't try to avoid it though. Now, in my job if I ran aground...well, I'd be looking for a new job.

When I was 16 years old I took my dad's 30-foot sailboat with some friends (no adult supervision) and ran into Eagle Harbor, Washington...I was not new to boats but we were new to the area (having moved from NC a year or so before), and I didn't fully understand the range of tide there...

Thanks - that makes sense.

Great looking boat, and you're obviously quite the craftsman. Beautiful. One question...you talk about the stern light being illegal because it's below the sheer line...why is that? As long as it meets the arc and range of visibility required by COLREGS I can't see why the location would...

This is another reason to use a swivel...the eye of the swivel is much larger than the chain link, so you can attach the shackle however you desire.

I personally wouldn't worry about the lateral stresses on the pin...large ships routinely have the "pin" through the anchor shank and the "body" part attached to the chain. Certainly if your anchor manufacturer has a recommended setup then I would go that way. I would, however, recommend the...

I got towed last season in my 30' sailboat when the engine died about a mile from the marina. Zero wind and an ebbing tide made it impossible to even consider sailing in. TowBoatUS did their thing and it was easy. Well worth the yearly premium, IMO. A couple of years ago I also towed a...

That's great!

That's a fair point, and I'm not saying that the light is a bad idea or that you shouldn't have one...I am all about redundancy. I'm just saying I trust the flares more. Then again, I do have a sextant and a hand bearing compass and know how to use them, but I rely on GPS just like everyone...

In the end, we all have to do what makes us feel safe. Given that most weekend boaters are not exactly up-to-speed on rules of the road, etc, I just don't have the confidence that Jimmy Joe Bob in his bass boat is going to recognize the SOS or the flag. And let's face it, there are a lot more...

Requirements aside, I am more concerned with someone not recognizing it as a distress signal. I would hesitate to rely on this alone...though it would make a good locator once a longer-range signal such as a meteor flare or radio/EPIRB distress signal is sent. The rules of the road do indicate...

Sounds like a good idea...but I'm not sure I would trust my life to it just yet. Might be a good way to accompany flares, especially when further combined with a VHF DSC distress signal or EPIRB, but until more mariners receive more training on looking out for these devices, I'll stick to my...

How is this distinguishable as a distress signal, rather than just another light at night? Flares are pretty easily recognizable for what they are. Not saying it's a bad thing, just curious. Also, I assume this will replace only hand-held signals, not the 12ga meteors that are visible over a...

First real post on here, and I have to say I agree with those who say that managing expectations is the key. I grew up cruising around coastal NC, the ICW, and later in Puget Sound on a 30' sailboat that I think cost my father around $9000 in the early 1980s (equivalent to roughly $25k now)...

Thanks everyone. A little more detail...our budget (projected out 5-6 years, which is our target timeframe for buying) will keep us firmly in the Albin/Marine Trader/CHB market, in order to have enough left to repair/refit and cruise for a year on my retirement income alone. I have read a ton...

Hi Everyone: Looper hopeful here. Currently in my last 5 years in the Navy before retirement, after which my wife and I are planning on buying a trawler to do the Great Loop and then live on for a while before pursuing further employment. We currently own a 26' sailboat. I grew up around...