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Boating Articles by Tom

Starting with the little two-person inflatable raft I had as my very first boat, I have always loved the freedom and the feeling of being out on the water. With my father's help, I added a hard plywood floor to that little inflatable, and that was the beginning of a long chain of boats I have owned, loved, maintained, modified, fixed, enjoyed, and scared myself to death on over the past few decades.
A lot of boating time is spent fixing boats, maintaining boats, and upgrading boats with new boating equipment to suit our specific tastes and needs. Lots of salespeople at stores that sell marine boating supplies and boating accessories have learned to recognize me over the years. I have spent my share of time and money working on just about anything you could name on a boat, and made plenty of mistakes. I'm here to share the lessons learned.

Sailing My Foldable Klepper Kayak

February 10, 2010 By Tom Leave a Comment

My Klepper foldable kayak, without the sail rig. Scroll down to see my video My Klepper foldable kayak, with the sail rigging attached. Finally, actually sailing the kayak. The Klepper Aerius Expedition foldable kayak has the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sailing, Kayaking Tagged With: kayaking, klepper, foldable

The Catalina 309: A Review

July 31, 2009 By Tom 1 Comment

The Catalina 309 A self-tailing winch on the coachroof can be used for the outhaul or the mainsheet, but in practice is only needed for fine adjustments in strong winds. The furler loop turns a winch that is mounted into the mast. The winch … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sailboat Reviews Tagged With: cruising, review, Catalina 309

Adventures With A Cruising Spinnaker on an Island Packet

July 31, 2009 By Tom Leave a Comment

When you go to test a new sail, use your binoculars to take a close look at the parts up top. We would have had a much better trip back from the Bahamas if we had taken a little time to test the spinnaker and observe how it was rigged. In the late … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sailing, Sailboat Cruising Tagged With: Bahamas, Island Packet, spinnaker

Repacking or Replacing Trailer Wheel Bearings

July 31, 2009 By Tom 1 Comment

One of the wheels on my small trailer lost its bearings. They were badly deteriorated, and on a slow-speed run down our driveway, the wheel just started spitting bearing parts out onto the grass. It was pretty ugly, and the wheel was just clunking … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Boating Equipment Tagged With: trailer, wheel bearings

Dramatic Dawn Dinghy Rescue

July 29, 2009 By Tom Leave a Comment

Or, How I Almost Lost My 11' Boston Whaler While Crossing the Little Bahama Bank Driving my little Whaler in smoother waters The monstrous bow cleat I had installed on my little 11-foot Boston Whaler. This giant cleat was very convenient, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Boating Fun, Dinghies Tagged With: dinghy

Anchoring with Two Anchors, Bahamian Style Mooring

April 9, 2009 By Tom 1 Comment

To keep each boat swinging around in the smallest possible area, two anchors are deployed in the "Bahamian style mooring" arrangement shown in the picture at left. When anchoring out in the Bahamas you will frequently find that the protected … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Boat Handling Tagged With: cruising, anchoring, Bahamian

How to Dock an Outboard or Sterndrive Powerboat in 3 Easy Pictures

April 8, 2009 By Tom 6 Comments

In the images below, the red arrow on the boat is a speed vector, indicating the speed and direction of movement of the boat 1. Approach the dock at an angle, then shift into neutral 2. Turn the engine hard over toward the dock, then … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Powerboating, Boat Handling Tagged With: small boats, docking

Kinetic Energy: Almost More Boating Fun Than The Law Allows

April 1, 2009 By Tom Leave a Comment

After appropriating a small boat from my friend's little sister, we made a few modifications.... When I was a teenager, my friend Gene's little sister got a boat from some friends, who figured she could play with it in their swimming pool. When I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Boating Fun, Boat Repairs & Upgrades Tagged With: small boats, Kinetic Energy

Outboard vs Diesel for Horizon Cats

February 8, 2009 By Tom 2 Comments

While many people prefer the inboard diesel engine for the Com-Pac Horizon Cat, I prefer the outboard. Nine out of ten Com-Pac Horizon Cats sold are the inboard diesel Horizon Cat version, and one out of ten is a Horizon Cat with an outboard … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sailing Tagged With: outboard, Com-Pac, Horizon Cat

Outboard Engine Flushing Bucket

November 2, 2008 By Tom Leave a Comment

This flushing bucket makes it easy to flush the outboard thoroughly, without needing any special tools. Flushing an outboard engine with fresh water after use in salt water will greatly extend the life of the engine and reduce maintenance costs … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Boating Equipment, Powerboating Tagged With: outboard, flush, flushing bucket

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Popular

  • The Perfect Solo Mast-Raising System for Small Sailboats
  • How to Dock an Outboard or Sterndrive Powerboat in 3 Easy Pictures
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  • Rebuilding Whaleboat Tenders Part 5: Boat Parts Shopping Day
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About Tom

Starting with the little two-person inflatable raft I had as my very first boat, I have always loved the freedom and the feeling of being out on the water. With my father's help, I added a hard plywood floor to that little inflatable, and that was the beginning of a long chain of boats I have owned, loved, maintained, modified, fixed, enjoyed, and scared myself to death on over the past few decades. [Read More …]

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    • Handheld VHF Radios
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