Captain John's Sailing Tips
Newsletter Issue #133 ~ December 31, 2011
In Today's Issue:
* It's Your Call, Skipper!
* Sailing Skills Video-of-the-Week
* Captain John to Crew on Caribbean Delivery
* Did You Miss the Latest Member Articles?
* Sailing Skipper's Quotable Quotes
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"It's Your Call, Skipper!"
Five Money-Saving Tips to Maintain Your Sailboat!
makes one of the best sailboat metal lubricants in the world?
Or that a super teak cleaner comes from a secret potion...
used in one of the world's most famous taverns?
Here are five easy sailboat "clean 'n brighten" tips...
collected from cruising sailors from around the world...
that you're sure to find the perfect solution for your sailboat!
Remove ugly drips in stages
When teak oil or varnish drips onto your gelcoat, start with a mild solvent like mineral spirits. If you need something stronger, use acetone next. Wear rubber kitchen gloves because latex can dissolve.
Dissolve tar and decals with ease
Creosote, tar and grunge can scar your fenders. And most boaters need to change registration decals every year to comply with Federal law. Put WD-40 or CRC to work to remove stains or loosen stubborn decal adhesive.
Use the "Rocky" of the aerospace industry
Many marine protectants don't last long enough in the harsh environment of salt and spray. Look to the air for the answer. Boeing engineers had to come up with a formula that would protect their aircraft in all conditions--snow, sleet, rain, and shrieking wind...
Enter Boeshield T-9
. This super spray penetrates the pours of metal to give it a protective armor coat that lasts for months and months. Spray it onto boom and mast hardware, engines, electronics, batteries, and steering cables.
Clean teak with this bartender's favorite
Well known taverns swear by Bar Keepers Friend
cleaning powder to give their bar tops a glossy, mirror-like shine. Your teak will love this cleaner. The oxalic acid in the powder will penetrate the pours in the wood to clean and brighten it.
As an alternate, Don Casey recommends a waterless mixture of 75% Wisk detergent and 25% household bleach. Give it a shot of TSP (trisodium phosphate--used by painters as a degreaser/cleaner). Mix it up, lather it on, brush it in, and rinse it off with lots of fresh water.
Try this trick to replace dodger glass
Has your boat dodger glass yellowed or clouded to the point that you feel like your sailing in pea-soup fog? Forget cleaners; most will make the glass worse. If money's tight, you can pump new life into your dodger with this easy do-it-yourself project:
* Remove the dodger from the boat
* Turn it over and flatten the glass
* Sew a new piece of glass over the old glass
* Flip it over so that it's right-side-up
* Cut away the old glass next to the seam line
Sailrite has dodger glass and gives top-notch customer service and support: Dodger Glass for the Do-It-Yourself Sailor.
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Make small cruising boat maintenance projects a bit easier with these five tips. They will help keep your boat in bristol fashion and extend the life of your sailing gear, wood trim, electronics, and small diesel engine.
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Sailing Skills Video-of-the-Week
in a pristine anchorage a few miles up the coast.
Have you made enough allowance for anchor line or chain...
to cover the three vital factors of "scope calculation"?
Gain the peace-of-mind you need with these anchoring tips.
Watch this exclusive one-of-a-kind sailing video now
How Much Anchor Scope Do You Need for Peace-of-Mind?
** Mobile Device Users**
Click on the link above. Click on the icon beneath the main screen.
Please allow 20 to 30 seconds for the video to upload.
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Captain John to Crew on Caribbean Delivery
Now we will head to St. Thomas or St. Maarten in the Caribbean where Shibumi will spend the winter months. The trip should take between 10 to 12 days. This time of year, the Atlantic has a short temper, so we will wait for a decent weather-window to depart.
You will have fresh articles and newsletters each week while I am gone. I'll keep in contact with you until the day of our departure (sometime after the 5th of January).
I wish each of you and your loved ones the best for the coming New Year. Warmest Regards ~ Captain John
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Did You Miss the Latest Member's Articles?
Are You "Sea-Ready" for Heavy Weather Sailing?
December 29, 2011 ~ If you are anything like me, heavy weather sailing will always be a challenge. You have to take care of boat balance, sailing crew, sailing navigation. How can you make this tough job easier and more stress-free. The answer may be simpler than you think!..
//www.skippertips.com/snip/843.htm
Learn to Sail Like a Pro - Use Luff-Entry to Increase Sailing Speed or Power!
December 27, 2011 ~ If you are anything like me, taking the helm (wheel or tiller) and beating into a stiff chop can be a challenge. On one tack, you are pointed almost into the sea waves; on the other tack you are almost beam to the sea waves. Do you know how to shape the forward, leading edge--or luff? ...
//www.skippertips.com/snip/844.htm
Use the "Rule of 36" to Keep Magnetic Compasses Error Free
December 22, 2011 ~ No sailing navigation tool tops a great magnetic compass for simplicity and reliability--without the hassle of power or batteries. But you need to be aware of one secret rule that can cause any compass to go haywire!...
//www.skippertips.com/snip/845.htm
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Sailing Skipper's Quotable Quotes...
We go to sea expecting a spice of danger.
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and techniques articles, videos, and eBooks. Click Here for More Info!
from International Marine / McGraw-Hill
-- Daniel Spurr, world famous author and former senior editor of Cruising World magazine.
"Written so clearly that navigation and seamanship will be comprehensible to anyone."
-- Dave and Jaja Martin, circumnavigators, authors and stars of the documentary "Ice Blink".
"It should be read by anyone contemplating coastal cruising or blue water voyages."
-- Ted Brewer, world famous yacht designer, veteran ocean racing and cruising sailor.
"It's a great book. The prose is simple and clear."
-- John Vigor, acclaimed author of 12 sailing books and cruising sailor".
Captain John Shares 25+ Years of Experience to Show You How to...
- Complete 90% of your navigation--before you cast off the lines.
- Determine the best "window of opportunity" to transit any inlet.
- Enter an unfamiliar harbor after dark in complete confidence.
- Extend the trouble free service of any size inboard diesel engine.
- Balance any sailing vessel in heavy weather in three easy steps.
- Use "terrain effect" to forecast weather anywhere in the world.
- Control boat emergencies with a simple method called M-A-T-E.
All this and much more. 326 pages tailored to short-handed sailors and crews.
Easy to read and loaded with crystal clear illustrations. Get your copy today!Click On One of These Links to Order Now!
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