Category: Gear – Yachting and Boating
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New Sail Bags or Covers?
12:30 8th February 2026 Reading Time: 8 Minutes Nerdiness Quotient: 7/10 I nonchalantly said to Peter Sanders “Don’t bother with any bags” when I placed my order for my new sails. I was thinking it would be a doddle to knock up a few bags on my Sailrite Sewing Machine. And indeed, it would be…
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I’ve had a very nasty thought
Sunday 11th January 2026 Reading Time: 5 Minutes I’m not liking this thought that is rising inside my head. I need someone to bash some sense into me. This is what is happening. I have been thinking about setting up my satellite phone ready for my expedition to Greenland. To make it work as a…
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My Boating Philosophy Summed up in a Little Toothbrush Story
21st December 2025 Reading Time: 3 Minutes Nerdiness Quotient: 2/10 My new toothbrush has arrived. I think it is a Suri 2, well that’s what I ordered. I try to look after my teeth having neglected them for too long. I even get them professionally cleaned twice a year at great expense. My dentist recommended…
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My Keyway Conundrum: 316 SS, Brass, or Bronze for Propeller Shafts?
10th December 2025 Reading time: 4 minutes Nerdiness Quotient – 8.5/10 With Christmas fast approaching, one might assume my thoughts would be dominated by mince pies, port and stilton but instead, I’m deep into a rather puzzling piece of marine engineering: the humble propeller keyway. I’ve just bought a shiny new 316 Stainless Steel (SS)…
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…and may I have a look in your bag Sir?
17th November 2025 Reading time: 10 Minutes I like making lists. If I can’t be bothered to do something at least I can make a list of all the things that I can’t be bothered to do. And there’s nothing more annoying than doing a job and discovering that it never even hit the job…
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Gearbox Problem – Twin Disc TMC40P
23rd August 2025 Reading Time: Five Minutes The first thing I would like to say is that this engine has been wonderful since its installation about five years ago. The extra 4 hp above my previous 12hp Kubota has made a great difference to the ability of the yacht to punch into sea when needed.…
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Bigger is not always better – tools not boats
2nd April 2025 ..and I am not talking about boats this time, but just tools. Extractors. I made the mistake of buying a large Festool extractor. I forget the exact model but let’s call it the Maxi. It was a long time ago, but I remember my reasoning. There was a smaller “Midi” version, but…
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Heating on a Small Boat
17th March 2025 Reading Time: Ten Minutes When my boat was based primarily on the south coast of England, and, given that my sailing was mainly over the summer, the need for heating was very low down the priority list. On the rare occasions that I was sailing in the winter, my survival method was…
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I actually prefer hanked-on headsails, am I completely bonkers?
28th March 2024 Reading time: 10 minutes No one seems to have hanked-on sails anymore. A casual glance around any marina will show a forest of furling gear. The majority must be right, mustn’t they? I’m not so sure. Credit where credit is due I do accept that when coastal sailing, the ability to roll…
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Ten of my favourite, but slightly obscure, painting products
Here are some of the products that I use every year to help maintain my varnished Vertue yacht. By the way, I have no commercial interest in any of these products, I just thought it may be a helpful list for other fellow boat owners.. Number One – Owatrol Oil This wonder product is sold…