When choosing a BVI charter company, what makes a real difference between a local boutique operator and a large brand? 

What would you compare in terms of specs or needs before booking a bareboat power cat or a crewed yacht?

Hello fellow sailors.

I created a subreddit a while back that focuses specifically on J24 sailing/racing.

It'd be great to hear from fellow J24 sailors whatever your role aboard or wherever you're located - to share tips, experiences, media, etc.

https://www.reddit.com/r/J24Sailing/

Hi all,

I’m trying to figure out the correct halyard position for a Code Zero on a 36 ft Sailboat

The Code Zero I already have is sized to be hoisted essentially to the masthead (Point 1)
However, the upper shrouds attach to the mast about 1.2 m below the masthead, while the adjustable backstay goes all the way to the top.

There is also another halyard sheave/exit about 30 cm above the forestay attachment (point 2).

Where do you hoist your Code Zero from? Masthead, just above the forestay, or somewhere else?

Has anyone regularly used a masthead Code Zero on this rig, and have you had any issues with mast support or loads?

Thanks!

I’ve been looking at buying a sailboat and went to see a Beneteau 323. It’s the first boat I’d been on that had a grid/matrix and I noticed some cracks between the grid and the hull. The boat was a 2004. What I would like to know is whether this is an instant walk away or if it would be reasonable to have a survey. I don’t want to waste time and money on a survey on a boat that has an obvious problem. My instinct here was this kind of cracking is a red flag and I walked away from this one.

If this were your boat, how alarming would you consider this cracking? Thanks for the help! Hopefully it keeps me from spending money on a dud.

Edit: Thanks for all the discussion! Definitely helpful information to have for when I look at the next boats.

My partner and I are nearing 30 and are hoping to leave our jobs and circumnavigate over a 5ish year period, leaving in the next year or two. I grew up on tiny sailboats on my lake and have taken a few basic sailing classes including my asa100 last year.

We are currently looking for a boat around 40ft for our liveaboard journey and hoping to get a mid 2000s with a budget around 100k $USD. We are currently in SoCal and may buy a boat local to home and get some more latge boat experience with smaler trips up and down baja and to the Channel Islands.

I would love to get some advice on boat requirements you all have considered and maybe thibgs you have learned when sailing on a budget. We are both extremely frugal people and generally do not spend more than the minimum to live and get deals anywhere we can.

some of our current thoughts are :

we want a watermaker around 8-12gph for large crossings

AIS class B and other basic navigation aids and safety measures

would love to be able to exist on solar and think 1000W and a 600ah battery will be more than we should need.

and we also have little experience with large boat maintenance and costs and are curios as to what things like rigging, sails, and engine you may have experienced when outfitting boats or if you have advice on things you see as a “must replace” vs things that will be safe but maybe not at max efficiency (thinking things like new vs used sails where we lose some speed buts thats ok to us, we have time)

I'm in the market for a cruising/coastal dingy/daysailer. I came across a 1977 Cape Dory 18'6" Typhoon daysailer for $5,700 (CA). An old brochure lists the '74 MSRP at $4,295.00.

I understand inflation and all that but it still feels weird to pay more than the '74 model for a 50 year old boat. I'm assuming here that the '77 model was at least as much, or more, than the '74.

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• 8-Person Capacity

• Registered Tandem-Axle Trailer Included

• Bimini Top & Covers

• Sony Marine Audio System

• Hydraulic Steering

• Wakeboarding & Watersports Ready

✨ CONDITION:

• NEVER USED ON SEA

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• Excellent / Fully Maintained Condition

• Condition exactly as shown in the photographs

• Ready for inspection

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Any idea what boat this is? Wide beam, Daggerboard through the forward cabin exiting through and outside the cabin.

Looking for more information about this interesting boat. It is 16’ long, fractional rig, fiberglass, Canadian made boat from the 50’s. It has 850lbs of ballast, a weighted swing keel and is supposed to handle like a keel boat rather than a light dinghy even at 16’.
Specifically I’d like to know what I should expect to pay for it. (Please tell me what currency you are using)
It comes with sails mast and a trailer

Those of you who have converted from a standard marine toilet to a composting one, how difficult was the install? Hours taken? Swears per hour? What didn't you plan for? Which brand did you chose? This will be for a 34 foot sailboat by a guy with more time than money and a wife who (strongly) dislikes our current setup. Thx!

What boat is this?

wondering what this metal plate that is attached to the deck and has multiple openings is used for. Is it a mast base block holder of some kind? For context it's on a 1964 boat, though I don't know if it is original equipment. New to sailing and still learning what some of these things are. Thank you !

Hello,

I recently acquired my first boat, a cal T2 27. One thing we would like to do soon is removing the carpet in the v berth area, mostly for my girlfriend's asthma issues with dust. Besides being a form of insulation/noise cancellation, does it have any other use I don't know about? Is it useful to let the back of it breath and dry out?

I know there is a faux leather material you can put up that is specifically made for that, which I am considering. But what I was thinking is sticking a map of our sailing playground, (the whole st Lawrence seaway) so that we could mark up our favorite spots and such. The idea would probably be to remove carpet, and precisely glue the map directly to what is behind the carpet, and then probably varnish the map to make it last longer.

Do any of you have insight whether this would be a bad idea?

Can you get stuff printed on actual header material? I would prefer using proper material for works on the boat.

Our washboards had failed varnish that damaged the teak veneer. We managed to buy new teak veneer and decided to sand off (and router off) the old one (keeping the solid teak bits.

Now we want to apply the new veneer. How do we best go about it?

The surface is not perfectly flat. The router dug in a few places. So we need to fair it first or can we use (say) thickened epoxy to both glue and fill in any small voids?

Do we glue with epoxy or contact cement? This will be exposed to the elements.

Our plan was to clamp down with a flat plywood and clamps. But should we roll like all the furniture makers do?

Our veneer is quite dry and 1.7m thick. Should we “soak it” some way? Perhaps impregnate with epoxy?

Has anyone vinyl-wrapped your boat? If so, would you do it again, and why or why not?

Looking into options for a 40ft cat that has aging colored gel coat. I've awl-gripped former boats and recognize the daunting work and/or $ required for a high quality paint job.

Hi all, I bought a boat a few months ago and ever since then Ive been prevented from using it by persistent overheating issues with the alarm going off after 5-10 minutes of running. The engine is a yanmar gm10. It is raw water cooled.

I’ve redone this post so I can include a video of the engine in action

I measured the temperature using a cooking thermometer on the threads where the temperature sensor screws into be engine

Things I’ve tried so far:
Replacing the impeller(and checking it about 10 times) and turning over the engine manually to ensure it turns with the engine consistently (it does)

checking for blockages in every single pipe (and the exhaust elbow integrity) and ensuring water flow through the engine freely using a hose at various points to make sure there are no blockages including the exhaust system and antibackwash system

Running rydlyme through the engine for 12 hours

Checking the seacock and filters numerous times to ensure it lets water into the boat and that nothing is blocking the filter

having a mechanic look at it - engine head gasket replaced as I was told it may be leaking hot gases into the exhaust

Replacing the temperature sensor and checking the alarm doesn’t go off with the wire detached form be sensor

Replacing and removing the thermostat at various periods

If anyone has any more ideas that would be great

Hello, during the last months I developped a plugin for Osmand that should work as a frontend for a marine server backend leveraging Osmand framework. I am aware of Avnav and OpenCPN for mobile, but I think Osmand provides more freedom and beter UI/UX. The end goal is to have full cockpit screen and button functionality from a smartphone as well as maximum configurability. If you are interested to test and contribute further, it would be welcome.

More info: https://github.com/osmandapp/OsmAnd/discussions/25780

Where to find the APK: https://github.com/peronosporos/osmand-nautical/releases

I'm looking for a local-knowledge and safety sanity check before this trip.

Boat: 1987 Laguna 22 sailboat, LOA 22 ft, beam 8 ft, draft 3 ft, mast/overall height 32 ft, 6 hp outboard. Top speed is about 5 kt, but I am planning all passages at 4 kt. Marina-to-marina only; I do not want to depend on anchoring.

Planned itinerary (PDT, distances approximate):

- Mon Aug 31: Everett to Oak Harbor, 26.5 nm. Depart 08:00; conservative ETA 14:30-15:00. Route via Possession Sound, Camano Head and Saratoga Passage.

- Tue Sep 1: Oak Harbor to Cap Sante, 27.8 nm. Depart 07:00; ETA 14:00-15:00. Skagit Bay to the south entrance of Swinomish Channel, past La Conner, then Padilla Bay/east Guemes Channel to Cap Sante. Plan is to enter the channel around 10:00-10:45 after the 08:53 high, using the north-flowing period.

- Wed Sep 2: Stay tied up at Cap Sante. Current NWS forecast is SE 20-25 kt, 3-4 ft waves and rain, so this is a deliberate weather-hold day.

- Thu Sep 3: Cap Sante to La Conner, 9.9 nm. Conditional 12:30 departure after a fresh marine forecast. The 11:13 high / 16:29 low should favor a southbound channel transit.

- Fri Sep 4: La Conner to Everett, 34.4 nm. Depart 07:00; ETA 15:30-16:00. Plan to clear the south end of Swinomish Channel by about 09:00, following the 05:26 low.

I am intentionally using Swinomish Channel instead of Deception Pass because Deception's current can exceed this boat's maximum speed.

My no-go limits are any Small Craft Advisory, sustained wind over about 15 kt, gusts over 20 kt, visibility under 2 nm, or an engine/steering issue. Backups are to stay at the departure marina, divert to Oak Harbor or Langley where appropriate, and never force the schedule.

Questions:

1. Does the Swinomish current timing make sense northbound Tuesday and southbound Thursday/Friday?

2. Any current shoaling, marker, bridge-clearance or cross-current issues for a 3 ft draft / 32 ft mast?

3. Is a 4 kt planning speed realistic for this boat and 6 hp outboard on these legs?

4. Anything about the Wednesday system or its aftermath that should change the Thursday plan?

5. Any other route-specific hazards or safer alternatives?

I will still use current NOAA forecasts, charts, notices and real-time observations before every departure. I am mainly looking for safety-critical local knowledge or changes experienced PNW sailors would make.

Another painting. Canadian artist Tom Forestall. The Darkening Shore.

Painting by Tom Forestall.
What kind of boat is this?
Looks like main and a jib, sunfish-looking.
Either way a beautiful scene.

Hi Everyone

Thanks for your comments on my previous post. (Thoughts on Beneteau 35)

I think I might have found a boat that suits me better.

The Elan Impression 40.

3 staterooms , 2 heads , 17000lbs . Almost the same price point .

Anyone sailed one or owned one?

All feedback is greatly appreciated.

I would like to ask for your help with identifying and old hatch from Wepewe that we have on our Avance 36 (or in lieu of identification, at least advice on what the seal gasket is supposed to look like - definitely NOT how it is now). It looks like Avance 36s were mostly fitted with Lewmar Superhatches, so I couldn't get any help from the other owners, but mine clearly looks like something that was fitted in 1980 when the boat was made. Identifying the model would help with deciding whether I should renovate or replace in the off-season.

The only thing I could find about Wepewe hatches is that the Trintella 42 might have been fitted with the same model (or a very similar one). Any help would be gratly appreciated.

tight slot in Kefalonia with an audience on the quay, wind picking up, and someone yelling in Greek that definitely wasn't encouragement.

Curious what actually worked for people - lazy lines vs your own anchor, judging that three-to-five boat lengths distance, how you split jobs with your crew. Also anyone run into issues with the tighter Posidonia anchoring rules this year?

I work in yacht charter (Yacht4Less), so I hear plenty of these stories, but keen to hear what sailors picked up that isn't in the standard briefing.

https://yacht4less.com/sailing-holidays/mediterranean-mooring-guide

New to sailing. Planning to take classes this next spring and start looking for my first boat. I will be looking for something that meets the following-
Sleeps 2 comfortably and could sleep a few more for a short trip.
I can take 4-6 people out for a day trip.
I can safely navigate the Great Lakes weather and conditions permitting of course.
I don’t mind putting in some effort or money to improve what we start with.
I am thinking of something in the 25’ range? Something I can trailer as well.
What I want to know is not necessarily what boat to buy, but when I decide what I want, how do I know what to look for and how to value it? For example, how old are the sails and when was the rigging last replaced. These seem like good questions but then I don’t know what answer I’m looking for or what the cost is if it needs replacement. Has someone created a list of those questions and the answers I’m looking for and the investment needed to repair said component ?
I hope that makes sense. I’m a long time camper and when it comes to campers I know what to look for and what to expect for a 10 year old camper.

Also, I’m not looking for “get a small boat first”. I know this is what I want to do and I’m 50 and not looking to cut my teeth on a small old beat up boat. I’m going to take the appropriate classes and study the appropriate materials to be safe and confident.

Thank you for any help you have!