I recently read an article from Forespar, showing that your 78 foot Beowulf is using their AeroRigging spars. My question to you is, does this set up support less maintenance, ease of sailing? Also, I am very close to ordering a 46′ Prout Catamaran, and I am considering my custom rigging options. Which way would you go: Carbon Fibre Spars and Poles AeroRig Furlaway E-Z Furl? I will primarily be the only sailor aboard. Would you please share some of your tried and true experiences with me regarding the way you would go in this situation? Rory

Hi Steve, I note in your latest book thay you suggest using 2 mm UHMW for chafe patches. I have a Kelly Peterson 46 and am having my sacrificial jib panel replaced. I want to redo the spreader chafe patches as well but my sail maker doesn’t know where to get the UHMW material. He is game to try this, but thought if he can’t find it, maybe heavy (40 mil) dodger window material would work well. Any thoughts where to get the UHMW or does the dodger window material sound good? Thanks, Carl

I read your articles about drogues etc. and would ask you, (being newly baked at sea things), how does one determine the size of a drogue or sea-parachute ancher? I hve a 36 foot Malo 50 with 8 tons laden weight. Sincerely, Richard Dixon, Copenhagen

Hi, My wife and I are looking at buying a 65′ steel hull motorsailor that is not finished. By that I mean all that’s there is a complete hull with two engine rooms. If we buy we will most likely put in Perkins 135 hp engines as that is the design called for. My question today is about steering. The boat weighs at full load 96000 lbs. The rudder is a big one – 16’x14’x6′ and weighs 500 lbs. I know very little about hydraulic steering but that seems to be what most of the shipyard managers whom I’ve talked to suggest. Which make would you recommend as being able to add to it, if and when the situation arises? And which has a back-up in case of power loss? Or which could work on batteries vs engine power? And where can I find this information written down (on the page or the web)? Thanks, Rod and Lucy

Typically, in a race such as the Global Challenge, do you think it best to avoid the severest of the weather by working one’s way to the safer side of the fronts, or is it quicker to just batten down and ‘go for it’ ? I look forward to hearing from you . – Chris

Dear Sir, I am looking for a good cruising boat with a shallow draft or proven retractable keel design. I have raced in the southern oceans against wind and tide in 67ft steel hull 42 ton yachts and they were superb–but they have 9 ft drafts. I now live in Florida and plan to do some world cruising with my family. However, local water depths can be very shallow. Most of the day boats here have a very flimsy retractable keel (rotating blade hinged on a bolt and lifted on a cable. Many snap their cables and some break their bolts–and they just would not work in severe weather!!). I have heard of a famous 54ft steel ketch, Northanger, which cruises the extreme latitudes and has only 1m draft–but I have no idea of her retractable keel design or other design specifications. Regards Richard R. from the USA

I’ve recently escaped from Saudi Arabia where I’ve been working for the last six years. It’s now time to reclaim my life. I intend to do a few years cruising and am presently looking for a boat. One I have details of is a Venus 46, designer–Salthouse N.Z., built by Dong Sung. I have never heard of this one before, do you have any knowledge or info on these that you could advise me of. My favorite is the Hallberg Rassy 42. How do they compare. I’d be grateful for any info you could provide. Regards, Ian

Have you had experience with the Tacker, that plastic device that slides over the roller furled headsail to attach the clew of a spinnaker so you don’t use a pole? It seems to me the load on it would be excessive and possibly bend the foil on the furler.