Could you…let me know what info should be included in a ship log, or send over an example? Lisa P.

I’m fascinated by your comments about Globalstar–do you think it’s a viable option for our cruise despite the company’s problems? I’m reluctant to buy a $1000 SSB modem if we can get satellite service instead…Best regards, Candace

Firstly, let me say how much I am enjoying your books, Mariner’s Weather Handbook and Surviving the Storm. For anyone with the slightest interest in the weather around them and in taking a boat to sea, they are excellent reading. However, I do have a couple of queries:

On page 340 of the ‘Mariner’s Weather Handbook’ you show three photographs of tropical revolving storms, when and where they should not be, one off Angola (West Africa) in April 1991 and two of one storm in the Eastern Mediterranean in January (no year mentioned). It is my understanding that no tropical revolving storms have ever been reported in the South Atlantic (until now) and that the sea temperatures in the Eastern Mediterranean in January are certainly not high enough for cyclogenesis nor is the ITCZ anywhere near the Mediterranean. Have you any explanation for these phenomena and/or a year for the Mediterranean storm (I would like to research past meteorological records to find what conditions actually existed in the latter case).

I look forward to your reply, Brent

Do you know of any good websites that do recruiting for the marine industry? I’m looking to change careers. Have been in Business Development in the technology market. Avid sailor. Thanks, Tom

Dear Steve and Linda, I did not see my question in your FAQ list, but I am sure that it is a perennial.

The question is what tactics have cruisers devised to economize on the potentially enormous cost of charts, no matter whether electronic or hard copy. Charts for the East Coast (US) are fine, for parts of Europe, but when one adds together all the places that one may visit, the ports that one should keep in mind for emergencies, much less to visit; the no. and cost quickly becomes enormous. So my question, what do people do to keep the cost within reasonable bounds? Many thanks, James and Kate

What would you used to clean a greasy electric motor body with so that it is clean enough to paint? CRC, acetone, ammonia, 3M adhesive cleaner??? – Phil

I wonder if you have any opinion on electric propulsion? I am considering re-powering with a Solomon system. I have a 30hp Westerbeke diesel at this point. I am cruising full time with lots of hours at anchor. Comparing prices, diesel/electric, is a definite apples/oranges situation, with the result being that I may decide based on my dislike of the internal combustion engine. Certainly would appreciate your reaction to the this concept used in a cruising sailboat. Ross

I live in Alaska and have been doing a fair amount of work on refitting our 20 year old fiberglass cutter. Electrical, mechanical etc. I purchased new set of tools dedicated to the boat so it means keeping the tools on the boat.

My problem some of my tools are starting to show signs of tarnish ( early rust ) I use them quite a bit. And put them away after every project. Do you recommend something to keep them from rusting. Wd40? Thanks for attending to this “basic” question.–Mark

Dear Steve, I have just read your analysis of the Queens Birthday Storm 1994. First of all, I’d like to thank you for your efforts in producing such detailed analysis – they are a wonderful education for relative novices like myself. I do have a question you may be able to help me with.

I agree with your position that the best way to avoid bad weather is to get out of the way – by staying in shelter or sailing fast in a direction which avoids the storm track.

Avoiding the storm track has to rely on knowing which way the storm/low pressure system is likely to be moving. These days, with all the communication aids to obtaining recent surface charts obviously has made this vastly easier than it was 10 or 20 years ago.

However there may well be occasions when you have lost communication and you know, either from before your weather fax went down, or from increasing wind and the barometer going down, that there is potential for bad weather.

You can simply find in which direction the low lies and work out the quadrant you are in.

However, my question is, how reliably can you estimate the potential storm track if you are no longer getting comms? The latitude you are sailing in and in which ocean obviously has a strong bearing as most lows are likely to track NE, E or SE if you are below 25/30 degrees South. Is this true, or can you be more accurate than NE/E/SE, and how?

Cyclones can and do seem to go W – possibly more frequently than they track NE/E/SE? Why is this? And will tropical lows do the same?

There is probably a lot more to this than I realize, but I would be greatly interested in any comments you might have and how if possible can you predict the track.

Best regards, Peter P.S. I have purchased Practical Seamanship – love it, so also just ordered the Cruising Encyclopedia.

Hi–I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction to find general season / wind / current / climate information for sailing in the red sea on your site. I had a good look round, but could only discover the present conditions there, as opposed to information to help me plan a trip there. Is there another site/source of information I should use instead? Many thanks, Francis P. from the United Kingdom

We are due to leave Mexico at the beginning of April and spend the season sailing the Pacific Islands. From our reading and research we are unsure which weather and fax stations provide the best information for which areas. Is there is a source for this information or can you make recommendations? In addition we have heard that New Zealand and Fiji are newly co- operating on producing forecasts for cruisers and would like to know if this is correct, where the results are broadcast from, the schedules and the channels used for faxes and forecasts. Many thanks Dudley and Philippa

Steve, I was fortunate to have sailed with you and Linda in Ventura a number of years ago and got to back your boat into the slip easily due to the max-prop. I need to decide between a max-prop and a controllable pitch prop. It seems that the max-prop might have the advantage in backing where the cpp shines due to ease of adjustment underway. Which do you prefer and why? Robert

DEAR STEVE, I’VE BEEN LOOKING AT SOME HANS CHRISTIAN MARK 2 CUTTERS, AND HAVE COME ACROSS A VESSEL 21 YEARS OLD, REFITTED WITH NEW RIGGING AND ELECTRIC’S PLUS RADAR ETC. IN 2001, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. (VERBAL! BUT INVENTORY PLUS SURVEY IN 2001 ON ITS WAY.) SHE WAS BUILT FOR THE PRESENT OWNER. THE PRICE IS WITHIN MY RANGE BUT SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN MANY OF HER STABLE OF THE SAME VINTAGE. INFORMATION LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THAT SHE’S IN EXCELLENT CONDITION ( A NEW SURVEY WOULD BE FIRST ON THE LIST). I’VE GONE THROUGH THE Q & A AND SO ON BUT NO MENTION OF HANS CHRISTIAN’S. YOUR ENCYCLOPEDIA PLUS CD IS ON ITS WAY AND THERE SHALL PROBABLY BE SOMETHING IN IT. HOWEVER YOUR OPINION IS IMPORTANT TO ME AND I CAN’T WAIT. I’M SURE YOU’VE COME ACROSS THEM IN YOUR TRAVELS. THEIR A RARITY IN OZ, MAINLY DUE TO THEIR COST (OZ SHOULD’VE STAYED ON THE GOLD STANDARD ! AYN RAND WAS RIGHT !) PLUS THE FACT THAT ONLY 900 HAVE BEEN BUILT SINCE THE COMPANY’S FORMATION IN 1980. MY QUESTION IS IN 2 PARTS. (1) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HANS CHRISTIANS ? (2) SHE IS IN THE NORTH-WEST AND I’D LIKE TO HIRE A SKIPPER TO DELIVER HER TO SYDNEY AND TRAVEL MYSELF AS SUPER CARGO. I’D NO DOUBT LEARN SOMETHING AND MAY EVEN BE OF ASSISTANCE. (MY HEALTH IS STILL VERY IFFY). WHAT WOULD THE CHARGE FOR A PROFESSIONAL TO DO A JOB LIKE THIS ? A MEDIAN FIGURE ? EVEN A BALL PARK FIGURE! WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE SOME IDEA. HOPE YOU’VE TIME TO HELP ME WITH THIS AS I’VE ALWAYS LOVED THE OLD WORLD CHARM OF THESE BOATS. CHARM DOESN’T FLOAT ! REGARDS TO YOU, ANTONY M

I HAVE NARROWED MY SEARCH…CAL 2-46, CAROFF GALAPAGOS 50 STEEL KETCH, GARDEN PORPOISE 50 OR WELLINGTON 47. I AM GOING TO CRUISE THE SOUTH PACIFIC FOR 2-3 YEARS. ALL CAN BE OUTFITTED TO GO FOR ABOUT THE SAME DOLLAR AMOUNT. I LIKE THE LOOKS OF THE WELLINGTON,BUT HAVEN’T A CLUE AS I HAVE NEVER SEEN ONE. I WILL INSTALL MAXSEA-YACHT. PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT WELLINGTON YACHTS AS I CAN’T FIND THEM ON THE INTERNET. ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOUR CHOICE OF THE FOUR BOATS GIVEN THAT THEY ARE EQUAL IN ELECTRONICS, SAILS ETC. THANK YOU GARY

Hello–My wife and I just sold a 41′ Cheoy Lee and we are looking for another boat (bigger). Somewhere around 50′- my wife wants a large owner’s stateroom. We also plan lots of offshore passagemaking. But our max to spend is around $150,000 so we can’t afford a Sundeer or any of the other boats you have built. But do you have any suggestions on a good safe offshore boat for us? Bill

Hi Steve, I recently broke my mast on my 41 foot sloop and I am in a quandary in what to do. A new mast is pretty expensive and I am trying to avoid getting a new mast.

Some people have suggested that I sleeve and rivet the mast together (splice). I am not convinced if this method would have long-term advantages.

My mast broke right around the 1st spreaders with a relatively clean cut. It was a fractional rig. The aluminum mast is about 54 feet long. Do you think that a repair would be wise if done properly or would it be prudent to get a new mast if the budget permits? Thanks, Joey

Hi Steve and Linda, Thanks for all of the excellent books and tapes on you adventures. They have been a great help. I have noticed the winglets on airplane wings over the last few years. Has any one tried making a “plate” at the top of the mast, maybe using carbon fiber as a frame covered with sail cloth, to form a device which would reduce the vortexes created by a headsail & main combination? If if would work with a plate on each side of the mast, to tending would be needed during tacking or gybing. Asked my sailmaker about it but he deals with racers more than cruisers, so he is not too interested in the idea. Since you seem to be interested in making cruisers go faster with less effort, thought this idea might be for you. Thanks for thinking about it. Crawford

We recently finished a circumnavigation and currently have our boat in Mexico for needed upgrades. We are looking at replacing the dodger as well as the bimini and main sail cover. I would like to know if their have been any advances in regards to fabric and materials. Here’s my question: With regard to dodger windows, I do not want to end up with the plastic that turns yellow after a couple of years. We early on had clear plastic that seemed to last long but it could not be rolled, which is fine. Do you know what this "clear plastic glass" is called and any sources to check into? We really would like to get good quality dodger windows that will hold up and not turn yellow Also, I would love to have white mainsail cover and bimini, but I am very nervous about the dirt and grime and keeping them clean. Are there any new (sunbrella type) fabrics that will be UV resistant as well as easy to wash and clean? – Cynthia

Dear Mr. Dashew, I have owned a copy of your original Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia for several years and refer to it constantly. I have grown to respect your perspective and advice, and follow it most of the time. The best advice you have given that I followed was regarding the WH Autopilot. We have a Westsail 43 (beam 13′, WL 33.3′, displacement 18 tons, full keel, tall rig) and have run off in 40+ knot winds and quartering seas for six days and never touched the helm. I have been very interested in your philosophy about sail design and am in need of new sails. I would appreciate your advice about A full batten, large roach main sail for my boat. I fear that this kind of sail on my boat may be like putting a Ferrari engine in a tractor. We currently have a no-batten main and have had good luck with it especially when reefing off the wind. Due to our tall rig we must reef early. I fear this may be a problem with a full batten large roach main. I have considered putting a tacking reef in this type of sail so that in short tacking situations I could reef in order for the roach to clear the backstay. I am sure that you are very busy, but I would really like to have your opinion on this subject.

Thanks for a great publication. Sincerely, Ron G., Baja, Mexico

I currently have a six man Switlick offshore life raft. My boat is in West Palm Beach Florida and I would like to find a reliable inspection station to inspect and service my life raft in preparation for an offshore passage. Can you recommend any stations that do this in that area?

Hello and thank you for reading this. On two previous transatlantic passages I used a Plastimo belt driven wheel unit in the cockpit as a backup to my primary Robertson autopilot. The unit worked well. It was purchased in 1989 and has been discontinued. I am departing shortly for a long passage and would like to know the best alternative on the market today. The steering on our 48′ custom built Al Mason Ketch is hydraulic. I want the strongest, most reliable unit available. This will be mounted in the cockpit as a backup to the primary autopilot. Thanks for any assistance, Steve

Hello and thank you,

Over ten years ago I read of Sundeer 64′ and bought the video and watched it over and over again. I dreamed my wife and I were owners of such a boat thousands of times. Being just regular people, a police officer and stay-at-home mom, we’ll never likely have the means for such an acquisition. Now I see Beowulf and am THUNDER STRUCK. I think if GOD The Father, Son and Holy Spirit decide to sail a human-made vessel, it will be Beowulf. It is as close to perfect as mere mortals can produce. You MAY do a newer sailing design in future days, and it MAY be different here and there, but I can not imagine it could be better. Please continue your work of supplying the able people with such fine boats. We dreamers can always use more "fuel". And those with the financial means to become owners of your creations will be very well satisfied with their fine decisions to do just that. {Three-hundred miles per day…it almost seems to defy the laws of physics.}

With gratitude, encouragement and best regards,
John M

P.S. Hello again, I forgot to ask, I thought you two were steadfast REAR COCKPITTERS! What made you put Beowulf’s cockpit in the CENTER? Cordially, John

I love your design concepts of fast cruising sailboats designed to be handled by a couple. I have a few questions that, if you have the time, I would love to get answered.

I have read your design paper for BEOWULF and it looks like a terrific boat. How is the water ballast working out and do you ever worry about having all that ballast on the wrong side in the event of an accidental jibe? What do you think of the use of carbon fiber, particularly in masts? And have you considered the use of a free-standing mast? What do you think of the Fox 50 concept of converting an Around Alone Open 50 design to an ultra-fast cruising boat? I think they were to be built by TPI and Lyman Morse, although after the initial hoo-ha I have not heard anything about them. They seem to take your concepts a step farther, but perhaps too far.

Thanks, Pete

Dear Dan, I am looking at sails for extended cruising. I wonder if you have any experience/views on Hydra-net from Dimension polyant. Your book has been very helpful already and will be coming sailing to help with repairs! Yours sincerely, Bruce C

Please tell me the maximum feet of trimaran a single sailor can handle. Thanks.

We have purchased a Stevens 47 and the stern Danforth anchor has all webbing rode stowed on a reel. Do you have any knowledge of the adequacy of this rode? How does it stand up to UV? It has been coiled for probably years and never used as far as I can tell. – George

Hello Steve and Linda…again my compliments on the Encyclopedia…it is most helpful…Just having difficulty understanding how to rig the shock absorber described on p40 for the chain anchor rode: how do you “tie” the nylon line to the chain…seems like it would slip with any kind of load…does it take a special knot? What about feeding the line through a selected link, say halfway down the chain such that both ends of the line then secure on deck? Wouldn’t this have the same effect as your tied rig without then having to secure the line on the chain twice? thanks mucho, Richard

Hi Steve, What do you use for deck fills on an aluminum deck? Are the Marelon fills a good choice, or aluminum (Wilcox-Crittenden) welded on? Could I just weld in pipe with threaded ends and put a cap on the outside (keeps the opening off the deck)? Also, would you let bails for halyard/reef blocks through the deck and weld top and bottom, or do you think there’s enough strength in a fillet weld to hold it on the deck? Best, Alex

Recently a builder of fiberglass boats said that aluminum as a hull material is way inferior to fiberglass because:

1. Aluminum suffers from fatigue–the older the boat the greater chance for structure failure. 2. Aluminum boats are prone to failure by stress corrosion and weld corrosion.

Based on your research and experience, these statements seem to misrepresent scientific fact. In your book, Offshore Cruising, your thoughts are very clear about the superiority of aluminum for cruising boats. We would be interested in your prospective on items 1& 2 and what the best welding process is for aluminum hulls. Thanks, John and Ruth

I have followed your work now for severaI years always admiring the quality of your projects. I have a question for Steve Dashew. I am in the process of designing and building a 50′ aluminum boat. I would very much appreciate Steve’s input on suitable builders that he could recommend to me. I am exploring a new Empacher-designed centerboard sloop and want the best traditional wood finished interior I can manage. I have contacted Kantor Yachts in Canada, Topper Hermansen in Florida and Garcia aluminum in France. I am not quite satisfied yet with the finish work at any of these yards. I would consider any location here in the US, abroad or NZ. I have long admired Dashew designs, both for his keen aesthetics as well as his practicality and I would trust absolutely his suggestions.

Any help would be enormously appreciated. A list of suggestions of good builders, whom he has used, would be a wonderful start. Thanks kindly, James

I have planned to get new cushions and mattress for our boat before casting off, but we are running out of time. Have you done upholstery projects in Latin America or Caribbean? If so what is availability of quality foams, and other materials? Are you satisfied with quality of workmanship? Can you recommend anyone in particular? Thank you in advance for any information or advice. – Gregory

My husband and I read articles on your site regularly. We have a 41-foot sailboat on a lake in New Mexico. Our plan is to retire in 3 years to go cruising. We have done extensive work on the boat to get her ready. I have looked everywhere for a deep, somewhat narrow double sink for the galley. I have seen these sinks on bareboat charter boats but have not been able to locate any. I would greatly appreciate any help you could give me. Thank you. Linda M

Dear Setsail, Would you know of a class we could take to be competent crew members of a sailing boat? We will be sailing with friends this June and would like to pick up a sailing course before going. We are in the Chicago and Michigan City, Indiana vicinity. Thanks, Cindy and Paul

My wife and I are readers of all your books, and recent acquirer’s of the MaxSea software (still in set-up). My question is about leaving a boat in the Caribbean for two months in the winter. We are planning to sail from New England (home) to islands in early November 02′. We then need to leave the boat until mid January, at which point we’ll do a six month sabbatical on the boat. Do you have any thoughts on where, or with whom we should leave the boat for that “holiday” period? I have considered both dockside, or hauled out, and was thinking of the BVI, or Antigua. Thanks for your thoughts. Best regards, John

Linda & Steve, Love your site…We’re planning a 1 to 1.5yr cruise, starting next year. No definite destinations yet except East Coast of US & the Caribbean Islands.

I have not been able to find any info on handling finances while cruising. Budgets for cruising, yes, but none on how efficient mail forwarding is, paying bills for land homes, how to arrange to get money while cruising, cashing checks in foreign countries, etc.

Do any of your books cover mail & finances while cruising? Any sources of info covering these subjects would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Claire

I am in the process of outfitting and taking classes in everything I can get my hands on (Safety at Sea, Mahina Expeditions, Coastal Navigation, Amateur Radio, Scuba, Celestial Nav, Diesel Maintenance & Repair, Intro to Radar, and so on) and am curious to get your take on medical training and the need for it. Specifically, I am contemplating an EMT course which is 120 hours and not cheap, but it does cover quite a bit that is practical on the water and a lot of stuff that will never likely come up. That all said, in reading your encyclopedia, it did not seem that those who you feature were necessarily caught up in courses and certification. Some of the courses I have and am taking are not necessary to all departing, but where do you stand on the medical training issue?

Thanks and I’ll see you out there! Mike

Hi Steve, I need to get a hard drive for my boat, a 52′ sloop. My question is what kind of specs do I need to know that the hard drives will keep working if I get into a really pounding sea. I’d like to have 40 Gigs of storage.

This is not the kind of question I’d expect a boat builder to know about, but can you send me on to someone who might have more information about this? Many Thanks, Mac

Do you have any experience or knowledge about using Ericson Safety Pumps for damage control? I’ve searched through your books and only found engine-mounted pumps. The Ericson is a prop shaft-mounted pump that runs dry until it contacts water. I would like to know if there are obvious downside factors to using such a system. Thanks, Frank M

I am interested in your experience with paddle wheel versus propeller-driven generators. Also in the deployment of forward-facing propellers similar to the Aquair submersible. How have they been mounted and what kick-up mechanisms have worked? Thanks for your input. I continue to enjoy the Encyclopedia.–Clint Clemens

Steve, My question relates to how the sea and land temperatures influence wind patterns. If the sea temperature is warmer than the adjacent land, then what type of flow can I expect? This specifically relates to So. Calif. waters and down towards Ensenada. Thanks, John

Good day! I was wondering if you would be able to refer me to an online source for understanding weather in the Caribbean–rainy season and dry season, and what exactly triggers the onset of each. Any direction you could give would be much appreciated! Thanks, Tim

Steve: I’m installing a tube for storing charts. Looking at West Marine it appears the small dimension of “large charts” is no greater than 36″. Does this reflect your experience? I have room for a tube up to 60″ but don’t want to end up with charts lost down a ridiculously long tube. Thanks, Chip

In your very valuable Encyclopedia (looking forward to read the heavy weather issue) you briefly mentioned a way to generate DC power with a MAXPROP or AUTOPROP. Is there any description available on this setup? My boat is a Gerard Dijkstra designed 77 ft centerboard shooner (steel, 60 tons) and a MAXPROP is fitted but I am thinking of changing to AUTOPROP (only for performance when maneuvering). Is it possible to do the same trick with this prop? I hope you find the time for an answer. Best regards, Paul

Hi Steve, I’ve read your Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia and Surviving the Storm ( both are fantastic) and have some questions about a particular boat I’m considering. It’s a 78 Doug Peterson design, 43′ IOR. It’s beamy (13′ 3"), 7′ 9" draft, 17,500 #’s with 9,000#’s ballast, fin keel, spade rudder. No trunk cabin or pilothouse. I read in the encyclopedia your warnings about "later" IOR boats……does this qualify? I’ve been unable to personally view the boat and can only rely on pictures, but it seems to have more in common with your designs in terms of hull shape and lines than, for instance, Neil Hunter’s Farr 40 Around Alone boat (it was for sale awhile back). Not near as shallow as the Farr. The Peterson has what appears to be a relatively fine bow/entry angle, a bit more overhang there than I’d like though. The big draw for me is the fact that it’s aluminum construction (the interior is somewhat spartan/exposed, and resembles the longitudinal and athwartships framing from your designs) and would afford me more piece of mind in terms of any changes and/or additions I would make in the future. It also appears to have more in the way of topsides than later IOR’s. I have a number of other questions, but I’ll stop for now. Your input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Jeff

I agree with the waterline length as being very important…both to speed and comfort. On a limited budget does either a Hunter 54 or a Columbia 50 make sense as a safe and reliable cruising sailboat? Their main sailing areas will be the Caribbean and, hopefully, the Mediterranean. Other options are a Lubbe Voss 42 and a Valiant 40. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Ian

Due in part to your wonderful books and timing, I will be looking for a yacht this summer in the US My short list looks something like this:

Palmer Johnson (Aluminum), Frers 45, 1981, PHRF30— Just the basics Palmer Johnson (Aluminum), Peterson 42, 1976, PHRF60— Moderate cruising comfort Davidson (Fiberglass), Laurie Davidson 44, 1981, PHRF54— Moderate to well equipped for cruising Jeremy Rogers (Fiberglass), Peterson 39, 1981, PHRF72— Well equipped for cruising Aquacraft 1979 (Aluminum), Custom 41, 1977, PHRF90?— Just the basics, but a good price C&C (Fiberglass), Many 39-41, 1977-82, PHRF 99— Various.

I will be using it to cruise the Atlantic and Mediterranean for the most part, but one of these days a circumnavigation would not be out of the question. My questions are…Am I on the right track with these choices for the intended purpose, or have I missed the mark completely? From your experience, are there any of these I should stay away from, or buy in a hurry before anyone else does? I know you are busy, but a quick comment or two would be greatly appreciated.–Regards, Tom

Can a ratchet block be used in order to control the release of a furling line? The 44′ boat I recently purchased uses a small diameter spectra line for furling, and if and when it takes off in a breeze, it can do great damage to the hands! If you let it go, it usually kinks in the aft furling block. Thanks, Ted

Dear Steve, I have written before and always have received a kind and enlightening response. I recently had our mast unstepped, repainted, and rewired (spreader lights, vhf, wind NMEA, anchor lights, etc.) . The electronics guy installed a new pvc tube for a wire chase.

Our mast is stepped on deck (metal boat). The wiring feeds out of the mast about 6" above the deck. The cable splits into two bundles (taped) and the two bundles are fed through metal stand pipes throughwelded through the deck (port and starboard). The teak j box in the salon leaks whenever it rains.

I don’t know whether the electronics guy left a Ptrap with the wire before he fed it out of the mast. I also am wondering if the fit at the mast step could be so tight as to not allow water to drain out the step, but rather sit and collect until it gets deep enough to follow the wiring chase and ultimately end up in the cabin.

I don’t want to unstep the mast again to look. And I don’t want to unnecessarily bore a hole in the mast to allow drainage if no need exists. Any advice? Thanks, Wayne

Dear Steve: I read your comment regarding your new single-line reefing system and your intention to write about it ( 6Sept 2000 article). Have you done that somewhere? I’m in New Zealand rethinking my reefing system and sail controls in general and I’d be interested in your thoughts. One of the riggers here is telling me that he has good luck on big boats with single-line reefing, so I’m tempted to try it. My boat is only 52 feet, so he thinks it would be no problem. Randy

Hi Steve, I read your comments on the North Sail site regarding mainsail roach. Interesting. I know that for my own experience, a full-battened main with considerable roach (a couple of boats ago) improved performance noticeably, and also seemed to keep the boat on her lines in a range of wind angles and speeds.

I am curious about your thoughts on vertical battens for conventional in-mast furling systems.

I am talking specifically about my Hylas 54. It’s a Frers design with a pretty modern underwater shape. I like the way she sails, but feel that the mainsail performance is marginal. I think I am going to change to a system that offers battens and some roach.

What do you think regarding in-boom vs. in-mast systems? In-boom seems to offer better disaster control if the system fails, and can offer full horizontal battens, but the in-mast systems now also offer increased roach and full battens (albeit up and down), and give greater sail shape and twist control with the outhaul. Any thoughts?? Regards, Rich

Hi, I have searched my copy of the Encyclopedia for an answer to this question and not found it. My wife and I learned this past summer while chartering a 34′ sloop in the San Juan’s that the boat was just not big enough for us. So we have started taking out larger boats (up to 46′ so far). However, we are finding that many are not set up for shorthanded sailing by a couple over about age 50, especially in Monterey Bay outside of Santa Cruz.

We have been considering the kind of equipment we want on our future “own” boat, and have been looking into electric and hydraulic assisted sail and rig handling equipment (winches, vangs, backstays, etc.).

My concern though is about backup in case of hydraulic and/or electrical system failure. I have figured backups for the electronic gear, but have not found information on how to backup these major “muscle assisting” systems. I am interested in your thoughts. Thank you, Jim

Steve have you ever used a masthead tv camera with pan and tilt to con the boat through coral heads, etc. Thanks Jerry, Venice, CA

Dear Sirs, Please advise which autopilot system will be better for a 12m. steel ketch: Autohelm or Robertson? We have a hydraulic steering system by Vetus. I would like also to know which self-steering you would recommend? We have a central cockpit. Our intention is to sail from the Arabian Sea to Australia so we need really good gear. So far, we have sailed from Slovenia to Oman (wintertime on Med) – hand-steering all the time and only two of us. To be honest, I (would rather) have something to help in the future. Last question – how many solar panels should we have to be able to run fridge and have a hot water system as well? I have ordered your Encyclopedia and am waiting for it to arrive. Thank you for your help. – Nina

Hi Steve, I read that you felt at one time your Sundeer 56/60 was one of your best designs. After your experience with Beowulf, are there any significant changes that you would make to that boat? A better question is if you were going to design a similar sized boat today, what would it be like? Thank you, Downing Mears

Is there a listing of used Dashew boats available?–Tom

Dan: I am considering purchasing an ex-bareboat Jeanneau 51. One of my requirements is that the vessel be suited for passagmaking including windward ability. My strongest reservation about this particular model is the standard in-mast furling rig.

If you were designing a sail inventory to take this vessel back and forth from Newport to St. Lucia each year, what would your choices be? Fullbatten main (Spectra or Dacron?) how many battens & reefs?, Code 0 ? Staysail on removable stay?, #2 on separate furler? Thanks, Richard

Greetings, I have purchased two of your books, with CDs, and they are excellent. I refer to them regularly to solve specific problems and for general learning (random open and read).

One area I want more information on, and cannot find in either of the books (Surviving and Offshore) is motorsailing. In addition to your two books, I have done quite a bit of research on the web, looked for magazine articles (current and archive), etc., and still cannot find any information. All I can find is the occasional reference to motorsailing in some trip logs.

I am interested in the theory and practice of motorsailing, and the pros and cons, cautions (re: sails, motor) etc. Can you provide this information and/or refer me to a qualified source of information on this.

By the way, another item I couldn’t find in your books was on the matter of what gear/or neutral to leave the engine in when sailing (I recently switch from a folding to three-blade fixed prop). Thanks, Howard

Hello, have a HR46 (40,000 pounds) with 75Lbs CQR; would you replace it with a heavier Bruce or Delta? Will sail to French Polynesia next year…Thanks for your advice, Giorgio

Hi Steve and Linda- First, I wanted to thank you for a wonderfully written and very helpful book. Glad I ordered it and have recommended it to others (including my father who will be ordering a copy for the library he runs at a technical college). Anyway, on page 50 you discuss different anchor chain washdown and cleaning systems to prevent and minimize the junk collected in the chain pipe. Have you considered using compressed air instead of water? It has the benefit of both cleaning and mostly drying the chain in one step. Downside is that it is more noisy than water. While I haven’t tried it in a marine setting, I use this technique very often for cleaning/drying my 1/2″ logging chains on land as I reel them in and stuff them back in their storage drums. It does a remarkable job and my chains last much longer than they used to. I’ve found that anything over 80 lbs does the trick nicely removing the thick mud I build up. Just a thought. – Jeff

Dear Steve, I have bought Your Cruising Encyclopedia & Mariners Weather Handbook from Captain Watt’s in London. I can only say they are a great life work’s to make a boat owner’s life easier with the right kind of knowledge – thank you. Also I met the owners of Condor while they were in Sydney Australia a few years ago – Skip and his wife. What a lovely couple and boat they had built in NZ to your philosophy and design.

I own a 50′ ex BOC open class yacht build in 1986 called Skoiern IV. She is built from aluminum. Because of the problems of toxicity today’s available anti-fouling are not effective without the tin content. I’m considering using a UK product called Copper Shield, using first a coating of epoxy as a primer to protect the hull, then apply the Copper Shield, which is a copper-rich anti-fouling that does not require redoing for ten years plus. My fear is the risk of using copper on an aluminum boat – is it safe? The company said yes it is. Since I would like to solve this problem once and for all, I’m inclined to try it. but I don’t want to find religion with a holy boat…I look forward to your comment, as I will need to redo the boat’s bottom soon. Kind Regards, and keep up the good work. – John

Dear Sir, We plan to build an aluminum catamaran (sail) 47′, with round, relatively narrow (4′) hulls. We have several good alu-motorboat builders in the region–however no catamaran built here except the Osram IV which is a chaine hull. One builder would like to build the boat, if I would roll him the plates, one hullside 4x12x 8 1/4 or 3/16–He is welding nice motorboat hulls, nice seams etc… but how do I form the plates? I found one large rolling machine, but it’s outside and the rolls are very, very rusty … and what about the next step to get the compounded curve? I read about the English wheel, but that’s good only for steel, because the tracks are on the outside. The necessary (local) expansions of the prerolled aluminum sheet are pretty small, because of the narrow width of the hulls, I even can calculate it, but how to expand the metal???? Thanks for any advice, Christian

Dear Steve, I enjoy reading your books. I am curious as to the manufacturer or builder and model year of Intermezzo, the 50′ ketch you once owned. She looks very familiar. Was she a production boat or a "one off"? Who was the manufacturer/builder and what year was she built? Thank you, Rick

Do you have any recommendation for a notebook that will stand up to marine use? Thanks, Lawrence

A SetSailor sent in an excellent idea for making velcro work for headliner panels:

I read in PS May issue that your boat has a 24 volt system. Please let me know where one can easily buy 24 volt light blubs and fixtures. I’m having poor luck here in Northern Cal finding a source. Also, any good ideas for the best way to go for an interior heating system. Propane, diesel, etc. and best btus? Thanks, Mike

Dear Steve, I approach you as a new cruiser seeking contact with other young cruisers, particularly women. I am 34 years old and while I have enjoyed the contact with the many retirees we’ve met and have learned greatly from their age and wisdom, I feel somewhat isolated by my comparative youth.

I have found it quite challenging adjusting to this new lifestyle and feel the books I’d read didn’t prepare me for the emotional challenges I would be facing. I would greatly appreciate any direction you could offer with regards to contacting others in a similar position.

My partner and I are hoping to return to the UK eventually, we are currently sailing the Sea of Cortez. Sincerely, Gemma L