We’ll take you through the essential steps to ensure your anchor windlass remains reliable. A few tried-and-tested techniques for cleaning, lubricating and even operating your windlass will ensure its long life. Are you ready to tackle the issue?
The autumn holidays roll in, daylight saving time ends, and the first gales blow… These are the signs that most of the boats on our coasts are going into hibernation.
Here’s what you need to make sure your boat doesn’t suffer any unnecessary wear and tear over the winter.
When sailing offshore, safety is paramount. Having a liferaft on board can make all the difference in case of an emergency: fire, water ingress, etc. But having a liferaft on board is not enough. It’s essential to ensure that it will be in perfect operating condition when you need it.
Let’s take a look at the essential steps you need to take to ensure that everything will work at its best in a critical situation at sea. Starting with protecting and storing your liferaft.
Your sailboat is well prepared, ready for racing or cruising. You’re already looking forward to taking the helm, sails well trimmed, in a medium wind. Once you’ve weighed anchor or left the dock, when it’s time to hoist the sails, you look up at the masthead to come into the wind. Then, kaboom! The feeling immediately sinks in: your trip is going to be more complicated and less fun…
The wind indicator is gone, or bent: yet again, those pesky birds have played a nasty trick on you! How can you avoid this problem in the future? We may have a solution for your boat.
With three buddies, Romain sailed around the Mediterranean after graduating. They chose an Océanis 390 which they refitted themselves. He tells us about the work they did, the problems they encountered and how they divided up the tasks. An uncompromising look at what worked and what didn’t, and how to better maintain your boat.
