I actually spray the sail and the track with sailkote. If it costs me 1/2 a can and saves me 1/2 an hour, the trade-off is well worth it.

I had trouble with the ring and hook for a while, but seem to have it worked out using the same ring from Murrays. First, make sure that the main t...

If the mast is for the hobie in the picture I would consider buying a used mast or using the spare. Hobie masts can be found for very little money. If...

Andrew is correct that the foam was meant to provide buoyancy, but if the mast is sealed it is more buoyant when it only has air (or lighter gas) in i...

The acetone should dissolve a good portion of the foam and break the bond between the aluminum and the foam. Then you remove both the base and the cap...

The problem with expanding foam is that it gets water logged. See if you can get the foam out of it. If it is an aluminum mast, you might be able to g...

I sail solo most of the time, so I set the boat up to have move weather helm than I would if I had crew. Even so, the tiller is not that heavy.

That's quite the understatement Andrew. A boat with high volume hulls and a mast full of water can be next to impossible to right without outside ...

The mast fills up with water and the boat is very difficult to right. Once the mast is full, the only way that I have found to right one (without ...

Out of the three boats that Larry mentioned, the 5.0 will be the most fun on Lake Michigan (and the fastest). It is lighter and has less tendency to c...

Jdhugger, The length of the boat isn't the only factor that will determine how well it will work for you. That being said, a 240 acre lake doesn't ...

Are you planning to sail with crew John?

There is a good overview of many of the most popular boats here: br /> It was written in 2000, so boat technology at the high end has come a lon...

I saw the LBS+ Larry, but wanted to make it clear that bigger is better in this particular case. Andrew: I didn't say don't buy a 20, I just said ...

There are quick release designs that use a pair of pins (as most setups) and a sprung steel clip that holds the rudder in place. To release, you hold ...

Larry has a point, except for the 300 lbs of crew (fine for some 18s, too much for Unis). It should be closer to 400 for performance 20 foot cats. The...

Larry: I used to sail out of Benton Harbor Michigan. It is pretty much straight across the lake from Glencoe. Daggerboards are expensive. I broke one ...

I hear you Larry. Unfortunately I don't have the possibility of going to a furling jib due to the fact that I don't have a jib to begin with. I onl...

Ideal crew weight for a H16 is somewhere around 300 lbs, so any crew would have to be pretty light. You might find that a higher volume boat won't be ...

The lake that I started sailing on last year is mainly frequented by powerboaters and is supposed to be one of the most dangerous lakes in Texas (the ...

At 220 lbs you are a pretty big guy for a Hobie 16. There are really two different lines of Nacra. The recreational of "fun" boats include any boat...

I'll see if I can find any new ideas Andrew. I'm not really looking for a lot of pre-bend, just need to get a general idea of how stiff the rig should...

I tried this system when I lived near Lake Michigan. The biggest issue seemed to be that it did not want to release when you still had pressure on the...

That definitely makes sense Ryan. There is no way that I would be able to right against the wind even with a bag. Andrew: Is there a big difference...

Ryan, why would you even attempt to right against the wind? If the boat goes down with the sail down wind from the hulls(normal case), stand on the...

I sail a Nacra 5.5 Uni alone most of the time and although I carry a righting bag, I have never needed it. The Nacra is easily righted with my 180 lb ...

I tend to push a little hard and have been known to capsize half a dozen times in a single day. I have also flipped bow over stern on a rogue wave whi...

I have a 340 lb Nacra 5.5 uni and can easily right it without a bag or pole. If there is enough wind to capsize, there should be enough wind to get yo...