The Cape Dory Board

Joe, In recent years, I've stopped using my built-in VHF and gone to a $99 handheld that is fine for bridges, marinas, and boats within line-of-sight. For an emergency in remote places or well offshore, a cell phone works just as well as VHF, sometimes better. But you sail among the multitudes and I...

Steve, All woods have a specific gravity, which is a measure of a cubic foot of that species of wood (ash, in this case) against a cubic foot of water. The value for the water is 1.0. The value for kiln-dried white ash is about 0.6. That means ash will float in water. (For woodworking fans out there...

Gary, A seized diesel engine is a serious problem. Diesels rely on high compression for their firepower, unlike gasoline engines that rely on spark plugs plus modest compression. Therefore, the rings and cylinder walls in a diesel must be in excellent shape for good, reliable starts, power delivery,...

I think I agree with John V. Without putting too fine a point on the subject, it seemed as though he was saying house paint is NOT a serious solution for boats. I am hoping for a serious discussion of bottom paint options, mainly because I believe the big two (Interlux and Pettit) are playing us for...

Bob, I've been using ACT but I now consider it too expensive, especially when some of the substitutes I mentioned are almost half the price. Likewise with the West Marine CPP mentioned. It's too expensive if competitors are making essentially the same stuff at a significantly lower price. So, Blue W...

Hi all, The time has come to share bottom paint experiences. Specifically, who has a full season’s worth of experience with Blue Water bottom paint and topside paints? How about Aquaguard Water-based ablatives? Obviously, I have become very price sensitive and no longer feel loyalty to Interlux (2...

Footnote: As it turned out, there were four (4) set screws holding that cutlass bearing in place. Each one was positioned so that the seizing wire could pass through its slot, which now seems to me a pretty good way to prevent them from backing out. Once the gel coat was sanded off and the wire remo...

To all who replied, Thanks for your help. Yes, as I sanded, a wire did appear in the gel coat. That's when I stopped and asked for help. Will continue onward now. Does seem like a marginal practice but we all do our best. If I run across anything else interesting or curious, I'll let you all know. K...

Hi all, I need a little dialogue with someone who has recently replaced the cutlass bearing in his (or her) Cape Dory. Mine is a CD 27, probably with the original cutlass in there. I???m having trouble locating the set screw (or screws) that are usually used to hold the cutlass in place. Have alread...

My experience in going from a two-blade prop to a three-blade (12x7) confirms John Vigor's technical discussion of the switch. I might also add that the three-blade makes operations in reverse much more certain. In flat seas, my YSM-8 will push the boat forward at four knots into a 15-knot breeze. (...

Warren, If that?s the original YSM-8 alternator, at 28 years old, it?s a pretty good candidate for acting funky at times. Internal connections, wiring corrosion, carboned brushes, etc., make the alternator pretty sensitive after living in a marine environment for such a long time. The fact that the ...

Ray, It needs that much play for when you foul a line, pick up a plastic bag, etc. If you could be watching your shaft when something like that happens, you'd notice it jiggling a bit. That's normal and prevents some stresses from reaching the tranny. In larger engine setups with larger shafts, more...

Hello all, In a June 4, 2008, post titled ?Yanmar fuel issues,? I asked for suggestions to correct a YSM-8 engine that was varying its RPMs in a strange and inconsistent manner. I now have at least part of the answer to why this problem developed: It was due to a Tempo primer bulb (West Marine cat. ...

Good replies, gentlemen. But the tank vent hose and its screen were both replaced last year and have a very low probability of being the source of the problem. I will try the filler cap trick anyway when/if the problem returns. And that's part of the difficulty. I can't duplicate a sequence of event...

Hello all, My Yanmar YSM-8 is exhibiting somewhat unusual symptoms and I wondered if we have a good diagnostician out there who can help. Periodically, the engine loses rpms, 400 or 500 at a whack. When this happens, I open up the throttle to prevent stalling, she fiddles around some, adjusting rpms...