The Cape Dory Board

Here are the Chicago rates:

https://www.chicagoharbors.info/wp-cont ... inal-A.pdf

Did you order the soft or the standard neoprene cord stock? I made the mistake of ordering the standard earlier this year and had the same issue. The soft is what you want. Upon closing the ports the first time it will be an exceptionally tight fit due to the thickness at the top but they'll compres...

Upon regularly experiencing the same thing with my "Authentic Original" Sperry's last year I upgraded to the "Gold Cup" upon catching them on sale for less than the regular ones and trying to only use them on the boat. Alas, partially into season 2 they too might as well be ice s...

I too mounted the Vesper XB8000 external GPS antenna on the pushpit. While Vesper's online installation video mentions that it could be mounted down below I was thinking that it having a clear view of the sky just had to be better even while knowing that their XB6000 model only has an internal GPS c...

Jim,

No problem. I suspect your diagnosis as to the reasons for the different experiences is correct. If you're ever in Chicago give me a heads up and I'd be happy to be that "another boat".

Smooth sailing (until our harbors close on Oct 31st)

-Craig

Regarding Jim's points and followup question. Boom angle: While Leisurefurl states that 87 degrees is the optimal angle and they recommend marking a vang or topping lift at that point I've never found my setup to be that sensitive. I tend to adjust the topping lift prior to furling and eyeball it be...

I'll happily vouch for the Leisurefurl which I had installed in 2007. Previously the boat had a Hood Sto-boom which as the Practical Sailor article states was the original in-boom furling system. The Leisurefurl took the well intentioned yet poorly executed idea and from my experience perfected it. ...

John, I just received the light a few days ago and have yet to install it and I won't be back in the water until mid April. Here however is another informative article from the same source concerning potential radio interference. My biggest takeaway is that it's not really a concern for lights so fa...

I just purchased this replacement LED bulb for my Aqua Signal Series 41 bi-color bow light through marinebeam. They explain how the colored LEDs transmit more efficiently through a colored lens than a white LED. For a really detailed explanation click through to the embedded link on this page that r...

I freshened up my interior over the past couple seasons using Epifanes Rubbed Effect varnish which seems to be a pretty common default treatment and was in fact a perfect match for my interior. Granted, my CD is a 1990 so I have no idea if that's what they were using in 1977 but if you're planning o...

Hi Robert,

Here's the whole kit for what I have installed. Not sure if you can get the blocks on their own.

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/c-sherman ... it--491639

Best Regards,

Craig

Washed overboard off the stern with the lifejacket pulled over his head while ending up naked from the waste down? Sounds to me like Neptune didn't care to be on the receiving end of a direct deposit.

Hi all, I'm not at my boat now but was about to order a new inline strainer for my freshwater system. I was previously thinking that the replacement strainer was offered for either 1/2 hose or 3/4 in which I was thinking that we must have 3/4 in hoses. However, I now see that there are also strainer...

Hi John, I'm the proud owner of "Coalescence" which is the last of the 40s (hull #16.) For three years now I've done the Chicago-Mackinac race which is handicapped under the relatively rare ORR system rather than the more widely used PHRF. Unless a sister ship has already been rated, one m...

The sequence is generally right, but if past noon, move step 8 to step 1 and reinsert again for step 9. Good luck.