The Cape Dory Board

Randy, Thanks for the advice. I'll try Boyd's method next time and compare the pros and cons. Admittedly keeping the engine in gear adds another element of risk and if Boyd's method works just as well I'll use it instead. I do have a question. Doesn't Boyd's assume you have a roller furled jib? My w...

I'm a new sailor (bought my boat in Oct 05) and today was first time that I singlehanded. After reading and evaluating various techniques to get the sails up I decided to use the method on page 73 of the march issue of 'good old boat'. seem logical and was cheap. If you don't have the mag the essenc...

Hi Dick, When I lived in Key West I often went alone 15-20 miles south of the reef toward Cuba and trolled the sargasso weed on the Gulf Stream. Truly amazing what you will see out there. I was piloting a 21 ft fishing boat then not a sailboat. This summer I plan to do offshore work in my new Bristo...

In my early days of cruising with the Pacific Fleet no substitute for fresh milk was offered after we drank the last of the San Diego milk as we sailed to westpac. This was back in late 60s/70s. However, by the 1990s the galley was serving a waxed cardboard boxed milk. White, chocolate, and strawber...

Greetings again, Today as I walked the pier to my Bristol 27 light snow was blowing sideways and I thought of you CDers up north. I went to the boat today to finally finished the installation of my portable diesel tank. I had to removed the fuel level gage assembly from the portable and use the hole...

Ron, Thanks for your input with the return line. I thought it would be a good idea to ask before chopping off the limb behind me so to speak. But the question remains. Where did the 3 gallons of fuel go? The fuel tank line passes through a hand primer bulb on its way to the fuel filter/separator. Th...

On an earlier post I told my sad story of diesel fuel and water contamination that I was having with the BMW D12 in my Bristol 27. Since I only planned to do mostly day sailing near the Norfolk area I decided to eliminate the internal tank and run on a small portable fuel tank much like the outboard...

I have never heard the phrase "bone in her teeth" but I am sorry to say I did see it once. My first enlistment was in the Army and I was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany in 1965. Four of us decided it would be fun to rent paddleboats and paddle across the Neker (sp) river. This of couse wa...

I went to the boat on Sunday and found the new fuel hose fitting was the problem with the new portable fuel tank. I was able to fix the fuel flow with another new fitting. I now have gravity fed clean diesel fuel. You want to talk about priming a diesel engine; one squeeze of the priming bulb and fu...

I have been actively into sailing only since July 05 and I have absorb more from reading the conversations on this board than in my sailing class. I had been wondering why my boat had an inboard and outboard set of sheet blocks and when you use each. This thread has cleared it up and given me much m...

Thank you all for you support. In the old days the old salts sent the new guys off to retrieve a "tailhook stretcher" as a joke. I never did like doing that to newbies, now I feel a little like that new guy. Randy and Winthrop, apparently the part I am missing is the "groove that the ...

On Friday I planned to play hooky from work to go sailing in my new boat. After checking the weather forecast on Thursday (Sunny with 9 mph) I went to bed with so much confidence. Friday arrived and I and my daughter drove to the boat to prepare for underway even though I had noticed the wind was mo...

Leo,

Amsoil use to recommend waiting until you had 6000 miles before changing to synthetic. This gives time for rings to seat. In a new boat engine you may need to extrapolate an appropriate break in time. Your engine manual may have a break in hour rating.

The most attractive selling point for synthetics to the average car owner is the 25,000 mile/one year oil change. Few are really concerned about the ancillary benefits such as cold weather starting, reduced friction and wear, reduced bearing temperatures, reduced sludging, etc. Diesels tend to produ...

I began using Amsoil in my car and motorcycle engines about 1977 and have used synthetics exclusively ever since. I change oil once a year in the fall. The higher price is offset by the reduced oil changes if you are concerned by the higher price. I have never experienced any engine problems. zilch....