Posts tagged boats
I am very familiar with dumping septic holding tanks in a camper on land. I do it regularly and safely, either at the camp ground or at home. I am considering a boat trip on the Ohio and Mississi...
I am wondering how to estimate the needed motor power for boating upstream on big rivers like, for example, Danube. (mean the bottom to middle part, i.e. where the Danube is wide and "slow"?). To ...
I own a 1988 Malibu Skier, and one of the things I've been thinking about upgrading on it is the fuel gauge. Specifically, I want to be able to have some kind of digital reading of how much fuel I ...
I've been researching which kayak I'd like to buy, and I keep coming across the notion that longer kayaks are faster than shorter ones. I can understand that shorter kayaks have a greater tendency ...
Here is a scary scenario: Let's say you were in a ship or submarine that sunk to the bottom of the ocean. No scuba gear, no oxygen tank, nothing. The depth of the ocean is such that nitrogen le...
My sunfish got to be over two hundred lbs.I opened up the forward deck to find only expanding foam. No Styrofoam. I see pics of the Styrofoam but need the specs/dimensions of the Styrofoam. I have ...
The impeller on my outboard motor (2002 2 stroke 75 HP Yamaha) was replace last year before I used it. It was fully serviced at that the time, but the motor hasn't been run in about 12 months. Does...
I'm planning for a long cruise in my small yacht. The water tank in the yacht has enough clean water to drink, but not quite enough for showers, cleaning the dishes etc.. Desalinating ocean water...
I just finished applying gelcoat to my boat. Results were less than wonderful. I have some experience, with bondo, fiberglass and painting, so it did not seem like it should be to difficult to get...
I'm crew on a boat (wooden 8.5m from 1973) which has a GPS and a tiller pilot that seem to work fine separately, but don't seem to want to talk to one-another. My captain is adamant this combinatio...
Gelcoat is available in 2 formulas, one has wax (finishing), one does not (layering). Both need to be mixed with an agent to cause it to harden. Gelcoat that is exposed to the air stays tacky, this...
In this question a couple years ago: What do life jacket ratings mean (Type I, Type II, etc)?, we see the traditional types many of us learned about in Boating Safety courses, or in Scout/ Youth ca...
I need a new mainsheet (the rope that controls the boom on the main sail) for my sunfish. Many of the online sailboat stores, are selling 8mm FSE Orion for the job. My local Hardware store does ...
If you notice a loss of pressure in an inflatable boat/dinghy while underway, how can you prevent or slow the loss? This is most important in full inflatables. Even if you are in shallow enough w...
I am a novice sailor (at best) and natively German-speaking, so the question might contain incorrect use of sailing terms and further misconceptions - thanks for any pointers in comments. In high ...
One summer evening we drove to Race Point, the farthest tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. We were told there was a lighthouse at that spot, and wanted to see the light shine through the darkness...
I've read that it is bad to use treated wood for a trailer bunk for a pontoon boat because the chemicals would react with the metal and cause problems. If I am going to put plastic slides on the b...
The second one from left to right is the only one I'm currently plugging. Is it alright not to close the other three? The boat hull is MAKO 86 23 feet . The boat is not currently sinking, but e...
I have an early 1970's Sunfish with the old style DePersia Bailer Ad from 1957 The plug is missing I have searched and it appears the old style old style DePersia Bailer is no longer made, t...
I recently acquired a sailboat and noticed a small protrusion under the starboard side of the hull in front of the keel. Does anyone know what this is? The boat is a 1976 hunter 25. I have not put...
What type of boat might this be? Or what category of boats would it fall under?
A simple explanation would be great. I am reading a manual for digital compass and there is a paragraph with the following words: The SpeedPuck automatically detects when a sailor is trimmed t...
As seen in the picture, this sail boat is sliding over ice rather than sailing through water. If I were to try this ice sailing, would I need to follow boating regulations? This might not be th...
What should the crew and passengers do on a long voyage? If they do nothing, their attention is scattered and may become remiss. You can begin to wash the boat, but I do not think that is the best...
Assume I am completely naïve about boating concerns, that I know the following: There are things that float and carry stuff across the water called boats. A boat needs something to make it move. ...
A recent comment said: For kayak I’d say “usually 1-2 person” as tandem kayaks are very common. 3 person kayaks are rare but not unheard of, example Pamlico 160T has a third mini-seat for a chi...
A comment on a different question suggests that an ice yacht (or iceboat), a boat made for going over ice instead of through water, is not merely a water boat with skates strapped on for ice, but t...
I want to go out in a canoe onto a large lake and stay out for the entire weekend. I have checked the whether and determined that it will definitely be excellent weather and very calm all weekend l...
Assume I am completely naïve of boating concerns, that I know the following: There are things that float and carry stuff across the water called boats. A boat needs something to make it move. Som...
I have seen 'Single-oar sculling' on Gondola's and in crowded harbors (i.e Asia). From what I have seen on TV it looks like it is mostly an attempt to combine higher sight lines (paddle while stan...
I heard someone talking about whitecaps and how they could be dangerous for boating but I am not sure I understand, what they were talking about. What are whitecaps and why should I be concerned a...
Assume I am completely naïve of boating concerns, that I know the following: There are things that float and carry stuff across the water called boats. A boat needs something to make it move. Som...
I have a 1963 12ft StarCraft boat, and one of my corner caps needs a replacement. I'd like to find one, either new or used. Does it affect the stability of the boat, or is it only for looks?
I have wood canoe paddles, currently after being out in the water, I bring them in the house and lean them against the wall in the corner. They actually look pretty nice and kind of add to the home...
I'm going to buy a one-man packraft, capable going some wilder stuff. For the beginning I would like to try it with a used one. What should I look for when buying a second hand packraft?
When setting up a rowing frame on a raft or boat, there are three main ways to attach the oars to the frame: oar locks, oar rights, and pins & clips. Which is the best system? Oar Locks (Im...
I have a 12ft 1963 V bottom starcraft boat that is a little tippy. I would like to add folding pontoons to stop the feeling of tipping. Yes I'm talking about making outriggers. Homemade that will ...
I'm about to get a Granada 24 sailboat and I can't really figure out what type of trailer I need. It would be awesome if someone could explain to me what I need to know to choose the right trailer....
I am contemplating a river journey from Pittsburgh to the Gulf of Mexico. 981 miles on the Ohio river and 2340 miles on the Mississippi River. The current plan calls for completing the journey in ...
I have a 1972ish sunfish I am planning to re-gelcoat the entire bottom of the hull. I made one fiber glass repair where there was a crack through the hull, I took that area down to bare fiberglass...
If you imagine cutting a canoe or kayak along each axial plane, you get three shapes. If you cut along the waterline and look down from above, you get the plan. Cut thwart-wise at the widest poi...
I'm an absolute beginner about boats, but let's say I want to buy a boat to use in the canals of my city (Amsterdam), but also for "long" trips, to other cities, coasts. Trips that require days to ...
Let's say you want to be a voyageur, canoeing on a river like the North Saskatchewan. (We'll leave aside the current state of the beaver pelt industry.) What do you have to do differently to trav...
I've seen various images / comments online of how people decide to store their kayaks. Some people wall mount them, some have a rack, some stack them with padding, some hang them (horizontally / v...
I'm looking to replace the line in a traveller on a catamaran and I need a very hard wearing sheath due to the nature of the setup. Is dyneema the way to go here?
I'm planning to buy this GPS Tracking device, to place it on my boat. I don't need to track my boat coordinates while sailing. I need to be alerted when my boat is stolen. Therefore, I need this de...
In the last few years on rivers, the wooden skegs under my homemade houseboat have gotten chewed up. I will have to drydock and repair them this year. While it is out of the water, I thought I migh...
Why is it advised (here at Outdoors) to tie a bowline knot with its ending on the inside ("Standard Bowline") and not at the outside ("Cowboy Bowline")? See pictures below. If you're unlucky the e...
When sailing I may anchor in a different bay each evening and take a dinghy in to land to sleep in a tent overnight. I always worry that when I wake up in the morning the boat may no longer be th...
