Posts by James Jenkins
Gasoline generators are notoriously noisy (some are more quiet) and smelly. Many areas like US national parks have restrictions on the use of generators. Fuel cells are used in many space applica...
Sunfish have a closed hull with which includes Styrofoam type blocks secured in place with expanding foam. Everything is sealed at the factory. The Sunfish hull has 4 major fiberglass parts:...
Teflon is a brand name. The scientific name is Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Searching more I find there are food grade PTFE lubricants available. (Super Lube) Points making PTFE appropriate...
I want to install a deck plate in the top of the fresh water tank of my camp trailer (RV) to allow for cleaning the inside at the start of the season. The product I am looking at recommends "Lubri...
You may be allergic to dust mites. Dust Mite Allergy If you have allergies or asthma, a tiny creature living in your home could be making big problems for you. Although you can’t see them...
I have heard references to gelcoat being a water proof application for a fiberglass boat hull. I have always considered fiberglass as inherently water proof. There are several industries surroundi...
There is a crack about 12 inches (30cm) long on the edge of my Sunfish sailboat. I am not sure if the crack is all the way through the fiberglass, or just the gel coat. It is on the corner betwee...
This is based on experiments following the great answer by Chris I purchased two "water proof" barrels. Related How can I keep a water-proof barrel dry for use in a canoe? One is 8 gallons the o...
I purchased a couple of used water-proof barrels for keeping things dry in the canoe. They are easy to open and close, so in theory they keep your stuff dry and they float. The lids clamp on (ima...
As pointed out in a comment by cobaltduck in the question What type of rope to use for the mainsheet of sunfish? the proper name for rope when used on a boat is line. If I go to the store and buy ...
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 ...
We have a couple of questions about the legality of and how to tap trees to get sap. Tree sap is the source of sugary syrups like Maple or Sycamore. The sap can then be evaporated over a fire to ...
Generators, fuel cells, solar panels and other power supplies tend to be sold with Watts as the energy value. Some of my electrical devices list amps, how do I convert amps to watts?
Assuming it is not an end of the world scenario, the answer is never start agriculture. If you are not on an island; A traveling hunter/gather in a location that will support agriculture is go...
Most of the people I see standing in water fishing are wearing hip waders or chest waders essentially really tall rubber boots. They are not getting wet, they are getting farther from shore, and ...
Getting back in a canoe is not as easy as I thought it was going to be. I also learned that Extra Flotation might be needed So if I am alone in the middle of a body of water, how do I get back in...
I believe the 3 main options for portable GPS currently are: Dedicated GPS unit Smart Phone GPS Watch They all have somethings in common, and each have other considerations also. For this que...
This time of year, you see a lot of canoes and kayaks going down the road tied to the top of cars. Some of them not as smartly anchored as others. One of the configurations that I see a lot is t...
Walk backwards. The fins will have the least trouble with the water if you walk backwards.
I am planning a homebuilt sailing craft that uses a sail similar to the Sunfish (image below) I have seen a few homebuilt sails that use metal electrical conduit for the mast and spars, and am work...
I know from personal experience that greenwood (freshly cut) does not provide as much heat energy as seasoned wood (has been down for 6-12 months). When burning it spends a lot of it's energy boil...
The two answers suggesting the purchase of gaiters seem like a great idea. The same effect can be gained with socks. Either cut the elastic off of a pair of socks that are worn out. Or just roll...
I am not an expert, but this caught my attention. The image appears to be of a common green darner(Anax junius) which is one of 16 North American dragonflies known to migrate Dragon flies are kn...
While I have not interacted with mountain goats, I used to have a farm with Saanen goats. Goats declare dominance by having the highest position. If they pick high ground and you picker higher gr...
I have been looking around and I see some claims of 15 to 30 minutes. Googling 'snake bite fastest time to death' brings back many different answers. In one place I see Black Mamba with 30 minute...
