DIY device improves sextant training
When taking sextant sights on any celestial body, one key measurement to log and feed into the sight reduction calculations is height of eye (HE) …
DIY bird deterrent for your boat
This time I’m sharing a project developed by friend and fellow Charlotte Power Squadron member Doug Carlson. Doug and I often get together for breakfast …
Building a Boat With Glued Lapstrake Construction
By Al Meyer The beginning I launched my previous boat, Wee Lass, a Penobscot 14 designed by Arch Davis, in 2004 and had lots of …
DIY trailering device makes hitching easy
Boating is back in full swing! That means hitching up the trailer and taking the boat to the launch ramp. Sometimes hitching up the trailer …
DIY a hitch stand for your trailered boat
We’re heading into the season where many of us begin to put away our boats for the winter. Those with trailerable boats disconnect the trailer …
Add shapes to your boat with PVC pipes
One of the oldest and ubiquitous polymers, PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is used for water toys, rafts, boat curtains and many other marine applications. I …
Build a DIY shore power test adapter
When you’re out cruising this summer, you may find yourself at a marina slip wanting to use shore power to charge your batteries and run …
Refurbishing trailer bunks by replacing worn carpeting
As simple as boat trailers seem, they are fraught with problems. If it isn’t the lights, it’s the wiring; if the lights work, the wheel …
Build a DIY flagstaff for your powerboat
I’ve been vacationing in Southwest Florida for longer than I have been a member of United States Power Squadrons. I haven’t visited every yacht basin …
Step-by-step fiberglass deck repair
Houston Sail & Power Squadron/21 member Richard Lipham solved a big problem for Sea Scout Ship 1996. The ship’s main training boat, a 1973 Santana …
How to assemble a first-aid kit
One of the most neglected pieces of safety equipment on a small boat is the first-aid kit. As a vessel examiner, I have asked many …
Preserve your fiberglass hull
By Bill Isenberg For below-the-waterline maintenance, epoxy barrier coating is one of the best measures you can take to preserve a fiberglass hull. It prevents …