Recent content by ChrisS

Given the age of these boats, I wouldn't get too hung up on one design versus another similar one, but think about the specific boats for sale, Has each been sailed reguarly? Are modifications and add ons well engineered and correctly installed? What big ticket costs (sails, upholstery, etc.)...

The A-4 in my boat has been both safe and reliable during my 15 years of ownership. Two things: - Get the Indigo kit to capture blow by. You’ll have no smell. -Install a fume sniffing alarm. Mine has never alerted me of gas fumes, but twice when the hot exhaust section failed (in six year...

We installed this on our 32-2 about five years ago. Super easy installation. Makes every tweak of the main easier. We coupled this purchase with a new main sail, as converting the slides on the old sail was a few hundred dollars I think.

Some years ago I put a Ronco B238 tank in the port compartment of the vee berth. I had to cut an opening to drop the tank in. I ran a vent line back into the head cabinet, and installed a vent right beneath the rub rail. Ronco will need to know where to install the tank’s three ports (head to...

I always acid wash/buff/wax the topsides when hauled. Staves off gelcoat oxidation, and keeps the boat looking sharp. Good luck with your haulout at KKMI. In the future, you might consider the San Rafael Yacht Harbor, up the San Rafael Canal. It's a strictly DIY yard--the operator just cranes...

In reading about varnish durability on teak in high traffic areas, I'm coming across people who swear by urethane finishes. I just stripped some 10 year old varnish off my coaming boards--I had gotten tired of trying to keep up with all the dings and had let the varnish deteriorate, and now...

I've had really good luck with Awlspar. Seems easier to apply than Epiphanes, and you can recoat without sanding within the same day if the weather is right.

I'm headed down this road myself, learning how to sew with an old, but relatively powerful, 1970's Kenmore machine. I'm starting by making an outboard motor cover, and then I'll move on to some other small projects to see how it goes. My boat still has the 1975 interior. From the dock the boat...

Marine Beam sells a large selection of bulbs and fixtures. Their prices are very reasonable, they continually add new products, and when I've called with questions, they are happy to answer. I've replaced every interior incandescent light with LEDs. Phenomenal technology which has really...

Thanks for the photos and write ups. This is a very motivational thread! At various points each year, I resolve to give the interior wood a refresh, but the prep is what gives me hesitation: not the time so much as the possibility of harming veneer, particularly in the galley area by the...

Hi Herb, at some point I will tackle the interior, maybe not to pro level quality, but some level of refresh! Really missing the Wednesday night Beer Cans...my start would be in 62 minutes if the race was running!

That looks really nice. Would you please describe the process a bit more? Did you sand, and then stain, followed by varnish?

I did a similar job on my 1975 E-32. The compression post went through the cabin sole and was stepped on a metal ibeam which had rusted and degraded, causing the compression post to move towards the keel. I decided to fix it once the cabin sole had developed a slight crack due to the...

I've had my E-32 for about 15 years now, and during my first 10 years of ownership I put a fair amount of time and money just to deal with age related, and wear and tear problems. This was despite the fact that the PO had rewired the boat, replaced the rusted metal steering system, and done...

A friend of mine is in the market, and I went along with him and looked at this boat. It appears as though it's been sitting for a while.