Recent content by driftless

  1. driftless

    Vendors, General Insurance options for older boats?

    Is anyone else insured under their regular home/auto insurer? American Family, in my case. Maybe it's just an inland thing? There's a helluva a lot of boats here in the land o' lakes. My 38' sailboat is insured no differently than the neighbors' bass boat in the driveway next door. I guarantee...
  2. driftless

    Backstay Adjuster

    Had mine rebuilt in 2022. Same thing - oil leaking out of the top seal. Left repair in the hands of our yard. Pretty sure they shipped it off to Florida. $694.00. I do like being able to adjust headstay sag, and supposedly flatten the mail as well, working upwind. But I'm not sure I like it...
  3. driftless

    Raising the waterline

    The concept of white bottom paint, nor the existence of "waterline" paint, had ever occurred to me. If it's warm enough when we haul out this fall I'll plan to paint it then. Thank you all! I knew this armada of minds would have brilliant ideas for me.
  4. driftless

    Raising the waterline

    Your picture helps me visualize it Christian. Thank you. I agree it's a little less elegant, but much more practical. A new white stripe over the navy is an interesting idea. I imagine even vinyl an inch higher up would suffer the same grimy fate though? That brings me back to thinking about a...
  5. driftless

    Raising the waterline

    driftless went in the water yesterday with snow flakes falling down the companionway. We got the cover off, de-winterized, and a quick coat of wax on the boat on Sunday. We worked quickly because the high was in the low 40s and there were flurries. As you can see, we've got a white stripe at...
  6. driftless

    E38 owners, where do you store your emergency tiller?

    I don't know how different the cockpit locker layout is from your 381 to my 38-200. Our starboard locker has a shelf up under the coming that holds long objects/poles quite handily, the emergency tiller included. It's snapped into some chocks on the shelf. Sometimes it gets a little buried, but...
  7. driftless

    Foul weather gear (advice wanted)

    Regarding boots, Mrs. driftless has the fancy Zhik offshore boots with the drained spray cuffs, etc, and they've worked great for her. They were the only suitable thing for our sail from Newfoundland that we could find in her size. I used muck-style boots - Dryshod - as did the rest of the...
  8. driftless

    Curtain choices

    It is simple. don't overthink it and have fun with it. I had to hand sew on all the slides - no tape or snaps - and still enjoyed the whole experience. This was an "outdoor upholstery fabric" and seems to be holding up fine.
  9. driftless

    Chartplotter software? Navionics ... is not good.

    I have an Axiom, though I believe it is the prior generation, running Lighthouse. Never had an issue with readability/scaleablility, and I'm starting to need cheaters for restaurant menus. I find Raymarine's menus equally obtuse as to what others are describing though.
  10. Anchor Windlass Installation

    E38-200 Anchor Windlass Installation

    Our sail on Pelagic from Newfoundland to Maine was a wonderful demonstration of how much easier an electric windlass made anchoring. We also grew to appreciate the security of a heavy chain rode, and big ground tackle. So before we set off on our 3 month journey from Lake Michigan to Superior...
  11. driftless

    1990 Ericson 38-200 for sale

    Sorry @Barbixy - obviously my comment was unclear. I was trying to provide some reference information for what you might expect to pay to replace the standing rigging on a 38-200 and to chime in on purchase price.
  12. driftless

    1990 Ericson 38-200 for sale

    The "10k or more less" is in line with our purchase price in 2020. For reference we paid ~$5,700 for full standing rig replacement in 2021. The epoxy bottom job is a nice bonus. If the boat was recently dove, inspected, and cleaned, I wouldn't worry too much about the external shaft/prop...
  13. driftless

    Antenna (and coax) question

    FWIW on a similar setup - Vesper AIS with active splitter. Have gone through 3 different VHFs with it now (replaced very old original, and then upgraded to facilitate a remote mic). I ran Ancor RG-213 coax up the mast to a 3.3' Scout KM-3A antenna. It's worked great. I've had a freighter call...
  14. driftless

    Fundraising 2025–2026: Now Open

    Thank you for keeping this going Sean. Happy New Year!
  15. driftless

    Is overland boat transport safe?

    Great Lakes Marine has trucked my boat twice a year for 5 years. They haven't taken mine far, but they do regularly move boats cross-country. Dropping or stepping a mast is routine for them. These guys do 100's of sailboats twice a year every year. If I wanted to get my boat to the ocean in a...
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