GB is so creative. He’s always coming up with new sewing projects for me. We bought a small 4Kg propane tank in Mazatlan last winter to enhance our total propane-carrying capacity as well as to use specifically with the Force 10 BBQ GB mounted on our starboard stern pulpit. We had been connecting the BBQ…
Here's another sewing project made out of a trapezoid of clear plastic, bordered by scrap Sunbrella. GB wanted something to cover the engine ignition panel next to the helm in the cockpit – mainly when in port to protect the instruments from blowing dust, but also to protect the panel from salt water if things…
Sunbrella tears freely at seams and ravels aggressively at cut edges. The thread holding everything together is always the first component to disintegrate in hot sun. So when using Sunbrella for a boat canvas project, either triple-stitch the seams or make flat-felled seams. The better to prevent Someone ripping apart one's finely-crafted designs when Someone…
So. When last we left the staysail burrito, it had torn itself apart in boarding waves on the trip from Topolobampo southeast to Mazatlan in May 2008. Oh, sad. On the upside, GB rescued the staysail itself when it fell overboard, which is nice. And I re-used much of the non-shredded staysail burrito fabric to…
You might expect a boat that never moves from its slip or mooring to have critters make their homes on, under or in it. Mussels and barnacles like the hull – especially the nooks and crannies where no scraper can break them free. Depending on the boat’s location, sea lions, otters, muskrats, mice, rats and/or cockroaches…
The tropics are hot and humid. Many cruisers who live aboard their boats during hurricane season or other long periods tied up in marinas, make life a bit more comfortable by judicious use of good old American air conditioning. Here’s how it’s done in Mazatlan, where most all the liveaboards run AC at least part…
Funny thing about cruising in southerly climes. The water is warmer and the sun is brighter. Even as finely-insulated a vessel as a Malo has to expend more energy to keep cold things cold in its refrigerator. Even if GB has already insulated all the voids around and behind said refrigerator, it will still have…
For someone who does not sew, I sure sew a lot. I am the freakin’ Queen o’ Sunbrella. So, in contrast to practically every other long-distance cruiser, GB opposed having Jerry cans with a bit of extra diesel fuel on board the Fox, because it offended his sensibilities of having a relatively clear deck unmarred…
Certain handy boat items require only small portions of string, Sunbrella or sail canvas. Examples: gate pulls, winch covers, protective flag covers, protective strips for exposed Velcro, and cockpit pockets for lines, sheets or miscellaneous small items. Gate pulls: we have some pretty firm lifeline gates that are often difficult to open by the clevis…
A full sail inventory for a 40-foot boat like the Fox is awkward to stow below decks, what with people actually living aboard 24/7/365. What to do? Most cruisers store at least some of the sails on deck, hopefully well covered. We chose that route for the staysail that hanks-on to our inner Solent stay,…