So, my two-month refit of our Islander 36 appears to be stretching to four months. Which, when you consider that most of the reasons is simply we’ve been sitting around doing nothing waiting for parts is not all that bad. I’d be surprised if I’ve actually done a month’s labor when all is said and …
A couple of days ago we jettisoned the hard dodger on the Islander and the boat now looks a lot better. Granted, I will have to do some sort of minimal dodger but that can wait til the Holidaze have passed. The downside of removing the dodger is that the coach roof really does need …
I’ve not forgotten the DIY self-steering post that sits unfinished on my desktop. Truth is, I’d much prefer finishing it rather than the internal combustion clusterfuck I’m sorta/kinda dealing with. The problem is mostly that I just don’t like working on engines for starters as engines are, more often than not, oily messy contraptions that …
I’ve always been intrigued with the idea of windvane self-steering. In fact, my first interest in sailing or cruising came about when I read about Robin Lee Graham’s quest to be the youngest circumnavigator in National Geographic. The hook for me was a picture of Robin Lee Graham fiddling with a self-steering gear and something …
Being that I keep a weather eye out for used self-steering gear it’s hard to ignore that the current pricing for thirty year old wind vanes are just nuts. The other day I was quoted $2,200. for a 45-year old Aries which appeared to be in horrible shape. But, what the hell, boat folks are …
Most everything, interior wise, in the Islander 36 is overbuilt. So, I’m going to really enjoy replacing a lot of heavy interior with lighter weight monocoque replacement units. Why anyone would use 3/4″ plywood when 1/4″ is available is a mystery to me? Meanwhile, this in the green-washing department makes me wonder how some folks …
