Activity Stream

Aaaahh. This is most excellent.

Good to hear that we will see you on the water from now on. Steve? Is it true that you plan to migrate over to E Dock? Lotsa singlehanders on E Dock.

On January 6, 2009, during the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe, Vincent Riou, then the skipper of PRB, rescued Jean Le Cam from his upturned IMOCA 60 which...

Why is this "of course"? What is the history?

and of course who rescues him? Jean Le Cam! Bravo Zulu

Life or death activity just now in Vendee Globe as 3rd place PRB has filled and presumably sunk 550 miles SW of Cape Town. Her skipper, Kevin...

That's right! I could build them a nice, lumpy fir core e-rudder that would probably start humming at about 10 knots, turn into a tuning fork at 12,...

Yes, HB's rudders are "fused" and meant to kick up...Too bad their multi-million dollar design team didn't employ AlanH and solosailor to build them...

I was thinking similar thoughts. Didn't he damage the foil in the last boat/race so that he was only fast on one side before he overslept? The...

The new-to-me J-70 asymmetric spinnaker has arrived, so I set up the end of the pole with some wood to distribute the load and an eye bolt. I hoisted...

I made up some mounting tubes so it can be removable and I’ll somehow figure out how to use his kit parts to support them. That’ll be perfect for...

Building out of sequence, it was inevitable there would be issues. I built the tiller ages ago to be able to use a tiller pilot I have laying...

I'm out on the water (Finally!) In Barcanova in the morning for a bit...will wave !

After much staring and debating...where to put the middle support bracket, I finally opted for a location which might get wet, but will more properly...

Tomorrow I get to try out my "new" asymmetrical spinnaker with an improvised setup, using the carbon fiber pole/sprit from Greg Nelson! I'm taking a...

Strenuous? Maybe a meander, instead. Howard is going to help me replace a reefing block on my boom @ 10, then it's onward to Angel Island. Anyone...

No punkin' pie left but this is stirring some interest. Google says the hike to the top of Mt. Livermore is "strenuous." Is that what you were...

Good news for Alex Thomson didn't last long. With the front of HUGO BOSS repaired, the back end has come adrift and the starboard rudder "damaged...

No wind? No problem. Dura Mater and I are motorsailing over to Angel Island tomorrow, tucking into a slip, shooing away the sea lions and then...

Hi Alan - I know that 1/4" structural rivets can be set with a large lever rivet set tool as I keep one on Beetle for purposes of replacing the...

Will a regular old aluminum pop-rivet tool set these? i ask, because I went up to the Piper (my other boat) this past weekend, to find that...

After cutting everything out, smoothing down the epoxy/sawdust spooge with a wood rasp and a bunch of sanding, the bracket tapped nicely into place. ...

Two things contrbuted to me deciding to 'glass the brackets to the rudder, rather than bolt them. 1.) I could make all the brackets-strut and so on...

+1 Buzz sent to me a set for for an intermediate (solent) stay tang and it is installed with structural rivets as per Buzz's specifications. ...

These are also known as structural rivets:

Good question, Ants. I was not present nor privy to the boom repair technique, other than overhearing Buzz say the rivets were solid stainless steel....

That is impressive work by Buzz!! My curiosity has been tweaked. From what I can search, solid rivets require access to both sides of the...

Wow. The incomparable value of being in the SSS network.

An excellent repair on CaB's boom at Buzz Ballenger's. Buzz is no longer in the repair business, but........ The rivets are solid stainless steel,...

It's time to build the brackets on the main rudder, for the trim tab. The stoutest example of this construction that I could find online actually is...