August 2023 By Carey Reeder Stuffing box leaks, stiff, unmovable sea valves, electrical gremlins – these are just a few of the worries sailors learn to tolerate while underway; but that should, if possible, be addressed once back in port. But every known issue was once unknown. This is oneRead More

June 2023 By Jack Farrell The last days of April and the first days of May sent a progression of cold windy rainstorms up the Piscataqua River driven by strong winds from the northeast. Seas built up to 16 feet and rainfall was over three inches. The river ran theRead More

Squirrels in the mast, a hitchhiking bird and end-of-season haul out trouble. Just another season on the water.

Spring 2023 By Christopher Birch Fuel tanks are not like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The fortuitous merger of chocolate and peanut butter depicted in the classic Reese’s ad works. But an accidental mix of flavors inside your fuel tank won’t be a winning delicacy. Your engine won’t like the taste,Read More

An unexpected wildlife incursion tested the mettle of this new captain.

A moment of inattention leads to disasterous results

When your plans don’t go according to… the plan

October/November 2022 By Christopher Birch I was listening to a Red Sox day-game while repairing shrink-wrap tools in my shop one slow September day a few decades back when the phone rang. A thickly accented voice on the other end of the line explained that he was having problems withRead More

October/November 2022 By Paul Brown Stevie is a sailor. Before I met him, his mother-in-law, my aunt, related an anecdote about a visit to the U.K. Several folks had gone out for a sail with Stevie and returned with a tale about weather so bad that they had to “shortenRead More

How a simple bilge pump replacement ended up with me hanging upside down on a fence in the woods