r/Sailboats • • 9h ago

Projects & Repairs Wet Exhaust

7 Upvotes

Hello fellow sailors, I have a question regarding wet exhaust hose tubing/connections. Is it acceptable to connect a rubber exhaust elbow directly to the mixing elbow? My lack of geometry skills in combination with hard wall hose (internal steel wire) are making things more difficult than they have to be. I only need to connect the mixing elbow and the rest of the exhaust through a very short distance, so bending the exhaust hose would require an extremely tight radius. I’m fairly certain that if I use a long 45 degree exhaust elbow, I’ll be set.


r/Sailboats • • 14h ago

Upgrades & Additions Windvane vs Autopilot

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1 Upvotes

r/Sailboats • • 3d ago

Questions & Answers Boat transportation advice from out of Province?

5 Upvotes

Hey! Just wondering if anyone knows someone in the Ontario area that is willing to tow a 30 foot sailboat with a trailer on it for a reasonable price? The reason I ask is because I am located in the maritimes (NB) and I used to be able to tow one like 5-10 years ago for around 5k, but nowadays the cheapest I've been quoted is around 10k which is ridiculous. There's a boat i really want there, so if anyone knows someone who can do this for much a more reasonable price then pleaseee let me know! Or if any other method of transportation, please, im all ears!


r/Sailboats • • 4d ago

Questions & Answers Buying an 18ft sailboat on the West Coast

7 Upvotes

I live in Sacramento and recently decided to get into sailing. I want an 18ft boat that I can tow with my SUV (2,200 lb limit), with a budget of $5k. I’d like a cabin with room for my two kids, mainly for day sailing on lakes.
I’ve looked on FB Marketplace and Craigslist, but I mostly see boats that are 22ft or bigger. The closest Precision 18 and Capri 18 I’ve found are in Texas.
Should I just wait for something to come up in CA? Or is driving from CA to TX to buy a boat a normal thing in sailing?


r/Sailboats • • 7d ago

Show Your Boat Picked up my new boat last week! Sailing her up the Caledonian Canal in Scotland as we speak!

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250 Upvotes

r/Sailboats • • 8d ago

Boat Purchase Those who bought a $5-10K starter boat, what are your regrets? (If you have to do it all over again)

21 Upvotes

I've been crewing for a bit now and I think I want to get something lower-risk to start next reason before I can commit to a 50-100K boat.

I was thinking a Pearson 30 or Tartan 34C, there are a lot of owners going into retirement and want to offload their boats way below value.

However, I understand things like engine, rudder, hull, and wiring can be checked. Mooring and marine and storage can be solved with money (I'd budget about $4K/year for those).

I wonder for those who have done the same, what are something you would do differently if you are to do it again?


r/Sailboats • • 8d ago

Projects & Repairs Aluminium window on steel hull mounted on a wood spacer: reseal, replace, or remount differently?

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8 Upvotes

The boat is an 11 m steel sailboat, currently on the hard. The windows it seems arent mounted directly to the steel hull, which i found out when investigating a leak. There's a piece of wood between the frame and the hull, and it seems the wood didnt rot but is leaking between the wood and steel, the window also seems to be sealing ok.
Photos attached.

A few questions:
Should I take the window out and reseal everything, or is it better to just replace it while it’s out anyway?
When I remount it, should I go back to a wood spacer, or mount it directly to the hull? If wood is a bad idea, what do you use as an isolator? G10, HDPE, just a thick bed of sealant?
Any recommendations for sealant, fastener isolation and how to prep the steel underneath before it goes back on?
Thanks in advance, any advice is appreciated!


r/Sailboats • • 11d ago

Show Your Boat Sv Mezzaluna - Our floating home 🏡

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179 Upvotes

Hi from Australia 🇦🇺 Just started this reddit account, hoping we can find like minded folk, fellow cruisers and sailing enthusiasts to share the dream with!

27YO and cruising for the past 2 years!


r/Sailboats • • 11d ago

Photos & Videos Copenhagen

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72 Upvotes

r/Sailboats • • 11d ago

Projects & Repairs Yes, you should remove your foresails with approaching hurricane

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105 Upvotes

And there are 20 more like this in my very protected marina.


r/Sailboats • • 11d ago

Questions & Answers How do I reef my main when the foot is attached to the boom in a track?

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15 Upvotes

Clearly, the line needs to go through the hole in the sail and the block on the boom, then I assume along the boom through the eye straps. I just can’t figure out the exact routing through the sail to keep it properly taught. Every time I’ve tried, it has been a flappy mess. help!


r/Sailboats • • 11d ago

Rigging Setups What is this line? NSFW

11 Upvotes

r/Sailboats • • 12d ago

Rigging Setups Main sheet with bridle?

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10 Upvotes

This was in the cockpit of my 1972 oday mariner 19. Im learning how to rig. Is this pic the main sheet system (red with pullys) with a wire back stay (metal line attached to white line with clips)? Does one end attach to boom and other to center board pully cleat system? Pics were from before untangling. Metal line very long with the white line having clips (1 midway at a figure 8 knot and smaller clip at end.)


r/Sailboats • • 13d ago

Show Your Boat So I bought a boat yesterday.

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259 Upvotes

Got a 1980 Viksund 31 Goldfish at a giveaway price (30 000NOK). Feeling slightly overwhelmed right now, but I believe this will work out fine. Lots to do all suddenly 😁


r/Sailboats • • 13d ago

Boat Interior Anchor shackle unscrewed itself after 8 days stern to ?

13 Upvotes

Trying to solve a concerning mystery. Stayed 8 days stern to in what I would say was bouncy waves but not much wind, just a constant uncomfy bounce. Lifted anchor, sailed rough seas for 3-4 hours. When trying to anchor in a new spot I noticed the pin that closes the U shaped shackle was 2cm/1in away from the threaded hole - the anchor was barely attached to the swivel at the end of the chain. How does that happen? The setup was the same for the last 5 years.


r/Sailboats • • 15d ago

Boat Review Bruce Bingham Flicka or a Com-Pac 25 as a Lake boat?

5 Upvotes

Just end of year musing. When young my dream boat was a flicka, the compac looks pretty enticing.

Our home lake is about 5 mi long, 1 wide, 40' deep, moorage 7' deep. Our, "holiday lake" is about 100 mi long, 2 wide, 60' deep.

Too much boat?

As stated, just 3 drink musing as I'm putting my potter 19 in the barn for the winter.


r/Sailboats • • 15d ago

Boat Interior Help me pick a fabric

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30 Upvotes

I'm making new curtains for my boat for the year. My local shopping options are limited. My cushions (which aren't getting replaced for a while) are blue and my table is red.

Are these too colorful? What is the consensus?

This is an AI image, the actual boat is a bit more dark with formica.


r/Sailboats • • 14d ago

Questions & Answers Looking for feedback on my sailing race game

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0 Upvotes

Hey r/Sailboats,

I'm building a sailing game since last summer, it's a single or multiplayer game that can be played in browser, also on mobile. It came to a point where I'd like to get feedback on how the controls feel.

What I'm trying to do is represent as much as possible in terms of sailing controls with just few directions. WASD on desktop and simple drag on screen on mobile. The "left" and "right" controls are there to move the rudder for rotation. Forward and backwards controls trimming.

To quickly jump in and try after navigating to https://acesail.papricode.com/, click on "Race" and select a boat and then click on "Start Race". It might take few seconds to load the assets of the game and then the race should start.

You can see the wind on top of the screen.

I'm especially looking for feedback on,

  • Does steering and trimming feel intuitive, or did anything take a while to figure out?
  • Can you tell how the wind affects your boat’s speed and direction?
  • Do tacking and gybing feel natural?
  • Do the different boats feel noticeably different to sail?
  • Is there a sailing control you really miss, or something you’d simplify?
  • What’s one change that would make sailing more enjoyable for you in the game?

r/Sailboats • • 16d ago

Liveaboard Talk Boats

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53 Upvotes

Which one looks better? The original is mahogany and stained, but easily fixed. The white is ai. Thank you.
35 Endurance


r/Sailboats • • 16d ago

Projects & Repairs Need an extra set of eyes

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6 Upvotes

Purchased a new to me sailboat this weekend. The previous owner just about finished a full electrical refresh including lithium. Everything is properly fused and cables are the right size, but I'm just lost on why he did it the way he did. Is it worth keeping or should I start from scratch.

Also there are no grounds drawn because I simply got lazy. The grounds all tie in to a common negative somewhere. The engine is not in yet so some of the grounds are not hooked up which has made testing a pain in the butt.

Edit: could I disconnect position 2 from the master switch 1 so its just a lithium on/off switch. Eventually maybe this is where I'll connect in a DC to DC charger.


r/Sailboats • • 17d ago

Boat Review Imagine spending $1M on your dream boat to learn you are drinking a cancer-causing stew...

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90 Upvotes

Wild story coming out of Florida. Good reminder to everyone to test your water in your holding tanks...you never know what could be hiding in it!


r/Sailboats • • 18d ago

Rigging Setups Help with lines

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10 Upvotes

Need help with lines. Thank you for everyone who responded to my previous posts. Currently mast is down for trailering. I've followed set up instructions sent to me by a fellow member. Ive Located side shrouds and what I think is the main stay. I took some pics of lines im not sure about if anyone can point me in right direction. Im guessing red line with pullys that's attached to a metal line with clip is the back stay?? Any help appreciated. Thank you!


r/Sailboats • • 20d ago

Projects & Repairs First steel boat: how should I tackle rust on the exterior?

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18 Upvotes

Hi all, I'm looking for advice.
I've sailed before, but this is my first steel boat, so I have no experience dealing with rust. Overall she's in solid condition. The interior and bilge are spotless, but there are some problem areas on the outside.
Honestly, I'm not sure where to start. A few questions:
Is spot wire-brushing and repainting a reasonable approach, or should I be going further?
Should I remove the wood trim/capping to check the condition of the steel underneath?
Is a Bristle Blaster worth buying? Sandblasting the whole hull isn't feasible for me right now.
I'd really appreciate any advice on what to prioritize, what tools or products have worked for you, and any mistakes to avoid.
Thanks!


r/Sailboats • • 21d ago

Questions & Answers ASA 101 in San Fransisco Bay?

4 Upvotes

I'm looking to take an ASA101 course this fall. I live in Southern Washington in the Columbia River Gorge but all the courses in Portland or the San Juans are done for the season. This brings me to a fun adventure option to take the class in the Bay Area. I've kited there and am aware that it's a very dynamic body of water.

I have spent most of my life in the water from class 5 kayaking, rafting, kiteboarding, wingfoiling, and downwind foiling. I have basic non-technical sailing experience on a Sunfish, O'Day Daysailer, and Laser. A few years ago I puked off a 40 footer on a honking day on Lake Michigan. We own a Bayliner motorboat and I'm competent trailering, docking, reading water and navigating the Columbia River.

I'm 54.

Short term goals are Salish 100/family cruising/bareboat charter. Long term goal is WA360. Stretch goal is R2AK.

What do you think of doing an ASA 101 in late October/early November the Bay? I'll likely take more classes in the San Juans next year.

There are 2 schools with classes that fit my schedule:

\-Tradewinds Sailing School has a 3 day class on Capri 22 with a 3:1 student to instructor ratio

\-Modern Sailing School has a 4 day class on 30-32' boats with a 4:1 student to instructor ratio

Any thoughts on these schools / programs?

Thanks in advance!


r/Sailboats • • 21d ago

Liveaboard Talk Liveaboards for sale with slip?

8 Upvotes

Hello

What is the likelihood of finding a liveaboard sailboat for sale that has a slip or mooring included? I am in northeast USA but would consider other locations. Thank you