21 Jul 24:  To replace a bow handle on older Sunfish (1960-1988 mostly) there is a trick. The screws go into a wooden backer block beneath the deck, that is held in place by adhesive and a strip of fiberglass. If the wood block adhesive or the fiberglass strip have come loose, then the block may fall down IF ALL OF THE SCREWS ARE REMOVED AT THE SAME TIME. So the trick is to leave one screw on the old handle snug, swivel the old handle to the side, and then get one screw started in the new handle. Once the new handle's screw is into the wooden block, take the old handle's screw out and fi ..read more

18 Jul 24: We were confused by the box when this anchor was delivered....thought "who sent us flowers...and they're heavy..." We bought a Wilcox & Crittenden Inc anchor, and the seller did not mention the weight, it is an 18 pounder, which might be just a bit big for our day sailing outings.  We do like the patina, and need to get the back story on "PIRATES DEN ..read more

09 Jul 24: We put together a trifold brochure on how to rig the popular Sunfish sailboat. The brochure is printed on waterproof paper so that it can head to the beach with you and your Sunfish. $5 USD includes shipping via USPS in CONUS. Secure Purchase with Paypal Bulk orders available, or if you prefer check or money order, send an gmail to lewis dot kent  Sail On! (Clark) Kent and (Skipper) Audrey Authors of The Sunfish Owners Manual and Skipper's Guide To Small Boat Knots ..read more

08 Jul 24:  Biked an 8K and walked a 5K today. Took the Mustang for a ride. Thought about cutting fiberglass cloth for the Catfish repair...   ..read more

04 Jul 24: We invest good money in our boat covers because they keep the hull, blades, spas and sail clean while the boats are in storage. That saves us time when we are ready to go sailing by not having to clean the boat, and prevents damage to expensive components like the sail and wooden blades. SLO Sail and Canvas is our Go To cover maker, we order the "Spars On Deck" cover in Sunbrella Pacific blue with the straps. The Bridge To Nowhere. This cover was cleaned a few months back, so all of this gunk would have been on the boat. Video: https://youtu.be/jlIWJtrD5Gc?si=5_ZV9qZhEh ..read more

01 Jul 24:  We are planning a red, white and blue  sail on the 4th of July, so we loaded up the utility trailer for the adventure a few days early with our Olympic schemed 1982 AMF Sunfish PHOENIX and the Pelican Icon 10 CLARK.  But first, we needed to air up the dolly tires, manufactured in March of 2015 and noticed some dry rot on the side. I checked with the dolly manufacturer and they let us know that it would be okay to inflate the tubes. Replacement tires and tubes are available, we'll get some ordered.  Tires have a Week Year date stamped on the side when they a ..read more

01 Jul 24:  We walked a 5K at our local park, said hey to the critters and took notice of the marsh greening up.  ..read more

06 Jul 24:  There are a lot of boats at the Herreshoff Marine Museum, but one catches my eye every time, the little boat named GEM. From the HMM website:      "GEM was Katherine Kilton Herreshoff’s fifteenth birthday present from her father, John Brown Herreshoff. GEM is of unusually light construction and fine craftsmanship. Built in 1885, she is the second oldest surviving Herreshoff boat after SPRITE. Katherine (Katie) Herreshoff accompanied her blind father around the yard and on business trips, and became thoroughly familiar with the workings of the company and its pro ..read more

04 Jul 24: Our 1982 Olympic schemed Sunfish named PHOENIX helped us celebrate the 4th, along with our Pelican Icon kayak named CLARK. The Admiral took out PHOENIX first, to see if my post hurricane bow replacement was still seaworthy. She tried to trick me into going first, but I didn't fall for that.  The locals looked on with disinterest. Sea Retrials successfully completed, the bow remained attached so the Admiral gave me the tiller and sheet for a bit.  The double paddle we made from spruce and Skipper's Greenland style paddle by Shaw & Tenney. We were very ..read more

23 Jun 24: Here's a few Learning Lessons on how we get one of our kayals to and from the water with minimal cartopping effort. First off, it's important to have a secure strap to hold the kayak in place. The roof rack straps must be tied in a way that prevents side to side "hunting" caused by the air stream at transport speeds. We have been very happy with the size, durability and secure cam buckle on the straps from Malone Auto Racks, plus the buckle is padded. For this kayak we tied the handle to the side of the rack to prevent hunting, after we had looped the strap under the rails on both ..read more