I’ve been reading “Building the Uqbar Dinghy” and it really is a great book for those who want to build a good dinghy in a weekend… Yes, really, a weekend. Fact is, I like the dinghies so much I’m pretty sure I’m going to build one in the very near future. The only problem being …
I’ve been working on a better mast raising/lowering system for “So It Goes” and rereading all my various go to boatish books for whisps of cunning plans for ideas. Have I mentioned of late what a great book Bruce Bingham’s “The Sailors Sketchbook” is? One thing I like about it is there are no “Buy …
A book that should be part of every VolksCruisers library… Read More »
I just started rereading “Cruising in Seraffyn” and I’m finding the rather stark contrasts with what passes for cruising today somewhat entertaining… Of course, times were different then and cruising had an element of a no-safety net enterprise. Just something to keep in mind next time someone you know throws a hissy-fit because their air …
Being an old fart does have a few advantages… The other day I was reading an interchange between folks who simply did not understand the reasons behind the thought process in terms of boat, gear, and cruising choices of Lin & Larry Pardey. The logic (or lack of) seemed to be that no one should …
Sometimes a little historical perspective is a needful thing… Read More »
There are two non-boaty books I think everyone engaged in sailing/cruising should read… Especially for those considering jumping into the craziness that is VolksCruising. One “How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive” you already know about. The other one is “Just Ride”… It’s sorta/kinda about bikes and bike riding but to be truthful it’s more about …
Another book that’s not about sailing but all about sailing… Read More »
Just maybe, the most influential book I’ve read relating to boats, boatbuilding, and cruising is not a book about boats or sailing at all… John Muir was a smart guy, a man who understood the importance of breaking things down to basic elements, and someone who never let someone else telling him something was simply …
Just about everything we do on boats is pretty simple so, every once in awhile, I find myself marveling at how difficult people make it or think it all is. It truly does boggle the mind… It’s not like the information is not readily available either. Most everything you need is either on the web …
The other day while I was shopping for groceries, a much talked about and often recommended book came to mind… The reason for such an event was my standing in front of the cabbages looking at the $1.19 a pound price. Seriously, $1.19 a pound for cabbage is frelling nuts! Hence my thoughts of “Sailing …
Jim Michalak is a designer who took Phil Bolger’s “Instant Boats” to heart and for years has been churning out various designs in the genre. Lots have been built and those using them have been happy. He’s also written a book “Boatbuilding for Beginners” on building boats of the mainly “Instant” variety which would be …
The current issue of WoodenBoat has a really good article about using galvanized wire for rigging… I mention this because I just spent a kiss over $50 each for four new 1/2″ stainless turnbuckles which, while cheap for stainless, it did not escape my notice that galvanized turnbuckles were a whole lot cheaper. Which underlines …
