John

In Part 1 I covered the physics that govern the loads shorefast are subjected to. Now let’s move on to some example configurations and then some fun stuff: tips, tricks and hacks that make putting in shorefasts safer and easier.

Many people assume that tying to the solid land with shorefasts is safer and more secure than anchoring. But is it really? John takes a deep dive into the facts and in the process shares some interesting things about shorefasts and how to use them.

Now we know that a lot of the rudders out there on older fibreglass boats will need extensive repair or replacement, what’s the best course of action, and what’s it going to cost us? John provides the answers.

Rational or not, it’s starting to feel like the world is coming seriously unglued, what with COVID-19 and the associated economic disruptions, not to speak of some spectacular market volatility.

So here’s what are we going to do about that at AAC.

So we have found a great older boat to buy at a very reasonable price, perhaps recently refitted. But what about that item no one (least of all the broker) wants to talk about: the rudder? Here’s the real hard facts about rudders on old fibreglass boats, together with a step-by-step method to make sure we are not heading out with a ticking time bomb instead of a reliable rudder.

There are few subjects around anchoring that get more discussion than stopping yawing at anchor. However, once we understand why it happens, the best solution becomes obvious.

Before we start to build a refit budgeting and planning framework, we need to define the boat we will start off with as well as explore how we can correct numbers for other boats: smaller, bigger, and/or more complex.

Last summer we discovered that series drogues to Don Jordan’s design that are made from single-plat Dyneema or Spectra were extremely difficult to retrieve. We now have a solution.

We just made a bunch of changes to this site. Here’s why, and why the new site is so much better.

John started out to write an article on budgeting for a refit, but ended up writing, based on personal experience, about something far more important: how to avoid the oh-so-common human failings that can turn a refit into a budget-busting rebuild, or even a total fail, as well as how to decide if a refit is something you even want to do.

If ever there was a subject where the details matter, it’s anchoring, so John takes a deep dive into some details that will make anchoring with an all-chain rode easier and safer.

Kellets are often touted in books and articles on anchoring as a way to increase anchor holding and setting reliability. But do they really work, and should you buy one?

Rope snubbers are vital for those of us who anchor on all-chain rodes, but the good news is that a good snubber is a simple thing to make and rig right.

John is a bit of a tool freak. That said, like most cruisers, he also tends to be conservative about stuff that costs money, takes up space, and adds weight to his boat. It’s a fine balance. Here are four tools where he got it wrong.