http://www.sailingmates.com/blog2 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:19:59 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Don't even think of buying a used sailboat until you've downloaded and read the Used Sailboat Buying Guide, the Initial Checklist and Preliminary Survey Checklist all available for free at www.sailingmates.com. The manual also shows you how to discover any "dealbuster" faults in a sailboat within 10 minutes and details other "cosmetic" ... http://www.sailingmates.com/blog2/3/sailboat-buying-manual-checklists-free-download/ An all chain anchor rode is without doubt the very best solution in most cases. Chain doesn’t suffer from chafe, is much stronger than any nylon anchor rode,  and the weight of the chain works as a shock absorber if there is any surge or other shock load on the anchor ... http://www.sailingmates.com/blog2/31/how-to-select-a-sailboat-anchor-rode/ With a little lateral thinking, you may be able to start sailing sooner than you think Buying a sailboatand getting on the water can look like a pretty formidable exercise,especially if you’re looking at a fairly modern 30 footer with allthe bells and whistles. Prices start at around $50,000 for 10 year ... http://www.sailingmates.com/blog2/29/5-ways-to-get-a-boat/ If you buy a used sailboat it's probable that you'll end up with a boat that is a few years old - and most likely the halyards, mainsheet, backstay, jibsheets and other running rigging will look a little old, dirty and frayed. You might well want to replace this old stuff ... http://www.sailingmates.com/blog2/19/re-rigging-an-older-sailboat/ Go to any chandlery or marine store and you’ll be faced with a multitude of marine sealants and caulking materials. Knowing what sealant to use for every sealing job on your boat is very important. Essentially, every marine sealant is one of just three products – polysulfide, polyurethane or silicon. Polysulfide is ... http://www.sailingmates.com/blog2/14/how-to-select-a-marine-sealant/ There are 10 things you need to know about seacocks and thru-hull fittings. If you don't take good care of these fittings, firstly by fitting the correct ones initially and then by maintaining them properly, one day one of them will sink your boat. Find the 10 things you need to know ... http://www.sailingmates.com/blog2/9/thru-hulls-and-seacocks-10-things-you-must-know/ The most important safety system on your boat, after the structural integrity of your hull, is your bilge pump system. Why? Well, what if you’re offshore when a thru-hull fitting fails, or you lose your prop shaft. In either case you now have a one and a half inch diameter hole in your ... http://www.sailingmates.com/blog2/6/how-to-select-a-bilge-pump/