Introduction to Polar Diagrams and Optimum VMC
A polar diagram is a graphic presentation of a sailboat's sailing performance in various wind conditions. But how do you interpret it? The same information is also often presented in the form of a table or spreadsheet, which…
How-To: Stripping Your Boat’s Bottom
This article was originally published in the April 2022 issue of 48° North. It’s April and in the boatyard, the tide is beginning to shift. Just weeks ago, a whole day may have gone by before we spotted anyone else laboring…
Artist’s View: Hermit Crab
This article was originally published in the April 2022 issue of 48° North.
A Closer Look at Diesel Fuel
This article was originally published in the April 2022 issue of 48° North. In my last column (February 2022), we talked about oil’s function and filtration in a marine diesel engine, and noted that it is one of several…
Beacon Background: The Heceta Head Lighthouse
If you see one lighthouse in Oregon, let it be the beacon at Heceta Head. For more than a century, mariners have relied on its light for safe passage along Oregon’s central coast. This is a seascape dotted with rocky islands…
How to Print NOAA Custom Charts
Traditional paper charts are in the process of being replaced with electronic navigational charts (ENC) and a new form of paper chart called NOAA Custom Chart (NCC), based on these ENC. In this new system, the user designs…
Two-Day Class Will Give Whidbey and Fidalgo Boaters Washington State Boater Education Card
A pair of Saturdays is all it takes to get started in boating and earn the required Boater Education Card. You'll meet some great folks, too. As a new boater, sometimes it can be hard to know where to start... Well, one…
“Girls at the Helm” Inspires Aboard Schooner Adventuress
This article was originally published in the March 2022 issue of 48° North. After the Salish 100 fleet of small boats pulled ashore at Blake Island last summer, I overheard an animated conversation about a sailing program…
Recommissioning: From the Blues to Blue Skies
This article was originally published in the March 2022 issue of 48° North Ah, spring at the marina. Full of promise. Renewal. Great times lay ahead. Blah, blah, blah. I trudge down to the boat in early March, dock cart…
Tech Talk with SeaBits: Spring Tech Checkup
This article was originally published in the March 2022 issue of 48° North A great thing to do at least once a year, and especially prior to the start of a more active boating season, is to give your boat a tech checkup.…
