r/Sailboats

So I've been trucking cross country for a while now and every time I pass into Norfolk or by the Great lakes I see all the marinas and it tugs at something the same way semis did so I did some looking and it seems like boats called motorsailers are a good choice for a decently well rounded craft since if my luck runs out and my engine dies I can just sail back to shore. What I need recommended is one that I can safely take offshore about 75-100 miles since me and a couple Amish buddies want to try and catch tuna. I looked at a couple MacGregor's first since they were reasonably priced around 30k ( I'd like to not spend more than 50 tops ) but according to google they're made more for inland and coastal sailing and not really suited for waters more than a couple miles out and I'm not really sure where to go from here. Any recommendations are heavily appreciated. ( I know used boats are my best bet for my budget so knowing what to look for to ensure I'm not about to buy a huge project would be great )

Been sailing for a while and the one thing that always bugs me a little is that weather apps show current data, but it's just not accurate – especially for wind.

Got me thinking – what if boats had small solar-powered sensors you just screw between your wind indicator and the mast, sending real wind, temp and GPS data to a shared map? No cables, no charging, just mount it and forget it. Uses a low-power mobile connection so it works anywhere with cell coverage, no WiFi needed. If enough boats had one, you'd get actual real-time conditions from real sailors instead of interpolated model data.

I've planned it out technically and think it's doable for under $200.

Does something like this already exist properly? Would you use it?

Does anyone have any technique (special cleaners, chemicals, tools, etc.) to remove wood varnish that has dripped onto the non skid area of the cockpit? So far anything I’ve tried has had absolutely no effect on removing any kind of varnish drip that has dried. I’ve basically come to the realization that I’ll be living with it, but I just thought I’d throw it out to the Reddit community and see if anyone has had any success. Thanks!

So my traveler car outright exploded today. Bearings everywhere. Total gonner.

Luckily the local used parts guy had an identical replacement along with a replacement for the end caps which were due to be replaced anyway. However, due to the dimensions of the traveler in the cockpit, I can’t actually replace any parts on the track without removing the entire traveler.

So… it LOOKS like it’s six total nuts I remove from six bolts and the whole thing lifts up. But are there any traps? Anything I should be aware of before doing the removal?

Hey guys I’ve been lurking for a while but decided to just ask for your advise. I live in Vancouver WA next to the Columbia river and want to learn to sail. I will be coming into a sizable amount of money and my dream has always been to sail places, South America Hawaii Europe. I have been on boats and owned boats but always smaller boats you trailer in and launch. I plan to purchase a boat I can leave at the docks. I know nothing about sailing. How would I start to learn to sail and get to know sailboats before I buy one? My plan was to start with a smaller less expensive one to learn on but again I know very little so that might not be the best idea? I’m wondering are there classes or clubs I can join? Thanks for reading!

I am a highschooler who has grown up around a southern lake and has even been sailing an older Alcort minifish but soon im getting a car and i want something more, I just want to know if anybody has any ideas and i dont mind work infact i really like working and fixing stuff up so thats not a problem and i want to be able so sail around some friends and be able to easily trailer it and sail through the Savannah River and through the GA, FL, SC ICW. what would yall recommend i get or does anybody have some expierence of thier own to share

My buddy has a boat that's hauled out for refit and I offered to help him hit the work. I have entertainment and commercial rigging certs and 6T press tool and dies for swaging wire rope up to 1/2" with Nicopress and Locoloc swage sleeves.

Is that stuff of any use in re-rigging ? I can get SS wire rope easy enough from my regular suppliers of GAC, not sure which swage sleeves to use of SS, I use copper and aluminum for entertainment rigging, but don't know what a good version is for marine use.

Where can I get some guidance on this sort of stuff?

Also need some guidance on which wire rope types to use for various bits. We run 7x19 on most stuff but I think boats use different construction types for standing rigging vs running rigging?

Also, is there any benefit to replacing marine running rigging with wire rope? Halyards and such seem like they'd be a good fit for such replacement.

Trying to figure out how to be useful on the project.

I do know my way around a sailboat, and I'm sure we would be dealing with way more shock loads that I am used to in entertainment and commercial rigging.

She is sitting on the driveway most of the time, in California sun, and I see black spots and green algae in shaded areas.

I normally take a pressure wash and clean it but they are coming back and I have a feeling there are more and more of them.

What do you use to clean the fiberglass and protect it so the algae does not grow?

I’m looking for a sailboat for bay cruising with also off shore cruising to just get started and not trying to blow the bank I was wondering if anyone knew of any marinas in the area having sailboat auctions in May or June

Has anyone tried flying with an Ocean Safety Jon Buoy Danbuoy? The type that automatically inflates using a co2 cylinder.

The official website points to the TSA guidelines of flying with an inflatable pfd as being applicable. But it also seems like the co2 cylinder/cartridge isn’t removable in a way that they can be with inflatable pfds. And I have found anything online from people who have tried.

Alternatively, would I be able to ship it through standard carriers?