Offshore Passage Prep: Hydraulics
Since my first bluewater passage aboard the 120′ (36.5m) steel schooner R/V Westward nearly 25 years ago as a student, I’ve developed a strong appreciation for what’s involved in maintaining… Read more »
Unmanning the Fleet: What it takes to keep pace in the race for commercially viable autonomous vessels
Recent Posts
Design Challenge II Winners
Professional BoatBuilder and WoodenBoat magazines’ second design challenge drew 58 excellent submissions from professional and amateur designers in 17 countries. Our panel of judges had the pleasure of studying all… Read more »
Design Challengers
This scorching first week of July, we at Professional BoatBuilder were lucky to have some business to attend to on the water. Two boats built to designs from our 2009… Read more »
School Launchings Spring 2010
Just a few years ago the most frequent complaint among boatbuilders was the scarcity of good experienced workers and reasonably skilled entry-level employees. Most builders would happily trade their current… Read more »
The Switch to Closed Molding
As we report in Professional BoatBuilder No. 126, Danish builder Luffe Yachts has made the change from open- to closed-molding—a changeover completed with help from its resin-and-reinforcements supplier, Bodotex Composites,… Read more »
Steering-System Angularity
Steering system faults can range from sloppiness in the helm, vague handling, and increased fuel consumption, to catastrophic binding and complete failure. The potentially crippling errors illustrated below were made… Read more »
Fuel Fills
Granted, diesel fuel is less volatile than gasoline. Still, plumbing systems for delivering either type of fuel to its tank must be installed so as to prevent leaks and minimize… Read more »
Morris Yachts Core Repair
As new-boat sales fell sharply during the early days of the current recession, production builders scrambled for cover. Some downsized; others looked to more-thriving markets such as alternative energy; and… Read more »
Temperature-Controlled Molding
The combination of temperature-controlled infusion tables and a controlled radical polymerization additive for vinyl ester resin makes the infusion of thick laminate stacks in one shot—a relatively worry-free process. These… Read more »
Reducing Shore-Power Risks
A survey conducted a few years ago indicated that 55% of all fires aboard recreational vessels are electrical in nature, and 11% of those begin in AC shore-power wiring and… Read more »
