Rudder & Daggerboard Foils
You have heard that your sailboat will perform much better with a NACA section rudder and daggerboard. Warren Messer tells you how to make them.

Confessions of a Lug Nut
Gary Blankenship is a Lug Nut. The good news is that he knows a whole lot about making lugsails in their various forms work and he is willing to share.

The Chinese Lugsail (Junk Rig)
John Tompkins says the Chinese Lugsail is the easiest of sails to make. Fortunately he also gives us some tips based on his years of experience.

Saralee's New Rudder
If you are considering upgrading your rudder to a foil type, read Craig Gleason's article. He just made a new NACA foil rudder for his Stephenson Vacationer.

An Automatic Daggerboard
Bernd Kohler adds to the daggerboard discussion - begun by Rob Rohde-Szudy - with a design that retracts a rudder or daggerboard almost instantly.

Building a Bimini
If you live in the south like Gary Blankenship does, you know the value of a good bimini. In this article, Gary shows how easy it can be to make one yourself.

Cutting Gains
Lapstrake boats are beautiful but require a few special skills to build. Peter Croft shows us how to perform one such skill: cutting gains.

Rigging and Sailing
Our old friend Barend Migchelsen has written a new book called "On Amateur Small-Boat Boat Building". Here is an excerpt.

Something Useful
Longtime contributor, William Watt took a minute to send us a few useful tips for storing small boats and getting them to the water.

Super Easy Boat Cushions
Are you tired of getting boat butt from the hard seats on your boat? Here In this article Paxton shows you how to make your own comfortable cushions.

Polysails - The Sheet Sail Alternative
If you think that cheap polysails don't work well, think again. Dave Gray takes you back through polytarp 101 to review just why this stuff makes great sails.

Mast Crutches & Supports
Leave it to Shorty to come up with simple, no-nonsense solutions to common, everyday problems. This time he tackles Mast support gear.

PDRacer Sails Down Under
Polytarp sails take a lot of flak for being cheap. Peter Hyndman just thought they were ugly - so he did something about it.

Glued Deck Planking with Beveled Edging Boards
We knew Barrett Faneuf's Navigator was going to be a thing of beauty. Now we can see that it is going to be a real Yacht. Try not to drool on your keyboard.

Birdsmouth and Other Masts and Spars
Do you want to build a Birdsmouth mast but are intimidated by the complexity? Roy McBride shows you step-by-step how easy it can be.

The Roofrackamabob
If you cartop at all you will appreciate this clever device. Kellan Hatch presents a clear description of how to make and use a Roofrackamabob.

Making Spline Weights
Do you like to design boats? Then you probably need some spline weights. In this article, Steven Roberts shows you everything you need to know.

Cheap Cleats
Did you know you can make good jamb cleats from scrap tubing? Martin Welby describes this simple process so you can make some too.

A Polytarp Junk Rig
People who have tried Junk rigs claim they are safe and easy to use. Mike Mulcahy shows you all you need to know to make one from polytarp.

Rope Wrapping for Oars 101
Here is a simple yet effective way to protect your oars. Pat Patteson gives step by step instructions for doing your own rope wrap.

Thoughts on Thwarts
Ever think about what makes a comfortable seat on a rowing boat? Mike Smith has a few thoughts on the subject and some experience as well.

Building a Nautical Table and Bookcase
Does your wife object to you building another boat? Jack Panter explains (with tongue firmly in cheek) that your problem may be simply one of semantics.

Boomtent
If you are like me, you have dreamed of making the perfect boomtent, but fell short. John Leathwick had much better luck.

Homemade Paddles
If you build a paddle boat, you ought to make a paddle too or so goes the reasoning of Glynn Sirmans in this how-to article.

Removing Fiberglass From a Plywood Hull
Dan Roberts bought a classic Chapelle cruiser but it was covered with fiberglass set in Polyester. How did he remove it? Read his story.

A Simple Rudder Downhaul
Al Meyer professes to be a greenhorn, but you can tell from looking at his boat that this is a misnomer. His solution may be simple but it is not dumb.

EC Report
Gary and I had a huge blast at the Everglades Challenge earlier this month. Here is Gary's report on the boat and the modifications he made to it.

Parachutes Save a Yacht
If you think you may ever sail the open ocean, you should read this true tale of stormy conditions in the South Atlantic and how a yacht was saved.

The Franciscan Monk's Knot
Bryant Owen sends this amusing story about an interesting and useful knot. He includes complete instructions on tying it and a personal anecdote.

Flotation Inspiration (in vino, veritable chaos)
As you might have guessed, this is not necessarily a serious article. David Graybeal has his tongue firmly planted in his cheek in this article.

Oaracle Upgrades
Gary Blankenship and I will soon be competing in the Watertribe Everglades Challenge. Fortunately, Gary has been busy upgrading our boat.

Boat-Related Gizmos
Steve Lansdowne, a friend and neighbor, is a very clever guy. Fortunately for us, he has written this article about some of his more ingenious solutions.

Tough Breaks
Ever break a mast? Shorty did and rather than get upset about it, he decided to do a few experiments. Read about what he did and what he learned

Applying Graphics to Trixie B
If you are snowed in and longing for spring, Jerry Church shows you a quick and easy project to help get your boat ready for the coming season.

Molding Boat Parts
Ever need a part that just can't be made of wood and a factory version is unavailable or prohibitively expensive? Read Gary Blankenship's solution.

Making Stays/Shrouds
Want to replace the rigging on your sailboat but don't want to pay a fortune? Do it yourself. Shorty shows you the tools and techniques you will need.

Lumpy - the carbon-fiber sprit boom
Gary and I will be sailing his Frolic2 in the upcoming Watertribe Everglades Challenge. Here he reports on one of his upgrades to the boat

Boat Shed Dust Collection
Roger Palmer has been around for a while and has learned a lot about dust collection. Here he describes his system and tells you why you need one too.

Getting the Oars You Want
Jamie Orr shows you how to save a lot of money by making your own oars. He even makes stitched leathers with turk's heads.

Burton's Brilliant Bodge
There are a lot of tricks of the trade when it comes to boat building. In this short article, David Bramhall tells us about one that saved him a lot of grief.

Sailboat Drain Plugs
And you thought drain plugs just went in the transom. Shorty walks us through some of the permutations - some good installation advice is here too.

Nabors Furling System
Want a roller furling system for your PDRacer? Jason Nabors provides step-by-step instructions for making one from PVC pipe and a few other bits.