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I have one, and there was no evidence of water ingress at the last survey. When replacing any fittings, I generally clear out some of the balsa and replace with epoxy filler, and bed the fitting in some waterproof mastic or other. I don't think wet balsa is a frequent or significant problem on these...

Like Mike, I have wrap around sails, though mine are single ply after the forward metre or so. My thoughts may not apply to your set-up, which sounds like the 'Nonesuch'. I would suggest that you don't try for a single line reefing system. A simple downhaul led aft to a stopper should be sufficient ...

I've been frightened of this happening for the past twenty years! We have a 'safety line' attached to the stainless loop, supposedly for if the lifting pennant breaks, but it wouldn't have saved you. I attach a picture of the same fitting on Castaway, when I raised the CB into the saloon to replace ...

The PO of Castaway suffered a knockdown in the Atlantic, in very poor weather. Although some water got in, it was nowhere near enough to threaten the boat's safety. More of a problem was that, having lost the spray hood in that incident, water from rain and spray continued to get below until he reac...

Just seen the later posts; I've been away in Spain, hence this late reply. The one time I did get a line around the prop on Castaway, we were in Ystaad harbour and I sat in the dinghy and untangled it with a boathook; in calm water, the prop is easy to see and reach. Fortunately I had noticed that w...

My F21, Skeba, has had very little use in the 17 years I have owned it. We took it to Spain, by road, but found berthing too expensive for the limited cruising we were able to do there. Quite frankly, sailing in the Mediterranean is vastly over-rated in our experience, and we have done half the coas...

The Tillotson Pearson mast on my F35 is still smooth, white and shiny after about 30 years use, but the black mast on my F21 looks terrible, with circumferential cracks from deck level up, and now matt finish throughout. It's had a lot of time in the sun, but not a lot of hard sailing. There's been ...

921068_10151430638963806_1441139782_o.jpg We set a mizzen stays'l as Mike describes in light airs. It's quite effective, but you can't gybe the main without dropping it. If the airs are very light, you might even try without the running backstay, but there is some risk. The P.O. of Castaway describ...

Hello, Haddock, I have a Freedom 35 as well, though it has only one aluminium mast, the forward one being carbon fibre. The system for removing is the same as Mike has described, though there might be some different packing around the base of the masts than the resin he mentions. I would add a few p...

This rather nice centre-cockpit F40 was in Lerwick on Friday, en route from France to Norway. The permanent 'bimini' and spray screen will certainly improve cold, wet weather sailing, though we have had a run of sunshine this week. The owner pointed out the single ply sails set with parrel beads; no...