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On a previous boat, which had this problem, I used two pack deck paint with sand added to the mix (International 501, I think). It worked really well, and lasted for years – I saw the boat ten years later. Two drawbacks; it sanded through my oilskin trousers where I had used it on the cockpit side d...

I did this job on my F35/33. Since I had decided to replace the board on which the toilet sat, I cut it open with a jigsaw to get at the bolts below. When replacing the base, I carefully placed the toilet on the new, unfitted, board, and marked the hole positions. Then I put coachbolts in from below...

I've already replied on the next thread, which you started, but looking at your picture here, and checking back through my notes, I think the the original base for the heads unit was only screwed in place, and, after unpicking all the silicone bathroom sealant, I could actually lift it out. (Of cour...

"Castaway" originally had two aluminium masts; two part tapered spars made by Proctor Spars in the UK, joined by an internal sleeve about 1/3rd of their length from the base. The main mast broke at the join; the PO felt this was due to sails cut with a curved luff, which kept the mast tensioned with...

I've never seen an F44, or a 39 Express, but looked at both the F40 and the 39PH – which is a schooner, not a cat ketch. The PH had a pilot house/saloon, which would have been great for sitting at anchor in a beautiful place, or sailing in inclement weather. Fast, but with a deep fin keel. The F40 (...

If you just want to keep the water out, try using "BluTack", a sort of thick, non-marking adhesive for holding posters on the wall. Bit like putty, moulds well and doesn't harden. Just peel it off and roll into a ball when not in use. Not so elegant as the fittings shown in other posts, but an awful...

Look in "Manuals & Documentation"; if there is nothing specific about the F44, or F40, the way the wishbones are rigged is the same for all the cat-rigged ketches, and the F33 (or F35 in UK) manuals will show how it's done, though the line lengths will not be appropriate. The mast harness to which t...

Rather than a Prussic around the mast, I use a webbing lifeline with two snap-hooks , wrapped twice round the mast. It's easy to move up and down, and will jamb as effectively with a sudden fall (forget to slide it whilst descending and it stops you completely). I fasten it to a standard harness, bu...

Your centreboard: it looks as though someone has already been at your CB bearing; it's very shiny! I had mine replaced about ten years ago, when the boat was 25 years old. The tube which forms the bearing was worn and rusty looking. There were a couple of nylon washers either side of the board, too ...

On our UK built F35 cat ketch, the masts have a collar above the deck on each. The bolts are actually studs, with dome nuts above and plain hex nuts below, which bear on the inner side of the deck with 2cm washers and spring washers. The only effective way to tighten them is to hold the above deck n...