I use 100% synthetic oil, premium oil filters, and change my oil myself right after a 100+ mile drive, so all the dirt is suspended and drains out when I drain the old oil. The engine runs like a top even at 137k miles. The van was factory equipped for towing 3,500 pounds. My 4 kids are between 100 ...

We're visiting friends who moved to Virginia Beach, and today they told us they haven't found a reasonably priced sailboat to rent. So, I'm considering towing my Mac26X 606 miles from Lexington, KY to Virginia Beach, VA with my 2006 Toyota Sienna minivan rated for 3,500 pounds. I'll have my wife, 4 ...

Even better! I retrieved the fiberglass face below the galley counter and sink, which I removed years ago, and reused its hinge!

Russ, that's the Windex! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001448IQ4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Last night I was looking through the tools I inherited from a childless uncle this spring. I found a set of ignition wrenches AND a needlenose pliers narrow enough to hold the nuts in...

I put a Etec 90 on 8+ years ago and my family simply loves it. When there's no wind, we pull a tube with four 125 pound kids on it. :D I've pulled a 220 pound football playing nephew waterskiing on Lake Erie with 1 to 2 foot waves. :o Fires up every spring and every other time during the season even...

Re: Paul's: So what are you going to use to raise your halyard? Or does the block go back on along with the windex hardware? I'll just get longer bolts and put the block (thank you for the proper nautical term!) right next to the mast, as the block has to withstand lots of force pulling down as the...

Nice picture! :) I must have 2 dozen wrenches and 4 needlenose pliers and none are thin enough to get through there to hold the nut. I'll go to Home Depot and/or Lowe's, but I couldn't find anything online when I searched "wrench" and looked what they had. I've had furniture that I had to ...

I found the perfect spot for the first Windex on my MacGregor 26x: at the top of the mast the pulley for the main halyard has two bolts that are the perfect distance apart to mount the Windex’s base. I was able to “break” the bolt from the nut; unfortunately, the nut started spinning as I twisted th...

I have a 97 26X. I got my bow/navigation light off for the first time yesterday. It's a Taylor Signal housing with a straight blade screw in the back. After I got the screw out, I had to wiggle the housing pretty hard to get it off. Once I got it off, I noticed there's a rubber "gasket" at...

I decided to switch the good hinges from the door below the head's sink onto the bathroom door, and try to repair the "broken" hinges well enough to work on sink's door, which I rarely open.

My hinges broke, and I found replacements at Amazon via LFS Marine & Outdoor, $6.25 x 2 + 6.20 shipping = 19.20: SeaDogLine Sea Dog Line 2019541 2.75in height of wall side, 1.5in height of door flange, 1 7/8 total width of hinge, measured on original. http://www.amazon.com/HINGE-FLUSH-MOUNT-Stai...

I understood the impact of tuning the rig for sailing performance in races, but hadn't considered the impact on safety and component longevity. I'll tune it once I get the replacement pieces and I'm back sailing; someone in my Cave Run Sailing Association http://caverunsailing.org/ has a Loos tensio...

I like Frank C's idea about shortening both spreaders to the same length, which would happen to use the scoring on the other side as my mark for the sawing, or should I use a copper pipe pipe cutter? Except for 2 trips to Hilton Head, I'm a fresh water sailer so the chemical reactions are not as pot...

When my mast came down over the winter, the spreader snapped cleanly at the end where it inserts into the mast; it appears to have had some of the dreaded scoring. Could I just drill replacement holes, file it smooth, and have a spreader that is 1 1/2" shorter? I understand the tensions and for...

I couldn't find any mention of this "D" rated tire on Goodyear's web site either, but the "Goodyear" name is as big as can be on both sides of the tire. I've modified my original posting to have that info, as my Goodyear/Gemini store does sell other brands, such as Dunlop. Other ...