Recent content by mon_ami

I managed to find Warwick's Macrosuede on clearance for both my last boat and this one. It has a cotton backer, so it isn't entirely synthetic like Alcantara, but it is very sturdy and seems to resist stains well. I bought the first lot from End of Line fabrics and the second lot from Just...

Sorry about that--my PM was apparently turned off. I've turned it back on again. Let me know if you're still interested.

AKS propane/gas heater Uniden VHF MC6700 I took both of these off my boat when I bought it. I have every reason to believe both were working when I removed them, though I haven't tested the heater. I believe I have the instruction manual for the heater in my files. Free to anyone who is...

I've not had sail work done there, but the guys at Storrar Marine in Newcastle have a good reputation at my club. It's a small place, and they are always helpful and friendly when I stop in.

I tried sanding back my deck (45 yo Hurley) two summers ago. I didn't have an electric or water source at the time, so I didn't do as good a job as I'd wanted to. I didn't use it at the time, but I've used HomeStrip paint stripper on the boat for other projects and it's worked pretty well...

I bought a Bog in a Bag: http://www.boginabag.co.uk/ for my Hurley 18. I've not actually had occasion to use it yet, but I wanted a product that had a sort of gel powder that would make your liquids solid, so to speak. There's also the TravelLoo: http://www.travelloo.co.uk/ But, being of the...

There's a guy who sells sailcloth on eBay as well--never bought from him, but I'm thinking pretty seriously about making my own mainsail this winter. Don Casey's This Old Boat has what seems to be a reasonably thorough guide to making your own sails (no theory like Morano, but lots of practical...

I don't know what your budget is or how far you're willing to travel, but I seem to remember that Sunderland Yacht Club had very reasonably priced floating moorings. I have no idea if there's a waiting list, but it might be worth looking into. I think the other thing to keep in mind is that...

Compass 24 does them: http://www.compass24.com/web/catalog/shop/clothing_shoes_boots_men_s_functional_footwear/8347151

Huh. That cover article on the £950 Hunter Europa this month must have been a figment of my imagination. :rolleyes: I found this old article on the Vivacity on the Hurley Owners Association website: http://www.hurleyownersassociation.co.uk/images/v20art_lge.jpg I know you're probably looking...

I suspect the cockpit cushions are closed cell foam--it doesn't absorb water, so I believe it is used quite frequently for cockpit cushions. I've been trying to find it myself, but haven't found a good source in the UK yet.

I used End of the Line Fabrics as well, and had a very good experience. I think you can probably do better than the cotton that seanfoster links to, though, if you have a little patience in looking--I spent most of the winter looking through their inventory and ended up buying Macrosuede...

This was just discussed over on the YM forum: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264040 I believe the British Offshore Sailing School and Dream or Two LTD (www.sailingwomen.co.uk) offer all women or women-taught classes. I haven't used either of these companies--just been doing...

Another option you might look at is this American-made lifejacket: http://usak9outfitters.com/CCLV.htm I haven't bought a lifejacket for my dog yet, but I bought a harness and seatbelt from this company years ago and it was incredibly well-built. If I ever manage to get the dog out to the...

I'm half-way through DS theory right now, and I've found a couple of books to be really useful, particularly the RYA Navigation Handbook by Tim Bartlett and Navigation: A Newcomer's Guide by Sara Hopkinson. The Hopkinson book is particularly nice, because it walks through how to do the...