Simon's Writing Showcase

This area is under constant construction

Here's a partial list of articles I've had published over the past few years. Eventually I plan to post some actual articles here, but not before I've had the chance to sell them in some secondary markets.

• Electrolysis and Cathodic Protection - Published in Pacific Yachting December 2000. An explanation of galvanic corrosion and sacrificial anodes. Practical advice on how to install and inspect anodes on your boat.
  

• Foul-Weather Gear - Published in Pacific Yachting October 2000. A full-colour roundup of the latest in rainwear from the top manufacturers. Includes sidebars on breathable fabrics, and what to look for in top-quality rain gear.
  
• Pumping Systems - Published in Pacific Yachting October 2000. Selecting, installing, and maintaining a suitable bilge pumping system. Included a sidebar on winterization/decommissioning.
  
• Maximizing Fuel Economy - Published in Pacific Yachting July 2000. A timely look at how to maximize fuel efficiency and reduce fuel costs: Keeping the hull clean, reducing weight, keeping engine tuned, trimming for best economy, and speed versus fuel consumption.
  
• Head Maintenance - It's Not Brain Surgery - Published in Pacific Yachting June 2000. How to maintain your head in working order with a minimum of mess and fuss. Included tips for rebuilding manually-operated heads, plus pointers for installing holding tanks and keeping them fresh. Opened with Rob using scuba gear to flush out the clogged head, and giving Mike a smelly shower of shit. Included a sidebar with tips from June Cameron.
  
• Spring Comissioning - Published in Pacific Yachting, May 2000. A feature article on how to prepare your boat away for the coming season. Covered engine and mechanical systems, rigging, polishing the hull, and refurbishing brightwork.
  
• Boatcare Lingo - Published in Pacific Yachting, March 2000. A glossary of boatcare terms to help the average boater talk the talk when they walk into a chandlery. (Hint: Whatcamacallit is a universal term to describe any part whose name you don't know or have forgotten. Chandlers are skilled at identifying the correct whatcamacallit for your needs).
  
• Carbon Monoxide Protection - Published in Pacific Yachting, December 1999. Maintaining and operating your boat to avoid the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. Choosing and installing CO detectors.
  
• Fall Decomissioning - Published in Pacific Yachting, October 1999. A feature article on how to safely tuck your boat away for the winter so it requires a minimum of work the next spring. Covered engine and mechanical systems, protecting the cabin, and dealing with sails.
  
• A Mixed Bag of Boatcare Tips - Published in Pacific Yachting, September 1999. When you do your own boatcare you tend to collect both tools and tips. This is a collection of some of the more useful tips I've picked up over the years.
  
• Thru-Hull Maintenance - Published in Pacific Yachting, May 1999. Describes the importance of inspecting underwater thru-hulls, and what to look for. Discusses the best type of seacocks, and how to replace thru-hulls and seacocks.
  
• Year 2000 and the GPS System - Published in Pacific Yachting, April 1999. Describes how the GPS week rollover event (which happens in late August 1999) and the Year 2000 rollover will affect boaters' GPS systems. Outlines the steps that GPS owners should take to ensure their systems will continue to function.
  
• Electrical Troubleshooting - Published in Pacific Yachting, March 1999. A simple overview of circuits and the faults they can suffer from (open circuits, short-circuits, and high-resistance). Describes a basic troubleshooting toolkit, and covers example problems and repairs.
  
• Murphy’s Laws of Boatcare - Published in Pacific Yachting, January 1999. A funny look at 11 Murphy’s Laws of Boatcare that anyone who has ever worked on their boat will recognize.
  
• Boater’s Battery Basics - Published in Pacific Yachting, October 1998. Described how to choose the right battery(s) for your boat, how to treat your batteries to get the longest life (don’t leave flat over winter, don’t let them overcharge, use both batteries evenly by alternating full service rather than using one for starting and one for lights).
  
• Reflections in Varnish - For Pacific Yachting's Wooden Boat Special Insert, Published August 1998. A look back at what it means to own a wooden boat, from experience. The joys, the frustrations, how much work it really involves.
  
• A Bottom-Painting Primer - Published in Pacific Yachting as a colour feature, May 1998. Described how to select the appropriate paint, prepare the boat, and apply the paint. Included sidebars on choosing your haulout method, and performing an inspection on your hauled boat.
  
• Reclaiming Your Waterline - Published in Pacific Yachting, April 1998. A brief article on improving your boat’s performance and efficiency by keeping out excess weight. Opened with the story of the Golden Drum, a large sailboat used to smuggle marijauna.
  
• Inflatable Care and Repair - Published in Pacific Yachting, March 1998. Opened with Barry and Rob’s "Collapso" blowing its seam wide open in the driveway. Described how to care for, clean, store, and repair inflatable boats.
  
• Half-Hull Models - Published in Pacific Yachting, December 1997. Described the history of half-hull models, then explained how to make one for yourself. Included tips on selecting the right wood, and a sidebar on measuring your boat.
  
• Fighting Moisture and Mildew - Published in Pacific Yachting, October 1997. Described what works in keeping the interior of your boat dry and free from mildew throughout the winter.
  
• Defeating Deck Leaks - Published in Pacific Yachting, July 1997. Covered the importance of maintenance and inspection. Outlined the "seal and pressurize" method of finding small leaks. Included tips on choosing the correct sealants and bedding compounds. Outlined basic repairs, re-bedding.
  
• Freeing Frozen Fastners - Published in Pacific Yachting, May 1997. Covered how to get recalcitrant nuts and bolts off without shearing them off or getting a coronary.
  
• The Great Cover-Up - Published in Pacific Yachting, November 1993. Reviewed options for keeping your boat out of the rain during Vancouver's wet winters.
  
• The Backyard Motor Works - Published in the BMW CCA Roundel, February 1992. Described some of Simon's BMW rebuilding projects, in particular the salvaging of the "Red Rooster," a 1970 BMW 2002.

Here's a link to the OP Publishing Web site, where you can find Pacific Yachting and other BC-based magazines (Note that this takes you out of the Hill House, in a new browser window. Close the new window to return here):
OP Publishing

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