Tag Archives: repair

Soldering the VHF Connector

My boat was broken into and someone cut my radio cables when he tried to steal my radio. Fortunately the guard caught him just as he was trying to escape and he dropped it. I needed to re-solder the antenna cable, so used this opportunity to make a video to show YOU how.

Not many people know I used to work for an audio/video company in LA. They specialized in equipment rental for commercials, and I was their only tech. So I did everything: Cables, building circuit boards, repairing resisters, all of it. I learned a ton on that job…

…and I’ve soldered a few things in my life.

Soldering my PL-259 connector to RG-8x cable was super easy. And I think this is an essential skill to have on a cruising sailboat, you need to know how to fix your radio.

Hope it helps. Much love!

-James

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Sailing Zingaro Live from Costa Rica

Want to sail around the world? It’s not as easy as it looks …

Cruising is HARD!!! In this stream we talk about the hard parts of cruising, our sailing plans for the next months, and we have a special interview with another captain that sailed with us for two weeks, a Q & A, & we also respond to some YouTube comments at the end of the show.

[Streamed live on Jun 25, 2018]

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We made it to Jamaica | Sailing Zingaro – Episode 15

Looks like the third time is the charm! The improved Zingaro is finally leaving the Cayman Islands. The ride to Jamaica started out very pleasantly, until we got smashed by a wave that killed all our electronics. I don’t think there is ever going to be a longer passage without a major drama …

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We involuntarily landed on Cayman Brac | Sailing Zingaro – Episode 14

This episode is about our second attempt to sail to Jamaica and about our second failure. Building a rudder on the beach and other fun stuff to do in Cayman Brac (the most expensive place Zingaro has been so far).

When we arrived in Cayman Brac, James knew exactly what to do. By then he was an experienced rudder-builder, You could say. He got his angle grinder out and got to work immediately. And even on this little island, we were able to find a hardware store. YES!

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What is left of the Boat after 9,500 miles | Sailing Zingaro

A lot of people have asked for it, so here it is! Boat tour time! This one will be a bit different than most, as I’ve already given a tour of the layout. If you haven’t seen the first walkthrough, please click here …

If you HAVE seen the boat, Kim and I put this together. A hilarious look at life on our home-built sailboat after 9,500 miles of cruising the world! We’ve fixed a TON of stuff, and there’s a lot left to do, but this is a funny look at the repercussions of sailing around the world. 😉

Hope you all like!
-James

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Livin la Vida Broka (2): Fun with Foam

We lost our rudder off the coast of the Cayman Islands, so Captain James had to build another. Working in a shed, surrounded by roosters, rastas, and rain, we were actually able to finish everything and sail to Jamaica!

A HUGE thank you to our Caymanian friends! We loved it there, thank you guys for everything. Special thanks to the Hyde Family. Thanks for taking in a couple stays.

James & Kim

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Freediving the Kittiwake before it toppled over | Sailing Zingaro – Episode 11

S/v Zingaro makes it to Cayman Islands, and we take it easy with a little kiteboarding and diving. The Kittiwake was a really cool wreck to dive, and Kimmi’s first freedive! She did amazing! Little fish. After that’s all over we realize we’ve got a little problem …

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¡Adios Mexico! | Sailing Zingaro – Episode 10

Check out our tour of the bottle island. It’s a really amazing adventure we had in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. An island floating on nothing but used plastic bottles? How sick is that! RichArt, a British artist, is really a master of recycling. All the little details in his house…

We had a lot of fun with him and the guys from Project Atticus. But after the island and our sail were fixed, it was time for us to leave Mexico. So the Captain took me (Kim) out for my first real sail. WOHOOO! It was a nice one…

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Fixing the boat after running aground | Sailing Zingaro – Episode 8

If you like the how-to vids here’s a really fast walkthrough of a month in the boatyard to repair my bottom.

We fixed the damaged spots, rebuilt the daggerboards, and generally refit the boat. It was a ton of work, everyday 10-12 hours. I lived in the yard during this whole operation. But she’s ready to go! Also, a suprise paint-job!

Let me know what you think!

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How I fixed my daggerboards | Sailing Zingaro

So I broke two of the biggest pieces of my boat … Here’s how I fixed them. In this video you’ll learn the method I used to rebuild my broken daggerboards. Even if you don’t have daggerboards, you can use this to fix rudders, centerboards, and the like.

This is the culmination of two weeks of solid work, 12 hour days. Tons of work, but man, I learned so much.

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Where do school buses go when they die?

The public transportation in Panama is old schoolbuses, back from primary school days. They don’t change the seats (which, btw, are built to fit CHILDREN) But the do change the speakers … And blast reggaeton while they drive them like Richard Petty.

Also helped another captain replace his head gasket on a Volvo Penta MD2030. Something every boat owner should know how to do. It’s really not as hard as you’d think.

How To: Clean the carb on your generator

Having trouble with your generator? Running funny, or not at all? It’s probably gum the in the carburetor. In this video I show you how to clean it out so it runs like new again!!

Please keep in mind I’m not a pro-tech, please cunsult your manual before taking anything apart. I don’t know if this will void the warranty on new units or not!

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