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Sunbeam and hardee, thanks for your comments. My wife likes the fact that the top step is even with the gunwale and makes that first or last step (boarding or leaving) feel safer. Two issues to point out are these: first, the cutouts at the bottom, to fit over the molded cockpit step, mean the...

June 2016: I've designed and built a different version of cockpit steps. Photos are in the Pangur Ban album. This one provides 4 steps from cockpit to gunwale that are sized like common steps in a house. The whole thing is hinged at the middle step so it will unfold into a cockpit bench or table...

...and the steps unfold to make a bench seat or low table.

The new cockpit steps in step position....

When I bought my 2007 boat it had sat outside on a trailer through at least two winters and many summer rains. I found water on the cabin floor by the door and it would come back after mopping it up, even in dry weather. I removed the plastic plug under the porta-potty and found the space...

Try calling Capt. Mike Macrae in New Jersey - 609-471-1756. He handles a lot of chart chips and may be able to set you up.

Nick, congratulations. Thanks for your advice on the 22, also -- mine is in the driveway now and should be on the water soon.

I ordered a 2x3 foot bamboo "rug" from Home Depot for $13.99. It will go outside the door into the cabin. Came with its own little carry-sack, too. This is made of bamboo slats so it's not fabric. Haven't tried ityet -- may get slippery if wet, but at that price it was worth trying...

Valkyrie did it using Plas-Dek material. There are photos in his file. I saw his and liked it, so last fall I went to their office in Copley, OH (we live nearby) and snagged a suitable offcut from their remnants. Cold weather and other jobs have kept me from putting it in the boat yet so there's...

I added the bunk-style guide-ons to my trailer rather than the vertical guide posts. With a old board on each side the boat centers itself. I'm not sure the guide posts would be strong enough to center the boat in a crosswind. (You can have both, I think.)

Not today....

My 2007 boat had been stored outdoors, and I discovered that the bolts holding the bow pulpit to the deck were badly sealed. Rain had leaked into the cabin, run around until it reached the holes where the manufacturer had injected flotation foam, and gone down into the space between the cabin...

I used the Spectrum Color kit last summer. On application the color looked too light, but after drying it seems to be a great match. The kit was easy to use, even when I mixed only a small quantity.

I've located a source for old style Garmin Data Cards and repairs or updates on older GPS units. Garmin discontinued that format around 2008. If you need this, contact me through the C-Brats site and I'll give you the contact info. There are some old threads on the subject showing that several...

I used the yellow (not white) pipe thread tape sold as Gas Line Pipe Thread Tape at the big box. It feels and applies like Teflon tape, and the round plastic pack is similar to the ones for Teflon tape. The label on my roll says it is for gasoline, fuel oil, benzene and a number of other...

Also look at the camper back cover made for Valkyrie. Their cover goes back further than the "factory option" cover, so it attaches way back in the splashwell. In use that gives more usable space inside and feels bigger. I had an identical cover made by the same canvas shop (we live nearby) last...

It may be worth asking where the water comes from. I bought my 2007 cruiser after it had been sitting outdoors at least 2 years, and water kept appearing at that cockpit-door location (no bilge pump located there on mine). Had to do lots of investigating. Turned out rainwater had been dripping...

Good responses, team. Thanks. Sharing (certain) data between boats might be great, say if you were traveling in a group or heading toward uncertain weather. Good internet connectivity on the water would certainly be a plus. If a new system made it easier for different makers' equipment to talk...

Via Active Captain I've found the Signal K marine data exchange program. It's still in development, and looks interesting. Lots of it is above my pay grade, but it looks like it has the potential to be a big step forward. Instruments and electronics could connect wirelessly or with wires, across...