When winterizing your sailboat and its engine, this is the time for changing the oil and other engine fluids like transmission fluid, cooling fluid, and the like. It's also the time to complete other maintenance and make other repairs such as to leaking bilge pumps. It often happens that during this process you open up some engine plate, such as to replace an interior sacrificial zinc or to check or replace a thermostat, and realize you need to replace the gasket before closing it back up. This year, instead of dashing back to the parts store or paying for overnight delivery of an online order, why not learn the simple art of making a gasket yourself? It's a satisfying and easy do-it-yourself project that takes only a few minutes but can be important to know in case you find yourself unable to obtain a needed gasket in the future.