Practical Sailor

Were always amazed how a sailor can spend months agonizing and wringing his hands over which anchor to purchase, and then, when he finally shells out $700 or much more for the anchor, hell attach it to a shackle that has no business being on a boat. Weve plowed through the topic of shackles in several recent issues, but we havent looked specifically at anchor shackles for more than a decade. Choosing a properly sized, high-quality shackle is important, but its also essential to be familiar with proper use.

The Morgan 41 sloop is arguably one of the best looking of many lovely dual-purpose sailboats that the Cruising Club of America handicap rating system engendered. One owner described his boat as a Bermuda 40 for a regular Joe, only prettier. Designer Charley Morgan traces the cruiser-racers heritage, particularly below the waterline, back to Olin Stephens famous Finisterre, and Comanche, a 40-foot centerboarder built by Wirth Munroe, son of famed sharpie designer and South Florida pioneer Commodore Ralph Munroe.

It was a bright mid-summer afternoon as we sailed towards our favorite local marine park only a few miles from our home port of Sidney, British Columbia. Carey and I were...

I once heard of a sailor who prided himself on sailing “pure”—no motor, no electrical, just wood and canvas. How he could dock and undock his lengthy craft, threading it in...

One of the little luxuries many sailors treat themselves to is great canvas. I just went sailing on a brisk, cold and windy day on a sailboat without canvas where cold...

Chain is made from wire. The cross-sectional area and strength of the wire determines the strength of the chain. The weld of each link should be stronger than the wire, so if a chain breaks, it should break in the body (wire)-usually at the crown, or the curve in the link-not the weld.

When I received a message about surveying a 1989 Freedom 45CC, I knew there was something unique about this sailboat, but I couldn’t remember what it was. A quick search reminded...

The word "drudging" can be traced to the middle-English word for dragging. It is the practice of using a chain, heavy weight, or anchor on very short scope to control the...

Each spring, boats along Mexico’s Pacific Coast start making their summer plans. If they aren’t crossing the Pacific, most are deciding whether to head north to the U.S. or Canada, tuck...

Electronics, unfortunately, don’t last forever. When an electronic component decides to fail on your boat, you will likely want to have it replaced. While sailors with deep pockets may love the...