When couples go cruising they often consider 42 ft (13 m) to be a sort of highwater mark for a cruising boat that two people can handle safely. But what if...

The paradox of my experience with inflatable dinghies is that in trading up to a bigger sailboat, I found myself wanting a smaller support craft for coastal exploration and shore excursions....

As a young family we had been sailing Dreamer, our O’Day 25, for five years, exploring the fabulous cruising grounds of the Canadian Gulf Islands from our home port of Tsawwassen,...

In our test of waterproof epoxies for making underwater repairs, we also looked into making underwater patches. Obviously, your success in this effort depends a lot on the situation and the...

Diesel engines have evolved into incredibly reliable power sources. Change the oil, mind the charging system and batteries, and most importantly, always give them clean fuel. First there is diesel bug. Bacteria and fungus (not algae-that is incorrect nomenclature) can infect the tank, feeding on the diesel and producing volumes of tank-, line-, and filter-clogging biomass with the consistency of snot. It can be prevented by the regular use of biocides (see PS August 2013), but…

The Pearson 35 was introduced in 1968 and remained in production for the next 14 years. In all, 514 P35s were built, almost all for East Coast and Great Lakes owners attracted by the 35's shoal draft (3' 9" with centerboard up) and "classic" proportions. Even the popular Pearson 30, usually heralded as the enduring boat from a builder otherwise noted for its frequent introductions of new boats and short production runs, remained in production only 10 years, albeit with almost 1,200 boats built.

If you are thinking of converting your sailboat over to lithium iron phosphate batteries (LFP or LiFePO4), whether for propulsion or house needs, there are some laws, standards, regulations, and other...

One of the challenges we faced when testing the Chesapeake Anchor, even at the 3-pound scale, was that once any anchor is set to 100 times its weight, it becomes a...

Just about every sailboat owner has at some point mixed up a batch of epoxy to fill a hole, glue parts back together, or tackle an extensive project. Practical Sailor testers evaluated four marine epoxy resins based on their mechanical properties (strength, adhesion, hardness, and flexibility) and key handling attributes such as wet-out, sag, curing, and overall handling. We tested West 105 Epoxy Resin, MAS Flag Resin, Raka UV-inhibited epoxy, and Interlux’s Epiglass HT-9000.

Given the tiny amount of fuel it takes to clear the jetty and hoist sail, our 50-gallon fuel supply can last, quite literally, for years. It certainly lasts through the winter, and all the while, we worry that sludge is growing.