Latest News

PS Tests Adhesive Removers

Boat Maintenance
Many years ago, one of our editors had an old wooden boat with lovely wooden handrails just inside the companionway that his sailing partner decided could use new varnish. The original coat, which was peeling around the base and worn where hands had gripped it, was sanded smooth and meticulously coated with varnish. Subsequent coats were applied according to the process that had served well for years-varnish, scuff, wipe, varnish, scuff, wipe . . . repeat.

Tortue 147 Boat Review

Sailboat Reviews
What if I told you that the most radical sailboat you’ve never heard of looks like a turtle, weighs in at 17 tons (17,200 kg), and is made almost entirely of...

Regenerative Tides: Citizen Science Tackles the Fiberglass Boat Crisis

Boat Maintenance
I scramble down sharp boulders from the car park to the muddy banks of the estuary, cautious not to slip, metal shellfish gathering basket in one hand, handheld Bluetooth microscope and...

Penetrating Epoxy—Another Marketing Gimmick?

Boat Maintenance
In “Wood Rot Prevention Eight Years Later,” Practical Sailor busted the myth that you can reliably seal wood with epoxy. Some sailors have suggested that penetrating epoxy is different because it...

Excel Anchor Offers Case Study in Design

Sails, Rigging & Deck Gear
At first glance, the Sarca Excel is a Delta clone with a few added creases in the sheet metal, explaining the public perception that they are the same. However, our Technical...

DC Watermakers: Head-to-Head Test

Plumbing
Reverse-osmosis, DC-powered watermakers have been available for use aboard mid-sized cruising sailboats for years, but thanks to new technology, they just keep getting better. Todays units are more efficient, reasonably compact, and in many cases, modular in design. Practical Sailor recently tested two popular models-new Ventura 200T from Spectra Watermakers Inc. and Racor Village Marines Little Wonder (LWM-145)-and rated them for water and construction quality, noise, power consumption, and ease of installation and maintenance. The review also discusses the pros/cons of installing a watermaker on a sailboat, installation and maintenance tips, and whether a watermaker is right for you.

Tartan 33 Used Boat Review

Sailboat Reviews
In 1978, Tartan brought out the Tartan Ten, a 33', fairly light, fractionally-rigged "offshore one design." The boat was a huge success: fast, easy to sail, and unencumbered by the design limitations of a rating rule. But the Tartan Ten had one big problem: limited accommodations with stooping headroom, an interior most kindly described as spartan. A hardy crew could take the Tartan Ten on a multi-day race such as the Mackinac, and you might even coax your family aboard for a weekend of camping out. But cruising or extended racing in comfort? Forget it!

Make Your Own Offshore Sails and Save Thousands

Sails Canvas
One of the most satisfying experiences I have had is looking up at the sails and knowing I created what is powering my boat from some bits of cloth. With a...

Reliable Three-way Wire Connections

Electrical
Connecting two wires is simple; use a properly sized crimp butt connector with a ratchet crimper, and finish with adhesive-lined heat shrink in damp, high-vibration locations, or anywhere strain relief is...

Inside Sail America’s Plan to Grow the Sport and the Industry

Inside Practical Sailor
Sail America’s mission is to “promote the health and growth of sailing.” Thus, you’d think alarm bells would be going off there given that the trade group’s most recent annual “Economic...
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Latest Videos

Small Boat, Big Keel Why This 27 Footer Works video from Practical Sailor
Video

Small Boat, Big Keel Why This 27 Footer Works

What makes a small sailboat truly seaworthy? In this video, we take a deep dive into the Pacific Seacraft Orion 27, a rugged, long-keel...
How to Wire Your Boat - Boat Wiring Mistakes and ABYC Code video from Practical Sailor

How to Wire Your Boat – Boat Wiring Mistakes and ABYC...

Before You Buy a Beneteau Watch This First - Hanse 430E Review video from Practical Sailor

Before You Buy a Beneteau Watch This First – Hanse 430E...

Tartan Yachts and the Catalina Fallout: How One Brand Survived video from Practical Sailor

Tartan Yachts and the Catalina Fallout: How One Brand Survived

Latest Sailboat Review

The Estero's high freeboard, buff-colored gelcoat and bowsprit give her the look of a classic cruiser without the burden of teak maintenance. (Photo/ McCann Yachts)
New Sailboats

Island Packet Estero Used Boat Review

Florida-based Island Packet targets a relatively narrow niche, so the toughest competitors to its new boats are often older Island Packets. Introduced in 2010, the 36-foot, shoal-draft Estero is the company’s latest attempt to introduce a distinctive model that doesn’t stray too far from the company’s proven formula for success: moderate displacement, full-keel cruisers designed to be lived on, sailed far and in comfort, and endure the bumps, scrapes, and storms that cruising boats inevitably encounter. After sailing the Estero on Florida’s Sarasota Bay and inspecting its interior, construction, and systems, Practical Sailor testers noted that the shoal-water cruiser will appeal strongest to Island Packet fans who’ve been waiting for a shoal-draft, easy-to-sail boat that compares to the IP37 in terms of interior space. These strengths will be most apparent on intracoastal or riverine adventures like the Great Loop.
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