Practical Sailor

Buyers looking for a good used sailboat should ask themselves, When is a bargain really a bargain? The time-tested Pearson Rhodes 41 is one of the most popular boats on the used-boat market. They have a strong following, and an aging Pearson 41 with a previous owners accumulated TLC is one of the smartest buys among used boats. The Pearson 41 is a modest draft sailboat with a lean, long overhang and real sea berths. It features a solid fiberglass hull with encapsulated lead ballast. The low-aspect sailplan, which relies on a big genoa to boost horsepower. The Pearson 41 has an easy motion and enough functional space to qualify as a good inshore or offshore cruiser. It makes an excellent DIY candidate. Most of the 50 Pearson Rhodes 41s, built from 1961 to 1968, are still around today and have a cult following, making it one of the most sought-after used boats.

With all the talk about a record El Niño coming this summer and climate change generally leading to more severe storms, we all need to read up on weather monitoring—tropical storms...

The Chesapeake Bay is known for brown water and rapid fouling, so any paint that can hang in there for 30 months is doing its job and is a good value....

Let's dig into the truth to the 75-80% power reduction claims for Energy Recovery Watermakers, review some comparison data, chat with the inventors, and discuss who I think an ER watermaker—and...

Along a stretch of Atlantic coastline in Brittany, France, a 41-foot wooden catamaran is taking shape in a modest workshop where the rusty corrugated iron sliding side door is rarely closed...

The Beneteau 38.1, considered by many sailors to be an optimal size for a coastal cruising couple with occasional guests, has been in production since 2017. The hull subject of this...

Yawing is the result of imbalance between windage (you want it aft) and underwater resistance (you want it forward). If the center of windage is forward of the center of lateral...

After my experience last weekend while hunting down odors on our project boat, the 1971 S&S-designed Yankee 30 Opal, I thought I’d revisit some PS findings on combatting urine odor. The...

Sailing in general, but especially offshore, can be a wet experience, particularly on a low-freeboard boat like Far Reach, our highly modified Cape Dory 36. So, some kind of protection in...

Does your rudder feel unsteady, with play in the tiller or wheel? Do you experience vibration at certain speeds or slapping or thudding sounds as you tack or gibe? Is your...