Anchor Design for Soft Mud
Soft mud seabeds are relatively common, particularly in shallow estuaries and at the mouths of large rivers. In many cases, the soft mud gives...
Rope Washing Advice from the Pros
Maybe you spent the past season anchored near a highway, airport, or power plant, or maybe you just dragged your mildewed lines out of...
Fuel Storage Tips for Sailors
Practical Sailor contributor, Chesapeake Bay sailing blogger, and chemistry guru Drew Frye is back in the lab with his beakers, test tubes, and mason...
Propellor Paints Versus Barnacles
A cheap, effective antifouling paint for a propeller is as rare as a good pun. The coating must not only ward off all marine...
Complacency and the Modern Sailor
This summer 18 sailors set out in the 50th Anniversary Golden Globe Race, a retro race which sought to recreate the circumstances of the...
Drysuit vs. Survival Suit for Offshore Sailing
My post about cold weather apparel for sailing neglected to mention one of the more interesting ways that some offshore sailors, particularly racing sailors...
Repairing Plastic Water Tanks
Plastic holding tanks and water tanks have the advantage of not corroding, but they are hardly failure proof. Plastic holding tanks can crack and...
Preserving Leftover Paints and Varnishes
One of the counterintuitive fall rituals is to renew your varnish and finishes before putting your boat into storage. After all, who is going...
Pro Tips to Hauling Out
Every skipper should go through a "what-if" scenario when considering a specific place to haul. These "what-ifs" include the potential impact of gale or...
Bracing for Cold and Wet Sailing
Although our office is snugly situated on Florida's southwest coast, the challenges of winter and three- or even four-season sailing are never far from...