Inside Practical Sailor

Boat Insurance Shopping Tips

If you're in the used boat market, late fall usually offers a good opportunity for buyers. Owners in snow-bound states face haulout and storage...

Calling Mayday on an SSB

Based on US Coast Guard statistics, surprisingly few boaters enable the Digital Selective Calling (DSC) function on their VHF radio, or have it operating...

Annapolis 2015 Photo Album

They say a photo is worth a thousand words, so I'm not going to drag this one out with boat show blather. Better to...

Reflections on the Faux Teak Deck

Given the growing interest in synthetic deck material (our recent test of non-skid coatings and the 12-month update included several synthetics), well be looking...

Tuning In, Tuning Out

Earlier last month, I had the chance to join renowned sailing author Lin Pardey and survival expert Steve Callahan (author of Adrift: 76 Days...

Big News: A Little Girl and a Big Book

Ralph also carries out a large portion of our testing, including nearly all the tests of sailing hardware. In this area he is especially...

Florida’s Anchoring Debate Heats Up

Overall, the pilot mooring programs, including one in Practical Sailors home city of Sarasota, are yielding mixed results. In Sarasota, the first set of...

A Preview of the inReach Explorer

New portable satcom devices are popping up every spring and fall, and were trying to test them as quickly as they come in.Last month,...

The Great Leak Hunt

Enter the HammerA few years back, I reflected upon the dangers of hammers on boats. During our years in the islands, our 18-ounce framing...

Marine SSB, Ham Radio, or Both?

It seems like it was just yesterday that amateur radio guru Gordon West was guiding Practical Sailor readers through the maze of marine single-sideband...

Which Batteries Would I Buy TODAY for my SAILBOAT?

What is the best battery for a sailboat? What is the problem with lithium batteries on boats? Is AGM or lithium better for a...

Latest Sailboat Review

Beneteau 40.7 Used Boat Review

Beneteau began building boats in France in 1884 when Beneteau opened shop for the purpose of constructing trawlers at Croix-de-Vie. Eighty years later, under...