Doing ‘The Ditch’ Capt. Frank’s Way
The key to safe, stress-free cruising (or less-stress at least) of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is proper planning. Get the most up-to-date ICW guidebooks...
PS Gear Tests Reap Awards
As I edge toward my 200th blog post and my 10th year as the editor of Practical Sailor, Im going to detour briefly from...
Digging Into Bottom Paint Removal
If you are looking at your hull and thinking about stripping back all the bottom paint and perhaps applying a barrier coat, here are...
Gel vs. AGM Batteries for Boats
As spring fast approaches (it's coming, I promise), a few of our less fortunate sailing brethren discover their house bank batteries can no longer...
Impossible Dream Finds a New Home
That evening, Horgan, Mellen, the boats skipper Matt Baker, and some strapping young volunteers set out across the bay on the boats first fun...
LPG Explosion Kills Sailor in Guatemala
Three days after I blogged about the risks of having liquid petroleum gas (LPG) onboard boats, and shared frequent PS contributor and marine surveyor...
The Short, Brutish Life of a Luxury Cat
Last week, Charlie Doane, executive editor of Sail magazine, anddelivery skipperHank Schmitt, founder of the North American Rally for Cruisers, got caught in a...
Making the Switch to an LED Mastlight
If you have your mast down this season or are contemplating an annual inspection aloft, it is a good time to consider a switch...
The DIY Spinnaker Sprit
Our recent test of the latest generation of top-down furlers for cruising spinnakers brought up some questions from readers about the type of add-on...
Boat Mooring Upgrade Primer
How to handle stretch and chafe in a mooring system raises several questions. Although three-stand nylon is the most economical option, more esoteric (and...
24 Knot Speed Trimaran – The Dragonfly 40 Ultimate
Most people who want to go cruising to tropical destinations on a sailboat buy a Beneteau or Dufour, but those who want an extremely...
Latest Sailboat Review
Catalina 42 Mk I and Mk II
Under the guidance of Frank Butler, who founded the company in 1969, Catalina Yachts’ philosophy is to offer “as much boat for the money...