Inside Practical Sailor

Trouble-free Deck Hardware Installation

Genoa Track UpgradeUpgrading your genoa-sheet adjustment system can be as simple as slipping a new car, control blocks, and end stops onto the existing...

The Sailing Books that Inspire Us

This year's family vacation finds us in Norway, where my wife Theresa and I are quickly mortgaging our childrens future in small bites (one...

Antifreeze: ethylene glycol vs. propylene glycol

In the July 2013 issue of Practical Sailor, contributor Drew Frye plunged into the not-so-funny topic of joker valves (if you don't know what...

Do-It-Yourself Water Filtration

One of the first things that you realize after a few seasons of cruising is that approaches to life aboard vary between two wide...

Solar Panels vs. Wind Generators

As the worlds largest solar-powered boat heads toward Miami for its U.S. debut and the start of a 16-city world tour, I was reminded...

A Second Look at Anchor Shanks

"Looking only at shank strength, this implies that the Mantus shank will be noticeably weaker than the Excel or Rocna. Both of these anchors...

PS Readers Divided Over America’s Cup Coverage

Frankly, these boats are so different from what we usually deal with, that its really hard to visualize what may actually trickle down into...

In Search of the Perfect Sailing Hat

Ever since October 2011, when the dermatologist announced that I had skin cancer at the age of 46, Ive been looking for good hats...

A Boat Maintenance Schedule that Can’t Fail

A good friend messaged me a photo the other day, the first daffodils of the season nosing up through the soft loam along the...

Should Crew Take Some Blame for Bounty Tragedy?

Author Kathryn Miles has written a gripping article on the tragic end of the Bounty, the replica of the original Bounty used in Hollywood...

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...