Gearing Up for Hurricane Season
My old home island of Guam got whacked by a Supertyphoon Mawar on Wednesday. Power is still out, so still no word from friends....
The Pre-Launch Checklist
Away we go. A well earned summer of sailing is fast upon us. If your boat isn't already in the water, it will be...
More Great Tips for Stopping Boat Stink
It's not often I get to see photos of an intact, but excruciatingly stinky holding tank get wedged and jimmied through cutouts in the...
Understanding Dew Point to Prevent Boat Mildew
With all the rain this spring, boaters in almost every region of the U.S. are dealing with mildew on their boat. For many of...
Estimating Solar Panel Size for Boats
The starting point for a successful solar panel installation is quantifying your requirements. We present here a simple analysis based on the test boat...
Keep it Simple Sail Repair Kit
If you're going to sail you'll be doing some stitching-no two ways about it. That doesn't mean you have to go overboard with sail...
Refinishing Your Boat’s Non-skid Deck
While the consequence of letting your varnish and hull paint to fade is usually no worse than a blow to your ego, you don't...
Testing Cam Cleat Durability and ‘Appetite’
Practical Sailor has tested cam cleats several times during the past 50 years. Our first head-to-head cam-cleat test was back in the late 70s....
Velcro Aboard: Fast Tips for Quick Fasteners
Hook and loop fasteners are familiar from jacket cuffs and companionway bug screens, but during our many years of fiddling around boats, we've come...
Hard Antifouling Paints and Haulouts
Some of our best performing antifouling paints in our past tests have been hard, modified epoxy paints. These paints generally carry a higher percentage...
AMAZING Sailboat Drones, US Navy Deploys 65 Foot Sailing Drone
Sailing Drones are WILD! The New Jersey drone sightings aren’t the only things making waves in the world of unmanned vehicles. Sailing drones are...
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...