Are Boatbuilders Expecting Miracle Glues?
Don’t ask an adhesive to do more than it can. If a bolt breaks, we accept it as deterioration or faulty design, not a...
Bulletproof Sailboat Deck Hardware
Rock-solid deck hardware installation begins with a tightly sealed core.
Installing new hardware on a cored deck means sealing the core around every penetration. Skip...
Making Your Own Workshop Filter
It all started when I needed to make a number of large cuts inside the house and outside of the confines of my shop....
Is Azek the New Starboard?
I’d heard Azek described as a low cost alternative to Starboard, but never paid much attention. I’d used a few boards around the house,...
Sailing Gear of the Year 2021
What a difference a year makes! Last year, Practical Sailor testers were holed up in their home workshops, garages, basements, and home offices, meeting...
A Beach Plastic Disposal Dilemma
Ninety percent of micro plastics generation comes from laundry fibers. Fortunately, standard primary, plus secondary wastewater treatment removes 88-94 percent of this, lowering laundry’s...
Exterior Wood Finish Update at 2 Years
Boxed and stored as PS went through three office moves in a short time frame, the wood samples we varnished in late 2015 finally...
DIY Desiccating Head Options
No standard dry toilet, even the CHead Shorty, would fit the available space on our Corsair F-24, so we decided to build our own....
Packing Extraction Tool Tested
The packing material encircling your shaft and tucked out of sight inside the packing nut is truly your boat’s Achilles heel. Installed improperly it...
Even 2020 Yielded Some Great Gear
Once more, the bulk of the past year’s testing focused on maintenance products, safety essentials, and do-it-yourself substitutes for higher priced marine gear. Part...