DIY Projects

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...

Cannister Dissection Yields Surprises but Few Defects

Different filter manufacturers can chose different rating systems that rely on different statistical values for filtration. The higher the percentage at a given rating,...

Measure, Cut, Glue and Repeat

Generally, a deep locker will have a recessed lid. Some modification may be needed to fit locker bags.

Bottomless Lockers Be Gone

Storage is a challenge on small boats, and my new-to-me Corsair Marine F-24 trimaran was particularly Spartan this regard. The skinny hulls provided minimum...

Online Help for Autumn

It's getting to be that time of year, when many skippers haul out or head south. Fall also heralds the beginning of boat show...

A Rival for Island Packet, Made in China – Outbound 46...

Like Kraken Yachts and some Passport sailboats, Outbound Yachts are made in China. It's heavy like an Island Packet, but fast like a Beneteau....

Latest Sailboat Review

Pearson 303 Used Boat Review

The Pearson 303, introduced in 1983, is a fairly typical example of the kind of work Pearson was doing in the mid-1980s, continuing until...