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...
Making Sailing Affordable
Every sailboat occasionally needs to leave the water. Sometimes it’s more of an emergency room visit, caused by a grounding, collision or rigging failure....
Epoxy Barrier Coat Update
There’s more than a little irony in the need to keep a fiberglass boat away from water. The reason revolves around chemistry and the...
Boat Disposal Options
Once upon a time, old wooden boats had the good sense to rot away. Not that I’m anti-wooden boat—there are some lovely examples in...
Mailport: Alexseal Topside Paint
Caution Aloft
Regarding your recent “PS Advisor” on going aloft (see PS July 2020, “Simple Tricks on Going Aloft”), I don’t go aloft without a...
Step-by-Step Deck Core Repair
Last month we looked at the effectiveness of injecting resin to repair damaged core sections (see “Can Glue Injection Fix Rotten Core,” PS July...
Can Glue Injection Fix Rotten Core?
It starts with a small leak around a piece of deck hardware or even a pinhole in a resin-starved layup. Water seeps between the...
Passivating Stainless
Stainless steel is a miracle for boaters. It’s reasonably strong, stays shiny, and requires minimal maintenance. But savvy boaters also know it’s not corrosion-proof,...
Brazing Repairs
Unless you’re a welder by trade, mechanical fasteners are the best bet for repairing metal failures on a boat. This includes through bolts, taping...
Building a Faster Rudder
We’re cruisers not racers. We like sailing efficiently, but we’re more concerned with safety and good handling than squeezing out the last fraction of...
Fiberglass Boat Repair Kit Checklist
Are you making fiberglass repairs to your boat? Today we talk about West System Epoxy, Vinylester and Polyester Resin, fiberglass cloth and other items...
Latest Sailboat Review
Catalina 320 Used Boat Review
Catalina Yachts has carved a reputation in the production boat world by producing yachts that make owner feedback sound like a mantra. Typical comments...