Bent Rudder Remedy
A few years ago while sailing my PDQ catamaran, we struck something hard and bent the rudder so badly that the top of the...
Are You Ready to Kludge Your Way Home?
The first use of the word kludge is attributed to Jackson W. Granholm in 1962, describing an ugly programming solution that was “an ill-assorted...
Tough, Versatile Coosa Board Suited for Various Projects
Cosa board is a closed cell panel that is reinforced with glass fiber, giving it both shear strength and compression strength. Compared to the...
The Multipurpose Core
Solid fiberglass is strong and durable, but it weighs a ton. Even boats with solid hulls generally have cored decks, cabins, stringers, and bulkheads....
Foam Filters Make Little Sense for Air Intake
Probably the biggest takeaway from our report is the surprising prevalence of deteriorating foam oil filters on sailboats.
More than one-third of the sailors we...
Adhesion and Opacity Varies Widely
Ahesion was a key characteristics we sought in a sail paint, but we were also interested in opacity.
After six months, Benjamin Moore paint...
A Few Tips on Patching or Masking with Tape
Tape seems like simple thing to manage. How complicated can it get? But as webe found in multiple past tests at Practical Sailor, the...
Test Boats Painted Jib Draws Zero Attention
Whats that they say about the 10-foot paint job? Sure, if you look closely, it is clear that something is different with the genoa...
Highway Ride Tests Coating Adhesion
Paint will stick to anything-for a while. But the real test comes over time. Fabric, because it is a flexible surface that can absorb...
Bird repellants, solvent safety, GPS antennas
Florida is hard on boats from sun damage, mildew, bottom blisters and birds. I keep the ospreys from perching on my tricolor light by...
The History of Cape Dory Sailboats
Cape Dory Yachts was founded in 1963 by Andrew Vavolotis in East Taunton, Mass. In the following 28 years, the company built over 2,800...
Latest Sailboat Review
Cape Dory 30 Used Boat Review
When the Cape Dory 30 entered production in 1976, it was the largest boat in the expanding line of the Taunton, Massachusetts boatbuilder. In...