Winterizing the Engine: Maintenance that Is Truly Preventive
Winterizing an inboard engine installation means a lot more than filling the cooling system with antifreeze and stuffing a rag in the exhaust outlet....
Checking and Replacing: Keelbolts, Part 1
Nevertheless, this safety margin does not guarantee eternal life for keelbolts. Corrosion takes its toll, sometimes more quickly than you might think. It is...
Maintenance of Interior Teak
With resistance to weathering as its primary virtue, however, teak makes less sense for use as trim below. Nevertheless, the simplicity of finishing teak,...
Can You-Should You-Build Your Own Fiberglass Tanks?
These tank makers are no doubt familiar with the construction, installation, and testing recommendations (including pressure-impulse strength tests) published in the American Boat &...
Stop That Leak!
The trick is to choose the right one. Some sealants get hard enough to sand or drill, and others stay supple. Some will stick...
Stemming Troublesome Deck Leaks
There are many perfectly sound, watertight joints today on boats built up to 30 years ago. Then, as now, good workmanship begat durability.Still, if...
Upgrading the C&C 33 Part I
In July 1990 we bought a 1975 C & C 33 to function as a test platform for Practical Sailor. We chose it above...
Getting the Charge Out of Lightning
Miraculously, relatively few people are injured in lightning strikes. Frequently, of course, no one is aboard the boat when it is struck, and it...
A Rose is a Rose is a Rose, and Wood is Wood is…
For exterior uses in particular, teak is more common for a simple reason: the care of teak, compared to the demands of keeping up...
The Complete Propane Appliance System
Propane and peace of mind can go hand in hand, if you install a quality system and follow a few simple rules.Propane has many...
Truth About Grease – Boat Maintenance Must Do Tips
Sailboat Maintenance is a big topic so we're breaking it down into bite sized boat maintenance tips in our Everything You Need to Know...
Latest Sailboat Review
Beneteau 393 Used Boat Review
Beneteau is one of the few builders (along with perhaps Catalina, Hunter and its own corporate cousin, Jeanneau) whose volume of production can generate...