Offshore Log: Gelcoat Maintenance
Painting fiberglass boats is a huge business. The development of high-gloss, long-lived polyurethanes means you can get multiple years out of a paint job....
Glove Up!
There's a big market these days for "exam" gloves—the kind that used to be reserved for doctors and dentists, but are now used...
Bottom Paints 2003
Just in time for commissioning chores in temperate climes, here are the results from our 12th annual bottom paint tests. These are among the...
Teak Treatment All-Stars Grudge Match
Teak is a wondrous wood. Some wood-lovers don't care for its somber earth-tone colors, preferring instead the luster of mahogany, the richness of cherry,...
Topside Paints At One Year
To commence its first-ever test of high-gloss topsides paint, Practical Sailor about a year ago applied a colorful "bracelet" on the editor's work boat—a...
Restoring Decks: Nonskid Options
There comes a time in the life of every fiberglass boat when the molded nonskid pattern on the deck wears thin. Foot traffic as...
Clear Plastic Cleaners
At their best, all but brand-new flexible plastic "windows" are wrinkly, often scratched or cloudy, and vulnerable to dirt that further obscures vision. There...
PS Advisor: 01/15/03
Aluminum-Stainless CorrosionI have a problem with my pedestal steering mount. I have to move the instrument-mounting arms. I removed the securing screws, but the...
LED Lights: Low-Power, Long Life
Light Emitting Diodes have been around for a long time now. They first appeared as dim red displays on things like calculators and early...
HUM Bugs vs. the Pristine Tank
What is the crud that, if left to have its way, can foul your filters, starve the fuel pump, and bring your diesel engine...
Abandon Ship! Coast Guard Rescue Beneteau 523 in the Atlantic
What would cause the captain and crew to abandon ship in the Atlantic ocean? There was no sailboat disaster here, but a coast guard...
Latest Sailboat Review
J/109 Used Boat Review
The J/109 is a 35-ft. boat that races well and has some comforts for short term cruising. It is a true racer/cruiser. The first...