Plastics Versus Weather: The Nature of a Losing Battle
Weather has always tested the mettle of human construction, and in all cases wins eventually. The sunlight that warms us also harbors a great...
Off-the-Shelf Marine Toolkits
There was very little time to do the basic outfitting of the 22-foot Twin-Vee powerboat that Practical Sailor shared with Powerboat Reports last summer....
Topside Paint Test Kick-Off
Your beloved boat is no longer young. The laminate—the heart of her construction—may still be strong, but that protective gelcoat has gone chalky, and...
Varnish Exposure Update (and Coatings Recap)
Paint and varnish shouldn't be too difficult to understand: They're coatings you apply with a brush, roller or pad to protect or beautify the...
Emergency Rigging Cutters
Dismasting is right up there among a sailor's worst nightmares. When a mast comes down at sea, no matter how or why, there's tremendous...
Multi-Tools: Leatherman Wave Covers the Waterfront
Following the theme of our knife-test article of June 2000, we decided to look at multi-tools, highly portable gadgets that incorporate up to well...
Brinkmann, LSI, Optronics Shine Bright in Spotlight Test
If you've ever tried to locate a channel marker on a dark night, or to read the number on an unlit buoy in the...
Gelcoat Repair Kits: Bondo Best
Today, we have gelcoat, in which cracks, chips, and scratches are a constant problem for owners who want to keep their vessels looking good....
Update: Honey Teak Has Staying Power
While Smith & Co. Five-Year Clear has not suffered a film failure, we do note some white blotches under the surface, which, according...
Hull Blisters: Know the Enemy
In 1990 Practical Sailor published Comtex Development's definitive findings about the causes of blisters on fiberglass hulls. The author was Rick Strand, then president...
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...