Through-bolting Fiberglass: An Inquiry into Failure Modes
How much load does a keel bolt or a winch through-bolt put on a hull or a deck? How thick should the laminate be...
Hose Fitting Tips
Pulling hoses is generally low on the fun list. They are in bad places, jammed onto crusty hose-fitting barbs, and have stiffened over the...
Adhesives Test
Once upon a time in Tasmania, a skipper faced a daunting task: install a three-bladed, folding propeller without hauling out the boat. The underwater...
Bringing an Old Boat Trailer Back to Life
Over the years, weve stressed the importance of keeping a close eye on stainless-steel sailboat hardware and why pitting, crevice-corrosion, and galvanic action are...
Freeing Seized Hardware
Step three, when necessary, use a combination of heat and cold. I use a simple propane torch to heat up the surrounding area and...
Synthetic Decks vs. PS Testers
For this comparison of synthetic teak options, our first concern was ease of installation. The manufacturer typically carries out the hardest part-welding the panels...
DIY Mast Boot
With a little imagination and some inexpensive materials, you can put together a leakproof mast boot in a few hours.
1 Roofing Rubber
One reliable boot...
Painting Water Tanks
When it comes to onboard water tanks, we prefer stainless, fiberglass, and even roto-molded tanks (in that order) to aluminum ones. Aluminum tanks tend...
Heavy-Duty Rubbing Compounds
Gelcoat provides a fiberglass boat with a hard, water-resistant protective shell. When new, its polished and waxed to a bright shine, but after a...
Tired Daysailer Hull Serves as Test Platform
Practical Sailor tested the compounds on the badly oxidized hull of a neglected 1974 ODay Javelin daysailer that has been stored uncovered in the...
Diesel Overheating Dinghy Pump Hack
Bert Vermeer tells his story of an overheating Beta Marine 20 diesel sailboat engine with clogged sail drive intake ports and how he used...
Latest Sailboat Review
Caliber 40 LRC Used Boat Review
Brothers George and Michael McCreary, and Marshall Jones, formed Caliber Yachts Inc. as a backyard boatbuilding company in 1979. No strangers to the sailing...