Slippin’ and Slidin
A good DIY nonskid offers effective traction (obviously) and is easy to apply, easy to clean, durable, and gentle enough on knees and elbows...
What’s In the Practical Sailor Toolbag?
Milwaukee M12 right-angle drill/driver kitBoring holes in hard to reach spaces often requires a right-angle drill, and this compact Milwaukee cordless tool fits the...
Whats In the Practical Sailor Toolbag?
Milwaukee M12 right-angle drill/driver kitBoring holes in hard to reach spaces often requires a right-angle drill, and this compact Milwaukee cordless tool fits the...
Is Titanium an Everyman Metal?
Through the commotion of a 30-knot squall, I heard the chainplate pop. It was not an unusually loud pop. The result was impressive, nonetheless....
A Better Way to Mount Deck Hardware
Improperly mounted stanchion and pulpit bases are a major cause of gelcoat cracks in the deck radiating from the attached hardware. The cracks are...
Sodablasting 101
Owning a boat is an exercise in perspective. A gale can make a sailboat feel like a canoe, while the prospect of bottom paint...
Past Adventures with Chemical Strippers
Our foray into sodablasting follows years of testing several different ways to remove bottom paint. Although you can simply attack the bottom paint with...
The Best Marine Varnish: Exterior Wood Finish Tests
Like spotting land after a long passage, were glad to say that the end of our long-term exterior wood finishes test is finally on...
Whey Overdue for a Recoat
Practical Sailor often supplements panel testing with product challenges aboard our test boats to see whether top products still earn their keep in the...
Where Credit is Due: August 2011
When the hands and mechanism on my Weems & Plath clock/tide clock malfunctioned, I sent the unit to the company (www.weems-plath.com) for repair. While...
How to Clean Your Sail Track
Main sail giving you trouble? If hoisting or taking down your main sail is difficult, main sail track cleaning may be just what you...
Latest Sailboat Review
Cheoy Lee Clipper 36 & 42 Used Boat Review
Cheoy Lee Shipyards of Hong Kong has been a commercial builder since the early 1900s and is one of the first molders of fiberglass...