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Mailport & PS Advisor

Mailport: Water heater mystery smell

WATER HEATER MYSTERY SMELL I just read your Waypoints blog post “Hot Water Heater Installation Tips,” and wanted to share my experience. I recently installed...

Mailport: Aftermarket exhaust; window replacement; epoxy blurp

AFTERMARKET EXHAUST I have really appreciated the refit series from John Stone you’ve published (see “Rebuilding a Cape Dory 36,” PS November 2022). As someone beginning to...

Gybing Spinnakers without Getting Snagged

Last month’s report on preventing jib sheets for snagging while tacking (see “In Search of the Snag-free Clew,” PS February 2024) brought up a...

Mailport: Marine plywood, fuel additives, through bolt options, winch handle holders

DIFFERENTIATING FIRS I enjoyed your destructive wood testing and your patience in waiting eight years to report comprehensive results (see PS December 2023, “Wood Rot...

The Cruising Sailor’s Argument for High-tech Fibers

We’re not racers. A few ounces doesn’t matter to us, so why should we be interested in Dyneema, or any of the other popular...

PS Advisor: Saving “Furry” Plywood Backing Plate

Recently, a reader asked us about the plywood backing plates for a through-hull on his boat. He said that the top laminate appeared “furry”...

Mailport: Winch handle holster, sea dogs, and core repair

MAST-CLIMBING ABOVE THE HOUNDS Regarding your recent blog post on mast climbing (see “Going Aloft Sans Butterflies,” Inside Practical Sailor), my fractional rigged boat has...

PS Advisor: A DIY Bucket with Perfect Fit

Perhaps one reason our buckets keep cracking is that we have to compress them a bit to fit them through the 10-inch rectangular hatch...

Mailport: Boat heaters, digital charts, photophobia, downsizing

HEATING EFFICIENCY I just saw, with interest, your article about onboard fireplace safety, with the emphasis on safety (see “LPG Fireplace Safety Guidelines,” Inside Practical Sailor)....

PS Advisor: Backing Plate and Self-tapping Screw Tips

Athreaded backing plate is a common approach to eliminating nuts in through bolts. We’ve used threaded backing plates for mounting jammers to thin-walled spars...

The UNIQUE Maxus 26 Lifting Keel Trailer Sailor

What is the best trailerable sailboat? One big feature is the mast stepping system. Today we look at trailer sailors like the Catalina 275,...

Latest Sailboat Review

Morgan Out Island 36 Used Boat Review

Most are familiar with Charles Morgan and his Out Island 41, primarily made to cruise and charter in the Bahamas, but not many are...