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Safety & Seamanship

When a Welcome Home Becomes a Rescue

Bill had been sailing single handed aboard his Bristol Channel Cutter 28 Pixie for nearly 90 days from Christchurch, New Zealand to Victoria, British...
Your get-home jury-rig won't be pretty. It consists of a bridle line (spinnaker sheet works nicely), a length of chain to keep the drogue submerged, and a series of fenders to aid recovery.

Emergency Steering? You Can Jury-Rig a Drogue For That

I had been driving my 34-foot catamaran down the Chesapeake Bay at 8-9 knots all morning, propelled by a fresh breeze. “Thud … thud.”...

Practical Sailor Classic: The Load on Your Rode

Without really meaning to, over the past several years, Practical Sailor has acquired a considerable reputation for testing anchors and anchoring gear. On more...

Anchor Rodes for Smaller Sailboats

The usual advice for anyone seeking all-rope anchor rode is usually to just get some three-strand nylon anchor. The makes sense. Three-strand nylon is...

Hard Lessons from Hurricane Florence

August through October are hurricane months in the Carolinas. While it’s almost always best to haul out for a hurricane, it’s not an option...

Preparing Yourself for Solo Sailing

Last week, I covered some of the things I suggest you need to think through on the boat before heading out solo. Now, what...

How to Select Crew for a Passage or Delivery

Lots of skippers—in fact probably most—do not want to sail solo and I am the last person to try to encourage them to change...

New Marine Fire Suppression Tools

A new generation of fire extinguishers, resembling a fat flare in appearance, promise to solve most of the problems of standard fire extinguishers. The biggest...

What You Can Learn on a Quick Test Sail

Summer is in the air. Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping and everyones fancy turns to boat buying (you were expecting me to something...

Preparing A Boat to Sail Solo

You have probably heard people say sailing solo is dangerous or irresponsible. How can you keep a proper watch? What happens if you have...

Hunter Legend 35.5 – Behind the Curtain

Are you interested in a 32-36 foot sailboat that's small enough to sail as a couple, big enough to sleep on comfortably, fast enough...