Weather & Navigation Seminars Set for October 2018
If you're headed to the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis October 4-8, we encourage you to stick around a few days to pick up...
Non-Skid Tapes for Boats
Slips and falls will probably always be the greatest hazard on a sailboat, whether the result is a trip over the side, a knee...
Non-Skid Paints and Adhesive-backed Mats
Over the years, Practical Sailor has conducted dozens of test comparing painted-on non-skid exterior coatings. We've also compared the heavy-duty textured mats, including faux...
Ropes for Throwing
We all know the drill. A new arrival pulls toward an unfamiliar marina or fuel dock with a breeze blowing, and they can't quite...
Perfecting the Toss Requires Some Practice
Passing a line to a helper on shore is as basic a part of seamanship as tying a bowline. You've probably seen an old...
Horseshoe and Ring Buoy Mounts for PFDs
The December, 1993, issue contained an in-the-water test and evaluation of 16 different Type IV life preservers (cushions, horseshoes and ring buoys). Besides their...
In Search of Stability
On July 15, 1992, a sudden squall swept J/24 Fleet 128 during a Wednesday evening race off Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Nine of the...
Fenders and Lines for Seawalls
To the lubber, tying-up to a bulkhead seems like the simplest of all docking situations. Perhaps with floating docks this is true. You just...
Dodging a Bullet When Caught on Bulkhead
The following is aimed primarily at boats that are unable to leave an alongside dock or bulkhead before wind and seas become dangerous. Any...
Make Your Own Rugged Fender Boards
We described a simple home-built version several years ago (Practical Sailor, December 2011); here we present a few simple upgrades on the same basic...
A Fast Small Sailboat from Saffier
If you're looking for a fast sailboat to use as a day sailer, then Saffier Yachts may have just the sailboat to buy. With...
Latest Sailboat Review
Grampian 26 Used Boat Review
The first fiberglass auxiliary sailboats were built in the late 1950s; for the record, the first was the 40-foot Philip Rhodes-designed Bounty II (1956),...