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...
Sailing Camps for Kids
This summer tens of thousands of children will take their first sail, with a friend or alone in their own little boat. They will...
Chest High Jacklines
Jacklines (also called jackstays) are rigged along the deck on either side or down the centerline. This is where you are supposed to clip...
The Pros and Cons of Chest-high Jacklines
World sailing offers fairly explicit expectations regarding jackstays. And PS offer its own additional advice, including one that recommends jacklines ideally be installed so...
Safety Gear Recalls
As you gear up for another summer of sailing, it is also a good time to double check that none of your essential safety...
Sailing in Gusty Winds
One of my biggest mistakes in life was waiting so long to sail the Great Lakes.
This realization struck me last summer as I strolled...
Reading the Telltales on Your Sails
Even the most laid-back cruiser has days when he would like to get there an hour sooner. But speed is not the only reason...
Abandon Ship! Coast Guard Rescue Beneteau 523 in the Atlantic
What would cause the captain and crew to abandon ship in the Atlantic ocean? There was no sailboat disaster here, but a coast guard...
Latest Sailboat Review
Catalina 34 Used Boat Review
American sailboat manufacturers have had their highs and lows, and many have dropped right off the map. But Catalina has been going strong for...