Rhumb Lines: Lessons from Hurricane Ian
Well, Hurricane Ian plowed south of the refuge-by-default for Opal, the 1971 Yankee 30 I spent a good part of last year working on. With...
Damage Control at Sea
For many boaters, damage control means a cell phone call to Sea Tow, Tow Boat US or another marine assistance provider. These are reliable...
Steering with a Broken Rudder
Cruising Club of America member Mike Keyworth, has done some significant research into emergency steering. Mike has had decades worth of ocean racing and...
Emergency Rig Repairs at Sea
Rigging problems at sea are like broken shoelaces. Ideally, replacement is in order, but in reality a knot might be the right short-term solution....
Powering Portable Devices Safely
Most mariners, especially those on the West Coast, have heard about the horrific fire aboard the dive boat Concepcion near Santa Cruz Island, California,...
Lifesling Inspection Tips
For many sailors in the northern hemisphere winter is the off-season, which means it's a great time inspect safety gear. Personal floatation devices (lifejackets)...
Cordless LED Spotlight Update
Our first LED flashlight test appeared in March 2000. Even two decades ago, we were becoming concerned with beam patterns. In fact it was...
Practical Boarding Ladders
Every year I read of near-drowning episodes that were compounded by the deficiency or complete absence of a boarding ladder. A fall from a...
Going Aloft with the Multi-use Prusik
At least once each season, someone should make the trip up top to inspect the rigging. There can also be more immediate needs. An...
Showing Good Ladder Sense
A few years ago, while sitting on the gravel applying fairing compound to my keels (see “Fairing the Keels,” July 2016), I heard a...
AMAZING Sailboat Drones, US Navy Deploys 65 Foot Sailing Drone
Sailing Drones are WILD! The New Jersey drone sightings aren’t the only things making waves in the world of unmanned vehicles. Sailing drones are...
Latest Sailboat Review
Catalina 42 Mk I and Mk II
Under the guidance of Frank Butler, who founded the company in 1969, Catalina Yachts’ philosophy is to offer “as much boat for the money...