Online Help for Autumn
It's getting to be that time of year, when many skippers haul out or head south. Fall also heralds the beginning of boat show...
A Custom-fitted Clew Strap
After settling on the material, one of the most basic mainsail design questions is whether to have an attached foot or loose-foot. A sail...
Years Later, Mast Mate Still Riding High
Mast steps are a great help when going aloft, but they add weight where it hurts most (aloft), and halyards love to get stuck...
Controlling Motion: Two Case Studies
Securing a small boat between pilings in a wrong-sized slip is a common challenge. The dock line angles from the dolphins (outlying pilings) are...
Reducing the Nylon Rode Sling-shot Effect
Again we speak heresy! Practical Sailor has published at least four articles explaining why stretchy nylon bridles and snubbers are vital. But if the...
Make Your Own Over-the-Boom Riding Sail
Delighted with the performance of the over-the-boom riding sail, we decided to make our own.
To measure, we outlined the proposed sail area with -inch...
Rest Easy with a Riding Sail
Even when your anchor is well designed and ideally matched to your boat, there are four common factors that can cause an anchor to...
Sails and Summer Projects
While most of us are-hopefully-out sailing this summer, we know that many sailors are busy with system upgrades, do-it-yourself projects, and the usual marine...
Mailport: anchoring etiquette, stern-tied boats, and wind generators
Anchoring Etiquette
I really appreciated the article Anchoring in Crowded Harbors (see Practical Sailor, June 2019). The difficult and critical part is always estimating distances,...
Collapsible Anchor Prototype Tested
A big rollbar-style anchor on a bow roller is now synonymous with cruising. They are efficient in many types of bottoms and reliably rotate...
The BEST and WORST Boat Washing Machines
Are you looking into how to wash clothes on a boat? I set out to figure out which washing machine to install on my...
Latest Sailboat Review
Cape Dory 30 Used Boat Review
When the Cape Dory 30 entered production in 1976, it was the largest boat in the expanding line of the Taunton, Massachusetts boatbuilder. In...