Sails, Rigging & Deck Gear

What Chain Connector Will Fit My Gypsy?

Regarding your recent article on joining chain segments (see Reliable Chain Connections, PS June 2018), I've been coastal cruising from Canada to Panama since...

A Riveting Report: Spar Fasteners

Every sailor eventually feels the pull to add hardware to their spars. Maybe a piece of hardware has broken off, or the fasteners look...

Deft Theft: Make & Find Your Own Marine Gear

Heres a bet: Someone at the next boat show will try to sell you something you already have. With more time than money on...

The Penny-Pinching PhD Sailor

For more than 30 years, Practical Sailor has provided serious sailors and DIY boat owners an unbiased source of evaluations. We've done our best...

Inspecting Rivets and Screws for Trouble

Drew Fry One of the interesting conclusions from our testing was the surprising strength among all of the test fasteners when loaded in the shear....

Mailport: Tourniquets at Sea

Tourniquets at Sea Anthony Foglio I'm an emergency medical technician with a local volunteer fire company and wanted to comment on your recent Inside PS blog...

High-Tech Anchor Rode

My primary anchor is a big hunk of steel on an all-chain rode, handled by a windlass. Secure in all bottoms, idiot proof, easy...

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...

Lagoon’s WILD NEW 43 Footer is Replacing the 42!

Are you interested in chartering a catamaran sailboat? This is Lagoons new entry level cat. The 43, and while you can still buy a...

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...