DIY Rig Check
Here are two good examples showing the problems associated with the lower or deck level use of swage terminals for your standing rigging. Swaging...
Rope-to-Chain Splice Test
If youve ever struggled to retrieve a balky rope-to-chain back splice with your windlass, youve probably wondered if there wasnt a better approach. The...
The Pros and Cons of the Rigid, Fiberglass Dinghy
Dinghies are the Rodney Dangerfields of cruising. They get no respect, or at least not as much as they deserve. The little boat that...
Snubber Chain Hooks Revisited
Last spring we reported on tests of chain hooks (see Testing the Effects of Chain Hooks, PS March 2016). Those tests found that some...
An Inquiry into Anchor Angles
Designers of boat anchors deal in a handful of variables. The holding capacity of an anchor derives from its fluke, particularly the flukes size,...
Anchor Shackle Re-Test Modifies Initial Findings
In the August 2015 and October 2016 issues, we reported the preliminary results of our anchor-shackle tests. However, more recent testing has raised questions...
Winches Part 2
ConclusionTesters found something to recommend in each of the winches. It came down to preferences. Our focus on drum surface adaptations showed the new...
Winches: Ratios and Reality
When comparing winches, its important to understand how input and output interface. The winch handle is a rotary lever that is the first stage...
In Search of the Ultimate Boat Hook
The basic design of the humble boat hook hasn't changed much over the years, but it has seen upgrades in construction and materials, along...
Keeping Ice at Bay
Southern sailors often put their boats away for a few months when the water gets a little cool. Northern sailors have a more definitive...
Diesel Overheating Dinghy Pump Hack
Bert Vermeer tells his story of an overheating Beta Marine 20 diesel sailboat engine with clogged sail drive intake ports and how he used...
Latest Sailboat Review
Caliber 40 LRC Used Boat Review
Brothers George and Michael McCreary, and Marshall Jones, formed Caliber Yachts Inc. as a backyard boatbuilding company in 1979. No strangers to the sailing...