The Mystery of the Bulging Fin Keel
I was reading a Mailport letter in the December 2014 issue of Practical Sailor, and it led me to your May 27, 2014 blog...
UV, Chafe Protection
What We FoundIn our search for the best way to protect a stitched loop or splice, we made several interesting discoveries.None of the liquid...
Abrasion and Break Testing
Testers first task was to determine whether any of these coatings could weaken line in the near term. To do this, we formed 20-inch...
Sherardizing Alternative
In order to impart corrosion resistance to steel, the items are commonly galvanized, immersed in a bath of molten zinc. Hot-dip galvanizing is well...
Armorgalv vs. Hot-Dipped
As part of our investigation into anchor chain and its attachments (see PS January 2015 and June 2014 online), we examined new galvanizing processes....
Does G70 Have Risk of Hydrogen Embrittlement?
Mention galvanized G70 chain in any discussion, and one of the first comments will be a question of the risks of hydrogen embrittlement. Though...
Anchoring in Squishy Bottoms
In the summer of 2014, Fortress Anchors, the maker of a popular aluminum Danforth-style anchor, conducted a series of anchor-holding tests in Chesapeake Bay,...
Galvanized Coatings Test
Corrosion attacks anchor chain long before it has reached the end of its useful life, and corrosion begins as soon the galvanized coating fails....
Estimating Galvanized Coating Thickness
There are no industry standards for how thick a galvanized coating should be on an anchor chain or mooring chain, and manufacturers don't publish...
Survey: Mainsail Track Hardware
It has been almost 10 years since Practical Sailor weighed in specifically on mainsail track hardware (see Practical Sailor, Feb. 1, 2005 online). At...
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...