The Cruising Sailor’s Argument for High-tech Fibers
We’re not racers. A few ounces doesn’t matter to us, so why should we be interested in Dyneema, or any of the other popular...
Line Stowage Bags and Hooks
Sailboat cockpits will happily collect spaghetti if we let them, each sheet, halyard, and new control line adding to the confusion. The chaos is...
PS Advisor: Rope Coatings to Prolong Cordage Life
New lines run fast. They fly through tackles and tangles fall right out. But they are also hard to hold in our hands, on...
Designing a Dump Line for the Multihull Mainsheet
One of the rewards of doing time in a boatyard like Salt Creek Marina, in St. Petersburg, FL where Opal and I have been...
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...
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,...
Overheating Ropes
We have a love-hate relationship with nylon rope. When it comes to absorbing shock, it offers the best available combination of strength, elasticity, and...
Adding a Polyester Cover to Dyneema Single Braid
Extremely low friction allows Amsteel and other high molecular weight polyethylene (HMPE) lines to run like lightening through low friction rings. Unfortunately, they also...
Splice Failure Linked to Fatality
You don't have to look far to find a case in point supporting our recent Practical Sailor Special Report on high-tech lines, which emphasized...
A Sure Way to Secure the Boom
When the wind really blows, the pleasant chiming of a marina takes on a different character. Above the howling of the wind is the...
The UNIQUE Maxus 26 Lifting Keel Trailer Sailor
What is the best trailerable sailboat? One big feature is the mast stepping system. Today we look at trailer sailors like the Catalina 275,...
Latest Sailboat Review
Beneteau 40.7 Used Boat Review
Beneteau began building boats in France in 1884 when Beneteau opened shop for the purpose of constructing trawlers at Croix-de-Vie. Eighty years later, under...