After-market Cordage Treatments
Fabric SoftenerTesters used Ultra Downy fabric softener; however, a quick study of manufacturer MSDS information suggests that any common fabric softener would likely perform...
Field Testing Treatments
Approximately 150 feet of 7/16-inch rope will fit in a five-gallon bucket. This requires one 500-milliliter bottle (17 ounces) of Rope Proof or 4...
Practical Sailor’s 2011 Gear of the Year Picks
Pressure CookerOur Gear of the Year galley pick is the Kuhn Rikon Duromatic spring-valve pressure cooker. Pressure cookers are the cruiser’s answer to the...
Buyers Guide: Choosing a New Cruising Main
The mainsail of our Chesapeake Bay test boat was intact, but, after exhausting every life-extending option available—including patches, repairs, re-stitching, and tune ups—it became...
What’s the Best Way to Clean Marine Rope?
Every spring, there are numerous threads on the sailing forums discussing the best ways to clean ropes, mostly about dock lines. Brutal methods are...
The Multifarious Mainsheet
The mainsail is a big part of the motive power of almost every sailboat. The art of mainsail control, however, is a relatively modern...
Clear the Decks: Anchor Wells and Bow Rollers
Ever since some ancient mariner broke a toe tripping over the killick stowed in the bow of his curragh, sailors have sought to solve...
Smooth Runnings: Bullet Blocks Battle
ConclusionBackground testing did show that undersizing a block makes the work harder to accomplish and will shorten the lifespan of the equipment used. When...
From the Bench to the Bath
With some modification to our bench-test jig, we were able to place two blocks in opposition to each other, attach them via a closed...
Rope Test Yields Rope Hernias
Researching an upcoming article on the effects of various cleaning chemicals on ropes, our testers scrubbed and machine-washed mountains of nylon and polyester rope...
Jeanneau Yachts 65 Full Tour and Review
Choosing between a monohull and catamaran was already hard, but Jeanneau just made it even harder. The new Jeanneau Yachts 65 is a monumental...
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...