A Fistful of Splicing Fids

While pre-spliced lines are easy to come by these days through marine chandleries, riggers, or the major rope suppliers, the sailors art of splicing...

Seven Muscular Winches

The origin of the magnificent machine called a winch is obscure. It ranks almost as high as the lever, which can provide unlimited mechanical...

Garhauer Launches Hefty New Traveler

All the components of this system—end fittings, mainsheet connection shackles, sheaves, etc.—are fixed in place using stainless bolts with hex heads. Except for the...

Clutch Play

A book could be written about the ways sailors have struggled with the bitter end of a rope. Many are the devices seamen have...

Solid Vang Showdown

This size Ocean Vang retails for $279, which includes the control line, but not the brackets for the mast ($39) or boom ($42). The...

PS Advisor: 01/06

Saildrive CorrosionI purchased a 1983 Sweden 41 in September, 1999. Since that time I have had to purchase three saildrives because of corrosion. I...

PS Advisor: 12/05

Cleaning SailsI've been a reader of PS for years and I never start a job on my 1983 Hunter 27 without consulting your...

Wrap Pins

A cotter pin is a marvelous little piece of half-round soft metal bent into a round-headed, two-legged sliver whose ends can be flared to...

‘Sprit Kit

Recently PS tested an OEM product that increased the light-air performance on one of our test platforms—a trailerable San Juan 23—and eased sailhandling in...

Holt Allen Best Buy in Furling Leads

The basic goals are fairleads that: 1. Line up exactly, whether fixed or articulating; 2. Run freely; 3. Are smooth and unobtrusive so that...

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...