Engine Replacement on Islander Bahama 30
There may come a time when repowering your cherished sailboat needs to be addressed. I suspected that not all 13 horses of the venerable...
Simple Lithium for Outboard-Powered Tenders, Daysailers, and Sport Boats
Lithium is cool. Your cell phone uses it. Cameras, laptops, flashlights … everything. But “cool” is not a reason. Fire is not a big...
Ensuring a Safe Space for Batteries
When charging, lead acid batteries generate hydrogen from the electrolysis of water, and some acid gases, the amount of which vary with the battery...
Impact of Modern, Triangular-Design on Boat Performance
Go round any boat show and look at the hulls from underneath—most now have a narrow, very pointed bow and a broad flat stern....
Keel and Rudder Design Basics
This is a simple explanation for those new to sailboats about what effect sailboat design has on performance. There are few “bad” boats but...
Diesel-Electric Hybrids Vs. Electric: Sailing’s Auxiliary Power Future
How do we reduce and even eliminate our sailboat's carbon dioxide emissions when using auxiliary propulsion and electrical HVAC systems?
Just like with automobiles, how...
Sailing Triteia: Budget Bluewater Cruising
If I were to sum up, in one word, how James Frederick has managed to create his sailing life, I’d say “resourcefully.” The 49-year-old...
How To Keep Pipe Fittings Dry: Sealant and Teflon Tape Tests
After replacing the raw water pump on his 30-plus-year old Universal diesel, former PS Editor Darrell Nicholson reconnected the tangle of hoses on the...
How to Create a Bullet-Proof VHF/SSB Backup
In this short article I want to chat about ideas for making the radio bombproof in an emergency. I haven’t “invented” any of these...
Fuel Lift Pump: Easy DIY Diesel Fuel System Diagnostic and Repair
As with all things in life, everything goes well until it doesn’t. It is an inevitable truth that something will go wrong eventually and...
Abandon Ship! Coast Guard Rescue Beneteau 523 in the Atlantic
What would cause the captain and crew to abandon ship in the Atlantic ocean? There was no sailboat disaster here, but a coast guard...
Latest Sailboat Review
J/109 Used Boat Review
The J/109 is a 35-ft. boat that races well and has some comforts for short term cruising. It is a true racer/cruiser. The first...