Systems & Propulsion

Air Conditioning at Anchor

We often get this question. My car has air conditioning when I'm running down the street so why can't my boat? First, your car...

Calculating the Right Air Conditioner Size

Estimating size has always been tricky, because it depends on the insulation value of the boat, climate, and how quick you want the boat...

How To Connect Small Wires

The popularity of micro-electronics and LEDs has greatly increased the number of small wires on board, and whether the added eyestrain is a fair...

Testing VHF Coaxial

The loss in RF coaxial cable increases substantially and quickly, when there is water intrusion. Coax that uses foam dielectric, like RG8X and LMR...

Antenna Gain and VHF Transmission Range

Recreational marine VHF antennas are usually broken down into three categories: 3- and 4-foot sailboat antennas (3dB gain), 8-foot powerboat antennas (6 dB gain)...

Stuffing Box Care

Only boats with inboard engines have stuffing boxes. To locate yours, trace the propeller shaft from the transmission to the point where it exits...

Prop and Shaft Check

A vessels drive train is typically defined as the components between the engine transmission coupling and the bitter end of the propeller shaft. For...

Sailing Gifts for 2018

No one really wants just practical gifts, so we've tried to locate a few items that go beyond pure utility for this holiday season. The...

Steering Equipment Inspection

They were off the coast of Bequia in the Grenadines, near the end of a breezy passage on a 34-foot cruising sloop. Just as...

Mailport: Marelon Seacocks

Regarding your recent report on Seacocks (Beneteau Responds to Seacock Query, PS August 2018) I owned a 1987 Catalina 30, Mark II. It had...

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...