Systems & Propulsion

Engine Coolant Replacement

In your recent article on engine coolants (see PS October 2014 online), you wrote about replacement intervals for coolants, and Im looking for clarification....

Will Your Tanks Be Clean Next Spring?

When contributor Drew Frye commissioned his family's PDQ 32 catamaran six years ago, his daughter asked, What are these pink lumps in the sink,...

Testers Check Growth in the Lab and on the Boat

When testing a chemicals toxicity and its ability to biodegrade, a common procedure is to dilute each target chemical at various ratios of interest,...

Coolants that Fight Corrosion

West marine Pure Oceans CoolantA propylene glycol-based, light-duty coolant, West Marines Pure Oceans Engine Antifreeze and Coolant performed admirably in our glassware corrosion testing....

ASTM D1384 Serves as Model for Testers

Samples were tested for corrosion protection following the ASTM D1384 Corrosion in Glassware method (www.astm.org). Samples were diluted to 33-percent glycol, dosed with ASTM...

PSs Top Picks for Winterizing

Protecting marine water systems from freeze damage is a deceptively simple goal. The terminology and various product claims can be confusing, and what seems...

Test Checks Burst Point and Freeze Protection

We tested each product for glycol content using a refractometer and either the ethylene glycol or propylene glycol scale, as appropriate. In the case...

Step-by-step Winterizing Tips

Water tanksFirst, scrub clean and dry the freshwater tank well. For water tanks, make sure it is empty, vacuum out every last bit, and...

Refractometer Takes Out All the Guesswork

What matters most, our testing confirms, is not so much which brand of pink stuff you choose, but how you use it. Even the...

AWAB, ABA Top Long-term Test

What We TestedThe test field included clamps from Shields, ABA, Murray, AWAB, Breeze, American Valve, Ideal/Tridon, Trident, Koehler, and Norton. We tested sizes 28...

HOW TO BUY A CHEAP SAILBOAT – $20,000 or less!

Buying a sailboat on a budget of $20,000 is easy! Today we’re looking at a Pearson 31, a Hunter 31, a Bristol 29.9, and...

Latest Sailboat Review

Catalina 34 Used Boat Review

American sailboat manufacturers have had their highs and lows, and many have dropped right off the map. But Catalina has been going strong for...