Systems & Propulsion

PS Advisor: Tacking and Jibing with a Tiller Pilot

In very light winds the tiller pilot will make corrections that are too small and the boat will not turn quickly enough to complete...

Diesel Repower From Scratch Pt. 1

This is a multi-part article detailing the installation of an inboard diesel engine into my modified Cape Dory 36 Far Reach. I rebuilt the Far Reach from...

The $15 Do-it-Yourself Tiller Lock

An electronic tiller pilot is a marvel for single handed sailors. It is a second crew member that never tires, holding a steady course...

Rhumb Lines: Tiller Versus Wheel, Again

Two articles this month focus on the simplest, most reliable form of steering, one that has persisted through the ages with little modification—the tiller....

Mailport: Carl Alberg, Tinned Wire, Fiberglass Durability

HIGH PRAISE FOR CARL ALBERG Regarding your report “Small-boat Dreams and Carl Alberg’s Classic Daysailers,” my first sailboat, 25 years ago, was a Pearson Electra....

PS Advisor: Storing Diesel Fuel

When it comes to storing a gasoline powered vessel, you are generally better off keeping tanks full, adding a corrosion-inhibiting additive, and installing a...

Composting Head Disposal Options

We wouldn’t describe ourselves as huge fans of composting/desiccation heads (see “Dissecting the Desiccating Head,” PS July 2021). We’re not encouraging people to rip out what...

Gas Engine Owners Beware of E15 Blends

Global fuel supplies have been stretched as a result of the war between Russia and Ukraine, and to help alleviate this, the EPA issued...

Reliable Three-way Wire Connections

Connecting two wires is simple; a crimp butt connector using a ratchet crimper, and adhesive lined heat shrink in damp locations, where there is...

Yes, We Are Talking About Boat Bidets

Once again we broach a sanitation topic that folks would rather not talk about, and once again we’ve been surprised by the answers we...

The Boat From True Spirit – Sparkman & Stephens

True Spirit is a 2023 Australian biographical drama film directed by Sarah Spillane and written by Spillane, Cathy Randall, and Rebecca Banner. The film...

Latest Sailboat Review

Beneteau 311, Catalina 310 and Hunter 326 Used Boat Comparison

In an ideal world, all sailors would start in prams at the age of six, then move to small, forgivingsloops, and then one-design racingboats,...