Systems & Propulsion

Marine Diesel Repower Part 3: Sea Trial

This is the last of a three-part series describing the planning and installation of an inboard diesel engine in my previously engine-free Cape Dory...

Estimating Total Capacity in an Old Battery

Volt meters, ammeters, and bank monitors can all give you part of the story, but only a draw-down test, performed over 6-24 hours will...

Solar Power and Battery Checkup

Batteries and solar panels can be a black box. We can’t see or hear or feel what is going on inside. They’re not complicated...

Rhumb Lines: Yes, We Are the Lucky Ones

Slow down. Stretch. Breathe. Before we let the coming summer carry us away, dreamy, windswept, mouth wide open, ready to inhale each sultry moment and...

Diesel Repower From Scratch Part II

This is Part II of a three-part series detailing the installation of a complete inboard engine system into our highly modified Cape Dory 36...

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....

The AMAZING 50 Footer You’ve Never Heard Of – Pegasus 50...

A 50 footer packed with innovation for shorthanded cruising, the Pegasus 50 has features like carbon fiber rig, bulkheads, and bimini. When compared to...

Latest Sailboat Review

Pacific Seacraft 34 and 37

Pacific Seacraft was founded in 1976 by Henry Morschladt and Mike Howarth, who first produced 25-foot daysailers. Like many boatbuilders, the company suffered during...