Anchors Move
The mud tests suggest that when looking for a good anchorage a sand bottom is worth seeking out—because it’s easier for any anchor to...
Nylon Rope Endurance Test
Nylon three-strand dock lines, anchor rodes, and mooring pendants are the sailor’s safety net, so to speak, and have been for nearly a century....
Know Your Gypsy
When buying chain, there are two things to look for. The first is quality, which we explore through our testing. The critical question, though,...
Mooring Chain Background
Almost all chain used for permanent moorings is made of welded steel alloy, galvanized to forestall corrosion not, in the long run, to prevent...
Bad Holding Ground Primer
Modern anchors of the recommended size that are set and rigged properly offer plenty of holding power in good sand or mud. Except for...
Common Bottom Type Abbreviations
There are 15 basic bottom terms and 58 types listed on NOAA chart 1 (https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publications/docs/us-chart-1/ChartNo1.pdf), the guide to chart symbols. (We’ve listed only a...
Shore Ties and Accessories for Extreme Anchorange
Several sailboat equipment makers have introduced gear to cope with unusual mooring needs, but there is still a lot of improvising. In any ‘extreme’...
The lightweight anchor
All anchors are a compromise. Since some anchor types work best in certain bottoms, it is a good idea to carry anchors of different...
Choosing an anchor with the appropriate holding power
Physical measurements of anchors cannot produce definitive conclusions about anchor performance, but they offer clues to likely performance in different conditions.
Our analysis found that...
Hurricane Season: A season for planning
The arrival of hurricane season is always a good reminder for boat owners to put together a storm plan detailing where and how the...
43 Foot Cruising Sailboats – The Elan Impression 43
In a sea of French production cruising sailboats like the new Beneteau 37.1 and Oceanis 40.1, or the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350 and 380,...
Latest Sailboat Review
Beneteau First 375 Used Boat Review
A Mexican vacation with her husband had Debbie Bulk dreaming of a better way to see local village life, away from the regular tourist...