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...
24 Knot Speed Trimaran – The Dragonfly 40 Ultimate
Most people who want to go cruising to tropical destinations on a sailboat buy a Beneteau or Dufour, but those who want an extremely...
Latest Sailboat Review
Catalina 42 Mk I and Mk II
Under the guidance of Frank Butler, who founded the company in 1969, Catalina Yachts’ philosophy is to offer “as much boat for the money...