The test field included eight 4:1 mainsheet tackle systems from well-known marine-hardware manufacturers.
Mainsheet Tackle Bench Test
Stroll through your local marina, and you’ll likely see plenty of resurrected, vintage sailboats sporting fresh paint and new rigging, but all too often, antique mainsheet blocks have somehow escaped the upgrade. Part of the reason for this oversight is that the sheaves get only an occasional, no-load test spin, and all but the most severely deteriorated pass the scrutiny. A mainsheet tackle upgrade can be a relatively inexpensive investment that pays high dividends in improved sail efficiency. Practical Sailor tested eight 4:1 mainsheet tackle systems sized for 20- to 30-foot sailboats to find out which is the best. The test field included fiddle blocks and fiddle blocks with cams from Antal, Garhauer, Harken, Ronstan, and Selden.
Lifejackets and Harnesses
Kids’ Life Jackets for Active Sailors
For this test, we rounded up six high-performance, U.S. Coast Guard certified Type III personal flotation devices (PFDs) designed for children (50 to 90 pounds) participating in active sailing and other watersports. The test lineup comprised life jackets from five manufacturers:...
Ventilation
Dehumidifier Field Tests
When boats are buttoned up in humid climates, the battle against mildew begins. With the goal of keeping onboard humidity below 65 percent, we compared compressor dehumidifiers and thermo-electric dehumidifiers, two “active” systems for removing moisture, with...
Distress
Practical Tips for Survival at Sea
In the course of writing five books about accidents and survival at sea, Michael Tougias interviewed many survivors who shared with him the things they would have done differently, as well as what helped them survive. They did this to help prevent accidents and to help those who...
Inside Practical Sailor Blog
Too Many Layers of Bottom Paint?
May 13, 2013
So, a couple of years back, you acquired a good old boat at a pretty good price—thanks to the market—but now you’re wondering how many coats of bottom paint it has. And what kind? You’ve put on a few coats of ablative antifouling since you’ve owned the boat. It has adhered well and has done its job. But each year, the bottom looks rougher and rougher—with big recesses where paint has flaked off. You sweated out some extra prep-work this season, and thought you had a nice, durable subsurface for painting, but each pass of the roller pulls up more paint. What’s going on here?
