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Inside Practical Sailor

Chafe Protection for Dock Lines

Engineers are quick to point out the downside of bending a tensioned line over a hard point—which is exactly what happens at every cleat,...
Waxing and Polishing Your Boat

Waxing and Polishing Your Boat

Spring will be here sooner than we think, so I am plunging once again into polishing and waxing fiberglass boat hulls. This post covers...

Reducing Engine Room Noise

Of all the health reporting that has been featured in the news recently, the theme of ambient noise is one that resonated strongly with...

Tricks and Tips to Forming Do-it-yourself Rigging Terminals

Mechanical terminals allow sailors replace a broken shroud or even re-rig their own boat  without hiring a professional rigger with a swage machine. Although...
marine toilet test

Marine Toilet Maintenance Tips

Early in the sailing season, the things we overlooked during winter storage can come back to haunt us. And with regard to our boat's...

Learning to Live with Plastic Boat Bits

After cruising three oceans on an old wooden boat when I was in my 20s and perpetually short on cash, I vowed my next...

The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Clear Plastic

Our upcoming special report on marine plastics touches briefly on one of the most conspicuous plastics on many cruising boats--clear vinyl windows. On many...

Preventing Mildew in Marine Fabrics

It's been an exceptionally wet winter in South Florida this year, so we're getting no respite in our ongoing battle with mildew. At least...

Gearing Up for Winter Sailing

During my admittedly few winters above the frost-belt, I have only fond memories of the last few days of the season. And Ive always...

Steer Clear of the Marine Cleaner Con

Intent on carrying on with boat projects without impacting the supply chain for essential materials during the COVID-19 pandemic, I started poking around in...

J Boats J/9 Sailboat Review and Boat Tour

Are you interested in a fast day sailor? The 28 foot sailboat J/9 from J Boats boasts the most comfortable J cockpit ever on...

Latest Sailboat Review

Tartan 37 Used Boat Review

The Tartan 37 is a moderately high performance, shoal-draft cruiser built between 1967 and 1988 by Tartan Marine, a company that helped usher in...