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Inside Practical Sailor

Hot Knife. We put this purchase off for too long. Nice for fabric and rope, and vital for carpet and bungee cord, which are difficult to heat seal. Multiple layers dont slow it down. (Photo/ Drew Frye)

Five Best Specialty Tools

In fact our list is much, much longer than this, so we picked five specialty tools that we thought would help most sailors for...
While Snappy Teak-Nu seemed to perform better at first, the longterm winner was Star-Brite.

Battle of the Teak Cleaners — Snappy Teak-Nu vs. Star Brite

Aboard our Privilege 435 catamaran Confianza, we are teak oilers, not varnishers. Accordingly, our teak needs regular elbow grease. In our (seemingly never-ending) quest...
To prep items for selling online, make sure to clean them, take plenty of pictures and provide detailed descriptions, including specs. This pair of Barient #16 single-speed winches sold for $65.93 and netted the author $55.87. (Photo/ Doug Henschen)

How to Sell Old Sailing Equipment

There’s nothing more satisfying than installing a great new piece of equipment on your sailboat, unless it’s completing that upgrade and then selling the...
The captain made a navigational miscalculation so this 2005 Sabre 386 rested on a shelf just outside Cameleon Harbour in British Columbia for the tide to return. As a result of this temporary grounding, seagrass entered and blocked a through-hull. Identifying details have been omitted at the request of the captain. (Photo/ Bert Vermeer)

Plugged Through Hull Solution

My summer cruise took me up to the Discovery Islands just north of Desolation Sound off the coast of British Columbia with sailing buddy...
The Schaefer SnapFurl CF-500 furling system has a two-piece PVC luff foil, which snaps together over the forestay. The author discovered the plastic extrusion to be prone to twisting, particularly when reefing or furling the sail in high winds. (Photo/ Doug Henschen)

Schaefer SnapFurl: Gear Graveyard

Sailors looking to add or replace a headsail furling system on a daysailer or small cruising boat in the 16-foot to 28-foot range will...
An elegant swim platform is a helpful feature for warmer waters. The Hanse 360's folding swim step automatically lowers and raises. (Photo courtesy of Hanse Yachts)

Transom Design Through the Ages

If you pay even the slightest attention to the shape of the sailboats on the water, in marinas, or at boat shows, you are...

Advice on Buying a Pre-Owned Anchor

Since defects are usually obvious, anchors is one category of gear in which “what you see is what you get.” Certainly, there are counterfeits and home-welded one-offs that you’ll want to avoid, but the fakes and do-it-yourself anchors are usually easy to distinguish. Before you buy a used anchor, you should have a very clear picture of the size, type, and brand of anchor will best suit your needs. Depending on the specific anchor you seek, you can save 30 to 50-percent on cost by purchasing a pre-owned anchor instead of a new one.
16,000 BTU Citimarine AC unit installed to replace a Dometic unit. Dometic did not have a replacement available due to supply-chain issues as a result of the pandemic. (Photo/ Phil Decker)

Where Credit Is Due: Citimarine Air Conditioner Customer Service

I first became aware of Citimarine when the old 16,000 BTU Dometic air conditioner on my 1998 Catalina 380 failed during the pandemic. Air...
LORIENT, FRANCE - OCTOBER 7, 2024 : MACIF Santé Prévoyance skipper Charlie Dalin (FRA) is pictured training on October 7, 2024 in Lorient, France - (Photo/ Ronan Gladu / Disobey / Macif)

Vendée Globe Technology for the Everest of the Seas

On 14 January, Charlie Dalin crossed the finish line of the Vendée Globe 2024-25 race on MACIF Santé Prévoyance, with a record-setting time of...

Bilge Pump Installation and Maintenance Tips

The best bilge pump in the world wont keep your boat dry if its not properly installed and maintained. While bilge pump installations are fairly straightforward-and definitely within the scope of DIY projects-there are several factors to consider (capacity, wire size, hose diameter, fuse size) before you begin, and there are some good rules of thumb to follow.

Discover the Cool New Tortue 147 Aluminum Catamaran | Ultimate Shallow-Water...

In this video, we take a deep dive into the Tortue 147, a brand-new aluminum catamaran designed for adventure, freedom, and exploration. Built tough...

Latest Sailboat Review

Tally Ho: Historic Boat Review

This is not going to be your typical Practical Sailor boat review. Not by any stretch of the imagination. You will not be able...