August 2006
PS Advisor: 08/06
Back to the Washboard We’re retired now, so, we’re able to take a couple of extended cruises a summer aboard the 40-foot sloop we’ve had for two decades. When we’re off cruising for a month, dirty clothes pile up. It would be nice if we didn’t have to hunt down laundromats or soak stuff in a bucket and festoon the lifelines. Have small washing machines become practical yet for sailboats? …
Sticky Situation
Subscribers Only After a year of testing, the proof is in the goop.
Boosting Solar Panel Output
Subscribers Only Blue Sky regulator boosts output by 30 percent.
Looking Sharp
Subscribers Only Nikon, West Marine top the field of binos under $300.
Life at the Extreme
Subscribers Only Offshore racing defines risk, pushing everything to the limit—and beyond.
Riding the ‘A’-train
Subscribers Only Prices, advice vary greatly when it comes to asymmetrical sails.
C&C 115
Subscribers Only The nimble C&C 115 offers good value for the racing sailor.
Mailport: 08/06
In Praise of Saildrives I noted in past PS articles, and those in other magazines, comments on saildrives. One such story was in regard to the Niagara 35. It was described as a great coastal boat, but many comments were about the saildrives. I have seen many pictures of saildrives in various stages of corrosion, some beyond repair. We have owned our Niagara for 20 years now. It has a saildrive. Hearing these negative stories years…
The Technological Edge
Subscribers Only It’s always interesting putting together a report on sails because you are bound to find some strong opinions, not only from the pros who make the sails, but the sailors who buy them. [IMGCA[(1)]With such a range of preferences (quirks, some might say), cruisers can be a sailmaker’s nightmare. Each cruising sail must be, to some degree, custom-built. As our market scan of asymmetrical sails (See "Riding the A-train," page 13) reveals, the road to…
Inside Practical Sailor Blog
San Fran 'Stand-down' = Government Meddling?
by Darrell Nicholson on May 15, 2012
The Coast Guard’s request late last month that sailors “stand-down” and suspend any offshore racing outside San Francisco Bay in the wake of last month’s tragedy in the San Francisco Yacht Club’s Farallones Race rankled more than a few Bay area sailors. The response was not surprising. Critics decried the move as draconian, driven by overzealous safety mavens, an example virulent government intrusion, trampling of personal freedoms, etc. etc. etc. It is a…
