Boat Maintenance Must-Reads

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For many boatowners, its time to start thinking about the off-season layup. If youre planning some pre-haulout maintenance projects so you can avoid the hassle next season, check out these helpful gems from our online archives.

If brightwork is on your to-do list, youll find a bevy of information on the PS website, including our top-product picks after two years of exposure testing 56 exterior varnishes and varnish alternatives (PS, September 2011). There are also how-to tips for everything from preserving leftover paint and varnish (Inside Practical Sailor, September 2012) to choosing the right bristle brush (PS, April 2011) and how to touchup varnish blemishes (PS, January 2011). Were launching a new round of varnish testing this month, so if you have a specific product youd like to see tested, shoot us an email: practicalsailor@belvoirpubs.com.

Looking to replace your sails this fall? Boat show season gets rolling this month and next, so now is a great time to start shopping for sails as many lofts will be offering boat-show deals. Before buying, be sure to read the March 25, 2014 blog, Upgrading the Cruising Main. It includes links to archive articles on selecting a sailmaker, selecting new trysails and cruising mains, and the results of Practical Sailors reader survey of favorite sail lofts. It also links to PSs three-book e-book series, A Look at Sails, which can be found in our online bookstore at www.practical-sailor.com.

If you have larger projects on tap and will need to haul out to tackle them, our articles on do-it-yourself boatyards (PS, June 2009) and do-it-for-me boatyards (PS, December 2013) are must-reads.

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.