Practical Sailor

No one likes drilling holes in their boat, and to drill holes for a simple snap seems like overkill. I love snaps for window covers, and even securing seat cushions, but...

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

Offshore cruisers and boaters come in all shapes and sizes. The greatest highlight of my nearly 40 years of ocean sailing and over 200,000 ocean miles is indisputably the amazing people...

Stainless steel is a miracle for boaters. It’s reasonably strong, stays shiny, and requires minimal maintenance. But savvy boaters also know it’s not corrosion-proof, only corrosion resistant (see “Marine Metal Warning”)....

Caution. Do NOT use hoses or funnels that are not rated for gasoline to transfer gasoline. In addition to potential material compatibility problems, they do not conduct static electricity, which can...

It can be a rust stain caused by a loop of chain that spent the winter lying on a sail. Perhaps a bird crawled under the sail cover and built a nest, pooping on the sail for weeks. Laminate sails present a particularly vexing problems, since mildew likes the adhesive that bond the layers, resulting in stain that is sealed between waterproof layers. Some of these just look bad (rust stains), but others can slowly weaken a sail (mildew in the laminate adhesive). But in all cases, overly aggressive cleaning can make things even worse, weakening the sail more than the mildew ever would.

Rob Miller began his sailing life in dinghies in the waters south of the suburbs of Vancouver, British Columbia at age 10. Interest in sailing continued through his formative years and...

A sailing buddy came to me looking for advice. He had inadvertently left a portlight open and a combination of rain and snow had blown into the cabin near the nav...

If you grew up sailing small boats, the basic rules about “when yachts meet” are now part of your DNA. Upwind, a boat on port tack must give way to a...

The waxy films of CorrosionX MaxWax and CRC HD Corrosion Inhibitor win hands-down for long-term protection. WD-40 can still serve as a cheap, short-term shield.