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Brewer 12.8/44 Used Boat Review

The Brewer 12.8 and the Brewer 44 are developments of the Whitby 42, a cruising boat from the board of Ted Brewer. Brewer is one of the great modern cruising boat designers. His boats are well-mannered, attractive and practical. To improve windward performance, a high aspect ratio centerboard extends through the bottom of the 12.8's shallow keel. Since the board is not ballasted, it does not affect stability, but can be used when reaching to shift the center of lateral resistance.

Anchoring Basics: Choosing Gear and Setting the Hook

During the last few months, while quietly anchored in some of my favorite local anchorages, I’ve witnessed a number of anchoring failures. I observed that these failures were due to two...

Boat Repair in the Age of Plexus

Historically, fiberglass boat hulls and decks were molded separately, and then bonded at the deck seam. Bulkheads were added either with polyester or epoxy putty, and then taped into place with...

Steering Equipment Inspection

They were off the coast of Bequia in the Grenadines, near the end of a breezy passage on a 34-foot cruising sloop. Just as the boat reached past a rocky point, trouble struck. The steering wheel suddenly turned freely in the skippers hand.

The Quest For the Right Inflatable Dinghy

The paradox of my experience with inflatable dinghies is that in trading up to a bigger sailboat, I found myself wanting a smaller support craft for coastal exploration and shore excursions....

A Hard Lesson on the Way to Barkley Sound

As a young family we had been sailing Dreamer, our O’Day 25, for five years, exploring the fabulous cruising grounds of the Canadian Gulf Islands from our home port of Tsawwassen,...

Making Underwater Hull Repairs

In our test of waterproof epoxies for making underwater repairs, we also looked into making underwater patches. Obviously, your success in this effort depends a lot on the situation and the...

Marine Fuel Filters: What a Cut-Open Test Reveals

Diesel engines have evolved into incredibly reliable power sources. Change the oil, mind the charging system and batteries, and most importantly, always give them clean fuel. First there is diesel bug. Bacteria and fungus (not algae-that is incorrect nomenclature) can infect the tank, feeding on the diesel and producing volumes of tank-, line-, and filter-clogging biomass with the consistency of snot. It can be prevented by the regular use of biocides (see PS August 2013), but…

Video: Beneteau 361 – Full Review

Should you buy an older Beneteau sailboat? In this Practical Sailor boat review and yacht tour, we examine the Beneteau Oceanis 361 to see...

Latest Sailboat Reviews

Brewer 12.8/44 Used Boat Review

The Brewer 12.8 and the Brewer 44 are developments of the Whitby 42, a cruising boat from the board of Ted Brewer. Brewer is one of the great modern cruising boat designers. His boats are well-mannered, attractive and practical. To improve windward performance, a high aspect ratio centerboard extends through the bottom of the 12.8's shallow keel. Since the board is not ballasted, it does not affect stability, but can be used when reaching to shift the center of lateral resistance.

Antigua 60: Soolaimon

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