AuthorsPosts by Darrell Nicholson

Darrell Nicholson

Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. 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 at darrellnicholson.com.
New Sailboats

Island Packet Estero Used Boat Review

Florida-based Island Packet targets a relatively narrow niche, so the toughest competitors to its new boats are often older Island Packets. Introduced in 2010,...
Sails, Rigging & Deck Gear

Excel Anchor Offers Case Study in Design

At first glance, the Sarca Excel is a Delta clone with a few added creases in the sheet metal, explaining the public perception that...
Plumbing

DC Watermakers: Head-to-Head Test

Reverse-osmosis, DC-powered watermakers have been available for use aboard mid-sized cruising sailboats for years, but thanks to new technology, they just keep getting better. Todays units are more efficient, reasonably compact, and in many cases, modular in design. Practical Sailor recently tested two popular models-new Ventura 200T from Spectra Watermakers Inc. and Racor Village Marines Little Wonder (LWM-145)-and rated them for water and construction quality, noise, power consumption, and ease of installation and maintenance. The review also discusses the pros/cons of installing a watermaker on a sailboat, installation and maintenance tips, and whether a watermaker is right for you.
Sailboat Reviews

Tartan 33 Used Boat Review

In 1978, Tartan brought out the Tartan Ten, a 33', fairly light, fractionally-rigged "offshore one design." The boat was a huge success: fast, easy to sail, and unencumbered by the design limitations of a rating rule. But the Tartan Ten had one big problem: limited accommodations with stooping headroom, an interior most kindly described as spartan. A hardy crew could take the Tartan Ten on a multi-day race such as the Mackinac, and you might even coax your family aboard for a weekend of camping out. But cruising or extended racing in comfort? Forget it!
Sails, Rigging & Deck Gear

Screw-on Rigging Terminals

Standing rigging has been evolving ever since natural fiber lines were lashed, knotted, or spliced to wooden spars, and led down to crudely fashioned, iron deck hardware. The challenge has always been the transition point where the straight-line pull (tension) changes direction, creating a stress riser in the rope, wire, or rod. Today, the materials have changed, but the challenge remains the same.
Inside Practical Sailor

What Dog Breed is Best Suited for Cruising?

Despite their anatomical handicaps, some dog breeds are pretty well adapted to boats and the water. The dog lovers among our readers have helped us put together this list of relatively small dogs, good traveling dogs that like the water and are happy to curl up in tight spaces during passages. Here is a list of the most popular breeds that were recommended.
Boat Maintenance

Keep Birds Away from Your Boat and Dock

Practical Sailor tested a bevy of bird repellents to determine which are the most effective in keeping the pelicans, pigeons, cormorants, gulls, and other fowl from fouling your boat. Bird repellents fit into four basic categories: acoustical repellents, visual repellents, biochemical repellents, and those that use physical exclusion. Sailboats most commonly use visual devices, which are the easiest and most economical to use and install on boats. We installed a sampling of the various types and monitored them for six months. The test products included: Bird Barriers Scare Eye, Bird-Xs Terror Eyes, Bird Xs Prowler Owl, Bird-Xs Irri-Tape, Bird Barriers Polly-Spike, Bird Barriers Bird-Flight, Fly Byes Stainless Steel Wide Spike, Fly Byes Bird Umbrella, Bird Barriers Daddi Long Legs, Bird-B-Gones Bird Spider, Birdoffs Bird Off, WhirlyBird Repeller, Gull Sweep, and Bird-B-Gones Bird Deterrent.
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