AuthorsPosts by Darrell Nicholson

Darrell Nicholson

Darrell Nicholson is Director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division and the editor of Practical Sailor. A lifelong thalassophile, he grew up sailing everything from El Toro dinghies to classic Morgans on Miami's Biscayne Bay. In the early 90s, he left a newspaper job to sail an old gaff-rigged ketch across the Pacific and has been writing about boats and the sea ever since. 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.
Boat Maintenance

Synthetic Teak Durability Test

A lot of water has rushed over the bridge since we last looked at synthetic teak decking materials—eight years' worth. Since that last report—see...
Distress

Safety Gear: The Bare Essentials

Noted seamanship authority John Rousmaniere offers a problem-focused approach to determining and selecting basic but essential safety equipment for the coastal cruising vessel.
DIY Projects

Exterior Wood Finish Update at 2 Years

The wood samples we varnished in late 2015 finally went into service three years after they were varnished. They'd been boxed and stored as...
Electrical

Reliable Three-way Wire Connections

Connecting two wires is simple; use a properly sized crimp butt connector with a ratchet crimper, and finish with adhesive-lined heat shrink in damp,...
Sailboat Reviews

Rethinking Sailboat Structure

When it comes to describing a sailboats most valuable attribute, its surprising how varied opinions can be. Staying afloat should be our first priority, and although you seldom read or hear much about it at boat shows, the structural elements that hold a sailboat together are an all-important consideration.
Safety & Seamanship

Dissecting the Art of Staying Upright

When the King of Sweden ordered the newly launched warship Vasa to sea in 1628, he gave little thought to the stability implications of the bronze canons perched on two upper decks. Just 1,500 yards into her maiden voyage, the Vasa capsized and sank, relegating the fire power intended to be pointed at Poland to ignominiously sink in Stockholm Harbor. This was neither the first nor last case of poorly calculated vessel stability, and todays sailors, boat designers, naval architects, and boat builders continue to debate just how much stability is enough.
Running Rigging

Line Stowage Bags and Hooks

Sailboat cockpits will happily collect spaghetti if we let them, each sheet, halyard, and new control line adding to the confusion. The chaos is...
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