Darrell Nicholson

Editor

Recent Stories From this Author

Farewell to the Wood-Trimmed Boat?
July 19, 2017 Do we still want exterior wood on our boats today? Is synthetic a fair substitute? When we stepped aboard the 36-foot Island...

Dealing with Bad Diesel
May 19, 2017 About this time of year, many of our readers will experience a gradual loss of engine power, maybe even a complete shut down....

Do You Want to Go Sailing?
March 15, 2017 It’s hard to describe the curiosity I felt when I first saw the above photograph on the cover of the 2017 catalog for Defender...

The Pros and Cons of the Rigid, Fiberglass Dinghy
February 13, 2017 Dinghies are the Rodney Dangerfields of cruising. They get no respect, or at least not as much as they deserve. The little...

More Boat Tips: Unsticking Stuck Nuts and Bolts
January 15, 2017 My friend Nick and I had a discussion the other day about which bolts were tougher to break free: shaft-coupling bolts or the...

The Ultimate Test Boat
January 12, 2017 I’ve been the fortunate witness to the rebirth of a boat and the inspiring maturation of a boy. And Practical Sailor readers...

Caught Between Two Homers
December 12, 2016 Technical Editor Ralph Naranjo’s report on risk management in this month’s issue sent me scouring the Internet for the origins...

Winter Without Worries
November 9, 2016 During my admittedly few winters above the frost belt, I have only fond memories of the last few days of the season. And I’ve...

Testing Winches with Dale
October 13, 2016 Part 2 of our winch test this month brought back fond memories of the man who helped steer me into my position as PS’s...

The Price of Radio Silence
September 13, 2016 I hope there are some parents or grandparents out there with some sage advice for a man in my predicament. I didn’t realize...