Product Hacks: Velcro, Bounce, Anti-Skid Mats and Pool Lights
Here are a few product hacks to help keep your boat organized, bug free and lit properly.
3M COMMAND© VELCRO® STRIPS
If you’re like me and...
Stopping Holding-tank Odors
In response to our summer report on chemical treatments for holding tanks, Practical Sailor readers wrote in, suggesting we check out the products that have kept their boats smelling sweet. Our initial look at odor-fighting agents included some disappointing deodorizing products as well as the latest generation of holding tank treatments-those that use enzymes, bacteria nutrients, and live bacteria to kill odors more naturally, and often more effectively. This round, we included additional new-generation products from Happy Camper, Zoal, Bactank T3, Raritan, Forespar, Yara Chemicals, and Rid-X. Once again, the bacterial products were favored over the disinfectants.
Giving Bugs the Big Goodbye
Were not naturally bug phobic, but when they eat our food, clothes, or boat, something needs to be done. Since we don't like heavy doses of pesticides in a space as small as a boat, lets first look at low impact approaches that focus on specific pests. After that, well look at the more potent approaches
Galley Gadgets for the Cruising Sailor
Historically, the cook has always enjoyed a privileged position on board a boat. And no wonder, since the cook almost always works the hardest, whether the boat is underway or at anchor. While the navigator and helmsmans job is no less critical, the nerve-wracking labor of maintaining a steady course and plotting an accurate DR position has nearly evaporated in recent years, thanks to GPS, chartplotters, and autopilots. The cooks job, on the other hand, hasn't gotten a whole lot easier. So, in honor of the hardest working crew, Ive put together a list of five items that can help make a cooks life easier underway. Id be interested in hearing what other suggestions our readers have.
The Rain Catcher’s Guide
An efficient, clean rainwater catchment isn't just for cruisers venturing into remote areas. While biologically safe, many areas of the U.S. are served by well water that is not chlorinated, high in sulfate that makes it prone to going bad. When stored in the absence of oxygen, the sulfate becomes the preferred oxygen source for microorganisms and hydrogen sulfide is the byproduct. Only .05 parts per million (ppm) sulfide is required to make water distasteful. Even if the water at your next marina is fresh and sweet, filling from an unfamiliar source is always a roll of the dice.
Those Extras you Don’t Need But Love to Have
As a full-time live-aboard, you learn to make some sacrifices. You ultimately become your own little island so you must learn to ration your...
Three-Model BBQ Test
We fired up gas models from five makers. The Force 10 is our overall winner, and Magma edges Si-Port II in a clash of kettles.
Alcohol Stoves— Swan Song or Rebirth?
Vaporized alcohol stoves have long been praised for their safety and simplicity. For decades, Origo’s popular vaporizing alcohol stove dominated the small boat market,...
Living Aboard with an Alcohol Stove
When we downsized from a cruising cat to a sporty trimaran, we also downsized to an Origo stove. Familiar to many small-boat sailors, the...
Choosing the Right Fuel for Your Alcohol Stove
By law, ethanol is subject to considerable taxes and restrictions on sale unless denatured (rendered undrinkable) by adding solvents or other unpalatable ingredients. The...
Carl Alberg’s Family Sailboat for the Ocean – Alberg 37
Are you looking for a family sailboat that can cross the ocean and sail the Caribbean in safety and comfort? Carl Alberg designed the...
Latest Sailboat Review
Hunter 45DS Used Boat Review
Hunter Marine unveiled its latest large cruising monohull, the Hunter 45DS, in late 2007. The boat is essentially an upgrade of the 44DS, with twin wheels, a new transom, new styling, and a roomier, reconfigured interior. Hunter has sold 152 hulls since the boats debut, making it a fairly successful endeavor. To increase the Hunter 45DSs interior volume, designer Glenn Henderson opted for relatively high freeboard and additional length. Henderson also matched a nearly elliptical rudder with a smaller keel. The 54-horsepower Yanmar auxiliary engine moved the Hunter through calm water at 8 knots at 3,000 rpm. Testers sailed the 45-footer in flat water and 13.5 knots of wind, making 5.8 knots and were able to tack through 110 degrees. The current base price of the Hunter is $268,990.