Marine refrigeration: Thermoelectric Cooler Test

The main drawback of thermoelectric coolers is power usage. This will likely be an issue during extended use or for boats with small battery banks and anemic charging systems. The 106-130 amp load, over a 24-hour period, is about twice as much demand as a built-in evaporative sytem and about three times the demand of the most efficient-and most expensive-installed systems. Also, thermoelectric units are limited in their ability to cool internal temperatures, usually to a maximum of about 40 degrees below the ambient temperature.

Mailport: 12/06

MARINE INSURANCE REDUXI have been reading with much interest your articles about marine insurance this year (April and May 2006).

Rhumb Lines — Getting a Fix on Reality

It was mid-July 1990 on the Caicos Banks, a stretch of shallow, gin-clear water extending for about 70 miles east to west in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Along with a dozen other cruisers whod chosen to thumb our noses at hurricane season (ah, those were simpler times), we were pausing in Providenciales before heading south. …

Two-burner Cooktops

Force 10 takes top honors; Origo named Budget Buy.

Compact Cookers

Petite, portable, and powerful: Single-burners face off.

Pint-Sized Propane Locker

Explosive and heavier than air, propane is not the sort of thing you want beneath your bunk. The grills we tested this month (See...

The Great Grill-a-thon

Testing the toys of summer: 4 grills, 2 kettles, 36 burgers.

The practical griller

We get a masochistic sort of pleasure out of our messier tests, but we don't typically share those details. This months grill test is...

PS Finds Out Whos Keeping It Cool

Zero Degrees is a bargain at $20; CIs Music Cooler delivers tunes to boot.

Finally Cheap Enough to Be Dangerous – This 42-Foot Jeanneau DS

Tour the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42DS, a 42-foot cruising sailboat that may be one of the most tempting used sailboats on the market. With...

Latest Sailboat Reviews

Pearson Rhodes 41/Rhodes Bounty II Used Sailboat Review

Buyers looking for a good used sailboat should ask themselves, When is a bargain really a bargain? The time-tested Pearson Rhodes 41 is one of the most popular boats on the used-boat market. They have a strong following, and an aging Pearson 41 with a previous owners accumulated TLC is one of the smartest buys among used boats. The Pearson 41 is a modest draft sailboat with a lean, long overhang and real sea berths. It features a solid fiberglass hull with encapsulated lead ballast. The low-aspect sailplan, which relies on a big genoa to boost horsepower. The Pearson 41 has an easy motion and enough functional space to qualify as a good inshore or offshore cruiser. It makes an excellent DIY candidate. Most of the 50 Pearson Rhodes 41s, built from 1961 to 1968, are still around today and have a cult following, making it one of the most sought-after used boats.