Inside Practical Sailor

A good sea story can hardly replace the experience of being at on the water, but for many of us it is an effective balm for the sea-starved soul. While putting together our recent report exploring the pros and cons of shoal-draft boats, I was reminded of two books I'd written about in connection with our review of the Presto 30, Rodger Martin's revival of of a 19th century design.

The experience of the owners of the 14-year-old, six-man, valise-stored Avon liferaft pictured here reminds us of the importance of following the manufacturers inspection schedule. With air leaking from the seams and through the fabric itself, the raft is a graphic example of how even a professionally serviced liferaft that remains dry in its hard canister can deteriorate to the point of becoming worthless.

As ventilation experts explore ways to make indoor spaces safer during the COVID-19 pandemic, we became curious about ventilation in our boats. As it turns out, where we install our exhaust or intake vents (portlight, hatch, or cowl) is just as important as what type of vent we use. Just as we can use the suction on the leeward side of a sail to pull the boat forward, we can use pressure differentials in the air surrounding the cabin to maximize the ventilation. Understanding the pressure differentials created by the flow of air over our boat’s deck is vital to the success of any passive ventilation scheme.

The Valiant 40 on the cover of the September issue is named Brick House and belongs to longtime contributor the late Patrick Childress and...

Our upcoming report on lifelines, stanchions, and stanchion bases brought to mind several past articles we've run on stainless steel failures. Although high-quality stainless can provide years of reliable service, sailors need to be aware of its limitations. Owners of used boats with hardware of an unknown age should be particularly scrupulous when carrying out routine inspection of stainless-steel rigging and hardware.

When making gelcoat repairs, the Preval Sprayer combines the best of the Badger 250 and the paint brush. It's quick to set up and clean, and provides adequate coverage in a single application. Best of all, it's available in auto supply and hardware stores for just $7, so when you are done with it, you can just throw it away.

Taste is as fickle as doldrum winds, and taste in sailboats are no exception. Ten years ago we explored the world of luxury daysailors,...

Let’s take away all the boats. Not the ships engaged in essential commerce, not the barges hauling goods, not the net boats catching fish....

It's nearly impossible to anticipate and prepare for every possible on-board medical emergency, but with a little bit of creative thinking, these everyday objects commonly found on most boats can be used to stop bleeding, sterilize wounds, or stabilize fractures.

While spring usually heralds the start of boating season for most of us, for others it means facing up to long-postponed projects. If you own an older boat, that project probably might be removing the years of antifouling paint that have built up on the bottom. In this blog post you'll find links to a number of useful articles to help guide you through this process.