Inside Practical Sailor

The best bilge pump in the world wont keep your boat dry if its not properly installed and maintained. While bilge pump installations are fairly straightforward-and definitely within the scope of DIY projects-there are several factors to consider (capacity, wire size, hose diameter, fuse size) before you begin, and there are some good rules of thumb to follow.

On the small island of Bolga in northern Norway, 17 nm north of the Arctic Circle, a 40-ft. catamaran lies at a quay. It...

The America’s Cup is an ornate bottomless, sterling silver ewer crafted in 1848 by Garrard's of London—who still repair it when needed. It’s an impressive...

“Ready of the fore!” a crew member called back. “Hall away the fore!” Captain Peter yelled in reply. We hoisted up the foresail, on board the...

Nestled among the super yachts berthed ostentatiously along Manhattan's North Cove—a well-to-do enclave near New York's world trade center—the 1964 Hinckley Pilot 35 Tara...

The America’s Cup Events (ACE) beginning 22nd August 2024, is a two month long plan consisting of the Louis Vuitton Challenger Cup, the Youth...

July to August is quite a nerve-wracking time for competitive sailors and spectators as two mega events begin: the Paris 2024 Olympics and the...

On June 12, we ran a piece written by contributor Roland Stockham that discussed an alternative jackline installation concept that emphasized placement of jacklines closer to a boat’s centerline to avoid the possibility of tumbling over a lifeline and getting dragged. In the process of preparing this piece, Practical Sailor improperly used a photograph illustrating this principal, which belonged to John Harries and Phyllis Nickel of the website Attainable Adventure Cruising. (John and Phyllis are pictured above aboard their boat Morgan's Cloud off Svalbard.) When we learned of this mistake, we contacted John to let him know of our violation of ACC’s copyright. This improper use of ACC’s work also led to a failure on our part to secure a model release. In the process of making amends for this mistake, we came to know and understand the hard, multi-decade work John and Phyllis have invested in Attainable Adventure Cruising. They have perfected proven safety techniques for keeping crew aboard that should become the standard for every thoughtful mariner.  You can learn more at their website www.morganscloud.com, and specifically in this Online Book. We regret the error. Tim Cole Chief Content Officer Belvoir Media Group

When shopping for—or making your own—anti-chafe gear, there are a few key things you should keep in mind. First, make sure that the material will fit your chocks and will extend far enough to prevent rails and other hardware from becoming a secondary source of abrasion. We also found that there needs to be a rugged means of preventing the gear from sliding away from where the action happens to be. There is more on this in Practical Sailor's Hurricane Preparedness Guide.

Spring is but a month away, so I am plunging once again into polishing and waxing fiberglass boat hulls. This post covers almost everything you need to know about cleaning, polishing, and waxing your boat. It includes links to our online "how-to" resources and links to our tests of various classes of products mentioned. The main purpose of the article is to provide an overview of the many archive articles we have in our library on this topic, so that you can choose which reports best apply to your situation and then dig in as deep as you like.