Inside Practical Sailor

Perhaps you are on the fence this summer. The drive is too far, the cost too high, or the child says, It doesn't sound like much fun. There are a million reasons to encourage your child (or grandchild) to sail this summer. Here are a few that I like.

One of the most common questions we get regarding marine varnish is what kind of finish is best for a mast. Even though aluminum has long since replaced Sitka spruce as the material of choice for a sailboat mast, there is no shortage of boats that still have wooden masts. Many of the Taiwanese-built boats of the 70s and 80s had wooden masts, and of course, a wide range of U.S.-built classics still have their original wooden masts.

My old home island of Guam got whacked by a Supertyphoon Mawar on Wednesday. Power is still out, so still no word from friends....

Away we go. A well earned summer of sailing is fast upon us. If your boat isn't already in the water, it will be soon. Amid all the excitement of launch day—your desire to be back in the water, and the boatyard’s eagerness to make room for another client (cha-ching)— there’s a chance something might get missed. A pre-launch checklist can help avoid spoiling the big day.

A sailing auxiliary engine should never be fully relied upon to bash into a storm; they are not sized for that. In many boats,...

As our long-term test of sanitation hose winds its way through another long, hot-and progressively smellier-summer, it is a good time to think about ways to keep your plumbing system from becoming an olfactory horror. Here are some of the tips that hose manufacturers shared with us when we launched our test of sanitation hose.

With all the rain this spring, boaters in almost every region of the U.S. are dealing with mildew on their boat. For many of us mildew is a year-round problem, but it can be especially acute in spring. Many boaters combat mildew on their boat the same way they deal with it at home—they buy some bottled spray (usually with some form of bleach in it) and spray away, hoping for the best. But unless they have a general undestanding of the relationship between surface temperature and humidity, this will be a never-ending battle that in the long run could do more harm than good. For example, take mildewed vinyl-covered foam ceiling liners. Installed over a non-cored hull, these are virtually guaranteed to sweat, even if deck fitting leaks don't get them first. In cases like this and many others, the key to preventing recurring mold or mildew is a thoughtful approach to insulation.

The starting point for a successful solar panel installation is quantifying your power requirements. How many days can you manage with poor generation? Are you willing to economize during a long cloudy stretch? Will you recharge at a marina or by running the engine periodically? Long-term cruisers appreciate an abundance of power, while the occasional cruisers may be satisfied with less. Here we present a simple analysis based on the test boat used for our recent report on choosing and installing a solar panel. Some values are based on our experience, and others are accepted rules of thumb.

If you're going to sail you'll be doing some stitching-no two ways about it. That doesn't mean you have to go overboard with sail repair tools. Don't jump into the $100 do-everything kit. Start with a modest kit, adding tools and materials only as your skills grow and projects require them. Chances are, you already have most of what you need in your other supply lockers or tool boxes.

Although you can allow your varnish and hull paint to fade, crack, or peel with no more penalty than the disdain of those who mistake shine for soul, you don't want to let your non-skid deck paint lose its grip. Even the most soulful boat evokes a sense of pity if its owner is lying flat on their back asking for help.