Are Boatbuilders Expecting Miracle Glues?
Don’t ask an adhesive to do more than it can. If a bolt breaks, we accept it as deterioration or faulty design, not a...
Bulletproof Sailboat Deck Hardware
Rock-solid deck hardware installation begins with a tightly sealed core.
Installing new hardware on a cored deck means sealing the core around every penetration. Skip...
Is Azek the New Starboard?
I’d heard Azek described as a low cost alternative to Starboard, but never paid much attention. I’d used a few boards around the house,...
Sailing Gear of the Year 2021
What a difference a year makes! Last year, Practical Sailor testers were holed up in their home workshops, garages, basements, and home offices, meeting...
A Beach Plastic Disposal Dilemma
Ninety percent of micro plastics generation comes from laundry fibers. Fortunately, standard primary, plus secondary wastewater treatment removes 88-94 percent of this, lowering laundry’s...
DIY Desiccating Head Options
No standard dry toilet, even the CHead Shorty, would fit the available space on our Corsair F-24, so we decided to build our own....
Packing Extraction Tool Tested
The packing material encircling your shaft and tucked out of sight inside the packing nut is truly your boat’s Achilles heel. Installed improperly it...
Even 2020 Yielded Some Great Gear
Once more, the bulk of the past year’s testing focused on maintenance products, safety essentials, and do-it-yourself substitutes for higher priced marine gear. Part...
Cannister Dissection Yields Surprises but Few Defects
Different filter manufacturers can chose different rating systems that rely on different statistical values for filtration. The higher the percentage at a given rating, the more effective. Interestingly, the effective rating changes over time, as particles clog up the media, making the holes smaller.
Measure, Cut, Glue and Repeat
Generally, a deep locker will have a recessed lid. Some modification may be needed to fit locker bags.
Catalina 25 Sailboat Tour
This Catalina 25 review also explains the important differences between the swing keel, fixed fin keel and wing keel versions, along with the standard...
Latest Sailboat Reviews
Gemini 31/3000 Used Boat Review
The funny thing about the Gemini is that it's an old design. Ken Shaw drew the lines in 1969. There's nothing particularly contemporary about it. However, by painting the cabin sides black (Euro styling), adding a swept-back fiberglass "pilothouse" and gradually adding length to the full-bodied hulls, the Gemini has always looked like she belonged with her contemporaries, whether that was the 1980s or 1990s.
