DIY Projects

PS Advisor: Tank Monitor and Camera Mount Hacks

Fuel tanks typically have a mechanical gauge, but water tanks can cause corrosion and waste tanks will foul the typical mechanical flat mechanism. As...

Rebuilding a Cape Dory 36 Part IV

This is the fourth article in a five-part series describing the rebuild of our 1982 Cape Dory 36 and how we turned it into...

Bottom Paints for Brackish Water at 1 Year

For more than four decades, Practical Sailor has been testing bottom paints, although for the first few years, the topic really didn’t draw much...

Rebuilding a Cape Dory 36 Part III

This is Part III of a multi-part series describing the rebuilding of our 1982 Cape Dory 36. In Part I (PS November 2022), I...

Mailport: Dinghy Rollers, Prop Paints, Bosun chairs

DINGHY BEACH ROLLERS Regarding your Inside PS blog, “Building a Better Boat Fender,” inflatable dinghy beach rollers also work great as fenders. They serve two...

Rebuilding a Cape Dory 36 Part II

In Part I of this series, I described the steps we took to set our rebuild up for success. Part II describes our gutting...

Mailport: Headsets, Factory AC, Cowboy Coffee

PRAISE FOR EARTEC A few months ago we purchased the Eartec UL2S UltraLITE Wireless Microphone System. We tested them at home and detected a slight...

Rebuilding a Cape Dory 36

This is Part 1 in a multi-part series detailing the rebuilding of our then 35 year old Cape Dory 36 sailboat. The purpose of...

A Rough Game Plan for Tackling the Dodger

Like most equipment found aboard sailboats, canvas work quality is linked to the material chosen and how the parts are put together. In this...

Mailport: Noise control, outboard maintenance, fuel tanks, powerline safety

E15 IN CARBURETORS I enjoyed your E15 fuel article in the September edition of Practical Sailor “Gas Engine Owners Beware of E15.” I don’t think that the picture...

Living on a Boat Off Grid: What No One Explains

Living on a boat off-grid sounds simple until you actually try it. No shore power. No marina hookups. No endless electricity. Just batteries, solar,...

Latest Sailboat Review

Union 36 Used Boat Review

While not the best boat for light-air sailing, the Union 36 is a good sailboat for the bluewater cruiser. It wont get you there fast, but it will get you there comfortably and in one piece. The boats teak decks and lavish use of interior wood is attractive but requires much upkeep and maintenance. A product of the Taiwan-U.S. boatbuilding industry, the Union 36 is a heavy-displacement, full-keel, cutter-rigged double-ender designed for ocean sailing. The Union 36 is nearly identical to several other boats built during the same period: the Hans Christian 36, Mariner Polaris 36, and the EO36. According to well-known naval architect Bob Perry, the Union 36 and its cousins are all based on the design of a 34-footer that Perry was commissioned to create back in the early 70s.