Deck-Fill Fuel Filters
The expensive Baja filter, oft-mentioned in these pages, did very well in these tests—but West Marine's new Teflon-based filter did better for less, by means of a simple water-separating scheme.
Varnish Exposure Finale
After two years of constant exposure, the test frame is getting rickety, but the teak is sound, as are about a quarter of the varnish applications.
Chrome Cleaners
Collinite makes a great boat wax, but its #850 Metal Wax did not appear particularly effective and, at $10.95/pint, is fairly expensive as well....
Vinyl Cleaners
Waldo Semon, a rubber scientist in the early 1920s, had been tinkering around in search of a formula that would yield a synthetic adhesive....
Multi-Purpose Boat Poles
With boathook, mop, squeegee, and net attachments, telescoping poles save space aboard and are quite handy. The MPS Perfect Pole's no-look locking mechanism helps it earn top honors.
Keeping Willow From Weeping
Contributing Editor Scott Rosenthal has been getting ready for his annual summer cruise. For now, though, he's knuckle-deep in goop.
Offshore Log: Setting Up a Maintenance Program
A written maintenance log is the only way to keep up with the entropy of systems and schedules.
Bottom Paints 2002
Micron Extra from Interlux and Pettit's Trinidad SR are still top-notch paints, but running nearly neck-and-neck with the coppers is E-Paint's EP 2000.
Bilge Absorbers
Standard flat sheets perform far better in our tests than the fancier, more expensive kinds.
Plastics Versus Weather: The Nature of a Losing Battle
Here's a short, painless lesson on plastics and the abuses of nature, with a sidebar on goops we like.
The Fastest Cruising Sailboat in the World?
What is the fastest cruising sailboat in the world—and can a monohull really compete with catamarans for speed while still being livable? In this...
Latest Sailboat Review
Pearson 37 and 37-2 Used Boat Review
This 1981 Bill Shaw design is a late-IOR racer/cruiser.