This Feinspiel Vendia boat is made from their proprietary Nordic pine plywood planks. The planks are made from sliced veneer so it looks like solid wood, but is actually ply. (Photo courtesy of Vendia)

Wooden Boat Revival: Can Boatbuilding Be Regenerative?

The dawn of the fiberglass era transformed the boatbuilding industry, making sailing more accessible and affordable. With fiberglass’s strength, low maintenance and adaptability, boat...
This completed cardboard dodger cover pattern has all of the marking elements indicating where different snaps and straps need to be sewed on. (Photo/ Marc Robic)

How to Make Dodger Cover Canvas Pattern

For those of us with dodgers, we know how truly practical they can be. They protect the crew from wind and water splashes and...
If you're looking to tie up and explore New York City on foot, there are various small marinas and moorings. However, there are more options across the river in New Jersey where you can dock and take a short ferry to NYC. (Photo/ Kim Saylor)

How Much Does It Cost to Keep a Boat on the Hudson River, New...

I have a pocket dictionary I keep in the navigation desk of our 1978 Catalina 30 called Sailing: The Fine Art of Getting Wet...
1978 Islander Bahama 30 that we’ve owned for just over 20 years. We keep her in good condition and therefore she is relatively easy for us to insure. (Photo/ Bert Vermeer)

Insurance For Older Sailboats

In our modern, risk-adverse world there is seldom the opportunity to stand alone, to be self-insured as it were. Gone are the days that...

What Are the Best Options in Hose Clamps and Barbs?

In “Stainless Steel Hose Clamps,” February 2016, we reviewed hose clamps by testing corrosion resistance and clamping security. Not a lot has changed; cheap...
The author's Catalina 270, Aquaholic, on slings. You can easily see where the slings are properly set. Even the crane seems happy! (Photo/ Marc Robic)

Haul Out Tips to Avoid Confusion and Delays

Every fall, we sailors living in the colder, wintery parts of the world, must haul out our beloved boats and set them gently onto...

Refurbishing the Inflatable Dinghy

Inflatable tenders have become the family car for many cruisers. They haul groceries, take us to snorkeling spots, shuttle guests, haul out second anchors,...

The Best Gloves for the Boatyard

We choose our sailing gloves and deck shoes with great care, because they are our interface with the boat. The same goes for work...
With Weiman Glass Cooktop Cleaner and a red Scotch-Brite pad, the author restored yellowed gelcoat in the cockpit to a near-new white shine. (Photo/ Marc Robic)

Gelcoat Cleaning and Restoring Hack

How does the saying go again? “Necessity is the mother of invention,” or something along those lines? And so it was earlier this week...
Examples of glass filler (microspheres) and glass material (cut fibers and two fabrics) for plastics reinforcement: glass microspheres (or glass beads); diameter: about 300 µm, specific gravity: 2.5. Mineral filler mainly used to increase the stiffness of a thermoset resin and to make road safety markings; 5 mm length chopped strands of fiberglass used to reinforce thermoset resins; fibrous reinforcements for thermoset resins: two glass fabrics with different area density; fiber orientation: 0 and 90° (most common): weave pattern: taffeta (down left, area density: 550 g/m2), and 2x2 twill (down right, area density: 280 g/m2). Credit: WikiCommons/CC BY-SA 3.0

A Brief Modern History of Fiberglass

Fiberglass, also known as glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), has been an integral material in modern engineering and design, especially within the marine industry. Its lightweight,...

Latest Logbook

Practical Sailor Logbook – September 2026

This month we tour the Hans Christian 48T — the offshore cruiser many sailors call the holy grail — walk the custom Antigua 60...

Video: Morgan 44 Review – The Catalina Cruiser Everyone Forgot

The 1989 Morgan 44 is a big center-cockpit cruising sailboat with Catalina DNA—but it may be one of the most overlooked boats of its...

Latest Sailboat Reviews

Bayfield 32 Used Boat Review

At first glance, the Bayfield 32 looks less like a fiberglass production boat from the 1980s and more like somebody shrank a traditional sailing...

Brewer 12.8/44 Used Boat Review

Antigua 60: Soolaimon

Pearson 35 Used Boat Review