Paints

Sodablasting 101

Owning a boat is an exercise in perspective. A gale can make a sailboat feel like a canoe, while the prospect of bottom paint...

Past Adventures with Chemical Strippers

Our foray into sodablasting follows years of testing several different ways to remove bottom paint. Although you can simply attack the bottom paint with...

Practical Sailor’s 2011 Gear of the Year Picks

Pressure CookerOur Gear of the Year galley pick is the Kuhn Rikon Duromatic spring-valve pressure cooker. Pressure cookers are the cruiser’s answer to the...

Maintenance All-Stars

 Multi-Purpose CleanersWe set out looking for one do-it-all cleaner, because really, who wants to buy every pricey specialty cleaner on the market? As it...

The Best Marine Varnish: Exterior Wood Finish Tests

Like spotting land after a long passage, were glad to say that the end of our long-term exterior wood finishes test is finally on...

Antifouling Test 18-month Checkup

PETTIT/WEST MARINEWith most of its tested paints still fighting hard growth, Pettit Paints—including the some newly reformulated blends it supplies for West Marine—are excelling...

It Takes a Tough Sailor to Make a Smooth Boat Bottom

Fairing in through hull fittings will go a long way toward reducing bot­tom drag in light air, but it won't really do the job...

Professional Advice for Do It Yourself Boat Blister Repairs

Earlier this year, reader and occasional contributor Fred Hatch found himself facing a quandary common among boat owners. The topsides of his 32-foot sloop...

Sparkling Brightwork: Careful Attention to the Details

It takes practice to produce a perfect, mirror finish on varnished wood, but it is not so much a difficult task as an exacting...

Upgrading the C&C 33 Part II

Part 2-For hull bottom and topside repair, we love our Porter-Cable random orbit sander and WEST System Microlight Fairing Compound. Micron CSC bottom paint...

Tayana 37: What You Should Know | Boat Review

Looking to buy a 35-40 foot sailboat? Considering a Tayana 37? See a Tayana 37 for sale? What are the pros and cons of...