Inflatable-dinghy Paint Torture Test
Durability and elasticity are our principal comparative factors in this test, but testers also considered ease of application, coating adhesion to substrate, resistance to...
What About Bottom Paint for Inflatable Boats?
There are two schools of thought when it comes to applying antifouling paint to an inflatable-bottom dinghy (as opposed to a RIB, which has...
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...
Four Solvents for Nearly Every Boat Job
As with cleaners (see One Bucket Cleaning Kit, May 2017) its easy to be over-specific with solvents. Pretty soon, we end up with a...
Making Sense of Solvents
The paint aisle is crowded with products to thin or clean up everything. Your dockmate suggests that X is the stronger solvent, that Y...
First Look at New Eco Paints and Hard Ablatives
In late 2011, Practical Sailor launched a test that focused exclusively on new antifouling paints that had been introduced in the previous year or...
The No Expense Spared Antigua 60 Cruising Sailboat Soolaimon
Join us for a boat tour of the gorgeous Antigua 60 cruising sailboat Soolaimon. She boasts electric winches, a mighty Lofrans electric windlass, and...
