Paints

Gelcoat Repair Kits: Bondo Best

In the beginning, there was paint, and for a long time the repair of scratches and gouges was relatively simple.

Update: Honey Teak Has Staying Power

Last March, we reported the initial results of a new long-term varnish exposure test. What a difference a year makes!

Varnish Exposure Test

20 different brands are brushed on teak panels and put out to weather in the sun, rain and snow. Here’s a 6-month report.

Our 10th Annual Bottom Paint Test

Micron Optima rates best at preventing growth on hulls, but its short pot life makes runners-up Trinidad SR, ACP Ultima and Micron CSC Extra look equally good.û

Offshore Log: In Search of the Magic Finish

Most varnishes don’t last long in the tropics and, unfortunately for Nick, Calypso has a laminated captrail that requires protection.

Spring Maintenance:Smith & Co. CEPS and Honey Teak Best Gloss Teak Treatments

A trend in recent years has been the gradual elimination of exterior teak on boats. This is understandable, given the amount of time and...

Spring Maintenance: Antifouling Tests ’99

There are many rites of spring-trees bud, houses are cleaned, young mens fancies turn and boaters get ready for a new season on...

Spring Maintenance:Smith & Co. CEPS and Honey Teak Best Gloss Teak Treatments

A trend in recent years has been the gradual elimination of exterior teak on boats. This is understandable, given the amount of time and...

Antifouling Paints: Year Seven

The summer of 1997 was the seventh consecutive year weve been running tests on antifouling bottom coatings. It was a year that saw an...

Liquid Wax vs. Paste Wax

Last May we noted in a brief report that a young fellow named Adam Boulay had given us a sample of a new liquid...

The Tartan 365: A Modern Cruiser with Performance Pedigree

Welcome aboard the Tartan 365, a modern performance cruiser that blends innovative design, speed, and luxurious comfort. In this video, we take a detailed...

Latest Sailboat Review

Hunter 45DS Used Boat Review

Hunter Marine unveiled its latest large cruising monohull, the Hunter 45DS, in late 2007. The boat is essentially an upgrade of the 44DS, with twin wheels, a new transom, new styling, and a roomier, reconfigured interior. Hunter has sold 152 hulls since the boats debut, making it a fairly successful endeavor. To increase the Hunter 45DSs interior volume, designer Glenn Henderson opted for relatively high freeboard and additional length. Henderson also matched a nearly elliptical rudder with a smaller keel. The 54-horsepower Yanmar auxiliary engine moved the Hunter through calm water at 8 knots at 3,000 rpm. Testers sailed the 45-footer in flat water and 13.5 knots of wind, making 5.8 knots and were able to tack through 110 degrees. The current base price of the Hunter is $268,990.