Varnish Exposure Update (and Coatings Recap)

Paint and varnish shouldn't be too difficult to understand: They're coatings you apply with a brush, roller or pad to protect or beautify the...

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...

10 Things You Should Never Bring on a Sailboat

What should you never bring on a sailboat? In this Practical Sailor top 10 countdown, we’re looking at the forbidden items that don’t belong...

Latest Sailboat Reviews

Beneteau 38.1 Boat Review

The Beneteau 38.1, considered by many sailors to be an optimal size for a coastal cruising couple with occasional guests, has been in production...