Tools & Gadgets

Personal Rescue Lights: Less Than Brilliant

ACR slightly outshone the rest of a dim group. These lights can help in a quick pick-up, but youre unlikely to see them beyond a half-mile in most sea conditions.

Wiz Oil Filter Cutter

All too often boat owners keep tabs on the condition of their engines by simply running them: If they start and run smoothly...

The Happy Hooker and Other Ingenious (de)Vices

Boat hook attachments to make docking and picking up moorings less terrifying.

Looking for the Perfect Inflatable Pump

The time it takes to fill an inflatable with air to the proper pressure is a function not only of the size of the...

Lifesling Goes Throwable

Were safety conscious at Practical Sailor. Readers know that, from the numerous articles about our in-the-water and bench tests. We rarely fail to comment...

ITT Night Vision 260-A Star Among Night Vision Scopes

When the only thing that keeps you from going aground at night is an unlit channel marker buoy, a night-vision device suddenly becomes less...

Crimp Connections: AMP Super Champ and Ancor Our Top Picks

One of the most nettlesome areas of boating electronics is making dependable wire connections that will last for years. Because marine elements are conspiring...

Offshore Log:Life With The Little Wonder

The search for potable water is the bane of the long-distance cruisers existence. In the US, we take cheap, easily accessible water of decent...

Offshore Log:Life With The Little Wonder

The search for potable water is the bane of the long-distance cruisers existence. In the US, we take cheap, easily accessible water of decent...

Odyssey: A Lightweight 12-volt With Punch

The first thing we can tell you about the 12-volt Odyssey battery is that it came in the mail—UPS to be exact—which is an...

Carl Alberg’s Family Sailboat for the Ocean – Alberg 37

Are you looking for a family sailboat that can cross the ocean and sail the Caribbean in safety and comfort? Carl Alberg designed the...

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.