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Mailport & PS Advisor

PS Advisor: Acid Cleaning Potable Water Systems

You won’t find recommendations or articles from health authorities about sanitizing plumbing or drinking water equipment with vinegar because it isn’t very effective. Some...

Mailport: Clew knots, sail paints, fighting mildew

LOVE HITCH AT THE CLEW Regarding your recent report “In Search of a Snag-free Clew,” (see PS February 2024), even luggage tags can catch on...

Simplifying Your Cleaning Chemicals Kit

Instead of requiring 30 random cleaning products, you would need only four or five with carefully targeted chemistry. Thats it-no more than five cleaners to serve most purposes. Here are the basics to building your own kit.

Check Your Shorepower System for Hidden Dangers

One of the often overlooked maintenance items in the pre-season rush to the water is the AC shorepower system. Over the years of surveying, Ive amassed a small collection of scary photos from past surveys showing the common examples of neglect to this critical system.

Mailport: Water heater mystery smell

WATER HEATER MYSTERY SMELL I just read your Waypoints blog post “Hot Water Heater Installation Tips,” and wanted to share my experience. I recently installed...

Mailport: Aftermarket exhaust; window replacement; epoxy blurp

AFTERMARKET EXHAUST I have really appreciated the refit series from John Stone you’ve published (see “Rebuilding a Cape Dory 36,” PS November 2022). As someone beginning to...

Gybing Spinnakers without Getting Snagged

Last month’s report on preventing jib sheets for snagging while tacking (see “In Search of the Snag-free Clew,” PS February 2024) brought up a...

Mailport: Marine plywood, fuel additives, through bolt options, winch handle holders

DIFFERENTIATING FIRS I enjoyed your destructive wood testing and your patience in waiting eight years to report comprehensive results (see PS December 2023, “Wood Rot...

The Cruising Sailor’s Argument for High-tech Fibers

We’re not racers. A few ounces doesn’t matter to us, so why should we be interested in Dyneema, or any of the other popular...

PS Advisor: Saving “Furry” Plywood Backing Plate

Recently, a reader asked us about the plywood backing plates for a through-hull on his boat. He said that the top laminate appeared “furry”...

Has Fountaine Pajot Broken the 44 Foot Catamaran Market

Is the Fountaine Pajot 44 really one of the cheapest ways to buy a brand-new 44-foot cruising catamaran… and if so, what’s the catch?...

Latest Sailboat Review

Moody 46 CC Used Boat Review

Comfort, robustness, performance—choose two. At least, that’s the usual tradeoff to keep in mind when buying a sailboat. A stout and solid boat with...