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Mailport & PS Advisor

Mailport: Winch handle holster, sea dogs, and core repair

MAST-CLIMBING ABOVE THE HOUNDS Regarding your recent blog post on mast climbing (see “Going Aloft Sans Butterflies,” Inside Practical Sailor), my fractional rigged boat has...

PS Advisor: A DIY Bucket with Perfect Fit

Perhaps one reason our buckets keep cracking is that we have to compress them a bit to fit them through the 10-inch rectangular hatch...

Mailport: Boat heaters, digital charts, photophobia, downsizing

HEATING EFFICIENCY I just saw, with interest, your article about onboard fireplace safety, with the emphasis on safety (see “LPG Fireplace Safety Guidelines,” Inside Practical Sailor)....

PS Advisor: Backing Plate and Self-tapping Screw Tips

Athreaded backing plate is a common approach to eliminating nuts in through bolts. We’ve used threaded backing plates for mounting jammers to thin-walled spars...

Mailport: winch handle holders; pets on board

THE WINCH HOLSTER With regards to your recent report on winch handle holders (see “Winch Handle Holders,” PS July/August 2023), another approach to winch handle...

PS Advisor: Combatting Mildew on a Moored Boat

In your recent report “Understanding Dew Point to Prevent Mildew,” (see Inside Practical Sailor blog) there is the comment, “curiously, the best way to...

Mailport: Tillers, bilge pumps, and lazy jacks

REDUCING CHAIN TWIST With regards to responses to your Inside PS blog post on chain twist “How Well Do Swivels Reduce Chain Twist?” as with...

PS Advisor: Using Acids to Clean Propellers

We recently received a letter from a reader asking us which acids might be used to clean a bronze propeller. Although we’ve found it...

Mailport: Tillers, bilge pumps, and lazy jacks

TILLERS VS. WHEEL I sailed a Yankee 30 for 10 years — tiller steering — and recently moved up to a “big sister” of the...

PS Advisor: Complacency and the Experienced Sailor

The past few years have made it clear that age and experience doesn’t necessarily translate into safety on the water. In fact, a number...

Island Packet 370: What You Should Know | Boat Review

Interested in buying an Island Packet 370 sailboat? Find an Island Packet for sale? Looking to sell your boat? Practical Sailor editor Tim Labute...