Mailport & PS Advisor

Safety Tips for Small Propane Bottles

We’ve reported on the need for proper propane installation, including vented lockers and leak detectors (“Some Propane Dos and Don’ts,” PS February 2014), but...

Mailport: November 2020

Shredding old Classics Ralph Naranjo broke my heart with his reference to the 31-foot Tripp Seafarer being sent off to the chipper (see PS October...

Beat Boatyard Heat with Personal AC

I first came across ice vests in industry, where I wore them under sandblasting protective suits, inside hot oil tanks, and in certain hot...

Mailport: Water Transportation

Folding Kayak I urge you to consider the Oru folding kayaks in your next Kayak Update. They’re more expensive than the inflatables you reviewed, but...

PS Advisor: Grounding and bonding

A client sent me an excerpt from your eBook “Marine Electrical Systems,” and I was a surprised to see the following line of thought. Use...

Mailport: Fuel Additives

Fuel Additives in Europe It was interesting to read your fuel additive tests (see “Are Copper, Zinc, and Brass Mucking Up Our Fuel?, PS December...

Simple Tricks for When You’re Going Aloft

Early summer is about the time we notice that something needs our attention at the top of the mast—an antennae connection, faulty mast light,...

Mailport: Hull Waxing, Sea Anchors, Solent Stays

Waxing Before Storing In the Caribbean, it is common practice to wax a boat before lay-up for hurricane season, then again after returning to the...

Return to Sailing in the Midst of COVID-19

COVID-19 is going to drag out. A vaccine and significant herd immunity are both more than a year away. We’ll flatten the curve and...

Mailport: Bird Repellants, Bilge Switches, Mini-Scuba

Alphabetical Boat Reviews? What happened to your alphabetized boat reviews? I’m looking for a boat and can’t find the review I was looking at before....

This 40 Foot Sailboat Has the Best Owner’s Bed Ever Built...

If you’re shopping for a 40-foot cruising sailboat and actually plan to live aboard or cruise, comfort matters — and nowhere does that matter...

Latest Sailboat Review

Union 36 Used Boat Review

While not the best boat for light-air sailing, the Union 36 is a good sailboat for the bluewater cruiser. It wont get you there fast, but it will get you there comfortably and in one piece. The boats teak decks and lavish use of interior wood is attractive but requires much upkeep and maintenance. A product of the Taiwan-U.S. boatbuilding industry, the Union 36 is a heavy-displacement, full-keel, cutter-rigged double-ender designed for ocean sailing. The Union 36 is nearly identical to several other boats built during the same period: the Hans Christian 36, Mariner Polaris 36, and the EO36. According to well-known naval architect Bob Perry, the Union 36 and its cousins are all based on the design of a 34-footer that Perry was commissioned to create back in the early 70s.