Camera Gear for Cruisers: A Buyer’s Guide

You love sailing. You love (or like) photography, and you want to share some of the spectacular things you find out on the water...

Lithium-Ion and LFP Battery Fires: The Real Risks Sailors Face

Before we consider the safety issues of lithium-ion batteries, we should remember that lead acid batteries are not without risk. Apart from the obvious...

Servicing Your Wheel-Drive Autopilot

A reliable autopilot is great to have onboard because it gives you opportunities to rest your arms and/or eat while under way while still...

Taking Starlink Offshore: What the Gen 2 and Mini Can Really Do

Sailing used to mean disconnecting from the everyday—for some, it still does. Days were spent watching the waves roll by, adjusting sails, reading books,...

Handheld VHF Radio Buyer’s Guide: Explore 20 Models, from Low-Cost to High-End

VHF radios are not included among the minimal safety equipment required on pleasure craft by the US Coast Guard, but they should be. VHF...

Budget Nav: Build a Fault-Tolerant Electronic Navigation System for Under $3,000

When I started sailing, navigation gear consisted of a paper chart, a few drawing instruments and a compass. Instruments usually consisted of a single...

LFP vs. Lead Acid: Eight Things Every Sailor Must Know Before Switching

Marketing literature does a good job of promoting the primary advantages of lithium iron phosphate batteries (LFP or LiFePo4), such as life expectancy, weight,...

Energy Recovery Watermakers: Running a Watermaker on Solar and Batteries

Let's dig into the truth to the 75-80% power reduction claims for Energy Recovery Watermakers, review some comparison data, chat with the inventors, and...

Wireless Engine Cut-Off Switches Evolve Into Man-Overboard Alarm Systems

Even sailing greenhorns are familiar with those red coiled lanyards that are, theoretically, attached from an engine’s cut-off switch (ECOS) to the operator’s life...

Do Hybrid Propulsion Systems Make Sense on Small Boats?

In the article “Is All-Electric Propulsion Practical on Small Sailboats?” we explored the current state of technology for all-electric marine propulsion. We concluded that...

Bayfield 32 Boat Tour – The Canadian Cruiser That Crossed the...

In this Bayfield 32 boat tour, we explore the deck, cockpit, cabin layout, galley, sleeping accommodations, construction and sailing characteristics. We also look at...
Catalina 25 Sailboat Tour video from Practical Sailor

Catalina 25 Sailboat Tour

Latest Sailboat Reviews

Nicholson 31: A Project Boat Story

"If I'd known then what I know now," laughs Matt, "I'd have covered it in petrol and walked away." It's not quite the endorsement you'd...