Cold Weather Clothes to Extend the Sailing Season
Whether you want to cruise the higher latitudes or extend your sailing season this winter, youll need to think about clothing. Over the years, Practical Sailor has published a number of tests and reports on garments that we can count on to keep us warm when the wind chill dips toward freezing. In this report, well take a broader look at the essentials, focusing on the first principles; under layers, accessories, how to wear them, and what materials stay dry.
Five Best Gloves: Sailing and DIYing in All Weather
Hands take a beating while sailing, from chafe, pressure points, cuts and cold. Hard heads will say “you just need to let the calluses...
Sailing Gear for Kids
Whether your mini crewmembers are bound for a weekend family cruise or summer sailing camp, equipping them with the right gear will ensure their days on the water are safer and more fun for everyone. PS editors have put together a list of our favorite, must-have kids products for summer sailing. Some of the items are kid-sized versions of adult products that were top performers in our past lab and long-term tests, and we can vouch for their quality, performance, and durability. Others are products that have survived kid torture testing for at least one season and have earned two thumbs-up.
What’s the Best Sunscreen?
Social media seems to be stirring up fear that sunscreen is more than harmful than beneficial, without legitimate studies to support this fear mongering....
UV Clothing: Is It Worth the Hype?
Skin cancer is a real killer. It’s a rare sailor over 40 who hasn’t had spots removed or knows someone who has. The farther...
Preparing Yourself for Solo Sailing
Last week, I covered some of the things I suggest you need to think through on the boat before heading out solo. Now, what...
How to Select Crew for a Passage or Delivery
Lots of skippers—in fact probably most—do not want to sail solo and I am the last person to try to encourage them to change...
Preparing A Boat to Sail Solo
You have probably heard people say sailing solo is dangerous or irresponsible. How can you keep a proper watch? What happens if you have...
Re-sealing the Seams on Waterproof Fabrics
Rain gear can represent a substantial investment, and it always seems to start leaking long before the garment appears worn. Sometimes the coating wears...
Safer Sailing: Add Leg Loops to Your Harness
Recent fatalities involving racing sailors raised a long-simmering concern weve had regarding the harness and tether design, and the shortcomings of current design when used aboard boats that cruise at double-digit speeds. Although these harness and tethers might keep a sailor from going overboard, the impact loads transmitted via the harness and tether can exceed what the human body can endure (see Building a Custom Safety Tether, PS December 2017).
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
Irwin Citation 34 Used Boat Review
The Irwin 34 is in many respects a typical Irwin boat. It was originally called the "Citation 34," which was meant to indicate that it was more of a plush cruiser than the race-oriented Irwins at the time, but more of a racer than the larger cruisers. According to the company, 305 Irwin 34s were built in the production run, from 1978 to 1985, a moderate but successful model for the era. Near the end of its production, the boat was advertised as the Irwin 34 rather than the Citation 34. There were no major changes in the boat from beginning to end, just the details and equipment that are typical of any long production run.