Distress

Hull Hole Damage Control

The idea of serious hull damage offshore isn't one people like to dwell on, but preparation makes sense. PS interviewed offshore experts on how they plan and what they carry.

Seasickness Remedies: Start With the Least Invasive

For one chronic seasickness sufferer, the $7 Sea-Band worked pretty well. The $45 ReliefBand also worked, at the price of a sore wrist. Ginger didn't do the trick.

Emergency Rigging Cutters

The new Toolova Shootit 12 is a no-brainer at the high end-it cuts wire and rod almost like butter. At the low end, the old hacksaw does pretty well, too.

Daytime Distress Signals: Flares Shine in the Wind

No matter how you put out a call for help on the water—VHF, EPIRB, cell phone, or mental telepathy—sooner or later you'll need to...

PFDs Set Straight

Confused about today’s growing number of types and styles of life jackets? No wonder. Here's a primer on the rules, as well as some common-sense advice.

Wrestling With PFDs

We have a good article on PFDs this month, and it's worried me every time I've looked at it. These worries can probably be...

Brinkmann, LSI, Optronics Shine Bright in Spotlight Test

Sixteen lights from six manufacturers.

Fire Extinguishers: A Good Bunch, But Get More than the Minimum

They all performed comparably, but we'd pick the Kidde 1044, which was somewhat effective on Class-A fires and discharged for three seconds longer than the others.

Dead-Reckoning

A friend recently made a short delivery on a boat whose compass was fully 30 degrees deviated. No one worried about it. No one...

Personal Rescue Lights: Less Than Brilliant

ACR slightly outshone the rest of a dim group. These lights can help in a quick pick-up, but youre unlikely to see them beyond a half-mile in most sea conditions.

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.