Aqua Vigil Alarm Is Simple but Quirky
Nothing is scarier than seeing water coming into your boat. If you're not aboard to see the spectacle, you'll be safe — but it might be curtains for your boat.
Abandon Ship Bags: Don’t Leave the Boat Without Them
At $100, West Marine’s bag is a Best Buy, but no one beats Landfall Navigation’s watertight construction.
WAAS Up? New Acronym Stands For Better GPS Accuracy
Raytheon's Raychart 320 is consistently more accurate than two conventional DGPS units from Raytheon and Garmin — and it's less expensive.
Safety Alert: Life Raft Repacker Cited
On September 15, 2000 the US Coast Guards 1st District issued a Safety Alert to warn life raft owners who had rafts serviced by...
Lifeline Stanchions: New Aluminum Matella Is Super Strong
Cast bases outperform welded ones, so look to Spartan and Suncor.
US Coast Guard To Test 406 MHz EPIRBs
Carrying a 406 MHz EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon)-a big improvement over older 121.5 MHz beacons-is an effective way to make sure youre...
3-Brand Inflatable PFD Evaluation
In-the-water tests of USCG-approved PFDs from Sospenders, Mustang and Stearns.
Johnson & Johnson and Orion Our Picks Among Marine Medical Kits
When we conduct used-boat inspections we look everywhere, including inside medicine cabinets. Especially on boats that are more than five years old, we are...
Offshore Log:Do You Know Where Your Emergency Tiller Is?
The great racing sailor, Paul Elvstrom, preferred the superior sensitivity of tiller steering to wheel steering even on larger offshore boats. Elvstrom, however, seems...
Lifesling Goes Throwable
Were safety conscious at Practical Sailor. Readers know that, from the numerous articles about our in-the-water and bench tests. We rarely fail to comment...
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.