Kayak Test Update
Our previous favorite kayak in this category was the Walker Bay Airis, which we reviewed in two different evolutions (PS July 2008 and October...
PS Looks at DIY COVID-19 Mask Options
At present, the masks that are certified to provide reliable protection against COVID-19 (minimum rating N95) are in short supply, so we have to...
PFDs for Extreme Events
Seldom does one size fit all, and the same goes for whether or not one type of life jacket can meet all lifesaving needs.
The...
Rhumb Lines: Cruising in the New Normal
The Valiant 40 on the cover of this month’s issue belongs to longtime contributor the late Patrick Childress and his wife Rebecca. Patrick was...
The Ups and Downs of Shoal Draft Boats
As a longtime multihull sailor I’m often told that it must be wonderful to anchor wherever I want and tuck into the smallest of...
Making the Most of Centerboards
A deep, ballasted keel does a lot of good things. It lowers the center of gravity, provides lift to windward, and stabilizes the boat....
Rhumb Lines: The Sailing Cure
This summer is shaping up to be a strange one—a pandemic moving through the land and an economy reeling from its strains. And now...
Rhumb Lines: Is Sailing Essential?
Let’s take away all the boats. Not the ships engaged in essential commerce, not the barges hauling goods, not the net boats catching fish....
Insuring Old Boats
Editor’s note: Our recent article on marine insurance (see “Consequential DamageCoverage,” PS Jan. 2020) prompted many questions from readers regarding insurance for older boats. For answers, we...
Steering Our Way to Safer Passages at Sea
With so many conveniences aboard the modern cruising boat, it’s easy to forget that the bare essentials required to get us from here to...
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.