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...
Before and After the Cruise Checklists
Last October, PS Editor Darrell Nicholson wrote about the importance of checklists and his inbox was inundated with mail from sailors who shared their own lists. Here are two lists I use when sailing my Corsair F-24: the pre-departure list, and the return to home list. Neither list is meant to be exhaustive-but perhaps it is enough to think about as you craft your own.
NOAA Charts Coming to an End
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is seeking public comment on ending production of traditional paper nautical charts. The transition to Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) set for 2025 is already underway, but this does not mean the end of backup paper charts, and hopefully not the end of the navigational skills associated with traditional pilotage. Even if you do not intend to make a public comment (see link at bottom), here are…
Lessons from a Death at Sea
On November 18, 2017, Simon Speirs was washed off the bow of Clipper 70 CV30 during a southern ocean leg of the Clipper Around the World Race. He was attached to the boat with a 2-meter tether, which initially held him but failed within a few minutes. He was recovered 32 minutes later, but he could not be resuscitated.
Tragic Accident Highlights Safety Gear Shortcomings
The United Kingdoms Marine Accident Investigation Branchs report on the death of Simon Speirs highlighted several factors that contributed to Speirs death, as well as the many elements required of successful MOB rescue. The full report, documenting in great detail the events leading up to Speirs going overboard, and the eventual recovery of his body should be required reading for any offshore sailor. You can find it online at: https://bit.ly/36lzh8H
Catalina 25 Sailboat Tour
This Catalina 25 review also explains the important differences between the swing keel, fixed fin keel and wing keel versions, along with the standard...
Latest Sailboat Reviews
Gemini 31/3000 Used Boat Review
The funny thing about the Gemini is that it's an old design. Ken Shaw drew the lines in 1969. There's nothing particularly contemporary about it. However, by painting the cabin sides black (Euro styling), adding a swept-back fiberglass "pilothouse" and gradually adding length to the full-bodied hulls, the Gemini has always looked like she belonged with her contemporaries, whether that was the 1980s or 1990s.
