Inflatable PFDs Put to the Test

The UK-made Crewsaver's Crewfit takes first prize in our test of nine vests. The hitch—it's not USCG approved. Mustang is our runner-up.

EPIRB Update: 09/04

In the wake of independent tests conducted by the Equipped to Survive Foundation (ETS), wherein the GPS components of two EPIRB models from McMurdo...

Headings: The Academy of the Sea

Closing out 25 years of regular contributions, our Editor-at-Large bids adieu with advice from this year's Newport-Bermuda Race.

Life on the Edge—State of the Art Boatbuilding

Most of us have boats built of fiberglass and have only a vague idea that the hard outer surface is made of gelcoat. Beyond that, our knowledge of the boatbuilding process approaches zero.

Safe and Sound

As of this summer, Practical Sailor enters its fourth decade as a journal of fact and opinion pertaining to the gear and equipment we...

Life on the Edge—State of the Art Boatbuilding

Most of us have boats built of fiberglass and have only a vague idea that the hard outer surface is made of gelcoat. Beyond that, our knowledge of the boatbuilding process approaches zero.

Headings: Trickle-Down Safety

Those who sanction entries for offshore races offer some essential lessons.

EPIRB Test

An independent evaluation of GPS-equipped 406-MHz EPIRBs leads to the suspension of sales of two models from McMurdo.

Headings: Navigation, Then and Now

Between Marion-Bermuda and Newport-Bermuda events, June 18 will mark Nick Nicholson's 18th race to the Onion Patch, and his 25th year as an offshore navigator. He compares the racing navigator's role and methods in 1979 with those in 2004.

Fee-Based Weather Forecasts

We compared four forecasting services — three for pay, one free, on an East Coast passage to Bermuda.

Fast Sailboats Your Wife Will Love | Bruce Farr & Beneteau

If you’re searching for fast cruising sailboats that don’t sacrifice comfort, the Beneteau First 40.7 might be one of the best answers ever built....

Latest Sailboat Review

Rhodes 22 Used Boat Review

Designed by Phillip Rhodes back in 1960, the Rhodes 22 is a trailerable cruiser for a couple that wants the amenities of a larger boat without putting up with the hassles and expenses of a larger boat. It's clearly not a racing boat. It's also not a "shoehorn special," whose claim to fame is how many persons it can sleep. And it's not an inexpensive boat for its size. The Rhodes 22, from its inception, has been a purpose-built boat. And, with a history of detail improvements and some innovative thinking, it meets that purpose quite well.