Offshore Log: A Caribbean-built Wind Generator
For the serious cruiser, efficient power generation ranks right up there with an abundant supply of fresh water; without it, life is a real...
Offshore Log:South to Trinidad – A Different Kind of Paradise
In June, Calypso made her way south from Grenada to Trinidad, wrapping up more than six months of cruising in the brilliantly clear, wind-swept...
Barometers: Altitude and Speedtech Tops for Forecasting
It takes very little skill or technology to know that youre in the midst of a storm. It takes considerably more to know that...
Coleman 1000: First of the Truly Portable Generators
Portable power-is it just what you need for extra AC power and battery charging needs, and, if so, what size generator do you really...
Offshore Log:Big Change in the Foretriangle
Although Calypso is rigged as a cutter, we sail her as a sloop. Most of the time we use the genoa, reducing its area...
Offshore Log: Trapped in Paradise
You would think that after a decade of construction and almost two years of full-time cruising, we would have Calypso pretty much finished. Nothing...
A Different Kind of Charter
Last August, our family took a different kind of boating vacation-white-water rafting on Utahs Green River. My wife, Andra, loves the west, and tries...
Vetus, Simpson Lawrence Best Of The Nonskid Add-Ons
Anyone who has spent time on a number of boats knows that there are usually some spots that could use some form of nonskid...
Uninflatable Tenders: Two Alternatives to RIBs & Roll-Ups
Once upon a time, tenders were essentially wooden or fiberglass rowboats. Then came inflatables, which are easier to stow, less likely to damage the...
Offshore Log: Keeping Water Clean
Clean, safe drinking water can be a scarce commodity once you leave the cruising waters of the U.S. Most cruising boats we have met...
Lithium Batteries on Sailboats: The 3 Mistakes Everyone Makes
Lithium batteries are one of the most popular sailboat upgrades today—but they’re also one of the most misunderstood. In this Practical Sailor Saturday episode,...
Latest Sailboat Review
Island Packet Estero Used Boat Review
Florida-based Island Packet targets a relatively narrow niche, so the toughest competitors to its new boats are often older Island Packets. Introduced in 2010, the 36-foot, shoal-draft Estero is the company’s latest attempt to introduce a distinctive model that doesn’t stray too far from the company’s proven formula for success: moderate displacement, full-keel cruisers designed to be lived on, sailed far and in comfort, and endure the bumps, scrapes, and storms that cruising boats inevitably encounter. After sailing the Estero on Florida’s Sarasota Bay and inspecting its interior, construction, and systems, Practical Sailor testers noted that the shoal-water cruiser will appeal strongest to Island Packet fans who’ve been waiting for a shoal-draft, easy-to-sail boat that compares to the IP37 in terms of interior space. These strengths will be most apparent on intracoastal or riverine adventures like the Great Loop.