Offshore Log: Charting A Course
For a circumnavigation, the cost of charts is a major expense. The use of photocopies saves money.
PS Advisor 09/01/00
Inflatable vs. Hard DinghyI have recently bought a nice, old 38' Shannon ketch, and she has dinghy davits. I have no dinghy, but am...
Sea Marshall Rescue Systems
The greatest fear of any sailor perhaps is the cry, “Man-overboard!” It’s not a common occurrence, but it can and does happen. Sometimes the...
Offshore Log: Waiting at the Panama Canal
Before transiting the Panama Canal, Calypso stops in the San Blas Islands and the PCYC.
Offshore Log: Alternator Breakdown
When you don't have a back-up means of charging batteries, you carry a second alternator and learn about belts and tension.
Offshore Log: Across the Isthmus
Calypso transits the Panama Canal, but not without a few scary moments.
Offshore Log: Across the Pacific
Racing through paradise, Calypso sails nearly 5,000 miles from Panama to Tahiti. The GPS is a boon, but the watermaker and mini-M fail, causing problems.
Trim Design Turnbuckle
Big ships had bulwarks, hip-high extensions of the topsides to prevent the crew from falling or being swept overboard. Yachts had nothing; maybe a...
Buyer’s Guide: Children’s PFDs
For ultimate safety, we like the Type 1 Safegard, though kids prefer more comfortable vests such as the Type III Kent Casad and Extrasport.
Buyer’s Guide: Handheld Emergency Flares
The SOLAS-grade Pains-Wessex Pinpoint flares are bright and spatter-free at a reasonable price.
Latest Logbook
Practical Sailor Logbook – September 2026
In September we tour the Hans Christian 48T — the offshore cruiser many sailors call the holy grail — walk the custom Antigua 60...
Video: The BEST Sailboat You Can Buy for $35,000 – Catalina...
If you’re searching for a mid-30-foot sailboat, affordable cruising sailboat, liveaboard sailboat, first sailboat, or a capable used sailboat for coastal cruising, the Catalina...
Latest Sailboat Reviews
Cal 2-27 Used Boat Review
Our story begins in 1970, with the introduction of the Cal 29. Looking for something similar but a bit smaller, the company asked designer Bill Lapworth for a 27-footer, which at first was the Cal 27, a fin keel, spade rudder design with a convertible pop top; another incarnation of this basic hull was the T/2. But the concept of the 29 found its full expression in the Cal 2-27, which began production in 1975 and continued to 1977, after which it was again modified and called simply the Cal 27...again. Production of it ceased in 1986.
