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Rebuilding a Cape Dory 36 Part IV

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Do You Really Need a Bigger Boat?

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Mailport: Carl Alberg, Tinned Wire, Fiberglass Durability

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Rebuilding a Cape Dory 36 Part III

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Mailport: X-yachts, Soverel 33, tropical storms

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Must New Owners Pay Old Yard Bills?

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Designing a Dump Line for the Multihull Mainsheet

Many of Practical Sailor's previous reports have explored the risks of multihull capsize, and what sailors and designers are doing to reduce this risk, which, though generally low, increases as designers push for more speed. One detail that we have not explored in great depth is the engineering of a “dump line,” which allows the helmsman (or automatic system) to quickly release the mainsheet in case a capsize is imminent. Simon Angus, a Canadian sailboat designer and builder who recently launched a new 40-foot catamaran that fits into a shipping container, has a manual system that involves the clever use of Ronstan’s constrictor textile rope clutches, which allows a person at the helm to quickly release the mainsheet with the swift tug on a parachute cord.

Life Jackets for Active, Racing Sailors

For this test, we rounded up seven flotation aids from four manufacturers: Float Tech, Gill, Spinlock, and Stohlquist. The test field included an inflatable rash guard, foam racing-style life vests, inflatable PFD-harness combinations, and PFDs designed specifically for women. Only the Stohlquist PFDs meet U.S. Coast Guard standards, but all have innovative features and offer increased comfort and mobility over many Type I and Type II PFDs.

Folding Oru Opens Horizons

No space to store a dinghy or hard kayak? Remember folding paper boats as a kid? The Oru folding kayak neatly solves the first...

Multihull Capsize Risk Check

In recent years we’ve seen a surge in interest in multihulls. Thirty years ago, when my experience with cruising multihulls began, nearly all of...