Sailboat Reviews

Choosing an anchor best suited to your cruising style must take into account the area you are cruising, the type of boat you will be sailing, and the demands you will make on your gear. Purchasing an anchor and its chain and rode can be an expensive proposition.

Perhaps the biggest surprise during our 30,000-mile circumnavigationwas just how critical the engine is to a cruising sailboat. We motored or motorsailed almost 25 percent of the miles that passed under our keel. The engine also provided battery charging for everything from lighting to making fresh water. It drove the refrigeration system, and made hot water.

About a year ago, I read an article that warned of “the coming crash in sailboat prices.” I didn’t believe it then, and nothing has happened in the last year to make me change my mind. In fact, while no one is ready to declare that the “soft” market for new sailboats is over, there are numerous indications that sales are up, and that used boat prices are beginning an upward spiral.

Probably nothing can make or break the appearance of a fiberglass boat more quickly than the appearance of the exterior teak trim. Contrary to popular belief, teak is not a maintenance-free wood that can be safely ignored and neglected for years at a time. Though teak may not rot, it can check, warp, and look depressingly drab if not properly cared for.

When the 28’ Pearson Triton appeared on the market in 1959, a revolution began in the boatbuilding industry. Fiberglass made economical mass production of boats a reality , and helped make sailing - and boat-owning - an activity for everyman. And Everywoman.For sailors who have never known boats built of anything but fiberglass, the changes in boatbuilding that can be attributed to the prosaic laminate of glass fibers and polyester resin are hard to imagine.

At boat shows, you see clipper-bowed boats with wooden spars cheek by jowl with IOR racers with reverse transoms and straight sheerlines. Each may be attractive in its own way. Both can also be little more than caricatures. Although “style” may sound like a question of pure aesthetics, style is also a matter of function. A reverse transom on an IOR boat is there purely for rating reasons. For the owner or potential buyer of the cruiser/racer modeled in some fashion after an IOR racer, a reverse transom may be a reminder of a racing heritage.

A snug-fitting teak grating adds safety and a touch of class to the cockpit of any boat. Spray or rain runs under the grating to the cockpit drains, leaving a reasonably dry footing for hopping about the cockpit as you haul in sheets to tack or trim sails. Unfortunately, you can't buy a grating off the shelf to fit your boat, and having a grating custom-built can be a costly and nerve-wracking experience. The solution to both of these problems: build your own grating. Its a fun job that can keep you busy for a few winter evenings, and you can build it for less than one-third the cost of a custom-built job.

The Tord Sunden-designed Swede classic, the International Folkboat, shares many of the same features as the Nordic Folkboat: the displacement and sail area are the same, the shallow drafts are similar, and the $10,000-price tag runs about equal. The IF, though, has done away with Nordic Folkboat clinker hull, the Nordic’s reverse transom has been cut short, and the IF’s shallow self-draining cockpit replaces the Nordic’s deep well. The most notable difference is that the IF is fiberglass. This well-made boat with a loyal following performs well under blustery conditions, and remains popular with coastal cruisers and weekenders.

Practical Sailor reviews a custom, backyard-built Tiki 30, a wood boat designed by cat-cult hero James Wharram (www.wharram.com) and built by bluewater voyager Dave Martin. Like most of Wharram's designs, testers found, the real genius in the Tiki 30 comes more from whats not found than whats present on board. No lead, no liners, and no inboard engine adds up to a displacement that is so light that a low-tech, no-boom small sail plan can provide enough drive to make way. In light zephyrs, this agile cat will tack and make progress to windward. Not only is the light-air cruiser efficient under sail, but it's also efficient to build. The price point is attractive, as long as one views the labor commitment as part of the recreational experience. But when all the glue and paint has finally cured, the bottom line is that the Tiki 30 is best suited to cruisers willing to slip away without huge battery banks or large-volume tanks, and with less mechanical propulsion reliance.

Letters to Practical Sailor, October 2010. Subjects include an owner's comments about MacGregor boats, digital maps, teak cleaners, props and adhesives.