Sailboat Reviews

In a search for a budget cruiser, Practical Sailor has made it a point over the years to look at used boats from a prior...

Jack and Marilyn Williams moved west from their home province of Ontario in 1977, settling on the Victoria area on Vancouver Island. One priority...

A proven builder of boats for others, Henry Hinckley envisioned the Hinckley 49 as a comfortable cruiser for his own family. He saw the H49 as more motorsailer than racing sailboat. The big, beamy (for the era), shoal-draft centerboard ketch is a capable cruiser, at home in Maines cooler waters or while meandering the near-tropical conditions of the Bahamas. And for those so inclined, the H49 also lives up to the demands of around-the-world voyaging. Most of the center-cockpit 49s were rigged as ketches, but later retrofits of most included switch-overs to furling sails and power winches, which make sail handling even easier.

In the 13 years since naval architect Bob Johnson founded Island Packet Yachts, he's developed quite a following. We've had many requests to review one of his boats, mostly from satisfied owners. The others have come from couples considering the boat for living aboard and cruising. In a period when most boatbuilders are foundering, Island Packet has found a niche and is servicing it admirably.

A top-quality production boat, proven as an offshore passagemaker - with a few bits and pieces that cause concern.

This 1981 Bill Shaw design is a late-IOR racer/cruiser.

Boat buying is an exciting, maddening exercise that can test the tolerance of even the most patient sailor. Most of the maddening part has to do with trying to ferret out a boats problems before buying it-and making the problems your own. Hiring a professional marine surveyor can be expensive when youre looking at multiple boats, so save yourself some money-and potential heartache-by learning how to examine a used sailboat, from stem to stern and mast to bilge. Practical Sailors DIY survey how-to details common problem areas (like engines and rigging), what issues are easy to remedy, and what red flags you should walk away from.

INTRODUCTION Like many sailors, Bill and Cathy Norrie had dreams of sailing the warm waters of the southern oceans, particularly when winter snows beat against...

Michael and Gail were not particularly looking to purchase a Hunter Legend 35.5 in early 2020. But they were searching through sailing magazines and...

Buyers looking for a good used sailboat should ask themselves, When is a bargain really a bargain? The time-tested Pearson Rhodes 41 is one of the most popular boats on the used-boat market. They have a strong following, and an aging Pearson 41 with a previous owners accumulated TLC is one of the smartest buys among used boats. The Pearson 41 is a modest draft sailboat with a lean, long overhang and real sea berths. It features a solid fiberglass hull with encapsulated lead ballast. The low-aspect sailplan, which relies on a big genoa to boost horsepower. The Pearson 41 has an easy motion and enough functional space to qualify as a good inshore or offshore cruiser. It makes an excellent DIY candidate. Most of the 50 Pearson Rhodes 41s, built from 1961 to 1968, are still around today and have a cult following, making it one of the most sought-after used boats.