How (Not) to Tie Your Boat to a Dock
No sailor can resist the temptation to look over another sailors work, and nothing draws the eye faster than your neighbors docklines. We like to know our boat and our neighbors boats will be where we left them when we return, not rubbing together or worse. Sometimes, however, a stroll down the dock makes us nervous. This gallery of rogue docklines represents only a taste of what PS tester Drew Frye found within a short walk of his slip. How many of these will come loose during the next storm?
Master the Sailing Basics: Never Stop Learning the Little Things
Seamanship is about big concepts and small skills. They work together, but we see them differently and they represent different types of learning. Big...
Practical Sailor Classic: The Load on Your Rode
Our time spent testing anchors has prompted some important musings; we offer the following thoughts regarding the forces and factors to be considered before purchasing anchors and rodes.
Anchor Rodes for Smaller Sailboats
The usual advice for anyone seeking all-rope anchor rode is usually to just get some three-strand nylon anchor. The makes sense. Three-strand nylon is inexpensive, wears best, and is easy to splice. But one size, or even one type of rope, does not necessarily fit all situations.
Anchorage Tactics for Sudden Storms
On August 18, a sudden, violent storm ripped through the island of Corsica, packing winds up to 140 mph and tossing once safely moored...
Setting Up Your Own ‘Floating’ Genoa Lead
When setting up a floating lead system, you need to establish the maximum range of positions you may need. With a track system, the...
Drogues to Dampen Yaw
A leading cause of anchor dragging is yawing so vigorously that either the soil around the anchor is liquefied, or the anchor simply capsizes....
Tips on Anchoring In Mud
Perhaps this seems like going back to school, but procedure can be critical in soft mud, and I’ll wager most old cruising hands from...
Bottomless Lockers Be Gone
Storage is a challenge on small boats, and my new-to-me Corsair Marine F-24 trimaran was particularly Spartan this regard. The skinny hulls provided minimum volume and the race-focused designer intentionally omitted proper lockers. A performance-oriented boat such as this must be kept light if she is to sail to her potential. But even day sailers and racers attract a certain amount of necessary clutter, sure as honey attracts flies. Something had to be done, and yet, as a new owner its tough to know what will best suit your needs and what the boat needs. Its even harder to cut the first hole. This project was 100 percent non-invasive.
New Goyer Guard vs. Firehose
One of the quickest ways to lose your floating investment is to chafe through a dock line or mooring pendant, sending your boat smashing into the neighboring slip or a rock jetty. It has been a while since we tested chafe gear (see PS October 2012), so when a new product came across our radar, we jumped on the chance to test it.
Why You Might Regret Buying a Watermaker
Thinking about installing a boat watermaker? Before you buy a marine watermaker, there’s a lot more to understand than gallons per hour. In this...
Latest Sailboat Reviews
Pearson 35 Used Boat Review
The Pearson 35 was introduced in 1968 and remained in production for the next 14 years. In all, 514 P35s were built, almost all for East Coast and Great Lakes owners attracted by the 35's shoal draft (3' 9" with centerboard up) and "classic" proportions. Even the popular Pearson 30, usually heralded as the enduring boat from a builder otherwise noted for its frequent introductions of new boats and short production runs, remained in production only 10 years, albeit with almost 1,200 boats built.
