Sails, Rigging & Deck Gear

A Second Look at Anchor Fluke Shape

The new anchoring myth making rounds on the internet is that a scoop shape is what makes an anchor hold. Though it seems logical,...

Chafe Tape Plan

No one like dings, but we accept them as part of active sailing. Most boats have black marks behind winch handle pockets and dings...

Coated Chafe Gear Tested

Assuming the COVID-19 restrictions allow us to launch this season, we have another worry on the horizon—hurricane season, which means chafe gear. Recently we...

Adjustable Snubber Bridle and Chain Hook

This report focuses on multihulls, because that is what we sail, but most of what we learned from this project can be applied to...

Rhumb Lines: Sailing Through the Big Storm

Halfway between the Cook Islands and Tonga, we spent a whole day preparing or 30-foot ketch for a gale that had been forecast for...

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...

Taking Our Test Anchors Out for a Wiggle-walk

First, we established baseline holding capacities for the 2-pound anchors by pull testing each anchor after letting it settle into the bottom for 10...

Deep Anchors Stay Put in Moderate Yawing

Setting history matters. If the anchor is deeply set, a good portion of the rode is pulled underground, the anchor is in firmer substrate,...

Fad or Function? Fathead Sails Offer A Little of Both

Full-length battens create a compression load on the luff end, requiring ball bearing luff car system for sails over about 300 square feet. Off...

Finding Balance with Your New Fathead Sail

The center of effort will move aft compared to a pinhead and forward compared to a full roach sail. Whether this is good or...

Why Is This 46 Foot Sailboat So Cheap? Hunter 460 Review

Is the Hunter 460 really one of the best-value cruising sailboats on the used market? In this video, we take a deep, honest look...

Latest Sailboat Review

Jeanneau 65 Used Boat Review

From the drawing board of Philippe Briand, a renowned marine architect over the past four decades, comes the Jeanneau Yachts 65. This boat is...