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...
Pros and Cons of ‘Fathead’ Mainsail
The triangular mainsail of a Marconi rig has never been the most aerodynamic shape. The narrow tip produces wasteful tip vortices and little lift.
Developmental...
Steiner Stands By its Binos
I recently had an experience with the service department at Steiner Optics that deserves mention in your Where Credit is Due, feature.
Performance Sailing – Beneteau First 44 Review
The Beneteau First 44 Performance is not just another modern cruiser. In this Practical Sailor boat tour, we take a close look at the...
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Tartan 395 Boat Review
Co-founded by Charlie Britton in the early 1960s, Tartan Yachts was established on the shores of Lake Erie in Grand River, Ohio. The original...
