Sails, Rigging & Deck Gear

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...

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

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...

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

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...

I recently had an experience with the service department at Steiner Optics that deserves mention in your Where Credit is Due, feature.

It would be useful for PS to list which manufacturers use iron encapsulated in their keel. I am surprised to learn that many old sailboats have iron instead of lead as encapsulated ballast.Edward Addeo via PS Online

Several products caught our eye at the Newport Boat Show in Newport, Rhode Island in September, along with some updates to past tests.

Most times when I need a third hand, I can secure whatever I'm working on by jamming it in the groove between dock boards, or against a piling and placing a knee on it, or some combination. Work surfaces can incorporate cleats or holes for this purpose, but sometimes more specific clamping measures are required.

Our plunge into chain-free rode takes a new twist. How do we protect against bottom chafe?