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.
Mailport: Iron Keels, Clothes for Cold, Anchor Roll Bars
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
Product Update: From Solar Panels to Electronic Flares
Several products caught our eye at the Newport Boat Show in Newport, Rhode Island in September, along with some updates to past tests.
Latest Logbook
Practical Sailor Logbook – September 2026
In September we tour the Hans Christian 48T — the offshore cruiser many sailors call the holy grail — walk the custom Antigua 60...
Video: The BEST Sailboat You Can Buy for $35,000 – Catalina...
If you’re searching for a mid-30-foot sailboat, affordable cruising sailboat, liveaboard sailboat, first sailboat, or a capable used sailboat for coastal cruising, the Catalina...
Latest Sailboat Reviews
Learning by Doing on a $5,000 Catalina 30 Mk II
When Davis’s mother started talking about wanting to do something “big” for retirement, Davis and Gloria half-jokingly threw out an idea that seemed suitably...
