Stopping Mainsheet Twist
The dinghy requires a gorilla to hoist onto the davits. The mainsheet won’t release in a gust. The internal reefing line inside the boom...
Working with High-Tech Ropes
If you are working with low friction rings, sooner or later youre going to work with Amsteel and other high molecular polyethylene (HMPE) ropes, and that means learning to splice-in rings.
Getting a Clue for the Blown-Out Clew
How do you manage major sail repairs in remote locations? By using whatever you have onboard to get you home—or beyond.
After an easy three-day...
Monel Seizing Wire is Worth the Extra Cost
Just weeks ago, a fellow Corsair 24 owner dismasted due to a seizing wire failure. More than once I’ve had stainless seizing wire fail...
Need a New Headsail Furler? Here’s What’s Involved
Selden's 'complete package' approach to headsail furlers opens the door to the hands-on sailor.
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...
How to Mount Your Camera on Deck: Record Your Adventures with DIY Innovations
Most of the time I singlehand, so how do I take photographs for Practical Sailor without awkwardly holding a selfie stick? I have a...
Un-Stepping the Mast for America’s Great Loop
As a family on a sailboat traveling on the Great Loop, our crew of four aboard Fika was a bit out of the ordinary....
Headsails and Spinnakers: How to Explain Their Functions to a Beginner
Over the past few decades, we have seen a tremendous advancement in sail design technologies—innovative sail materials are now common in the marketplace and...
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.
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...