Shackles
Considering some of the loads involved, it's no wonder that shackles are made to be reliable. Wichard's 'D' shackles are excellent. Tylaska makes a top-quality snap shackle, but you won't go wrong with Schaefer or Wichard.
Removable Boarding Ladders
West Marine and Dixon offer the best latch ladders. For occasional use, a hook-type from Garelick should do the job. Sport ladders from Garelick and Armstrong are great, but will be an odd fit for most sailboats.
Block Efficiency
We put 19 of the best small blocks through a home-grown friction test, and took looks inside.
The Civilization of Cam Cleats
RWO's new Carbocleat and Spinlock's PX Powercleat are trying to out-gentle the old favorites, Harken's Carbo-Cam and Ronstan's C-Cleat.
Navigation Lights: Hella and Aqua Signal Shine Brightest
A variation of the Golden Rule applies: Shine unto others as you would have them shine unto you.
A Tale of Two Anchors
We check out the Digger Anchor and Kingston QuickSet in the latest series of anchor tests.
Emergency Rigging Cutters
The new Toolova Shootit 12 is a no-brainer at the high end-it cuts wire and rod almost like butter. At the low end, the old hacksaw does pretty well, too.
Multi-Tools: Leatherman Wave Covers the Waterfront
Leatherman leads the way with a quality tool at a good price. The Gerber 800 Legend, the Kershaw, SOG's Powerlock, and the Spyderco SpydeRench also top our list.
In-Boom Furling: Five Systems
It's not an easy bit of engineering. Still, all the systems on the market continue to mature. Schaefer's new offering looks like a good bet for medium-sized boats.
Webbing: Match Quality to Usage
There are several places where the flat stuff is the right stuff. Make sure type follows function.
Small Boat, Big Keel Why This 27 Footer Works
What makes a small sailboat truly seaworthy? In this video, we take a deep dive into the Pacific Seacraft Orion 27, a rugged, long-keel...
Latest Sailboat Review
Tortue 147 Boat Review
What if I told you that the most radical sailboat you’ve never heard of looks like a turtle, weighs in at 17 tons (17,200...