Years Later, Mast Mate Still Riding High
Mast steps are a great help when going aloft, but they add weight where it hurts most (aloft), and halyards love to get stuck...
Mailport: anchoring etiquette, stern-tied boats, and wind generators
Anchoring Etiquette
I really appreciated the article Anchoring in Crowded Harbors (see Practical Sailor, June 2019). The difficult and critical part is always estimating distances,...
Overheating Ropes
We have a love-hate relationship with nylon rope. When it comes to absorbing shock, it offers the best available combination of strength, elasticity, and...
Adding a Polyester Cover to Dyneema Single Braid
Extremely low friction allows Amsteel and other high molecular weight polyethylene (HMPE) lines to run like lightening through low friction rings. Unfortunately, they also...
Splice Failure Linked to Fatality
You don't have to look far to find a case in point supporting our recent Practical Sailor Special Report on high-tech lines, which emphasized...
A Sure Way to Secure the Boom
When the wind really blows, the pleasant chiming of a marina takes on a different character. Above the howling of the wind is the...
Dyneema Abrasion Test
As outlined in our previous report on lifelines, high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) fiber rope has revolutionized sailboat rigging during the past decade (see Fiber...
Penny Pincher Pawl Lube
Winch pawls require a different lube the rest of the winch. The only time they are moving is under practically no load, clicking along...
Undoing Mainsheet Twist
What kind of line do you use in your davit tackle? My lines keep twisting, chafing, and jamming. The ropes run crooked in the...
Winches Part 2
ConclusionTesters found something to recommend in each of the winches. It came down to preferences. Our focus on drum surface adaptations showed the new...
The Cheap Big Cruising Sailboat – Endeavour 42
Interested in a 40-45 foot cruising sailboat? Sailing Florida or the Bahamas and need a shoal draft sailboat that’s big enough to be a...
Latest Sailboat Review
Cheoy Lee Clipper 36 & 42 Used Boat Review
Cheoy Lee Shipyards of Hong Kong has been a commercial builder since the early 1900s and is one of the first molders of fiberglass...