PS Advisor 01/15/99

Adding a StaysailCan you advise where I can find basic design parameters for adding an inner forestay to my 40-footer? Jim FitzgeraldHollywood, FloridaAdding an...

Whence Thou Comest, Highfield?

Because increasing numbers of serious sailors have become interested in retrofitting inner forestays for heavy weather headsails, a look at quick-detach hardware is in...

Whats Going On With Sailmakers?

During our recent cruises through boat shows and seminars, we were surprised that changes in sailmaking are occurring as rapidly as consolidations in the...

Are Masts Getting Too Skinny, Too Fragile?

Dear Editor: Some time ago you published a letter from a marine surveyor who said he’d seen three boats whose masts failed when sailing...

Consider The Self-Tending Jib

During the 1960s, the CCA (Cruising Club of America) rating rule promoted boats with large mainsails and smaller foretriangles. Despite the fact that many...

Offshore Log: Rigged For Downwind

Nick Nicholson critiques his downwind rig that uses a carbon fiber spinnaker pole from Hall Spars with Forespar end fittings.

Harken Boasts Best Overall Quality Among Backstay Adjusters

Others we like are the Wichard ratcheting model and for sheer value, the C. Sherman Johnson adjusters.

Sail Track Lubes: Slide-All Lasts Longest

Whether fitted with slides and shackles on a metal track or plastic slugs in a mast slot, mainsails can be difficult to hoist or strike.

Top 10 Products for 1999

Our annual selection of outstanding equipment, headlined this year by the Spade anchor, Nexus instruments and the Isotemp water heater.

Offshore Log: A New Sail Inventory

Calypso dumps her old sails for a new suit from North, and what a difference it makes!

How to Wire Your Boat – Boat Wiring Mistakes and ABYC...

Most sailboat electrical failures aren’t random — they’re predictable. In this Practical Sailor–style breakdown, we explain why sailboat wiring fails over time, how corrosion...

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...