Furlers: Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down

By almost any measure, roller furling units have evolved to become nearly ubiquitous in our pastime. And, as we wrote in our Feb. 1,...

PS Advisor: 08/01/04

Rigging TerminalsHas Practical Sailor conducted a study of swaged terminals vs. screw-on terminals? I've heard opinions recently that the screw-on ones are preferable because...

PS Advisor: 05/01/04

Sailplan Balancing ActYour February 1 editorial on the benefits of small, self-tending headsails is thought-provoking. As I enter my golden years, I like the...

Headsail Roller Furlers

Headsail furlers, once a novelty scorned by "real" sailors, are everywhere nowadays. The reasons for their widespread use boil down to two advantages: the...

Plea-Free Tacking

I wonder how many people have given up sailing because of the effort it takes to tack a genoa shorthanded. Aside from hitting hard...

Sailmakers’ Advice and Prices

For this second article, we asked all our interview subjects to price out a suit of sails (mainsail and 150-percent furling headsail) for...

PS Advisor: 10/01/03

Riding Sails Ive read several articles about the benefits of riding sails while atanchor, on a mooring, even during hurricanes.What size is right so...

Market Scan: Sails and Sailmakers

Trying to pin down the technology, trade names, and jargon that define contemporary sailmaking is more than daunting—but it must be done once in...

PS Advisor: 07/15/03

Storm Jib ProvenanceA barely used, but well constructed, Haarstick storm jib was included with our recently purchased Tartan 34. The clew grommet seems undersized-...

High-Tech Rope Shackles

For some time, it has been our view that, as a stand-in for a standard 10-inch steel I-beam 50 feet long and weighing 1,720...

Beneteau 423: What You Should Know | Boat Review

Looking to buy a 40-45 foot sailboat? Considering a Beneteau 423? See a Beneteau 423 for sale? What are the pros and cons of...