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Maine Cat 41 Used Boat Review

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Catamarans have long ruled the realm of offshore speed. Indeed, Bruno Peyron's legendary 24-hour run of 732 miles in his twin-hulled Orange II in...

Sinking? Check Your Stuffing Box

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Sometimes as a sailor you are learning to run before you can walk or even crawl. If the auto bilge pump isn’t working, maybe...
1. Winch handle camera mount. It can’t fall of, is quick to place or remove in any conditions, and you can rotate it to change angles. (Photo/ Drew Frye)

How to Mount Your Camera on Deck: Record Your Adventures with DIY Innovations

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Most of the time I singlehand, so how do I take photographs for Practical Sailor without awkwardly holding a selfie stick? I have a...
CS 30 stern. (Photo/ Bert Vermeer)

CS 30 Used Boat Review

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Jack and Marilyn Williams moved west from their home province of Ontario in 1977, settling on the Victoria area on Vancouver Island. One priority...
The engine mounts on my Perkins M20 diesel needed to be changed. Luckily, they are accessible so I was able to change them myself with a few basic tools and new parts. If your engine is less accessible, you'll need to ask a professional to change the mounts. (Photo/ Marc Robic)

How to Change Your Engine Mounts

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It is always discomforting when you know, and actually feel, that something is not quite right. For a little while now, while navigating under...
Compression tester set up for testing. The hose is screwed into a glow plug hole after removing a glow plug. Note: This is a mock up to illustrate the tester placement, but this is a tester for a gasoline engine, not a diesel because it only goes up to 300 psi. A diesel tester would go up to 1000 psi. Also, ALL of the glow plugs should be removed, not just one. In addition, the hose is not actually screwed in because the fitting is the wrong size. (Photo/ Phil Decker)

How to Do an Engine Compression Test

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An engine compression test is an important diagnostic test that any boat owner can do with equipment that costs about $50. You can also...
Das Boot's symmetric spinnaker is flying while the boat races downwind at the Fran Byrne Regatta, Aug. 2007. (Photo/ Nick Van Antwerp)

Headsails and Spinnakers: How to Explain Their Functions to a Beginner

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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...
2. Not only is this switch too darn close to the winch, there is a silly wire drink holder near the path of the lines and a person sitting on the bench can easily fall into a running, unguarded, electric winch. Unspeakably dangerous and OSHA would just shut you down. (Photo/ Drew Frye)

Electric Winch and Windlass Safety

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A decade ago a woman from Venezuela was hoisting her husband up the mast of their Amel Maramu 54. The winch was electrically powered,...
The three-strand nylon anchor rode was likely severed by a submerged metal object 30 feet from the boat. While Alex had 20 feet of chain attached to the 50 feet of nylon rode, it wasn't enough chain to battle the submerged object. (Photo/ Alex Jasper)

Severed Anchor in the Bahamas: Seven Lessons Learned

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Leaving Rhode Island to sail to the Bahamas, I wanted to be untethered, for a while. Adrift at dawn and heading for rocks in...
With a few inexpensive materials and a bit of patience, you can redo the vinyl lettering on your boat yourself. (Photo/ Marc Robic)

Vinyl Boat Lettering DIY Application and Repair

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One of the pleasures of boating, at least for me, is reading boat names! I enjoy the many humorous names and those that are...
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