DIY survey of boat solar and wind turbine systems
Many used cruising sailboats on the market will have a couple of solar panels, a wind turbine, or possibly both. But are they working?...
Re-sealing the Seams on Waterproof Fabrics
Rain gear can represent a substantial investment, and it always seems to start leaking long before the garment appears worn. Sometimes the coating wears...
Where Winches Dare to Go
Cross sheeting—directing the leeward jib sheet from the working winch across the cockpit to a winch on the windward side—is common practice on sport...
What’s Involved in Setting Up a Lithium Battery System?
Our 2004 Privilege 435 Confianza (Connie for short) came equipped with traditional lead-acid batteries—5 100ah for the house bank and 2 starter batteries. We...
Leaping Into Lithium
Your dock neighbor just switched out her old 12-volt lead-acid batteries for lithium-ion batteries. Should you? The lithium solution will be more expensive, but...
How to Sell Your Boat
For many sailors, selling their boats is an emotional experience. The big decision is setting the price. Setting your price, or the acceptable net...
The Day Sailor’s First-Aid Kit
As a former ER nurse and a current family practice clinician, one of the topics I get asked about most frequently by my sailing...
Cal 2-46: A Venerable Lapworth Design Brought Up to Date
What kind of blue-water cruising sailboat should you consider when your thoughts turn offshore? We posed that question to Practical Sailor readers, and Puget...
Breaking Point: What Can Go Wrong With Your Yanmar?
If you want to know more about the little Yanmar chugging away in your sailboat, it helps to learn about this iconic engine maker’s...
What Is The Best Folding Bike For Your Sailboat?
This week we explore what the best folding bike is to keep on your sailboat and compare the time honored Dahon Folding Bike with...
