Smart Chargers: Statpower TrueCharge+ Still Top Dog
For years, the battery charger has been the stone simple, ferroresonant type consisting of a transformer which takes 110 AC and steps it down...
When Do You Need A High-Output Alternator?
In our last report on high-output alternators (HOPA), in the September 1994 issue, five leading brands were tested. The conclusion was that there is...
Solar Tests: Kyocera and Uni-Solar
The September 1998 issue contained test results of 10 solar panels-the Siemens SP-70, SM-50, SM-46, SM-20, SM-10 and SM-6, Solarex MSX-18 and MSX-10L, and...
Battery Monitors: The E-Meter Vs. the Sophisticated SALT
In the February 15, 1997 issue, we reviewed battery monitors and stated that Cruising Equipments E-Meter was the only one of the four models...
7 Inverters Tested: Ace is Statpower
If the prospect of consistently available 120-volt AC power on your boat sounds enticing, you might be in the market for an inverter. An...
After 17,000 Miles
Building an efficient, easy-to-maintain cruising yacht is very much an exercise in compromise and experimentation. There are literally thousands of decisions that must be...
Crimp Connections: AMP Super Champ and Ancor Our Top Picks
One of the most nettlesome areas of boating electronics is making dependable wire connections that will last for years. Because marine elements are conspiring...
Pocket Inverters: Exeltech, Statpower Stand Out
In the February 15, 1998 issue we reviewed large inverters capable of producing up to 2500 watts. For those of you with smaller AC...
5-Model Genset Bench Test
An article in the June, 1997 issue about small gensets struck a chord with readers. The report was of the type we call a...
Odyssey: A Lightweight 12-volt With Punch
The first thing we can tell you about the 12-volt Odyssey battery is that it came in the mail—UPS to be exact—which is an...
Latest Logbook
Practical Sailor Logbook – September 2026
In September we tour the Hans Christian 48T — the offshore cruiser many sailors call the holy grail — walk the custom Antigua 60...
Video: The 11.5 Knot Cruiser – Bavaria Match 42 Yacht Tour
Could this be the fastest family cruiser you’ve never heard of? The Bavaria Match 42 is a genuine performance sailboat hiding beneath the interior...
Latest Sailboat Reviews
Cal 2-27 Used Boat Review
Our story begins in 1970, with the introduction of the Cal 29. Looking for something similar but a bit smaller, the company asked designer Bill Lapworth for a 27-footer, which at first was the Cal 27, a fin keel, spade rudder design with a convertible pop top; another incarnation of this basic hull was the T/2. But the concept of the 29 found its full expression in the Cal 2-27, which began production in 1975 and continued to 1977, after which it was again modified and called simply the Cal 27...again. Production of it ceased in 1986.
