Estimating Total Capacity in an Old Battery

Volt meters, ammeters, and bank monitors can all give you part of the story, but only a draw-down test, performed over 6-24 hours will...

Solar Power and Battery Checkup

Batteries and solar panels can be a black box. We can’t see or hear or feel what is going on inside. They’re not complicated...

Rhumb Lines: Yes, We Are the Lucky Ones

Slow down. Stretch. Breathe. Before we let the coming summer carry us away, dreamy, windswept, mouth wide open, ready to inhale each sultry moment and...

PS Advisor: Tacking and Jibing with a Tiller Pilot

In very light winds the tiller pilot will make corrections that are too small and the boat will not turn quickly enough to complete...

The $15 Do-it-Yourself Tiller Lock

An electronic tiller pilot is a marvel for single handed sailors. It is a second crew member that never tires, holding a steady course...

Rhumb Lines: Tiller Versus Wheel, Again

Two articles this month focus on the simplest, most reliable form of steering, one that has persisted through the ages with little modification—the tiller....

Mailport: Carl Alberg, Tinned Wire, Fiberglass Durability

HIGH PRAISE FOR CARL ALBERG Regarding your report “Small-boat Dreams and Carl Alberg’s Classic Daysailers,” my first sailboat, 25 years ago, was a Pearson Electra....

Composting Head Disposal Options

We wouldn’t describe ourselves as huge fans of composting/desiccation heads (see “Dissecting the Desiccating Head,” PS July 2021). We’re not encouraging people to rip out what...

Gas Engine Owners Beware of E15 Blends

Global fuel supplies have been stretched as a result of the war between Russia and Ukraine, and to help alleviate this, the EPA issued...

Yes, We Are Talking About Boat Bidets

Once again we broach a sanitation topic that folks would rather not talk about, and once again we’ve been surprised by the answers we...

Can a Normal Sailor Actually Buy a Foiling Dinghy Now?

Foiling sailboats used to belong to the extreme edge of the sport: America’s Cup teams, SailGP, Olympic sailors, Moths, kite foilers, and high-performance racing...

Latest Sailboat Reviews

Catalina 470 Used Boat Review

Although it conforms to CE ratings for ocean sailing, this boat is better suited for coastal cruising in comfort and short offshore passages. It's got a great set of layout options for living aboard.

C&C 40 Used Boat Review