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...
Dissecting the Desiccating Head
Our first cruising boat had a conventional portable toilet. We didn’t like it, but we made peace with it, cruising for up to two...
DIY Desiccating Head Options
No standard dry toilet, even the CHead Shorty, would fit the available space on our Corsair F-24, so we decided to build our own....
Packing Extraction Tool Tested
The packing material encircling your shaft and tucked out of sight inside the packing nut is truly your boat’s Achilles heel. Installed improperly it...
Rhumb Lines: The Diesel Engine Dilemma
As the threat of global warming is forcing policy makers around the world to explore ways to wean their economies off carbon based energy...
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 BEST Sailboat You Can Buy for $35,000 – Catalina...
If you’re searching for a mid-30-foot sailboat, affordable cruising sailboat, liveaboard sailboat, first sailboat, or a capable used sailboat for coastal cruising, the Catalina...
Latest Sailboat Reviews
Learning by Doing on a $5,000 Catalina 30 Mk II
When Davis’s mother started talking about wanting to do something “big” for retirement, Davis and Gloria half-jokingly threw out an idea that seemed suitably...
