Systems & Propulsion

Sailors obsess over the health of their engine; it is the heart of the boat (other than the rig, sails, and through-hulls). Failure is inconvenient, expensive, and even dangerous. And sailors love their maintenance, or so it seems. Anything that promises to ease the mind for a few dollars merits investigation.

In Part 1 of this series, we discussed how to size your new lithium battery system, choose a battery, and assess the components and...

The Morgan 41 sloop is arguably one of the best looking of many lovely dual-purpose sailboats that the Cruising Club of America handicap rating system engendered. One owner described his boat as a Bermuda 40 for a regular Joe, only prettier. Designer Charley Morgan traces the cruiser-racers heritage, particularly below the waterline, back to Olin Stephens famous Finisterre, and Comanche, a 40-foot centerboarder built by Wirth Munroe, son of famed sharpie designer and South Florida pioneer Commodore Ralph Munroe.

I once heard of a sailor who prided himself on sailing “pure”—no motor, no electrical, just wood and canvas. How he could dock and...

A tour of the 2025 Annapolis Sailboat Show showed signs of progress on the electrification of auxiliary power. Particularly notable was the emergence of...

For many seasonal sailors, the winterizing routine is already well underway. But there are more than a few diehard sailors in the mid-Atlantic regions, on the West Coast, and even in New England, who plan to spend all or part of the snowy season afloat. Some, we daresay, look forward to the quiet of winter. If youre toying with the idea of keeping your boat in the water during the winter, heres a short rundown on some of the more important steps to take.

If you own or intend to buy an electric outboard because it is clean and quiet, read no further. Today’s four-stroke outboards are much...

The Universal name resonates with many of us as one of the best sailboat engines available. Despite Universal Motor Corp. no longer being in...

Plenty of day sailors and dingy owners are sold on the appeal of clean, quiet electric outboards, but do they make sense for cruising...

A vessels drive train is typically defined as the components between the engine transmission coupling and the bitter end of the propeller shaft. For traditional drive trains, this includes the propeller, shaft, cutless bearing and packing gland, although the list could also be expanded to encompass ancillary items such as the rudder, engine mounts, and engine bedworks. Heres a look at two major drive train components you should know and what to look for when inspecting each. Next month well look at the components inside the boat-stuffing box, shaft, and coupler.