Systems & Propulsion

Electric Propulsion: Solomon Technologies’ High-Wire Act

It's powerful, quiet, renewable, and sometimes even free. It doesn't pollute. How severe are the drawbacks? That depends on several of your thresholds.

PS Advisor: July 2001

Lexan vs. PlexiIm planning to replace my wooden companionway boards with translucent plastic. Is there a difference between Lexan and plexiglass? Can both be...

Techni-Ice: So Long, Blue Bricks

Techni-Ice, invented in Australia, is meant to act as a substitute for ice, and it does a good job of it—better, in our opinion,...

Rocker Switches, Pin-Stop Lead Cars, FendFast

One of the good names in marine electrical equipment is Cole Hersee, maker of switches. Boat owners are probably most familiar with its line...

Small Batteries, Chargers, and How To Recharge on Board

You can recharge household batteries with your 12-volt system via an inverter. We test nine chargers and a brace of batteries.

Corroded Whale Gusher 10 Pump

A photo in a report on manual bilge pumps (in the April 15, 2000 issue) showed a Whale Gusher 10 that a reader had...

Deka Deep-Cycle Battery Performs…

Following our August 1, 1999 discharge tests of batteries from Exide, Interstate, GNB, Rolls and West Marine, a number of readers asked for a...

Keeping Your Cool With A/C

Part 2—What’s new with refrigerants and controls.

Deka Deep-Cycle Battery Performs…

Following our August 1, 1999 discharge tests of batteries from Exide, Interstate, GNB, Rolls and West Marine, a number of readers asked for a...

Tillerpilots: Raytheon vs. Simrad

Of four models tested, the Simrad TP10 lags behind the others, while the TP30 outpoints the Autohelm ST2000.û

Bahamas Lightning Strikes Catamaran, FRIES EVERYTHING!

This week, we talk to Sailing Dark Angel about the Bahamas price increases for cruisers and their recent brush with disaster as light struck...

Latest Sailboat Review

Catalina 25 Used Boat Review

The Catalina 25 is not exceptionally fast, stylish, or spacious compared to newer widebody models, and while the construction and workmanship are adequate, they too are not exceptional. But because of the builder's strict adherence to a philosophy of offering a relatively spacious design, relatively well made, at a reasonable price, and backing up the product with generally good customer service, the Catalina 25 has turned out to be one of the most successful small cruising sailboats ever built, with 5,332 boats sold between 1976 and 1990, when the company ceased producing the model as demand tailed off.